European Tour Choose Short Cut

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The stars of The European Tour got all their leg work done ahead of this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship as they were allowed to wear shorts during practice days and pro-ams for the first time following a new initiative which Chief Executive Keith Pelley believes will help “modernise the game”.

Among the players making the most of the new initiative on the eve of the opening tournament of the Desert Swing were Ian Poulter, Ernie Els, Lee Westwood and Chris Wood as they sported their knee-lengths.

European Tour Chief Executive Pelley heralded the development as a positive step towards modernising the game and bringing a youthful, fun element to tournaments.

“The players have embraced it,” he said. “Shorts are a natural evolution to help modernise the game. It puts our players first and our fans first as well. The fashion of golf is something that the youth adopt. We will have strong rules, but there will be some fashion statements, and it’s a great start.”

Rory McIlroy also spoke positively about the move, saying: “I like it. I think it's a good idea to let guys wear shorts in practise rounds. I probably just need a couple more weeks in the sun to get my legs out in public! I think all the guys enjoy wearing shorts, especially in practise, and especially if it gets hot, I think it's a good idea.”

Jordan Spieth, playing the first regular European Tour event of his professional career and on his first visit to the Abu Dhabi, said: “I think it's awesome. I think it will be something that I would love to see on the (US) PGA Tour, as well. 

“Guys seem to all love it over here. And most of the guys that are really talking highly of it are the older guys oddly enough. Yeah, I think it's a great move.”

Many players took to social media today to support the news.

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O'Grady Ends European Tour Days

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George O’Grady has announced he will step down as chief executive of the European Tour as soon as his successor is found.

An announcement had originally been planned to coincide with the season-ending finale DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, but recent media speculation has hastened the process.

The 65-year-old became only the third chief executive in the European Tour’s history in 2005, succeeding John Jacobs, who supervised the Tour’s formative years from 1971 to 1974 and Ken Schofield, who took over the reins on January 1, 1975.

He has been with The European Tour for over 40 years and during this time he has been instrumental in its development, including the implementation of The Race To Dubai and The Final Series, overseeing the significant growth of The Ryder Cup, securing key TV and sponsorship agreements and helping the process which saw golf reinstated in the Olympic Games.

"I have agreed with the Board to stay not only for the time it takes to appoint a new CEO but also for sufficient additional time after that to see them properly settled in."

“It is my firm belief that, coming towards the end of what has been another incredibly successful season, we are now seeing the green shoots of recovery across Europe and I am pleased that this coincides with all our building blocks, in terms of key television and sponsorship contracts, being in place.

“I have agreed with the board to stay not only for the time it takes to appoint a new CEO but also for sufficient additional time after that to see them properly settled in. The board also agreed that, at that stage, I will take up a role as president of International Relations which will see me represent the European Tour through the Olympic Games in 2016.”

David Williams, chairman of the European Tour, commented: “On behalf of the board and all of the members of the European Tour I would like to thank George for his contribution to the European Tour and professional golf generally over the last 40 years.

“The European Tour and its players are admired throughout the world of golf and George has played a key part in building global relationships and developing the tour. He has always respected the traditions of the Tour and built on the strong foundations put in place by John Jacobs, Neil Coles and Ken Schofield.

“The tour is now embarking on a new phase in its development and that is why George has considered that it is the right time to ask the Nominations Committee to find his successor.”

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State of Grace for Branden

Branden Grace has described being named The European Tour Golfer of the Month for January as “a dream come true” and has targeted more success this season.

The South African won his maiden European Tour title at the Joburg Open last month, the second event of the 2012 season, and it gained him entry to the Volvo Golf Champions at The Links at Fancourt the following week.

There he doubled his tally in sublime fashion, beating his compatriots and idols Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in a play-off.

It was the stuff of dreams for the 23 year old, who gained his card through the 2011 Qualifying School after he narrowly missed out on promotion from the Challenge Tour, finishing 24th in the Rankings.

“It has been amazing,” he said. “It would be a dream start for anyone. It was extra special because I came from the Qualifying School only a few weeks before. I really worked hard last year and just came up short in the Challenge Tour Rankings, but managed to find some form when I went to Q-School.

“I kept that form and played really well in those two weeks. I felt very comfortable out there and it proved that I should be playing at this level.

