4
May, Telecom Italia Open, Milan, Italy
Went down to Italy last Monday for the Telecom Italia Open at the
Castello di Tolcinasco Golf & Country Club on the outskirts of
Milan. I really enjoy spending time in Italy, especially for the food!
Have had some good practice rounds and also played in the Pro Am today,
Wednesday. Played with a team from Rolex and we really had a great
time together. Worth to mention about today’s round is hole
number 5, a 210 yards long par three that I played on my back nine.
I made eagle! Or if you prefer, a hole in one. I hit an excellent
three iron in to the head wind that landed short left of the pin.
The sun was shining straight into my eyes, so I couldn’t really
see what was happening. From where I stood from the tee I thought
the ball stopped just short behind the flag. But the result was event
better when I came closer. I think this was my seventh or eighth hole-in-one
of my career. Would of course like to do another one on hole 16 during
the tournament, then you get a BMW 645 Cabriolet! See you tomorrow!
I’m off the 10th tee at 08.30 am local time together with Stephen
Gallacher and Ian Woosnam. See you then, Niclas.
5 May, Telecom Italia Open, 1st Round 78 (+6)
Played bad today and scored badly as well. Many good shots but nothing
rewarding. Started off the 10th tee and got bogeys on 11 and 13.
On the par three 14 I hit a good tee shot that unfortunately landed
1 foot too long and bounced into the water. I was able to drop close
to the green but needed a chip and two putt from there for double
bogey. Followed up with another visit to the water on the par-5
15th and finished off around the green with a bunker shot and three
more putts for my second double bogey of the day. Played much better
after that and got my first birdie of the day on 1 where I holed
a 40 feet long putt. Encouraging! Another birdie on 2, but after
that I faced another couple of holes with some bad shots and no
scoring. Shot 78 today and I’m of course very disappointed.
Will try to make a very good round tomorrow to at least make the
qualifying for the weekend. See you then, Niclas
6 May, Telecom Italia Open, 2nd Round 72 (Ev)
My game was much better today, but unfortunately no scoring at all.
Gave myself a lot of chances on the greens, but my putter was definitely
not hot. Could easily have finished on five under par. Started off
the 1st tee today with a birdie. On the par three 8, I hit a bad
three iron from tee that landed in the water. Dropped in the drop
zone and finished off with a double bogey after a sand wedge and
two putts. On 11 I hit a drive and a nine iron to five feet from
the pin for an easy birdie. I really got back to my old game again
on the back nine, and everything felt more solid. Hit my drive in
to the water on 15, but still managed to make par on the 554 yards
long par-5.
So, even if I missed the cut this week I feel OK about my game and
I am not worried about the weeks to come. It will be a lot of fun
now when the tour finally is back in Europe and three of the tournaments
will be within driving distance from our home in Ascot, west of
London. See you next week! Niclas.
11 May, Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters
Finally the European Tour is back in Europe, and I‘m playing
this weeks Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters at Forest of Arden outside
Birmingham. A very nice, good, pretty long and straight forward
golf course that I have played 4-5 tournaments on before. I took
my car last Monday and had a 2 hour drive to get there. This is
not too bad, especially when we are used to being at the airport
at least one hour before departure. Didn’t play in the Pro
Am today, so my caddie Dave and I spent all day on the practice
facilities. I feel like I have everything under control and hopefully
what happened last week with my putting is history now. I’m
off the 10th tee tomorrow morning at 08.10 am together with Steve
Webster and Ian Woosnam. See you. Niclas. 12 May, Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters, 1st Round 75 (+3)
Had a tough day out there in the stormy and cold wind. Made many
small mistakes and got punished for each of them. I don’t
think that I played as bad as my score for the day suggests. Started
off the 10th tee today and got my first bogey on 13 after an excellent
shot towards the green that landed long. Had a nearly impossible
chip and made bogey in the end. A very nice birdie on 14 and an
unfortunate bogey on 15. Birdie on 16 after a very good spoon across
the dogleg, a sand wedge to 10 feet and made the uphill birdie putt.
Felt good about my game at the time and was very disappointed with
a bogey on 18. Started my back nine with a perfect drive in the
middle of the fairway. Hit a sand wedge that landed on the right
side of the green, a chip from there that stopped less than three
feet from the pin, but I missed and didn’t make par anyway.
I will do my best to score better tomorrow and will probably be
on the practice grounds as long as there is day light. See you!
Niclas. 13 May, Daily Telegraph Dunlop Masters, 1st Round 77 (+5)
Well, not my day today either. +4 for the round and +8 in total
saw me miss the cut by one shot. A little bit irritating, especially
as I made a very unfortunate bogey on my 18th hole after a putt
that horshoed the hole instead of dropping. The wind played a game
with me on 6 when I had a 80 centimeters putt for bogey. A gust
of wind moved my ball when it was rolling and - of course - it missed
the hole for double bogey. Had a very good eagle chance on 12 where
I reached the green in two, missed the putt but made birdie. Bad
putt for par on 13, bogey. On 14 my tee shot landed in the thick
rough very close to a bunker. Had to stand in the bunker to chip
it out on the fairway again. A bad shot towards the green and two
putts for bogey. Hit some more bad golf shots on my way in and was
convinced on the 18th tee that I already had missed the cut. I think
I would have chosen another club if I knew that I only needed par
to make it, but you never know, do you? Will now take the car back
to London and spend the rest of the weekend with my family and parents.
