Oliver Fisher Golf

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano won the British Masters as he just beat champion Lee Westwood in a play-off at the Belfry.

The Spaniard sealed his victory at the third extra hole as last year’s winner Westwood made a bogey on the pair’s third trip down the 18th.

It capped a fantastic day for Fernandez-Castano who started Sunday’s last round three shots behind joint-leaders Westwood and Michael Campbell.

British Masters win for Fernandez-Castano

Campbell had to settle for third place as he finished on ten-under-par, two strokes behind the leading pair after the completion of 72 holes.

Lee Westwood looked likely for a succesful defence of the British Masters as he was 3 shots clear with 10 holes left to play, but it was to be Fernandez-Castano’s day as he posted a closing 67 on his way to claiming the £300,000 winner’s cheque.

Oliver Fisher Results

Round Scores = 77 – 75
Position = T108
Par = +7
Prize Money = 0

Oliver Fisher was unlucky to miss the cut in the British Masters at the Belfry today.
The tournament is currently lead by last year’s winner Lee Westwood after achieving a second round 70 today, leaving him currently 6 under par.

Play started three hours late today due to fog, leaving half the field, 72 players, without completing their rounds and will have to do so Saturday before the start of the third round.

Oliver’s coach Chris Jenkins said “Ollie was unlucky today, but he remains upbeat about his performance. The damage was done yesterday really, but today he played ok and was unlucky when he hit a double bogey on the 10th.”

Fisher started today’s round brightly with an eagle on the third hole, but finished the round 3 over par on 75. Thursday’s round finished in 77, having unfortunately managed 7 bogeys, and left today as an uphill struggle.

Oliver can now start preparing for next week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

After the high drama of Valhalla, it is perhaps only fitting that The European Tour visits another course synonymous with The Ryder Cup for this week’s Quinn Insurance British Masters.

The Belfry, in Sutton Coldfield, England, has hosted The Ryder Cup on four occasions: in 1985, 1989, 1993, and most recently in 2002.

In that time, Europe prevailed three times – although in 1989 Captain Tony Jacklin’s side retained the trophy courtesy of a halved match – while the Americans won once, in 1993.

The Belfry

Seven of Europe’s heroes from the 2002 contest are in the field for The Quinn Insurance British Masters, along with two of the protagonists from last week in Kentucky.

Fresh from their exploits at Valhalla, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and the Englishman Lee Westwood head to the West Midlands in pursuit of the lion’s share of the £1.8m prize fund.

Westwood, of course, is the defending champion, having triumphed over The Belfry’s Brabazon course 12 months ago courtesy of a flawless seven under par 65 on the final day, which saw him first overhaul overnight leader Mark Foster of England and then fend off the challenge of his compatriot Ian Poulter.

Oliver Fisher gets a weekend’s rest this week due to the Ryder Cup. He will instead spend time practicing with coach Chris Jenkins in preparation for next weekend’s British Masters.

The preparation for the Ryder cup is already under way, with captain Nick Faldo giving journalists a sneaky preview of his planned pairings for the competition.
Faldo was photographed with the team player’s initials scribbled on a piece of paper in his hand.
When questioned about it by the press, he simply stated it was the lunch order for the team, presumably he thought the journalists would accept that he was the sandwich boy and not the Ryder Cup Captain.

Who wanted the chicken salad...?

When pressed for further information, the 51-year-old Faldo stated “It had sandwich requests for the guys, just making sure who wants the tuna, what wants the beef, who wants the ham.”
Although he later admitted “I put my team down in initials – which way I go is my choice.”

So we’ll have to wait and see if the lunch list actually turns out to be the pairings that Faldo goes with.

Ryder Cup 2008 – Fast Facts

Valhalla Golf Club Location Louisville, Kentucky

Opened 1986

Designed by Jack Nicklaus

Par 71

Yards 7,496

Major Championships

2000 PGA Championship

1996 PGA Championship

Valhalla Golf Club 2008 Ryder Cup Location

F1 has Lewis Hamilton and tennis Andy Murray, but now golf has its own young star. Meet Oliver Fisher, the youngest Briton ever to make it on to the European Tour…

FACTS : Oliver Fisher’s rise up the ranks of golf has been quite staggering. In 2003, he won the first of three consecutive titles at the Faldo Series, a development programme for young golfers; in 2005, at 16, he became the youngest player ever to play in the Walker Cup; and, in 2006, his fifth-place finish at the European Tour Qualifying School enabled him to become the youngest Briton ever to win his card for the European Tour.

Furthermore, had the Frenchman Thomas Levet not outmuscled him in an Open de Andalucia play-off in March, we’d be talking to an 18-year-old with a first Tour victory under his belt.
Yes, it’s been quite a start…

Oliver, tell us how you got into golf…
“When I was small, my father used to take me round the golf course, where I’d sit and watch him practise. I guess I started swinging a club when I was about two, and then I joined a club at about eight – that was when Dad thought I was mature enough to understand the etiquette of golf. I think my first county match was when I was 11, and then I would practise after school and in my holidays. I played other sports – rugby and football – but I never really wanted to go professional in those. I just always wanted to be a golfer.”

We guess it beats a nine-to-five job.
“It’s nice to be doing something I enjoy doing I can go out and play golf without thinking of it as a job. I just enjoy playing, really – and I actually like the pressure.”

Your dad caddied for you during your first year as a pro. How did that work out?
“It was great, because I have a really good relationship with him. I’m very lucky – he’s never really said to me: ‘You’ve got to do this.’ He’s a good golfer himself, and he knows my game better than anyone else.”

Have you been surprised by the speed of your rise to the top?
“Not really, it was always something I wanted to do. I grew up with Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald as my idols, and I’ve always wanted to be a pro golfer. The first time I went to Tour School I got my card, so it couldn’t have happened any better. I always work really hard at what I do, though, and put the time and effort in. If you work hard enough, things will start happening.”

What has it been like teeing off with some of the world’s best golfers?
“In my third tournament as a pro – Abu Dhabi in 2007 – I played with Paul Casey in the third round. He went on to win and I finished 50th, but it was really interesting because it was the first time I had played with a big name. Yeah, it was a bit daunting, but it’s something you have to learn from. I’m used to it now.”

How did it feel to just miss out on your first Tour win, in Andalucia in March?
“Well, it’s the first time I’d been in contention as a professional. I mean, Levet and I finished on a tie, and I lost the play-off. I see at it as more of a positive than a negative.”

And then Levet compared you to Nick Faldo…
“Yeah, that’s a great compliment coming from Levet. I know Nick really well, actually, through the Faldo Series. He’s pretty much Britain’s most successful sportsman, isn’t he? He dominated the game for so long, so it’s great to be compared to a guy like that.”

You must have got a big cheque for second in Andalucia – what did you spend it on?
“Well, I bought a flat, which is being redone at the moment. Oh, and I bought my sister a car when she passed her driving test.”

What are your targets for this season?
“I really want to grab that win, you know. I want to win an event and then finish in the top 60 of the Order of Merit. That’d be great for this year. If I can do that, I’ll be heading the right way. It’s only my second year, so that would be a really successful season.”

Finally, what do you do in your spare time?
“Chill out and do track days driving Formula BMW cars. It’s cool – they’re pretty quick!”

Interview with Oliver Fisher was conducted by Sport-Magazine.co.uk July 2008

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