By Kent Gray
Andy Sullivan has shown a proclivity for winning going away on the European Tour, having waltzed to the 2015 Portugal Masters by nine strokes and the new English Championship by seven as recently as August.

Early in the third round of the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, it seemed the 34-year-old was intent on more of the same.

When Friday playing partner Matt Wallace stiffed it to tap in range on the 1st, Sullivan retorted with his own tight wedge-birdie of his own and seemed to be setting out where he left off in opening rounds of 61- 66.

By the turn he’d stretched his three stroke overnight lead to four over the third member of his all-England group, Ross Fisher. A big lead, perhaps even something unassailable heading into Saturday’s final round, was in the offing.

But this untraditionally scheduled moving day didn’t quite go to plan. Suddenly the free-flow of birdies became more of a holding pattern. A frustrating bogey on 10 was followed by a stretch of steady/unspectacular par golf.

Sullivan eventually signed for a 68 to get it to -21 for the championship. That was good enough for a two-stroke buffer over Wallace (67) with Fisher (68) and Italian Renato Paratorte (65)  a stroke further back on -18.

At least Sullivan will take a little momentum into the final round, if not a comfortable led with 11 players within five strokes on a course that could easily give up a low score to give one of the contenders setting out earlier a clubhouse target to make Sullivan sweat.

But if Sullivan and recapture the ball striking that marked his closing three holes, he he’ll be tough to haul in. A drive, two-putt birdie on the par-4 16th got him going again and was backed up with another gain on the tricky 17th when he rifled a 5-iron in tight in a near carbon copy of his second round shot of the day on the same hole Thursday. There was some final frustration when the master chipper was unable to get up and down for birdie from the front of the 18th but neither Fisher or Wallace were able to covert on the reachable par-5 either, limiting the damage.

“I’m happy with four under,” said Sullivan who will chase a fifth European Tour title on Saturday.

“I didn’t think I played brilliant golf. Started off really nicely front nine, played really solid. Ten through to 14 I didn’t swing it that great, didn’t give myself that many chances. Found some good swings coming in, which was really good, dug deep there and managed to get a few birdies coming home. Four under is a pretty fair reflection on how I played.

??????? -21 Sullivan
??????? -19 Wallace
?? -18 Paratore
??????? -18 R. Fisher
?? -17 Laporta
?? -17 Rozner

With one round to go at the #GolfInDubai.

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 4, 2020

“All in all, stayed patient and got my just desserts coming in with those two birdies. That’s what we were talking about before we got out there, it’s about being patient and I’m sure it will be the same tomorrow.

“There’s a lot of golf to be played, a lot of birdies to be made tomorrow. Just got to go out there and play golf. If I play as good as I did the first two days, I’ll be a confident man.”

THEY SAID IT…

Matt Wallace (ENG), 63-67-67 (-19)
“It was alright, didn’t swing it as good today. I felt a bit nervous, if I’m honest. Not at the start, but then a few tee shots didn’t feel as comfortable, didn’t strike it as well.

“Had to tell myself to let it go and struck it better coming in. Frustrating to miss that putt on the last. The grain really gets quite strong as the day goes on. On 17 it broke more, 18 broke a lot. I wouldn’t have given it outside the hole from that distance, and I would have had to.

“The birdie on the next hole (after bogey on nine) settled me down, but I knew I could hole that putt. I knew good drive, middle of the green to a back pin that was quite dangerous, I knew that I could hole that putt on a hard hole. Then I hit a great shot into 11. Staying patient, waiting for my run, a little bit. I hit a really bad shot on nine, which could have got to me – and would have probably got to me in the past – but I know that I’m swinging it well and I know I’m going to give myself loads of chances. Same tomorrow, I’m going to have loads of chances tomorrow.

“I’m not thinking about that (winning tomorrow), if I’m honest. I had a chance in Scotland and was in a better position in Scotland to win and I didn’t. I’m two behind a Ryder Cup player, someone who is playing really well. I’m going to have to go really low tomorrow. It’s not just him, someone could come from 15, 16 and shoot nine or ten under. You’ve seen out there, Robert Macintyre was seven-under through nine, so that can happen. Hopefully it can be me, but I’m just going to relax now and get ready for the fight tomorrow.”

Robert MacIntyre (SCO), 66-68-66 (-16)
“Happy with six under par, I’d have taken that before I went out but with the start I had I should have scored a lot better. That’s the way things happen and I have another day to fix it.