“Before we went to the first two events of the season in South Africa, my caddie Zack and I said we could definitely win one of those two. I really thought I would have won the other one, the Africa Open, before the Joburg Open to be honest, but it showed I can cope with different courses and different conditions.

“I think the momentum and everything just carried over into the Volvo Golf Champions and I was so amped just to be playing there. So it was absolutely awesome to win there as well.”

Grace pipped Louis Oosthuizen, who successfully defended his Africa Open title, and Robert Rock, who won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, to the Golfer of Month award, and says this is just the start of what he hopes will be a hugely successful year.

“Winning the Golfer of the Month award was a bit unexpected because I’d forgotten about it,” he said. “I looked on the internet and had all these messages saying congratulations. It’s awesome. It’s great to be up there with the elite at the moment and to get an award like this is a dream come true.

“I’m not going to stop here; I plan to keep going. The batteries are running pretty low at the moment and tiredness is creeping in. But once I get refreshed I’ll be ready to push on from here and I’m definitely going to try and win one or two more – or at least be in contention – this year.”

Should he be crowned Golfer of the Year in December, he would be only the third South African in European Tour history to win the award – after Els (1994, 2002 and 2003) and Goosen (2001).

“It’s a long way off to be thinking about Golfer of the Year, but to win that would be amazing,” he added.

Donald European Golfer of the Year

Luke Donald has been named The 2011 European Tour Race to Dubai Golfer of the Year after a truly remarkable and record-breaking year on both sides of the Atlantic.

The 34 year old Englishman not only ended 2011 as the undisputed Number One on the Official World Golf Ranking, he also became the first player to officially top both The Race to Dubai and the US PGA Tour Money List in the same year.

The judging panel, which featured golf journalists from newspapers and magazines as well as commentators from radio and television, were fulsome in their praise of several other worthy candidates, specifically Major Champions Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Charl Schwartzel. But it was Donald’s historic achievement, allied to the consistently high standard of his golf throughout 2011, that saw him voted the unanimous winner.

“To have the accolade of European Tour Golfer of the Year means an awful lot to me and I will certainly look back on this year with a lot of fond memories,” said Donald. “It is always nice to be appreciated, especially from the people in the sport who know the game inside out. They have recognised what I have done this year and it is very gratifying to have that validation.

“As a professional golfer you are always trying to do your best and it was good to see all the hard work I have put in coming to fruition. I was delighted with my game this year and it is rewarding to feel that, sometimes, consistency does pay off. Everyone dreams of having a year like this and I am very excited and feel fortunate that it happened to me.

“Rory’s win at Congressional was amazing as was Darren’s success in The Open while Charl birdieing the final four holes to win the Masters was a truly magical moment in golf. Therefore, to be given the vote ahead of these great players who also had great years is very special indeed.”

Donald won three times on The 2011 European Tour International Schedule; the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play in Arizona, the Barclays Scottish Open at Castle Stuart and the Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club where he beat fellow countryman Lee Westwood in a play-off. The latter success, at the end of May, saw him climb to World Number One for the first time – a position he still holds.

Coming to the final event – the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates – his coronation as European Number One was not certain however, knowing he had to finish inside the top nine to finally extinguish any hopes McIlroy had of pipping him at the post. An opening level par 72 left him well down the field but he showed his class with closing rounds of 68-66-66 to finish the tournament in third place overall.

Equally as impressive was his finish in the final counting event of the US PGA Tour season, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Knowing he had to finish inside the top two to deny Webb Simpson in the race for the US PGA Tour Money List, Donald produced a stunning closing 64 – which featured six birdies in a row on the back nine – to win the tournament outright.

“The manner in which I came through to win both money lists was, I think, the thing that pleased me the most about the season,” he said. “Going to Florida and winning that tournament when I had to was very important as it gave me the incentive to go on and succeed in Dubai.

“There was a lot of pressure on me to come through that week and so, after my first round, to shoot 16 under par over three rounds to get the job done was the icing on the cake and something which gave me a huge amount of satisfaction and confidence to take forward into next year. This game always gives you the opportunity to improve and hopefully I can continue this form into 2012 and find some way of getting even better.”

In total, Donald finished a cumulative 90 under par for the season on The European Tour and 116 under par on the US PGA Tour, not taking into account the two match play events he contested – the WGC-Accenture Match Play, which he won, and the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain where he was runner-up.

