October sees new golden golf trend

October was a golden month for golf with some sensationally low scoring.  Indeed, the winning score of twenty-three under par is fast-becoming a trend on the European Tour.  Yes, 23-under par!  That’s averaging nearly 6-under par per round in a tournament.  Or, more simply put, knocking-in 23 birdie putts in four bogey-free rounds!

 

Englishman Tyrell Hatton was first to set this new trend when he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland (6-9 October), just a few days before his 25th birthday.  He collected 711,073 euros for his 23-under par triumph playing on a magnificent trio of courses in the ‘Home of Golf’: The Old Course of St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

 

Two weeks’ later Irishman Padraig Harrington followed suit.  The 45-year old three-time Major winner from Dublin proved that the streak of 23-under par winning scores isn´t just for the long-hitting youngsters on Tour when he picked up his 15th professional title with victory in the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.  Harrington pipped defending champion, Andy Sullivan from England, by one shot.  Incidentally, with his 23-under par, Harrington, holds the European Tour record for the lowest 72-hole winning tournament score.

 

Seven-stroke victory for Matsuyama

 

Last weekend, 24-year old Japanese golfer Hideki Matsuyama became the latest player to win with the golden score. He performed his winning stunt in China, in a world-class field.

 

Matsuyama became only the second Asian winner in European Tour history when he stormed to a seven-stroke victory with his 23-under par in the WGC – HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club (27-30 October) in Shanghai.

 

Matsuyama follows in the footsteps of Isao Aoki.  The Japanese player, who won the European Open 33 years ago, must be gasping at his successor’s handsome prize cheque in Shanghai: 1,467,338 euros!  It was a high-class field last week making his win even more impressive.  His triumph also earns him the honour of becoming the first Asian player to win an individual World Golf Championships event.

 

No less than eight of the top ten from the Official World Golf Ranking played in the WGC-HSBC.  Matsuyama is expected to improve his world ranking from tenth to sixth after this victory.

 

Although seven shots behind in second place, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson deserves a special mention here.  The Olympic Silver Medallist in Rio continues his glorious season.  He closed with a 65 in Shanghai to share second place with America’s Daniel Berger on -16.    Stenson’s 712,836 euros in prizemoney for second spot launches him to the top of the European Tour´s ‘Race to Dubai’, ahead of England’s Danny Willett.

 

 

 

October’s golden month of golf

 

Just take a look at these spectacular 23-under par victories in more detail:

 

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 6-9 October, Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Scotland.  Winner: Tyrell Hatton (England) 67 70 62 66 (265) – 1st prize 711,073 euros

Portugal Masters 20-23 October, Vilamoura GC, Portugal.  Winner: Padraig Harrington (Ireland) – 66 63 67 65 (261) – 1st Prize 333,330 euros

World Golf Championships-HSBC 27-30 October, Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China.  Winner: Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) – 66 65 68 66 (265) – 1st prize 1,467,338 euros

 

We humble golfers, who delight in making just two or three birdies a week, bow to you all and wonder what blistering scores the month of November will bring …!

 

Wendy Hoad

 

 

MAIN PHOTOGRAPH:  Padraig Harrington in action at the Kennemer G&CC last season.  

© Photography by Golfing Inspirations