I’ve Dun OK
SOME people say my quadruple-bogey eight at the 16th in Sunday’s final round of the Dunhill Championship cost me £100,000 in prize-money.
Who knows? But I certainly don’t look on it that way.
I finished tied fifth in the tournament I won eight years ago — and I was pretty pleased about that.
I’ve improved five places in the Race to Dubai to 35th and taken a step closer to my target of a top-30 place and a passport to the 2013 Open at Muirfield.
I am only £41,525 short of 30th spot with four ranking tournaments to go in my case, starting this week in Portugal.
So it wasn’t a bad weekend’s work, all things considered.
Of course I should have taken more care before playing the wrong ball and I can assure you that I won’t make the same mistake twice.
But who’s to say I would still have finished four-three had I not shed four shots at the 16th? I’ll never know, but I was proud of the way I handled the situation and didn’t let my disappointment show.
That was testimony to the work I’ve put in to strengthen the psychological side of my game.
Even if I had finished four-four-three it would always have been tough to win, given that Branden Grace had built such a commanding lead.
My intention was to post a score and then see what effect that had on the leader. But would 19-under have got the job done? I doubt it.
The winner has triumphed five times this season, including four victories on the European Tour, so he’s obviously a special talent — Ernie Els is even tipping him to win a Major.
I’ve yet to play with Branden, but I have been in his company a couple of times and he’s a nice lad.
Apart from stuttering in the middle part of the season, I am well enough pleased with the way it has gone.
I’ve had two seconds — in Malaysia and Dubai — and two other top-10s, so I am getting closer to pulling off that elusive second European Tour win.
My aim now is to achieve more consistency to put myself into contention more.