Monday, 30 August 2010 20:57

Colin Montgomerie, faced with arguably the most difficult decision any Captain has had regarding wild cards, has named Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and HSPSE pupil Edoardo Molinari as the three men to complete his line-up.

They join automatic qualifiers Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Peter Hanson and fellow HSPSE pupil Ross Fisher in Europe's Ryder Cup Team.

Montgomerie was left with five players in the Official World Golf Ranking Top 22 chasing a pick.

No brothers have played in the same match since Bernhard and Geoff Hunt in 1963 and Edoardo Molinari piled on the pressure with a three-birdie finish to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles in dramatic fashion.

Edoardo earnt his place, alongside his brother Francesco, on the back their Omega Mission Hills World Cup victory together. along with personal victories in the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan and the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond - as well as coming second to Ernie Els in the US PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

After announcing that Sergio Garcia will join the team as a fourth Vice Captain, Montgomerie had high praise for Edoardo sensatinoal performance at Gleneagles.

"Edoardo Molinari, what can one say about his performance today?"In my time on the European Tour, over 24 years, I have never seen a finish like that. All credit to him, having to win and doing just that." "What Edoardo Molinari did this week was incredible, he is the kind of player we need to regain The Ryder Cup. "Since my day - I was a Ryder Cup rookie in 1991 - I don't think any Captain has had the difficulty I have had today picking three from a possible ten.

"It has been fraught in so many ways but watching Edoardo birdie the last three holes, he has made our job very easy for us with his performance today."

Edoardo Molinari with Putting Coach Phil kenyon at the recent Johnnie Walker Championship

Monday, 30 August 2010 20:45

Congratulations to Edoardo Molinari , pupil of putting coach Phil Kenyon, who was once again victorious in Scotland when he birdied the last three holes to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The 29 year old Italian was two behind Australian Brett Rumford with three holes to play.

He then two-putted the long 16th, sank a curling 30 footer at the 194 yard 17th and then hit a chip to within 18 inches of the final hole.

"Playing on 16, I thought I was one behind, and I had two par fives to play and thought that I still had a chance to win the tournament if I make two birdies in the last three," said Molinari.

"So I was playing very well and I knew I could do it and when I got on to the 16th tee and hit a great second shot   I thought I had a great possibility.

"I knew I had to do two birdies on the last three at least to tie him and I had a big putt on 16, I think that was very important. And I hit it safely on the green on 17, and just before I hit the putt, Colin, my caddie told me I was owed a putt, because I hit a lot of good putts today that didn't go in, and he was right, because it went right in the divot and it was a difficult putt, as well.

Molinari has worked extensively with Phil Kenyon over the last 18 months, a relationship that has seen victories in the 2010 Barclays Scottish Open, the 2009 World Cup, the 2009 Dunlop Pheonix Tournament in Japan and topping the 2009 Challenge Tour Order of Merit.

In the past year the Turin golfer has climbed from The Challenge Tour into the top 20 of The Official World Golf Ranking.

Edoardo Molinari with the Trophy at Gleneagles

Friday, 20 August 2010 14:21

Harold Swash Putting Relocates to Formby Hall Golf Club.The brand new, state-of-the-art studio will comprise a 600 square ft indoor
putting green, complemented by technology such as SAM Puttlab (which measures the movement of the putter via ultra sound), high speed video, GASP coaching software and a balance plate built into the putting green which can be used to measure a player's weight distribution and movement during the stroke.

State-of-the-art technology combined with expert coaching, will provide the ideal environment to help any golfer putt to his or her maximum potential.As well as the indoor studio an outdoor green built to USGA specification is available if required. This enables more specific work, practice drills andgreen reading work to be completed.

Leading the instruction at Harold Swash Putting is Company Director and PGA Professional Phil Kenyon, whose students include Tour professionals Henrik Stenson, Darren Clarke and Chris Wood, as well as 2010 European Tour winners Edoardo Molinari, David Horsey and Ross Fisher.Joining him at the new venue will be PGA Professional Michael Kanski, who adds an extra dimension to the team with his speciality in working with newcomers to the game, juniors, ladies and custom fitting.

Located in between Southport and Liverpool, and less than an hour away from Manchester airport, Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa is set amongst 200 acres of parkland, in the heart of England's Golf Coast, and offers the definitive golf resort, luxury spa and hotel experience.The venue is stylish and sophisticated after a £15 million pound refurbishment in 2008 resulted in the completion of a new four-star 62 bedroom Hotel and Luxury Spa. Formby Hall is now firmly established as one of the finest resorts and luxury hotels in the North West of England.

With 62 sumptuous bedrooms, it combines all the charm and individuality of a boutique hotel with all the facilities of a 4* luxury spa and golf resort. All bedrooms are superbly appointed with state-of-the-art facilities, each laid out with meticulous attention to detail and benefiting from the best in contemporary design.

