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Tour Diary - May 2005
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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