European Tour - Dubai Desert Classic

First topic message reminder :

The last of the desert swing events takes place this week in Dubai. Only a few years back this used to be the one where many of the big starts were gathering, but there is obviously a big change this year...

Spoiler:

I expect we may hear various speculations going around over the next days as to why this is happening. As we've been seeing, Abu Dhabi has slowly taken over the spotlight in the last few years and getting now all the big stars (reflected in the OWGR strength above). I'm not sure if it's all about money, but it could well have something to do with the financial troubles that the 'Dubai project' (call it 'house of cards' if you will) faced a couple of years back and when apparently only last minute intervention from their neighbours in Abu Dhabi saved the whole thing from collapse. Thing is that the prize fund itself didn't really go down, but I'm guessing that the all important big appearence fee pot has dried up... who knows? On the other hand, Dubai still remains heavilly involved in the ET with the R2D and the final big event of the season...

Anyhow, Lee Westwood is back! At least playing, but we shall see about his form. Apparently he spent most of the winter in Florida training and playing a lot, so according to his own comments, he feels up for it and ready to go. Big year ahead for him, no doubt. Has a very good record here with three runner up places, but no win yet. Last year Rafael Cabrerra Bello won the event and hopefully he will pull off another fine performance this week to lift him inside the top 50 in the world. Talking of which, it's good to see that practically all the (fit) EuroTour players that are still having a good chance to make the top50/64 cutlines to qualify for the next big events are in the field this week. Spaniards have been doing well over here lately, and Garcia seemed to be in top form last week in Qatar, and hoping probably to go one better this week. Othere than that, still keeping an eye on Matteo, Stenson and Casey, but also have a hunch that a Scot may do well here this week... Also, good to see a few chaps from the PGA Tour (Curtis, Noh and... O'Meara) coming to play here, most probably fulfilling some older commitments (e.g. 'Dubai golf ambassadors', etc.)...

Westwood probably a little far behind, but you'd think that, if someone could post -18 or better, they might have a chance.

Pity that man wasn't Webster but a triple bogey will make things complicated.

A happy sergio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AlxKl6KKo&feature=youtu.be

McLaren wrote:A happy sergio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_AlxKl6KKo&feature=youtu.be

Typical unfortunately of the man.....................

Has he been disciplined??

As brilliant as it's been yesterday, Galacher's driving is abysmal today. Having said that, some of his recoveries have been quite amazing... Westy putting up a bit of challenge, could be a bit too late though with just 4 holes left for him...
And another great week for Ricardo Santos...

Tut tut Sergio .Fawltyesque.Seemed to unhappy with something about the lie but its the old story about not being in there in the frist place.he should come and play some of the bunkers we have to deal with.
if anyone had a right to be cross it was webster with the triple

incontinentia,
Seems Qatar and Abu Dhabi are the flavour of the Gulf these days, Dubai perhaps not such a good date vis-a-vis PGA Tour action as in the past? Compounded of course by the fact that some of the better players in the field missed the cut.

Much better all round if these three tournaments get similar-level fields.

Five birdies in ten holes from Webster now wasted.

"Perfect", says Sam, as the tee-shot buries in the rough.
Who's the other voice with Brown and Laidlaw on the GC broadcast?

Have to say it again, there's something about Gallacher and eagles... amazing!!

To paraphrase Tony Pulis yesterday, has he just done what he has done?

Cracking win by Gallacher - 20 putts for 18 holes in the third round was amazing and I'm pretty sure I've not seen that done before (as in I watched it happen "live on TV").

Really interesting season the Euro Tour and PGA - not sure I'd have got many winners correct if I'd tried to predict them pre-season.

How many GIR did he hit for the 20 putts though?...

According to the ET website he hit 15 greens, and took 24 putts on Saturday.

incontinentia wrote:How many GIR did he hit for the 20 putts though?...

I think it was 15

Edit: The European Tour website gives it cumulatively so I calculated it.. hence 15. Interesting was the 18th (Par 5) he was in the back bunker in 2 and then chipped in for eagle, so I imagine that counts as a GIR but obviously 0 putts

I think that was his average after the 3 days Smithy, i can't find stats for the individual days. Apparently the record on the pga tour is 18 in a round!

Wow, 15 greens and 20 putts is impressive.

Click on the tournament, then the leaderboard, then his name, then the stats tab. It was definitely 24 putts for the day, 15 greens in regulation and as you say a chip in. You can work it out - 18 gir = 36 putts. He hit 15, so take off 3 - 33. He chipped in on 18, so take off 2 more = 31. And he had one other eagle and 6 birdies, so take off another 7 = 24.

I don't recall if he had any other chip ins - I know he had 5 for the tournament. But you could be right, it might be 24 - although I distinctly heard the commentator say 20 for the round.. but then it's Sky so .. you know.. caveat emptor.

Sorry smithy you're right, 24 putts.

I think it's impossible to shoot 'just' 10 under with 20 putts, without missing something like 6 greens and failing to get up and down, and/or chipping in for par on a few!

One possibility for the discrepancy is that they mentioned that several greens are being re-extended back to their old size. Maybe the official stats included putts from the 'fringe' whereas Sky counted them as up & downs?