“It happened the other day. It’s nothing new. It’s part of the game and it happens all the time. You want it not to happen, but it’s part and parcel of the game. I enjoyed it as much as I could but to finish the way I did wasn’t so sweet.

“There’s still going to be pressure. If I’ve not go nerves on the first tee, I’m not in the right job. It’s going to be like a shootout again. It suits my game and I’m putting good, I just need to tidy it up a bit and see where it ends up.

“[Eagle on seven] 256 yards to the pin. Sitting alright in the rough. I hit a perfect five wood. It normally goes 250, slightly downwind I hit it perfect – right where I was aiming it – and it left me a nice putt.”

Par save of the day…

That’d be @RossFisher.#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/TeqVpZwdCj

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 4, 2020

The post Andy Sullivan, with a lead of two, insists Saturday’s final round is all ‘about being patient’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Just in case you were in any doubt about the quality of the Englishman’s flushed approach into his penultimate hole on Thursday, there was an exclamation mark from the European Tour broadcast booth.  “What a shot!” the commentator cried.

Quite. Check it out:

Leads by three @andysulligolf ?‍#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/nwR1rHifcF

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 3, 2020

The post-shot shrug, that was trademark Sully too. The tap-in birdie than ensued helped him to -17 and a three-shot lead heading into moving day on Friday. But was it the shot of the second round? You be the judge.

How about Martin Kaymer’s classy pitch off a cart path?

Martin Kaymer from the cart path ?#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/HgP9oMmtRe

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 3, 2020

Or the shot Eddie Pepperell produced after whatever he was doing on the previous green.

Whatever @PepperellEddie was thinking about, it worked.#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/pmT9LDeHKs

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 3, 2020

We love it when Pepperell has a quiet word with himself. Nearly as much as the Englishman’s social media musings which peaked after Sullivan’s opening round 61.

Don’t be like that Ed I missed a few coming in. ??????

— Andy Sullivan (@andysulligolf) December 2, 2020

Talking of shot-making, how about Ross Fisher going 36 blemish-free holes to get it to -14 after backing up his opening 63 with a 67.

“I made five [birdies] today, there were probably at least a handful that slipped by. It would have been nice to get one on nine [his final hole]there, but I’m not going to stand here and complain that I’ve missed a few putts. I’m 14 under, haven’t made a bogey, so life’s pretty good,” Fisher said.

“It’s very satisfactory to make as many birdies as I have, but to not make a bogey in 36 holes, I’m delighted with. I think – I’ll have to check it – but if my stats are correct, I haven’t missed a green either. For 36 holes, to hit every single green. I missed the par five, but it was just off the edge. Very satisfying. “

Also on -14 is Matt Wallace (63-67) who is learning the importance of patience on a course giving up so many birdie looks.

“There is that added pressure but I just kept saying to myself, I shot nine-under yesterday, I’m playing some good stuff. I’m allowed to put in bad swings and to hit bad shots but what I’m not allowed to do is get down on myself – just crack on and move in,” Wallace said.

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“This week in particular, it’s just wide off the tee in areas. I’ve managed to lose a ball or take a penalty drop off two drives this week so it’s obviously not wide enough for me. It’s wide in areas and you can get away with having a putt for birdie so it does come down to the putts.

“Very much looking forward to the group tomorrow, I spent a bit of time with Andy and Ross, just talking to them. I’ve got Sean on the bag who used to caddie for Sully so they’ll know each other well. I’m looking forward to it.”

The post Kaymer’s cart path escape, Pepperell’s zen moment and other epic shots from JGE appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates has masqueraded as an aviary during the first half of the new Golf in Dubai Championship.

Birdies and better have abounded in the opening two rounds with leader Andy Sullivan getting to within a whisker of matching the European Tour’s 36-hole (to par) scoring record, -18 set by Ernie Els at the 2004 Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne.

With no significant course or climatic changes forecast for Friday at least, there can be no backing off on moving day but it’s patience, rather than panic, that was the over-riding theme from Sullivan after the second round.   

“We spoke about it to my psychologist before I went out, it’s basically just about staying patient and give yourself as many chances as possible,” Sullivan said after backing up his course record 61 with a 66 on Thursday to get it to -17 and establish a three-stroke lead over English compatriots Ross Fisher and Matt Wallace.

