Orange in the limelight again

Joost Luiten got off to a flying start in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship (21-24 January) leaving Dutch golf fans perched on the edge of their seats at the weekend. In his first tournament of 2016, the 30-year old from Rotterdam was co-leader at the close of play on Saturday evening when darkness fell and play was suspended. With still eight holes to go in round three, he shared the top of the leader-board at 10-under par with a star-studded cast: Branden Grace (SA), Rory McIlroy (NIR), Ian Poulter (ENG) and Rickie Fowler (USA).

 

It had already been a pretty tiring tournament for the players in the United Arab Emirates. Due to fog on both Friday and Saturday morning, there were some serious delays resulting in many having to finish their rounds the next day.  An early start on Sunday saw American Rickie Fowler eventually take the outright lead for the start of the final round at 13-under par.  The 27-year old was two shots clear of Joost Luiten.

 

Repeat of Scottish history for Joost on Sunday

 

The stage was set for a scintillating Sunday. In the last pairing, there were two ‘Orange’ players; Luiten dressed in Dutch national orange and Fowler in his bright orange Cobra attire.  The Dutchman had a score to settle.  Last summer, the two had gone head-to-head in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Gullane on the final day. Rickie had emerged the victor on that occasion. Joost finished in a share of fourth place.  Yet the plot was to thicken further in Abu Dhabi as Thomas Pieters joined them as the third player.  Last September, the young Belgian ventured over the border to Holland and snatched the Dutch Open trophy in great style from under Joost’s very nose.

 

After a few weeks of rest, the Dutchman was firing on all cylinders in Abu Dhabi, opening with rounds of 69-68-68. A closing eagle at the 18th on Sunday morning to round off round three and get him to 11-under par, seemed to say it all. The message was clear: “Hands off, guys! This one is mine!” Or words to that effect.

 

Fowler had other thoughts. The American launched his title attack by opening with two birdies in round four.  Two magical shots followed a few holes later which were to secure him his second European Tour victory.  The first came at the par 5, 8th where he holed his third shot from a bunker for eagle to redeem himself after a double-bogey on the hole before.  At the turn, he had a three-shot lead.  Luiten began to lose sight of the leader, even though they were playing together, after opening with six straight pars and a bogey at the 7th. He was finally rewarded with a birdie-two at the 12th, the 186-yard par 3, which had scarred his card the day before with his only double-bogey of the tournament.  His first birdie in the final round, however, turned out to be his last.  The player from Rotterdam closed with a level-par 72 just as he had done in the Scottish Open.

 

Long-hitting Belgian holds onto Fowler’s shirt tails

 

It was Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who made a late charge, together with 23-year old Thomas Pieters.  Indeed, the young Belgian held on to Fowler’s shirt tails until the bitter end.  Even though the American had chipped-in at the 17th to give himself a two-shot lead, the six feet-five inches tall (196 cm) long-hitter from Antwerp was not to be shaken.  He gave it his all down the 567-yard, par-5 18th.  There was a big chance that an eagle would get him into a play-off.  And it very nearly happened: Pieters’ putt for eagle missed the hole by an absolute whisker.   The birdie for a closing 5-under par, 67 earned him second place with a tally of 273 (15-under), and a handsome cheque for 273,124 euro’s.  McIlroy and Stenson shared third spot.

 

Although Joost finished in a very creditable six-way share of 5th spot, the frustration and agony were clearly visible on his face on the last hole, and with good reason. He was the only player in the top-10 not to break par in the final round.  He was also one of only six players in the top-50 to make just one lonely birdie in the final round.  One birdie more, or one bogey less, would have earned him fifth position on his own, a six-figure cheque and a big jump up the world ranking. Yet Holland’s number one golfer will hopefully still be celebrating his top-10 finish in Abu Dhabi and take some consolation in the fact that he shared fifth spot with world number one, American Jordan Spieth.

 

Wendy Hoad

 

 

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is Rickie Fowler’s first professional victory in the Middle East and is all thanks to a sponsor’s invitation. With this victory, he is now 4th in the Official World Golf Ranking behind Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy.  PICTURED (above and below):  The winner Rickie Fowler.  (Centre): Thomas Pieters, Joost Luiten and Rickie Fowler on Sunday.