The resort is also host to the UK's first PGA National Residential Golf Academy. The facilities include a 21 bay driving range, 3 teaching bays and a private swing-analysis rooms. While also the Academy boast a unique and superbly laid out and conditioned 9-hole par 3 course, widely regarded as the best of its kind with in the UK.

The relocation of Harold Swash Putting School to the PGA Academy not only strengthens the first class facility Formby Hall Resort offers but also the setting in which to receive world class putting instruction. Whether you combine a visit to the Putting School with an overnight stay, a game of golf or indeed to use some the other facilities on offer one thing for sure is
that it will be a memorable visit.

For more information on Harold Swash Putting please contact
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Images From The New Studio at Formby Hall Golf Resprt and Spa

Wednesday, 18 August 2010 23:09

German Martin Kaymer sealed a Ryder Cup debut in the grandest manner possible on Sunday night - by winning the final Major of the season after a three-hole play-off with left-hander Bubba Watson.It would have been a three-way play-off, but Dustin Johnson, the player who missed out on the US Open Championship in June with a closing 82, was penalised two strokes after it was ruled he had ground his club on the sand before hitting his second shot at the final hole.

He was one ahead with one to play and thought when he missed a six foot par putt that another chance was still to come in the play-off.The course on the banks of Lake Michigan has over 1,000 bunkers, but many of them are not easily defined, so the rules of play for the week are that "all areas... designed and built as sand bunkers will be played as bunkers (hazards), whether or not they have been raked."

As Johnson was left to reflect on another disappointment, Kaymer and Watson went at it alone after both finished on the 11 under par total of 277, one ahead of Rory McIlroy and Zach Johnson.Watson struck first by pitching to two feet at the tenth, but Kaymer who has previously consulted putting coach Phil Kenyon, responded with a 15 foot putt on the short 17th.

The decisive moment came when Watson then struck his second into the water when they returned to the 18th.He did hit the flag with a chip, but could do no better than a double-bogey six and 25 year old Kaymer, having laid up from the rough, won with a bogey five. Kaymer's victory makes it two European wins in the last three Majors following Graeme McDowell's Pebble Beach triumph.

Putting Coach Phil Kenyon working with USPGA Champion Martin Kaymer

Sunday, 01 August 2010 18:32

England's Ross Fisher won the 3 Irish Open in record-equalling style at Killarney - despite a thrilling late challenge from home favourite Padraig Harrington.

From three behind Harrington might have thought a closing seven under par 64 would seal his national title for the second time in four years.

But Fisher, pupil of Putting Coach Phil Kenyon, having lost the six stroke lead he held in the third round, responded with a 65 to take his fourth European Tour title by two.

The 29 year old's 266 aggregate, 18 under par, matched the tournament record set nine years ago by Colin Montgomerie - and with it Fisher climbs all the way from 13th to sixth in the race for places in Montgomerie's Ryder Cup Team.

When interviewed on Sky Sports by commentator Tim Barter, Fisher commented on how the work he has done with Putting Coach Phil Kenyon had helped him return to winning ways. He now heads into the Bridgestone Invitational (next week) and then the final Major of the season, the US PGA Championship (the weeks after) with renewed confidence.

The tournament leaderboard had very much a 'HSPSE' feel to it on the Sunday with pupils Chris Woods, Michael Hoey, Joost Luiten and Richie Ramsey all finishing in the top 10.

Phil Kenyon with Ross Fisher at the recent French Open

Sunday, 01 August 2010 18:19

Tommy Fleetwood is the English champion after a battling performance in a see-saw 36-hole final that went the distance at Little Aston.

The pupil of Putting Coach Phil Kenyon edged out Surrey's Warren Harmston by one hole after he had been 2 down with seven to play and looking like another national title would pass him by.  But a run of three birdies in four holes from the 12th turned the final on its head after Harmston had been in the driving seat for much of the morning and a great deal of the afternoon round.

So it was a mightily relieved Fleetwood who added his name to an illustrious list of champions of this old event, celebrating its 80th playing.

"I was due a win in a national event," said Fleetwood. "I was shocked to be 2 down after 11 holes this afternoon and it didn't look promising.  I hit good putts on the tenth and 11th but I wasn't getting the run of the ball. But from then on my game turned round completely.

"All I was thinking all the way round I didn't want to end my amateur career on a low. But I hit some good birdies and it all came right in the end.  When I went 1 up on the first this afternoon it was the first time I'd been up in a final since the Amateur Championship which must be well over 100 holes."

Harmston, who looked for much of the final as if he would pull off a superb victory, was naturally disappointed.

"It's never nice to lose but credit Tommy. He made the birdies at the right time which swung the match in his favour," he said.  "I didn't expect to reach the final but having done so it's a bit frustrating after all the hard work over the week. But I'll take a lot of good things away from this week."

Having lost three national finals, the Amateur Championship, Spanish and New South Wales, Fleetwood had laid his personal bogey and joined the likes of Sir Michael Bonallack, Nick Faldo, Mark James and Paul Casey on the English Amateur Roll of Honour.

