By John Huggan
He’s had his moments before, of course. Welsh Amateur champion in 1989. British Amateur champion that same year, before he was a member of the first Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup side to beat the Americans on home soil. A 1992 victory on the European Challenge Tour punctuated a few years of early professional struggle before three European Tour victories came along between 2004 and 2006. In 2005 he teamed with compatriot Bradley Dredge to claim the World Cup of Golf for Wales. And just over a decade later, he recorded the first of three wins on the European Senior Tour.

So, all good, all memorable, all things to be proud of. But nothing that would quite qualify as truly life-changing.

Until now that is.

With a seemingly nerveless birdie on the 72nd hole, Stephen Dodd’s 13-under-par aggregate of 267 for four circuits of Sunningdale’s Old Course was just enough to clinch the Senior British Open title by a shot from Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez. A pair of major champions in Darren Clarke—bidding to become only the fourth man after Gary Player, Bob Charles and Tom Watson to win both the Open Championship and the Senior Open—and Bernhard Langer pulled up in third and fourth places respectively. Jerry Kelly, whose erratic putting over the four days proved to be an adventure like no other, was the leading American alone in sixth place, one shot behind the 2016 champion, Paul Broadhurst.

“I knew exactly where I was,” said Dodd of his thoughts standing over the 6-iron he struck from the right rough to eight feet on the finishing hole. “I like to see the scoreboards and know what I need to do. For me it focuses my mind more on what I need to do. I hit some decent shots coming down the last few holes.”

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For Dodd, who had played very little competitive golf—one tournament, in fact—over the previous 18 months because of the global pandemic, the perks of victory will surely outweigh the $375,000 first-place check he will be soon be banking. An exemption onto the PGA Tour Champions beckons, and just under a year from now the 55-year-old will be able to tee-up in the Open Championship at St. Andrews without having to qualify.

“That will be special,” he said with a smile. “I’ll have to start trying to hit it a bit harder and further.”

“This is an amazing feeling,” continued Dodd, who’s record-equaling third round of 62 provided the basis for the biggest win of his golfing life. “I was in control of my emotions out there, I just wasn’t in control of the ball, which was a problem. It was a bit of a battle out there. But luckily, I gave myself a few chances. I really didn’t know what sort of game I was going to wake up to. Today wasn’t a great one, so it was a challenge. I scrambled my way around because I hit a lot of bad shots. Holding the trophy was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to come in and do myself justice. Hopefully I’ve done that.”

Dodd’s immediate future remains unclear, but it would be something of a surprise if his hope is not to parlay this victory into at least a few years on the lucrative senior circuit in the States. As Kelly, his playing partner over the final 18-holes, remarked as the pair left the historic 18th green that sits directly in front of the iconic oak tree that forms the Sunningdale club emblem: “See you in the States.”

In that respect, Broadhurst is a fine role model. Since his 2016 win at Carnoustie, the former Ryder Cup player has won four more times across the pond, including another major, the 2018 Senior PGA Championship. So there is, potentially at least, much for Dodd to look forward to. As ever though, this understated soul wasn’t giving much away.

“I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet,” he said. “I’m sure on the drive home I’m reflecting on it all. I’ll look at it over the coming weeks. I’m not sure what lies ahead at the moment. It’s just too early for me to decide what’s going to happen, but I would like to play a bit in America.”

Don’t be fooled by all that diffidence though. Stephen Dodd has always been a golfer you need to keep an eye on. You just have to be patient.

The post Stephen Dodd’s triumph in Senior British Open is one that will change his life appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Bahrain-based 27-year-old touring professional will take a five stroke lead into the final round of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic on Wednesday over a group of five players including three-time MENA Tour winner and European tour veteran Stephen Dodd.

Dodd (70-67) was joined by joint overnight leader Max Williams (66-71), fellow Englishmen Jordan Garnish (68-69) and Jamie Elson (71-66) and Australia’s Peter Stojanovski (68-69) at -7.

After mixing two eagles and five birdies against three bogeys in Monday’s opening round, Royal Golf Club-aligned Owen had his driver going to rattle off six birdies in a flawless six-under circuit to be -12 for the tournament.

“I have been coming here since 2011 and know the course pretty well. It suits my eye. I did miss a couple of greens, but never really got into much trouble. I gave myself good opportunities and made a few putts,” Owen said of his sizzling second round on a steamy RAK day.

Owen will be looking to kick on after racking up a string of top five finishes on the tour.

“Obviously, it’s hard to ignore where I am, but at the same time the game plan doesn’t change. I will try and make some early birdies to kind of settle the nerves and, hopefully, get the job done this time around.”