He won The Race to Dubai despite playing six fewer events than runner-up McIlroy and topped the US PGA Tour Money List despite playing seven fewer events than second placed Simpson. In total, in prize money alone in 2011, he banked a mere €33,564 short of €10 million.

Bill Elliott, Golf Monthly contributor and Chairman of the Association of Golf Writers, said: “When we considered the candidates for this award 12 months ago, after the success that European Tour Members had enjoyed on the world stage in 2010, we all thought it could not get any better than that – but, amazingly, it has.

“These are truly extraordinary times and while the Major Championship victories of Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke this year were momentous occasions and ones which all of us who love this game celebrated royally, the overriding achievements of Luke Donald throughout the season stand at the very pinnacle.

“Any one of the four players mentioned would be worthy winners of the award but while perhaps Rory’s eight shot win in the US Open Championship was the single best performance of the year, Luke was unquestionably the overall golfer of the year. He is a credit to himself, to his family and to The European Tour, and he is a true ambassador for the game.”

Derek Lawrenson, golf correspondent of The Daily Mail and Vice Chairman of the Association of Golf Writers, said: “Luke Donald’s golf this year has been, on occasion, sublime, but most of the time, simply superb.

“He is not the type of person to shout from the rooftops about his many achievements but all of us who comment on golf should do precisely that because, in many ways, he has redefined the way we think about the game. He is, therefore, a most worthy winner of the Golfer of the Year.”

James Haddock, Sky Sports News golf reporter, said: “When you are at the pinnacle of any sport you are there to be shot at but, week in week out, Luke Donald performed at the very top of his game with a level of consistency and mental strength which was almost unbelievable.

“Not only that, every time he needed to do something – like produce a shot to win the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club; produce a low round to win the final event of the US PGA Tour season; or produce a four round performance to cement his position as winner of The Race to Dubai – he did just that.”

Tom Lewis Wins Maiden Tour Event

Englishman Tom Lewis birdied five of the last seven holes to win his maiden title at the Portugal Masters, in only his third professional start.

The 20-year-old, who shot to fame by leading The Open as an amateur in July, beat a field that included Padraig Harrington and Martin Kaymer.

Lewis, who entered the closing stretch only in seventh spot, shot a closing 65 to finish with a 21-under-par 267.

"If you said that I'd finish 21 under, I'd have said 'no way'," he said.

"I'm a long way behind Rory [McIlroy] in the Order of Merit so I've got a long way to go. But I'm really pleased.

"To shoot 65 in the last round, I wouldn't have thought I'd be able to do that."

Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello was the nearest challenger, finishing two shots adrift.

Tiger Woods needed five tournaments to land his first professional title, while McIlroy did not taste success until his 38th European Tour event.

Welwyn Garden City-based Lewis two-putted the long 12th and then had four more birdies in a row from the 14th. He kept his nerve to par the dangerous final hole and had to wait the best part of an hour before victory was confirmed.

Instead of facing a trip to the Tour school in December - he entered the week 234th on the Tour money list and 621st in the world - he is now exempt for two seasons because of his win.

Simon Khan Secures BMW PGA Championship

Simon Khan carded a final round 66 to win the BMW PGA Championship on the redesigned West Course at the Wentworth Club on Sunday only months after regaining is card at Qualifying School to take the €750,000 winners cheque. Equally important is the five-year exemption on The European Tour and a place at this years Open in St Andrews.

Luke Donald of England was second in a tie with Fredrik Andersson Hed of Sweden.

Padraig Harrington signed for a one over par 72 having made the turn in level par but dropping a shot on the back nine to come in on 3 under for the tournament and the best of the Irish challengers. Harrington finished in a tie for 6th alongside Danny Willett and Robert Karlsson.

Paul McGinley had a level par round reaching the halfway one under and then dropping a shot on the back nine to finish two over for the event.

Damien McGrane was two under at the turn but then carded bogeys on 15 and 16 to go  one under for the day and 2 over for the tournament.

Graeme McDowell was two over one under for the day despite an eagle on the 17th. But a round with seven bogeys proved costly and he finished with a 3 over total.

Gareth Maybin carded two birdies early to finish the front nine in 33 completing the day one over with a 69 and finish 3 over.

Rory McIlroy was two over par for the day having lost momentum early with a double bogey on the 3rd hole. He ended the BMW PGA Championship on 5 over.