“It is hard, I really had to work hard at staying patient, when I was three-under through nine it didn’t feel as good as yesterday. But you know you’re still on the right track. I knew I was swinging it well and if I could keep giving myself opportunities I could make a few coming in. If you’d told me I’d shoot 61-66 I’d have snapped your hand off.”

Sullivan apologised for the cliché in preface to a comment about sticking to his processes as he debriefed his round. His only blemish in the second round was a three-putt bogey on the 3rd when he rushed a long birdie putt by but there were five birdies and eagle three on 7 to more than make on that rush of blood.

A brilliant birdie on the 17th – check out the sound of the iron strike in the Tweet below – gave the 34-year-old a shot at Els’ record but a testy birdie putt burnt the left edge.

Leads by three @andysulligolf ?‍#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/nwR1rHifcF

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 3, 2020

“I feel like I’ve got the golf ball under some sort of control at the moment,” Sullivan said.

“I know what shapes I can hit and how much I can move it. It just feels really comfortable out there off the tee and into the greens, it feels like there aren’t many pins I can’t get at, which is a nice feeling to have. It didn’t happen too often in the season, so it’s nice to have that.”

Sullivan, Wallace and Fisher are last off the 1st tee at 10.05 am (GST) on Friday.

The post Patience a virtue as Andy Sullivan extends Dubai lead to three appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Just ask five-time European Tour winner Ross Fisher who is trying his best to prove there is still room at the elite level for the old school guy. The Englishman is by no means short off the tee but is better known for cleverly plotting his way to a score rather the modern rip, wedge and putt method.

That was the case Wednesday as the Englishman opened the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship at JGE with a bogey-free 63 to ease into a share of second place alongside countryman Matt Wallace and Frenchman Antoine Rozner.

The trio start Thursday’s second round two strokes adrift of Andy Sullivan. Fisher, who entered his fourth decade on November 22, just hopes he can keep the momentum going after a tough 2020 which has seen him miss eight cuts in 17 starts, seven of them since the resumption of the Race to Dubai after the COVID lockdown.

“I feel like it’s been there, but I just haven’t been able to find it for some reason,” Fisher said after negotiating Fire’s homeward nine in just 29 strokes including an eagle three at the 13th and two-putt birdie on 18.

Ross F̶i̶s̶h̶e̶r̶ Flusher#GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/fU92SqX9YR

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 2, 2020

The third 63 of the day #GolfInDubai pic.twitter.com/u2QCNPx5bu

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) December 2, 2020

“I feel like I’ve hit the ball really well for a long time, worked hard at short game, worked hard at putting and it just, for some reason, hasn’t clicked for four rounds. I’ve had the odd round here and there, but it’s not through the want of trying.”

After missing the cut at both of the Aphrodite Hills Cypress Open and separate Showdown events last month, Fisher is 57th in the Race to Dubai standings and needs to finish to the top-60 to qualify for next week’s DP World Tour Championship.

“I was disappointed after Cyprus, I felt like I played really well and to miss out on both weeks was really disappointing. I had three weeks off to reflect and then came here with the bit between my teeth knowing I needed a solid performance here to consolidate and get into next week. To go out there and produce that today, I’m obviously delighted.”

Fisher is off 7.20am today and knows he’ll have to remain aggressive, especially on a course that is short and wide by elite standards. The greens are also rolling beautifully and without any firmness, they’re proving easy pickings;  no fewer than 73 of the 107 starters dipped under par on Wednesday.

“For me, growing up, we were told to keep the ball in play and play the game whereas you look at the way golf has gone now, I think if you ask coaches now what advice they’ve give to juniors and young golfers, is just ‘tee it up, smash it, and go find it’ because that’s the way golf is going,” said Fisher who last won at the 2014 Tshwane Open.

“You look at so many guys out here now who are coming out, they’re bombing it miles. At 40, I’m not getting any younger but I’m working hard in the gym, trying different things, and I was testing a long driver just to see what the differences are and it’s amazing.

“I would say that would be my one bit of advice. Everyone talks about how important the short game and putting is and don’t get my wrong, me and Matt Wallace and my caddie were talking about it last night and it’s obviously very important but if you can’t get it off the tee, you’re not going to be able to compete for a long period of time so it’s about working on those aspects, I would say.”

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By John Huggan
Links golf being what it is—a game of constant adjustment—it is not surprising to hear that many of the 156 competitors gathered at an unusually fast-running Carnoustie for the 147th Open Championship are fiddling with their swings and shots and clubs on the range. As a result, at least two of the European Tour’s leading instructors, Pete Cowen and Denis Pugh, has been busier than usual these last few days.

