Special week for Italian golf
By Bruce Young – iseekgolf.com
Oliver Fisher surprisingly missed the cut at last week’s Spanish Open but he has been burning the candle at both ends of late both in terms of travel and being in contention in nearly every week prior. The weekend off might work in his favour and do not be surprised to find him bounce back quickly.
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FISHER SET SIGHTS HIGH
Sportinglife.co.za
By Andrew Mullen, Press Association Sport.
Oliver Fisher already has bigger goals in sight after all but sealing a return to the European Tour next season with a fifth consecutive top-10 finish at the Ballantine’s Championship.
Fisher was regarded as a better prospect than Rory McIlroy during their amateur days, but while the Ulsterman took up a US PGA Tour card this season, Fisher was faced with a season on the second tier Challenge Tour in Europe while also relying on invites after losing his playing rights at the end of 2009.
But after finishing tied fourth at Pinx Golf Club on Sunday, four shots behind runaway winner Marcus Fraser, the 21-year-old has already exceeded the earnings figure which secured a European Tour card last season while also ensuring a place in this week’s Open de Espana.
“I am close to getting my card for next season. I am playing next week and if I have a good week that will secure it for sure. At the start of the year I would have taken that come January,” said the Madeira Islands Open runner-up. “It’s been a good start, hopefully I can set some different goals now.
“If I have another good couple of weeks I can almost make the Race to Dubai. That will be the goal, see if I have a good week next week and then crack on from there.”
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Johnnie Walker Classic
The Vines Resort & Country Club
Perth, Australia
This week the European Tour travels to Australia for the second time already this season.
The Johnnie Walker Classic returns to The Vines Resort in Perth, which last hosted the event three years ago when American Kevin Stadler took the winner’s title.
This week’s tournament will be the eighth time that it has arrived in this Perth, Western Australia.
Over the past 19 years, the Johnnie Walker Classic has been played in eight different countries and 13 different golf clubs around Australasia, including China back in 2005 and in India for the first time in 2007, reflecting the brand’s “Keep Walking” philosophy of continuous progress.
Since its inception in 1992, former winners of the event have produced a total 183 European Tour wins and 28 Major Championships between them – an impressive record in anyone’s language.
While the fairways at the Vines are average in width, accuracy from the tee is paramount because the surrounding scrubland provides plenty of unplayable lies.
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Another top-quality field has assembled this week for another very lucrative event – the Qatar Masters. With the total prize fund at $2.5m, of which the winner bags in excess of $400k; the European Tour remains in the Middle East for the second of three consecutive events.
Adam Scott will attempt to maintain his 100 per cent record in the event and seal a hat-trick of victories when he defends his title at the 12-year-old Doha golf course this week. The course has hosted every Qatar Masters since the tournament began in 1998 and it usually provides a stiff test for the players.
Although the course is not particularly long, it is certainly no push over thanks to the strong prevailing wind that blows here much of the time.
Oliver Fisher tees off 8.05am local time tomorrow – coverage starts 8am on Sky Sports 1
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Oliver Fisher roared back in the final round of the Hong Kong open in Fanling, after a slip in form during the third round.
Ollie carded a superb 64 today to record his personal best round of the week, and finished the tournament T11, having cracked seven birdies and just one bogey leaving him six under par on the final round.
The tournament could of ended very differently for the 20 year old from Essex had he of managed a par round on the third day, instead of the three over par he ended with. But beside any “ifs buts and maybes”, the tournament will provide another good learning curve as he continues to search for his maiden tour victory.
It was Lin Wen-tang of Taiwan who ended up claiming the victory over Rory McIlroy at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off for the UBS Hong Kong Open, after overnight leader Oliver Wilson again failed to live up to his promise and faded on the back nine.
The unfortunate youngster from Northern Ireland, lost in extra holes for the second time in three months, however, on this occasion it was Lin who claimed a deserved victory, firing his approach on the 18th to within just a few inches after seeing McIlroy find the green from a seemingly impossible position.
Lin had earlier blown the chance to win in regulation play, having found the putting surface but was unable to convert the birdie chance from eight feet. The missed putt left him on -15 and sitting level with both McIlroy and Italian Francesco Molinari.
Molinari then slipped out of the play-off after failing to match the birdies of the other players as they returned down the par-four 18th.
Oliver Fisher Results
Round Scores = 67 – 65 – 73 – 64
Position = T11
Par = -11
Prize Money = €32903
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UBS Hong Kong Open
Hong Kong GC
Fanling, Hong Kong
A promising start to the Hong Kong Open has left Oliver Fisher three under par and in sitting T9 in the tournament.
Four birdies on the front 9, and two more on the back, along with bogeys on the 8th, 11th & 16th holes has left Oliver in a good position to progress well in this tournament, hitting 67 on the par 70 course.
Ollie is ahead of the likes of Colin Montgomerie who also made a solid start with the Scot recording a round of 68, and is looking to notch up a second UBS Hong Kong title.
Current leader is China’s number one, Wen-chong Liang who achieved six under par, having nailed seven birdies and slipping to just one bogey.
Check back again tomorrow for further updates on Oliver’s performance in Hong Kong.
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