Peter Lawrie double bogeyed the 15th to card 39 on the back nine having made the turn in  33 to end the final round one over par  and 6 over for the tournament.

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Shane Lowry finished 4 over par on the final day with a 75 to sign for 8 over total. A triple bogey on the 8th the biggest setback for the winner of last year's 3 Irish Open.

Wood Sets Pace Day 3 at BMW

Chris Wood posted an eight under par on Saturday at the BMW PGA Championship to take the outright lead from Robert Karlsson, who despite some travel problems overnight, set a the course record on day three but found it was not enough as he remains two shots off the pace at Wentworth, tied with 1st round leader Danny Willett. Both are one ahead of Luke Donald.

Despite very little sleep Sweden Karlsson carded a blitz of birdies making the turn in 30 and then finishing the back nine in 32. Chris Woods dropped a few shots on the back nine but made them up ending the last nine in one under for a 67 total.

Karlsson was so convinced he had missed the halfway cut that he took a mid-afternoon flight from London to Nice. On landing in France he heard the cut was at 3 over and returned to Nice Airport to make his way back to Wentworth via Paris. He reached the course on Saturday making with an hour to spare and proceeded to produce a stunning round of 62.

Padraig Harrington was one over for the day after bogeys on 5 and 17 and only one birdie on the 9th which places him in a tie for 5th and three under for the tournament.

Graeme McDowell opened with a bogey but then traded birdies to remain level for the day and one under for the tournament .

Paul McGinley reached the twelfth on 3 under roar and then went through the last three holes in bogey, bogey and double bogey to finish on 71 and remain two over par.

Damien McGrane dropped four shots on the back nine to finish with a 38 after making the turn in level par. He signed for a 78 and remains 2 over par overall.

Rory McIlroy eagled the 4th hole but dropped some shots to make the turn in 34. Then three bogeys on the back nine put him at 39 shots with a total of 73 for the day on 3 over.

Shane Lowry finished 3 over par for a 4 over total after dropping two shots on the back nine.

Peter Lawrie reached the fourth one shot worse off and the proceeded to card an eagle. He then dropped four more shots two each side of the turn to sign for a 76 and remain 4 over.

Gareth Maybin triple bogeyed the 15th which added to his two other dropped shots and signed for a 75.

Clarke and Higgins Cut at BMW

The overnight leader of the BMW PGA Championship Danny Willett of England carded three birdies in the first four holes to set the pace at 9 under at one point. But two dropped shots on 5 and 7 brought him back to 7 under – one shot ahead of the club house leader, Luke Donald. But a three over par 39 on the back nine left him 5 under on Friday and in a three-way tie for second place with fellow Englishman Ross Fisher and James Kingston of South Africa.

A round of 68 by Luke Donald was enough to post the lead ahead of Saturday at 6 under topping the leader board out right pushing the cut out to 3 over – which benefited a few of the Irish players hovering on the projected cut of 1 over.

Three time major winner Padraig Harrington was the best of the Irish field following a round of 67 with two birdies either side of the run to push him back into the chase after the misery of Thursday.

Next best was Meath man Damien McGrane who went one under after three holes reaching half way on 34 and only dropping one shot on the back nine to finish on 71.

Graeme McDowell reached the 10th in 36 shots having bogeyed the 3rd and 9th with only one birdie on the 4th to recover a shot. A bogey on 12 was corrected with a birdie on 13 and was followed by another birdie on 16 to finish one under for the day and one under for the tournament.

Rory McIlroy was the first of the Irish players to finish on day two and reached the thirteenth hole on 4 under. But a double bogey on the par four 15th and then a bogey on the 16th left him waiting anxiously for a while when the projected cut of was 1 over. In the end he was safely through to the weekend.

Gareth Maybin reversed some of the good work from Thursday by reaching the turn in 37 after bogeys on holes 6 and 8. With two more dropped shots on the 10th and 13th holes he also fell close to one over par for the first two rounds hovering on the cut having signed for a 75.

Shane Lowry finished on 1 over for the day courtesy of a double bogey on the 17th having made the half way under par with a 34.

Paul McGinley was through four holes dropping shots on the 3rd and 5th hole with one birdie on 4 to complete the front nine in 35. But a two over par back nine left him signing for a73 and put 2 over for the tournament..

Pewter Lawrie remained level all day making up for mistakes with birdies until reaching the 18th where a costly triple bogey left him 2 over for the tournament and on the verge of going out only for the revised cut.