“Just about every player I work with has changed his wedges,” says Cowen, fresh off a session with South Africa’s Branden Grace. “They’ve all gone to clubs with virtually no bounce. The ground is so firm that makes sense. And many of them have added a 2-iron at the expense of a hybrid.

“There is so much run to be had. Which is not always a good thing. How far shots are travelling depends a lot on the first bounce. You can hit an upslope or a downslope and the difference between the two can be massive. You might be left with 200 yards in, or 90 yards, depending on where the ball lands.

To specifically address this, Cowen has been working with some players on bringing down the height of their shots. But he warns that flighting the ball lower can be “a bit of overkill.”

“On a links course with a bit of wind about, you should never hit a full shot,” Cowen said. “So we’ve been working more on picking the right shot at the right time more than pure swing technique.”

As for Pugh and his star pupils, Francesco Molinari and Ross Fisher, the view is a little different. Molinari, the recent winner of the Quicken Loans Championship, is focusing on shaping his tee shots more than normal.

“Francesco usually tries to hit pretty straight shots, but here he needs to get more curve on the ball,” Pugh said. “The wind is enough to make the fairways, which are already quite narrow, even narrower. Especially when you are talking about a cross-wind. If the fairway is, say, 40 yards wide, hitting down the middle gives you only 20 yards either side. Starting the ball on one side or the other doubles that amount.

“Generally speaking, he is going to let the wind do the work on his tee shots, then he’ll take over on the second shots. He has the ‘Monty Fade,’ what we call his ‘30-30’ shot. That’s 30 wins and £30 million. We don’t have a name for the draw yet. Any suggestions welcome.”

Molinari and Pugh are working on shaping shots in preparation for the wind. (Andrew Redington)

Where there is more consensus is in the area of how aggressive players can be off the tee. While some will surely start cautiously with irons, Pugh can see most switching to the driver by Day 2 in an attempt to either hoist themselves into contention or make the cut.

“I think the really long hitters will hit drivers almost everywhere,” seconded Cowen. “If they find a bad spot, they’ll just play for the middle of the green and move on. If they hit the fairway, they will be in great position to make a birdie. And if the top players are all doing that, anyone else is going to be behind the eight-ball if they don’t do the same.”

RELATED: Carnoustie course tour

Cowen admits this isn’t the “real” Carnoustie, so picking out scores is tricky. He thinks, however, that somebody could shoot a 63 on any given day. “I can see a range of scoring through the field,” he said. “But no one knows what the winning score is going to be. I’m not sure how the bookies are going to work out their odds.”

There is but one caveat to the “bomb and find it” theory. As Pugh says, you still have to find it.

“And when you do find it, shaping a shot into the greens—and getting close to the flag—is not easy,” he said. “If you do play conservatively, you can end up playing 3-iron, 3-iron to a par 4. That’s difficult, too.”

In contrast to Cowen, Pugh doesn’t believe we’re in for particularly low scores. “This is not going to be a birdie-fest,” Pugh said. “Pars are going to be valuable commodities. The R&A will tuck the pins. The course is just how they would want it. … They will set-up the course so that, if the wind blows, it will be tough. If it doesn’t, the players will shoot low.”

Ideal really.

The post The Open 2018: How a pair of instructors are preparing their tour pros for the challenge of Carnoustie appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Ross Fisher displayed a little more emotion when he produced a highlight of his own on Saturday in Mexico, making a hole-in-one with a 9-iron at the 157-yard par-3 third hole. But the real excitement came when the PGA Tour posted a video on Twitter featuring the call of Fisher’s ace by a Spanish announcer, who brought the energy of a World Cup Final to Chapultepec. Have a listen:

“¡Si si si si si si…HOOOOOOOOLLEEEEE!” ?? ??

Ross Fisher’s ace gets even better. pic.twitter.com/V97JgZaJcu

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 3, 2018

Incredible. That will undoubtedly be the best thing you hear all year in golf or any sport for that matter. Some say the best sports broadcasters often say less, letting the big moment breathe. We’re very glad that wasn’t the case with this guy, who should be stationed at every course’s signature par-3 for the rest of the season for more potential “HOOOOOOLE”-in-ones. Imagine this guy at the 17th at Sawgrass? Absolutely electric.