As a three-time European Tour winner Dodd, who mixed six birdies with a lone bogey on the tough 3rd hole in his second-round 67, stands as a significant threat to Owen.

The Welshman made his European Senior Tour debut at the Senior Open Championship last July and went on to win the 2016 Senior Italian Open, a feat which showed his hunger remains as keen as ever.

Elsewhere, Spain’s Francisco Perez and England’s Paul Dwyer, who were among a four-way tie for the lead overnight, left themselves with work to do after carding respective rounds of 73 and 72 to be at -6.

England’s Lee Corfield, a four-time winner on the MENA Tour, moved into a tie for 10^th on -5 after a second round 71, one ahead of Craig Hinton, the winner of the 2016 MENA Tour Order of Merit title, as experienced Andrew Marshall settled for a tied 17^th after a shooting a two-under 70.

England’s Todd Clements carded a 69 to top the amateur division on -3, four shots ahead of Switzerland’s Dubai-based Michael Harradine, who backed his opening 71 with a 74.

UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh returned a second-round 75 for 36-hole total of seven-over-par 151, missing the cut, which was made at two over, by five shots. A total of 54 professionals and nine amateurs have made it to the final round.

The post Bahrain-based Englishman Daniel Owen takes five stroke lead into RAK Classic’s final round appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 57-year-old South African took full advantage of an early tee time in rattling off two eagles and five birdies in his pace-setting seven-under round, a stunning two-lap loop of the Peter Harradine-designed nine-holer which edged the previous record by a stroke.

Two bogeys meant Williams’ round wasn’t flawless and will see American Clark Dennis, Swede Magnus Atlevi and Dane Steen Tinning start Friday just a shot back after the trio carded matching 66s. A group of five were hot their heels at five-under-par, setting up the prospect of a thrilling contest over the weekend in Sharjah.

Welshman Stephen Dodd, a UAE regular, fired a four under 68 to lead the list of other notable first round scores. Barry Lane carded a 69 while defending order of merit and Senior Open champion Paul Broadhurst was also well in the hunt after a 70. Des Smyth has work to do after opening with a two-over 74 while Italian Costantino Rocca signed for a 75.

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Williams, who has one previous win on the European Senior Tour at the 2011 Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters, got off to the perfect start with a first hole birdie and never let up on the smooth putting surfaces.

“There wasn’t much wind out there this morning and that’s when you’ve got to post your scores because it looks like the wind blows a lot here in the afternoon,” said the former Sunshine Tour player who negotiated the four par 5s in five-under-par, including eagles on the 4th and 15th.

“I birdied the first hole and that kind of set the trend for the round. I felt more relaxed after that and the two eagles were nice bonuses.

“I sunk a long putt on the 4^th and holed out from the bunker on the 15th so you’ve got to be pleased with that! Two eagles will always get your score down no matter what else you do.”

Tinning, meanwhile, got his putter going, a solitary bogey the only blemish in a round that included seven birdies.

“I’ve got a few new things going on with my putting and they all worked very well today. I’ve been practicing hard to try to be prepared for the first tournament so this is a great way to start.

“The course is great fun to play. At times you’ve got to really be careful but at other times there are birdie chances. The greens are rolling very nicely so you’re going to get low scores when the greens are like this.”

“The course is set up for good scoring and I think spectators can expect to see some really good scores over the weekend,” he said.

The post Williams fires course record for slender Sharjah lead appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Des Smyth, Ronan Rafferty, Jose Rivero, Gordon J Brand, Steven Richardson, Gordon Brand Jnr, Philip Walton, Costantino Rocca and Barry Lane are all confirmed for the opening event of the 2017 European Senior Tour season at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club from March 16-18.

Another former European Ryder Cupper, reigning Senior Open champion and senior tour order of merit champion Paul Broadhurst, is also expected to compete for the $63,750 winners’ cheque in a field set to include the top 20 from last season’s money list.

Also confirmed are two-time senior major champion Roger Chapman, former moneylist winners Peter Fowler and Paul Wesselingh and Welshman Stephen Dodd, who won the 2005 World Cup of Golf.

“We are all very excited about the inaugural Sharjah Senior Golf Masters and would like to extend our grateful thanks to Shurooq for enabling our very first event in Sharjah to see the light of day,” said European Senior Tour chief David MacLaren.

“We believe that this may be the very first time that a full European Tour event of any description has been played over a nine-hole layout and this is sure to add a different and exciting dimension to a tournament that we would urge all local golf fans to support.”

Joining the elite European Senior Tour stars are Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club’s Ramli Sulaiman and Rene Larsen of Jumeirah Golf Estates who triumphed in a recent “Amateur and Professional Qualifier”, along with another local player, John Mills.

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