Darren Clarke opened with a birdie and then bogeyed 3 and 4 with a triple bogey to follow on the par three 8th hole to put him under pressure at the turn. Then a double bogey on 18 left him signing for a 10 over and a short drive home to Sunningdale for a free weekend.

David Higgins was 12 over after playing 15 holes trading birdies and bogeys to make the turn in 35. But three dropped shots on the back nine pushed the Waterville man well down the leader board and a missed cut as he returned from the Irish PGA region to the main Tour for the first time in a year.

Michael Hoey of Ballymoney withdrew from the tournament on Thursday.

Maybin Best at Wentworth Day One

Danny Willett of England finished day one with a 65 and held his nerve despite a dropped shot on the 15th hole to recover with three consecutive birdies on 16, 17 and 18 to lead the European Tours flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, at Wentworth by one shot from Australian Richard Green on day one.

Padraig Harrington, who had been in the chase with Danny Millett and Ernie Els for most of the day then fell back after triple bogey at the 17th and signed for a level par round of 71 –having made the turn in a three under par 32.

Ernie Els ended the day on 2 under after dropping a shot on the 18th.

Gareth Maybin continues his good form unfazed by the field at Wentworth and returned to his hotel on Thursday night in an eight way tie for 7th place having also made the turn in 32 shots but then completing the round on the back nine on level par - matching birdies with bogeys.

Graeme McDowell finished his round on 1 under carding three birdies and two bogeys on day one for a 71.

Peter Lawrie signed for a one under par recovering from mistakes at 5 and 16 with three birdies to sign for a 70.

Paul McGinley remains level overnight having failed to pick up shots after matching three birdies with 3 bogeys.

Damien McGrane went through the redesigned West Course in two under having made it to the 15th level with any mistakes corrected with birdies. Then two birdies on 16 and 17 gave the Kells man a two under par finish for the day and some momentum ahead of Friday.

 

Shane Lowry returned to Wentworth after his first appearance last year and signed for a one over par round with two dropped shots on the back nine erasing the birdie he picked up on the  2nd hole.

Rory McIlroy, saw his day hit trouble when a triple bogey on 11 added to his three bogeys on the front nine as he made the turn in 38. But two birdies on 16 and 17 left him on 3 over for day one.

Darren Clarke was unable to break the cycle of recent weeks on the European tour finishing with a four over round having double bogeyed the third hole.

Michael Hoey had a triple on 17 and a double  bogey on the redesigned 18th and signed for a four over round of 75.

David Higgins of Waterville returned to the fray of the European Tour after an absence and found trouble on the 11th with a double bogey and then quadrupled the 15th to leave him fighting for weekend playing rights on 9 over.

Defending champion Paul Casey of England was one over par after round one.

McGinley Leads Irish Quintet in Mallorca

Paul McGinley leads a group of five Irish players at the Iberdrola Open Cala Millar in Mallorca on the next leg of the European Tour which starts on Thursday at Pula Golf Club at Son Servera in the Balearic Islands.

McGinley makes his first outing since the Ballantine's Championship in Korea, where he failed to make the cut, and is still making his comeback from injury after an operation on his knee during the off season.

Damien McGrane makes a visit to Mallorca as the most in form of the five players having secured two top 20 finishes so far this season with 17th places both at the Volvo China Open and the Open de España more recently in Sevilla.

With the first Re-Rank of the season due there will be plenty of jostling for position ahead of the big summer events for those who came through the Qualifying School such as Gary Murphy and Simon Thornton.

Gary Murphy makes his fourth consecutive outing aiming to break the cycle of missed cuts at the past three events in Italy, Spain and Madeira Islands. Having regained his playing rights at Qualifying School last December, Murphy has been unable to make in impact so far in the early part of the season when the “big guns” are traditionally off.

Simon Thornton is also looking to the Iberdola Open Calla Millar Mallorca to regain some momentum in his first season having also missed consecutive cuts in Sevilla and then last week in Turin at the BMW Italian Open.

Colm Moriarty arrives in Mallorca from the Challenge Tour for his second main Tour event of the year - following his first outing in Madeira Islands in April - having made a top 20 finish in Turkish Airlines Challenge but failing to make the cut in a windy Brittany last week.