The post This Spanish announcer’s call of Ross Fisher’s hole-in-one is the best thing you’ll hear all week, and possibly all year appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By John Feinstein
For the seventh time in eight years, Rory McIlroy finished in the top three Sunday in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. And, yet again, he didn’t win.

Except he did win. His two-under-par 70 in the final round at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club wasn’t good enough to beat Tommy Fleetwood—who went on a back-nine rampage—or Ross Fisher, but it was good enough for a tie for third place, pretty good for a guy who hadn’t teed it up for real since Oct. 8 (102 days to be precise) when he finished T-63 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

While many in the golf world went ga-ga last month when Tiger Woods finished T-9 in an 18-man field in an exhibition, McIlroy’s 69-66-65-70 in a real tournament against a quality field is worthy of note. Woods will get his chance to play for real this coming week in San Diego. Should he finish T-3—or anything close to that—it is entirely possible the PGA Tour will award him the Player of the Year Award on the spot.

McIlroy almost hung up his clubs for the year last summer after the PGA Championship in August. If he had somehow won at Quail Hollow, he wouldn’t have bothered with the PGA Tour playoffs. “If I can win there,” he said the week prior to making the trip to Charlotte, “then all of a sudden I’ll have had a successful year. I can go home and get the rest I need with a smile on my face.”

McIlroy knew that wasn’t likely (he finished T-22) because the rib injury he had suffered in February was still bothering him. “It’s not like I can’t play,” he said. “It’s just not 100 percent and won’t be until I shut it down for a while.”

Now, having shut it down for more than three months, it appears McIlroy might be ready to be McIlroy again. His schedule for 2018 is ambitious, especially leading to the Masters, which he desperately wants to win to complete the career Grand Slam. Because he’s been a factor on the international scene for so long, it is easy to forget McIlroy is only 28. In his mind, he still has a lot to do.

Which is why he backed off from playing the last few events last fall in the Race to Dubai. He and his wife, Erica, had bought a home in Florida from Ernie Els, and their plan was to spend the fall working on a major renovation. It’s difficult for any player to simply stop playing for an extended period, which is why many come back too soon from injuries. (see Woods, Tiger). McIlroy now says he did that after injuring the rib even though he played well at the Masters (T-7) and the Open Championship (T-4). He was never in serious contention in either, and top-10 finishes aren’t what his career is about.

A T-3 finish in Abu Dhabi was the kind of performance McIlroy had hoped to pull off in his 2018 debut. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

That said, McIlroy hasn’t enjoyed the last three years very much. He hasn’t won a major since the 2014 PGA, and he was on a losing Ryder Cup team for the first time in 2016. He’s watched Jordan Spieth win three majors during that time and become golf’s latest golden boy, while his own world ranking has dropped from No. 1 to No. 11 going into Dubai.

The world ranking hardly bothers him at all. Three years without a major and the Ryder Cup loss rankle. He’s heard all the talk about the U.S. having solved all its Ryder Cup issues thanks to the committee formerly known as the Ryder Cup Task Force, and is well aware of how well the best young Americans are playing.

“I can’t wait for Paris,” he said last summer. “I really enjoyed Hazeltine. I enjoyed being the leader in the team room. I thought the spirit of the matches was fantastic. I went home afterward and watched every shot hit on Sunday. I sat there thinking, ‘My God, they made every putt.’ I knew Patrick [Reed] had made every putt to beat me, but I didn’t realize all of them had played so well. I remember thinking, They did to us what we’ve done to them in the past. They absolutely deserved to win.”

He smiled. “I’d like to think things will be different in Paris. Some of our rookies from Hazeltine [six played in all] will be more experienced. We’ll have the fans and the golf course will be set up to our advantage.”

Paris is a long way and a lot of golf away even though the topic is unavoidable in any Ryder Cup year.

During McIlroy’s downtime, the newlywed worked with his bride, Erica Stoll, on renovating their new Florida home (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

McIlroy got a bit of a scare when he went to see a doctor recently and was told his rib was 100 percent but his heart might not be. A virus he caught 18 months ago in China apparently caused thickening in the left ventricle of his heart and left some scar tissue. It shouldn’t be serious, but he needs to be monitored, meaning McIlroy will get an echo-cardiogram twice a year and an MRI once a year to make certain the condition hasn’t worsened.

