Tag Archives: Jose maria olazabal

Europe End 13 Year Wait As They Beat GB&I In France

Europe regained the Seve Trophy for the first time since 2000 as the singles went down to the final match in France.

The side captained by José María Olazábal’s side have lost the last six contests to Great Britain & Ireland, and after leading for the first two days found themselves tied going into the final days singles after Sam Torrance’s team made a great fightback in the foursomes.

It was all very reminiscent of the Ryder Cup in Medinah last year as Francesco Molinari played the anchor role and took victory by beating Chris Wood 3&2.

This event has started to gain some momentum now in the last few years, it would do so even faster if the top players would stop being so precious about their schedules, maybe they will see sense next year.

Top Six Turn Down Chance To Play In Seve Trophy

Next week see’s the Seve Trophy get under way yet again, this time in Versailles. Unfortunately the top six qualifiers for the Great Britain & Ireland team have turned down the chance to play.

This is a big blow for the Great Britain and Ireland team who have won the event six times in a row and were bidding to make it seven against a team captained by Seve’s close friend Jose Maria Olazabal.

This event is also a chance for the Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley to look at players ahead of the Ryder Cup in September next year and see what they can do.

McGinley said he isn’t worried about the top six not taking part as he knows what they are capable of already.

I think it’s wrong of these players not taking part in an an event started by Seve a while ago now, and they should respect what he has personally done for European golf and the Ryder Cup. 

All Star Line-Up At The Irish Open This Week

It’s the start of the Irish Open this week to which there will be an illustrious field of Ryder Cup players and Major Champions. The  €2million event has attracted the attention from around the world and they will be coming to the glorious Carton House Golf Club.

There will be no fewer than 79 European Tour Winners teeing it up this week and seven players with 11 major titles between them also trying to get into form before The Open championship in a few weeks time.

The 2012 Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazábal will also be teeing it up having won the event back in 1990, he will have four of that team who won in MedinahMolinari, McIlroy, McDowell and Paul Lawrie. 

Should be a great week of golf again, let’s just hope the weather is okay, as we all know it can get a bit wet on the Emerald Isle!

It’s Time For A European To Win The Masters

The long wait is nearly over until the first major of the season gets underway next week at Augusta, and it’s felt like a long time coming through these cold winter days that seem to be never ending. But you can almost smell the sun and the Azaleas now!

The Masters has always been an event in which European players have done well in past. We’ve had many winners in the last few decades including, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazabal and of course the great Seve and I think we could add to that list this year.

With 38 European Tour players getting their places and heading to Augusta National next week we really do have a great chance of seeing one of them coming back with the Green Jacket.

Don’t forget that you can view My Betting Tips for the Masters HERE

Roll on next Thursday.

 

Olazábal Looking At Garcia And McDowell To Bring Cup Home

Well with two days to go until the biggest golf event on the planet takes place in Medinah, José María Olazábal was giving very little away when the team were practising yesterday but Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell seem to be the two main players that his attention has been focused on.

It all fell on the shoulders of the Northern Irishman two years ago when he famously holed the putt that secured the cup for Europe. Olazábal  is obviously looking for, and expecting, another big performance from him.

Garcia didn’t play in the last Ryder Cup, but still played his part as vice-captain and no doubt made a big difference to the team. He battled hard to make the team this year and it was clearly his main aim in the closing part of the season. Make no mistake, he loves this event more than anyone. The Spaniard  has never lost a foursomes match. Playing nine and winning eight with one tie.

I for one am still not sure what pairings he is going to go with, but one thing I do know is that it’s going to be one hell of a contest and will go all the way to the last few singles games on the Sunday. It’s probably on paper one the hardest to call!

 

Colsaerts Looking To Impress Olazábal In KLM Open

The big hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts is looking forward to the opportunity of competing in the KLM Open on Thursday as he starts his preparations for the Ryder Cup in Medinah.

Colsaerts who finished 19th two weeks ago at the Johnnie Walker Championship, was handed a wild card pick for his impressive form this season, which included a win in a top class field at the Volvo World Match Play Championship back in May.

This will be the Belgian’s first appearance since the announcement, and this weeks tournament will be held at the Hilversumsche Golf Club, which is his penultimate tournament before his first appearance at the  in Medinah.

Colsaerts is the only rookie on Europe’s team and he will be playing alongside Olazábal and Europe team-mate Martin Kaymer, hopefully he will impress Ollie and start the first day in the showpiece event!

Harrington Has To Be Part Of Ryder Cup Team

European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal has said publicly that Republic Of Ireland star and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington will have to produce an amazing performance at Kiawah Island this week if he is to keep his Ryder Cup spot, unless he wins of course which will take him into the automatic qualifying positions.

The Irishman currently lies 19th in the European qualifying list.

“He will have to do extraordinarily well here,” Olazabal said.

Harrington, with two British Open titles to his name has slipped to 63 in the world and needed a wildcard pick to be a part of the  winning team at Celtic Manor back in 2010.

He would certainly be one of my picks, he’s gutsy, he’s been there and done it before under pressure and has won 3 major titles, and he’s in pretty good form. There isn’t anybody else in the waiting list with those credentials. Has to be a dead cert to picked if he doesn’t qualify Jose.

Ryder Cup Points Could Produce A European Winner For PGA Championship

As many as 34 Europeans still have the dream of playing in The Ryder Cup alive as they head into the  final major of the year the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island as the qualification is coming to the end.

The top ten players who will qualify automatically have remained the same after last week’s WGC  Bridgestone Invitational, but they are just in a slightly different order.

Rory McIlroy extended his lead at the top of the European Points List – which will supply the first five players of the European Team and Captain José María Olazábal. The other five will come from the World Points List.

So this really is a decisive week especially with so many points up for grabs, and could maybe could produce a European winner as I’m sure all the players are desperate to make the team and also impress the captain to maybe scrape in through a pick.

 

The Vivendi ‘Seve’ Trophy

The Vivendi Trophy kicks off this week in France, the Ryder Cup style event takes place every two years. The Vivendi Trophy 2011 will take place from 15th to 18thSeptember at the Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche Golf Course.
Following the success of its 2009 version, the second edition of this great competition, initiated and organised by CANAL+ EVENTS, will once again put the 10 best players in Continental Europe in a head to head with the elite of Great Britain and Ireland.

A new champion at the helm

Jose Maria Olazabal will succeed Colin Montgomerie as the Ryder Cup 2012 Team Captain. The Spanish champion will then head the Seve Trophy 2011. “Txema” may, like Monty did in 2009, oversee and observe the two teams. This arrival is also highly symbolic: we all remember the achievements of the fearsome pair in the Ryder Cup with Olazabal and Ballesteros. For Jose Maria, the Vivendi Trophy will be a great moment in many respects.

Colin Montgomerie will also be present at this meeting to share a few words of wisdom with the new Captain, to fulfil his role as Vivendi golf ambassador, but more importantly, to pay tribute to the Spanish champion.

I’m looking forward to watching some great golf this week, tell me who you think is going to win? And who will be the key players?

To see more on the Vivendi Trophy Click Here