Denmark’s Søren Hansen is the highest ranking player to compete this week and will be looking to consolidate his place in the World’s Top 50. The Dane made his Ryder Cup debut in Valhalla in 2008 and is chasing his third European Tour title.

The José Maria Olazábal-designed course has been a happy hunting ground for Spanish players. On each of the first three European Tour visits to Pula, home players claimed the Mallorca Masters; Miguel Angel Jiménez (2003), Sergio Garcia (2004) and José Maria Olazábal (2005).

Another Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares, who came close to winning the Open de España, is on course to top the first Re-Rank of the season having earned €191,219 this season.

Iberdrola, Spain’s leading energy company and the world’s largest producer of wind power, are the title sponsors of the first edition of the Iberdrola Open Cala Millar Mallorca from May 13-16 which has prize money of €800,000 on offer.

Italian Weekend for Gareth Maybin

Gareth Maybin remains the only Irish player to make it through round two of the BMW Italian Open in Turin and remains three over for the tournament after a level par round on Friday. He has slipped to five shots off the lead however after Frederik Andersson Hed of Sweden posted a 66 in the club house to set the pace at 8 under.

Miguel Angel Jimenez is part of the chasing group on 7 under that includes fellow countrymen Ignacio Garrido and Alejandro Cañizares, with Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Henno Ottie of South Africa, also in the mix.

The Ballyclare man is only Irish player to stay over the weekend – thanks to his first round 69 – having played an up and down round of four birdies and four bogeys for a 72.

Darren Clarke signed for a two over par round with his only birdie on 18 after dropping shots on 4, 12 and 15. A three over total for the tournament was outside the projected cut which allowed him an early flight home from Turin without fear of having to return.

Simon Thornton started the day level par after finishing his first round early in the morning. But a double bogeyed on his second hole in round 2, was followed by two more dropped shots to make the turn in 40. Another two dropped shots on the homeward leg left the Newcastle resident on 6 over and missing another cut a week after falling short in Spain.

Gary Murphy played the first nine holes in one over par needing to post a score to break out of the current rut. He managed to balance two errors with birdies to reach the 15th level. But a birdie, double bogey, par and bogey finish gave him a 78 and a total of 8 over.

Italian Matteo Manassero made the turn in 33 and completed the day with a 70 - even after a double bogey on the 16th – to remain 4 under for his first event as a professional.

Maiden Win in Madeira

James Morrison, secured a maiden European Tour title following an a round of 70 that gave the Challenge Tour graduate the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal on Sunday. After recovering from a poor start, following bogeys on two of his three opening holes, Morrison slipped back to 16 under for a while and within reach of the chasing pack.

However a birdie on the par five sixth then an eagle on the 8th put his round back on track and a two under par finish proved just enough to hold the lead from Ollie Fisher.

England’s Fisher started with four straight birdies lifting him to within a stroke of Morrison at one point. With only two birdies after the turn Fisher was unable to improve on a 65 and ended his four days on 19 under overall to take second place.

George Murray of Scotland bounced back from an opening bogey with an eagle at the sixth to keep up the chase before he made the turn. But a level par last nine holes held him at 14 under for third place one shot ahead of Charles-Edouard Russo of France on thirteen under.

Michael Hoey was the best Irish score on Sunday finishing in Porto Santo Golfe with a 69 to end on 11 under and repeat last year’s sixth place. After reaching the tenth on 33 shots two bogeys on the homeward leg and two birdies meant he could not improve on his three under par round.

For Simon Thornton the challenge ended on the par five 10th hole par when a quadruple bogey sent him back down the leader board. Although he recovered with two consecutive birdies on the following holes bogeys on the 17th and 18th left him 3 over par for the day and 8 under overall.

The Newcastle Co. Down resident had other things on his mind though this weekend as his wife Ciara was due to give birth to their first child on Saturday.

"I won't leave, no," said Thornton about the prospect of flying home if his wife wnet into labour over the`weekend. We made that decision before I came here. It's been nice spending the last few weeks together and now we're approaching D-Day as such,” explained Thornton after his round.

"There was a lot of debate over whether I'd come this week but because of the lack of opportunities in the last month I had to come and play it. If I'd not come here and taken a couple of weeks off then all of a sudden you get a card but not taking the opportunities, I had to come. I keep checking my phone all the time. There's no word yet."

The last Irish winner in Madeira was in 2001 when Des Smyth beat English man John Bickerton by two shots.