There was absolutely no sign in Abu Dhabi of any health problems—and remarkably little rust. McIlroy didn’t make a birdie on his opening nine on Thursday but made three coming in to shoot 69. Then he played like the McIlroy of old on Friday and Saturday to move into contention before Fleetwood’s back nine blitz—six birdies to shoot 65—allowed him to pass everyone and defend the title he won a year ago.

McIlroy is scheduled to play seven more times between now and the Masters—this week in Dubai; twice in California (Pebble Beach and Riviera); three times in Florida (Honda, Valspar and Bay Hill) and, finally, the World Match Play in Texas.

This week, 99 percent of the attention will be focused on Woods, which is fine with McIroy. At Valhalla in 2014, when McIlroy was coming off his win at the British Open, the spotlight was squarely on him, until Woods drove in on Wednesday afternoon three days after limping off the golf course in Akron.

“Loved it,” McIlroy said later. “It let me fly under the radar just a little bit.”

One week does not a comeback make. Not for Woods, or for McIlroy really. Even a win the next couple of months will not mean Rory is back—at least not to McIlroy.

But week 1 of Rory 2.0 was encouraging.

There weren’t a lot of smiles for Rory in 2017, but he thinks that can—and will—change this year. (Warren Little/Getty Images)

The post Forget Tiger. It’s Rory McIlroy’s return we should really be watching appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In the space of year (to the day), Tommy Fleetwood has celebrated his 26th and 27th birthdays, welcomed a son to the world, got married, clinched the Race to Dubai title to become European No.1 and has now claimed a third European Tour title.

His second Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Sunday (and fourth in all) was arguably the most impressive win of all, a second Falcon trophy snared with a seriously impressive back-nine of 30, six under, en-route to a 65 and a -22 total of 266.

It was blustery mastery from Fleetwood who edged English compatriot and overnight co-leader Ross Fisher by two as Rory McIlroy and Matthew Fitzpatrick shared third, a further two shots adrift.

Fleetwood finished two shots shy of Martin Kaymer’s tournament record -24 total in 2011 and joined the German as the only player to successfully defend the $3 million Desert Swing opener.

The US$500,000 payday is set to see Fleetwood rise eight spots to No.10 when the latest world rankings are released on Monday which, as it stands, makes him a lock for a Ryder Cup debut in September.

“I feel a lot more emotional, actually, than last year. I don’t know why. I just really wanted to win this one. It’s important that — I had the year of my life last year,” Fleetwood said afterwards.

“I know everybody has been talking about it, and just backing it up is the next big thing, really. So to keep it going and hit form, and to defend, it’s a weird feeling coming to defend a trophy because it’s yours and you don’t want to give it away. So keeping a hold of it for another year is very nice.”

The win showed Fleetwood is a real deal after his career year in 2017. So, is there a sense of validation for yourself?

“Yeah and no. You just never know how you’re going to come out after winter. Just felt really good this week. Yeah, validation, you could say it, but it’s nice to show to yourself that you are still moving forward. That score around this golf course is very, very good, so I’m very pleased.”

The post UPDATED: Tommy’s honour again appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Englishman led going into the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and didn’t disgrace himself with a 69, only to undone by a blistering six under back nine as Tommy Fleetwood won his second Falcon Trophy.

“Hats off to Tommy. I don’t feel like I’ve lost a tournament. Tommy’s gone out there and shot 65 and he’s won it, so all credit to Tommy.”

Fisher is no stranger to contention, with eight top-10 finishes last season. He’s also not unfamiliar with the bridesmaid tag. Back to back silvers in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and Italian Open in October ’17 summed up a ‘not quite but nearly’ year.

The world No.31 is not afraid to going low in the final round either, only to be pipped to the post. At the Dunhill he set a new course record at the famous Old Course at St Andrews with a final round 61 as he piled the pressure on eventual winner Tyrrell Hatton.

The 2014 Tshwane Open champion started fast with an eagle at the 2nd and two more birdies on the front nine but followed it up with a frustrating two bogey/one birdie homeward nine as Fleetwood seize the initiative and held on to win by two. 

“It was always going to be tricky. But yeah, to get out, 4-under par, was flying and in control. Unfortunately hit a poor tee shot on 10 but managed to salvage a great six in the end holing a 20-, 25-footer there, and then yeah, felt like I was hitting good shots but it was just very tricky to get close to the pins. 