Will take next week off and be back again at BMW PGA Championship
at Wentworth. See you then, Niclas.
25 May, BMW Championship
This is a week that I have really been looking forward to. Playing
at home at Wentworth without doing any traveling except than taking
my car to and from my home in Ascot to the golf course. Really nice
and relaxing. The course this year is in a great condition, but
the rough is a little bit patchy. Except that, I only think they
have done minor changes to the course, like reshaping the 7th green
a little bit. Have played two practice rounds Monday and Tuesday
and everything felt alright. Will not take part in the Pro Am today,
I am instead going to spend all day at the practice facilities,
as always. We will have our annual players meeting tonight at Wentworth,
interesting. I'm off the 1st tee tomorrow morning at 09.55 with
Martin Maritz and Peter Fowler. See you then, Niclas. 26 May, BMW Championship, 1st Round 71 (-1)
Played alright today, and scored -1 for the round. Started off with
three straight pars and got the first birdie of the day on the par
five 4th. Two unfortunate bogeys on 5 and 6 after chip and two putts
on both from just off the green. Then hit a brilliant tee shot with
a seven iron on 10, that landed eight feet from the pin for an easy
birdie and one of the real highlights of the day that took me back
to level par for the round. On 13 my second shot from 145 yards
landed just short of the pin and passed it within just an inch or
two, but I just made par. Missed the green with a nine iron on 17,
my third shot, and holed the longest putt of the day, a 12 footer
for par. Hit a very good tee shot on 18 to leave me with only a
five iron up to the pin. Hit it safe to the right half of the green
and then two putted from 30 feet. Overall I am satisfied with my
round, even though I left a few shots out there. Will now go home
and enjoy dinner with my family and will try to rest before my next
round tomorrow afternoon. See you then, Niclas.
27 May, BMW Championship, 2nd Round 73 (+1)
Had a round of golf today where I played alright, but scored very
badly. Started off like yesterday with three straight pars and like
my first round I birdied the par five 4th after a four iron from
210 yards, that landed on the green and gave me a good chance for
eagle. Bogeyed 5 after a tee shot that landed just right of the
green followed by a chip and two putts. Three putted 8, of course
very disappointing, for my next bogey. On 12 I initially thought
my tee shot had landed in the water to the left. Found the ball
in the rough and hit a five iron up to the back fringe and I needed
two putts from there for birdie. My tee shot on 13 landed in the
woods and I had to chip it out from there and couldn’t make
better than bogey. Hit a very good spoon on 15 that landed in the
middle of the fairway, then hit an eight iron to 15 feet from the
pin for birdie. Made an unfortunate bogey on 16 and knew that I
had to birdie 17 or 18 to make the cut. Parred 17 and holed a two
meter putt for birdie on 18. Phew! Happy to play during the weekend.
Will tee off at 08.39 tomorrow morning. See you then, Niclas.
28 May, BMW Championship, 3rd Round 74 (+2)
We had very windy conditions today and of course it had affect on
the scores. Started with a bogey on 1 after a good drive that landed
in the thick rough. My second shot landed short and I needed a chip
and two putts from there. On the par three 2nd my tee shot landed
short, chipped it up to five feet, but unfortunately I missed my
putt for par. On 11 it was a real disaster when I needed three putts
on the green and got bogey. On 12 my drive landed in the middle
of the fairway. Second shot in to the greenside bunker. Thinned
it and had to take a drop in the bunker. Had a difficult shot from
there as my ball was plugged and needed two putts for a double bogey.
Was at that point +4 for the round, but managed to birdie 15 and
17 to finish at +2. On 15 I made birdie after a three wood and nine
iron up to three feet! On 17 my second shot landed right of the
green, a nice pitch and putt for birdie. I am tied 48th right now.
Hopefully things will go a little bit more in my direction tomorrow.
See you then, Niclas.
29 May, BMW Championship, 4th Round 68 (-4)
Got a decent finish to the tournament thanks to some better scoring
today, I didn’t play brilliantly, but some really nice shots
and much better putting gave me five birdies and only one bogey.
Started off with birdie on 1 after a drive that landed in the thick
left rough. A big drawing five iron from 200 yards to 12 feet gave
me a birdie. Got another birdie on the par five 4th, my fourth birdie
of the tournament on that particular hole, and then birdied 7 as
well for the third time. On 11 I hit a good drive in the middle
of the fairway followed by an excellent lob wedge from 70 yards
to a tight pin and a three feet long putt for my fourth birdie of
the day. Birdied 12 as well, but bogeyed 15 and only got pars on
the finishing holes, which was a little bit disappointing as there
are many good birdie opportunities. Anyhow, 68 today and tied 27th
for the tournament, not too bad in the end. Will take Monday off
and drive down to Wales on Tuesday morning for next week's tournament.
See you then, Niclas.
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