“The wind was strong. It was gusty, it was left-to-right, it was helping, it was into. It was tricky, and then obviously 15 was disappointing. Thought I hit a better shot than that. Just unfortunately just didn’t push it enough.

“And then just tried to suck it up and play three good quality holes. Managed to birdie 16 and then needed a good drive off the last, which I didn’t get. Tried my best and unfortunately came up short.”

The five-time European Tour winner’s final nine was his first over par of the tournament, and his final round 69 his worst of the week following two 67s and a 65 Saturday. But Fisher doesn’t feel like he stumbled at the final hurdle, the case was simply that Fleetwood’s six-under-par back nine was too much to contend with.

“Then I knew, I think I was 20 (under par), I think I glanced and I saw Tommy had got it to 20 and I had a good chance from 14 for birdie which just slid by. Then obviously bogeying 15, I knew I’m going to have to have a strong finish, obviously after I birdie to get it to 20.

“I think Tommy was 21, and then I think just before I holed my putt on 17 for par, sort of saw the leaderboard flash up with a birdie 4. So I knew I needed to hole it, but gave myself a decent chance with the second shot. Hit the shot how I wanted to, waited for the wind to drift it and trying to chip-in from that distance, always going to be tricky but gave it a go and unfortunately didn’t come out how I wanted it to.”

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At least that’s how the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship fairytale goes, unless of course you’re co-leaders Thomas Pieters or Ross Fisher, or anyone of the 13 other players within five shots of the lead.

As Matthew Fitzpatrick showed with his sizzling 63 on Saturday, Abu Dhabi G.C. is there for the taking, not withstanding the threat of gusty winds on Sunday. It certainly won’t surprise if someone the ilk of the 23-year-old Englishman, world No.1 Dustin Johnson, defending champion Tommy Fleetwood or even Andrew “Beef” Johnston, emerges as the joker from the chasing pack to win the Desert Swing opener.

But Rory, four-times a bridesmaid around The National and a player who has finished no worse than 11th in nine appearances in Abu Dhabi, is overdue a Falcon and clearly the most dangerous immediate threat to Pieters and Thomas.

The world No.11’s comeback to golf after a 3.5 month sabbatical is already well ahead of schedule as just one bogey in 54 holes illustrates. Even that dropped shot was spectacular after the 28-year-old holed out from the fringe after taking two to escape a greenside trap on the par 3 15th in his third round 65.

Indeed, the Northern Irishman has got better with every round – 69, 66, 65 – and appears in supreme control of his TaylorMade TP5x golf ball from tee to green and around it too as his chip-in for birdie on the 17th yesterday highlighted. With four majors, two WGC titles, seven regular season European Tour and as many again on the PGA Tour, it’s not like McIlroy doesn’t know how to seal the deal, ring rust or not.

So what would it mean to triumph straight out of the blocks in 2018 to erase the first winless, and injury riddled, year of your career?

“It would mean a lot. I’ve had a lot of close calls here, I think about six top threes or something like that,” said the former world No.1.

“I’ve never won my first start back out either. I was close last year in South Africa, Stormy [Graeme Storm] beat me in a playoff. It’s felt like a while since I’ve won and just to give myself these chances; I gave myself a chance at the end of the year at Close House and wasn’t able to do it. Paul Dunne played too well for me. I’m excited to get back on the horse and give myself another chance tomorrow.”

After a 67 Saturday, Pieters has a golden chance too and is a player unlikely to go backwards. That said, the Belgian, T-4 in 2015 and runner-up to Rickie Fowler a year later, will need his icy-cold putter to warm up or he could be overrun in what shapes up as an intriguing, multi-player shootout. The 25-year-old would almost be out of sight if he’d capitalised on all his third round chances but will instead need to survive Sunday’s scramble if he is to capture a fourth European Tour title.

“Yeah, first event out and that’s where you want to be [leading]. You want to have a bit of nerves and feel like you’re in contention, and I look forward to tomorrow,” Pieters said.

After rounds of 67-67-65, Fisher has zeroed in his first European Tour win since the 2014 Tshwane Open and is likewise excited to be in the mix.

“Just having a chance to win the first event for me on The European Tour season, such a prestigious event here in Abu Dhabi, HSBC, you only have to walk up 18 and see the list of past champions,” Fisher said.

“So to have a chance of putting my name amongst that illustrious property of players would be great. Have to go out and play as well as I have done the first three days. I’m excited and looking forward to the challenge.”

He’s not alone.

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