Tommy Fleetwood with the English Amateur Trophy

Sunday, 25 July 2010 20:44

Congratulations to HSPSE pupil Tommy Fleetwood in finishing 2^nd at the inaugural English Challenge event on the European Challenge Tour. Fleetwood, who earnt Walker Cup honours in the amateur ranks last September, fell at the final hurdle when a bogey at the last handed the title to Australian Daniel Gaunt.

Playing together in the final round the duo reached the par three 18th at Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa level on 17 under par, and when both men found the middle of the green with their tee shots, a play-off seemed the most likely outcome.

But when Fleetwood rushed his birdie attempt four feet past the hole and missed the return, Gaunt was presented with a par putt from three feet to capture the title, which he duly took.

The reward for the man from Melbourne was a cheque for €24,000 and a one-year exemption on the Challenge Tour, whilst Fleetwood - who dropped back into a tie for second place alongside Scotland's Craig Lee - will return to the amateur ranks at next week's English Amateur Championship.

Fleetwood expressed his disappointment at having not become only the fourth amateur to triumph on the Challenge Tour, but he could at least take solace from the fact that he had exceeded all expectations.

He said: "I can't really dwell too much on that final putt - having missed a short one for birdie yesterday, I think it's fair to say that the 18th green wasn't too kind to me over the weekend! All I was thinking of was holing that first putt to win the tournament, and I ended up running it past. I putted really well all day, but I guess you're going to miss a short one sooner or later, and it's just a shame it had to come at the last. I made enough birdies to win the tournament, but just didn't manage to keep the doubles off my card. At least I now know I can compete with these guys out here, which obviously gives me a lot of confidence.

"Credit to Daniel, because he started like a train - after seven holes, it looked like he was going to shoot a 60! But I managed to chase him down, and ended up losing by one shot. I wasn't even meant to be playing in this tournament, because I got in through an invite, so to finish second was pretty pleasing. Hopefully I can go one better at the English Amateur next week - if I play as well as I did here this week, I'll be tough to beat. Then I'll start preparing for life as a professional, and hopefully start earning some money. I've obviously missed out on a fairly tasty cheque here, but hopefully there will be other days."

Amateur sensation Tommy Fleetwood teeing off in the Walker Cup

Sunday, 25 July 2010 20:30

Congratulations to pupils Edoardo Molinari and Mark Brown who finished 3^rd and 4^th respectively in the Nordea Scandinavian Masters.

Both players battled it out with Louis Oosthuizen, KJ Choi and Rafa Echinique in what was an exciting final last round before the Swede, Richard S Johnson sank a 30 foot birdie putt on the final green to become only the second home winner of the event in the last 12 years.

With a play-off looming against Argentina's Echenique, the 33 year old looked to have played safe with his approach to the 407 yard last at Bro Hof Slott near Stockholm.

But months of putting problems in America - he is now based there, but has not had a single top-30 finish since February - were forgotten as he took his second European Tour title eight years after his first.

Johnson, whose regular caddie Lance Ten Broeck went and played in The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard instead, earned €333,330 after a closing 71 gave him an 11 under par total of 277.

"It's one of the sweetest things I've ever done," he said. "Just to come up the 17th and 18th is magical.

"This is a huge tournament to win for a Swede and I'm speechless right now. It's epic."

Italian Edoardo Molinari, winner of The Barclays Scottish Open two weeks ago, finished third thanks to a 20 foot last putt. A result that leaves him on the edge of an automatic place in the Ryder Cup Team.

A second place finish would have put him fourth in the standings and would have put Luke Donald out of the all-important top nine, although the English star had a chance to improve his hopes of a recall in Canada later in the day.

Brown meanwhile, although a tournament winner on the tour, achieved his first top 10 finish in mainland Europe, his previous best performances having all been in Asia. His best of the day 3^rd round 67 included no fewer than 23 putts.

Putting Coach Phil Kenyon working with Edaordo Molinari

Sunday, 25 July 2010 18:35

Congratulations to HSPSE pupil Henrik Stenson who showed a return to form in finishing tied 3^rd at the Open Championship at St Andrews.

Stenson shot a 3^rd round best of 67 to give himself an outside chance of becoming first Swede to win a Major.

Starting 8 behind eventual winner Louis Oosthuizen, Stenson was never really able to exert any pressure on the South African, and was ultimately  involved in battle for the placings with Westwood (2^nd), McIlroy (tied 3^rd) and Casey (Tied 3^rd)

Stenson's biggest career win to date came at last year's Players Championship with a brilliant final round. Soon after he reached a career-high fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking, but came into the week back in 33rd. His finish at St Andrews was his joint best finish in a major.

"Everybody is so nice to me. They're all saying, 'You haven't quite been up to standard', he added. "I've been playing really poorly this year. No point in trying to put that in cotton.

"I've had two top-tens in European Tour events, and that's about it. Now obviously I'm striking it a bit better and my short game is better, too, and putting was pretty solid all week"

Stenson prepared for The Open by arriving on the Thurs the week before in an effort to acclimatise to links and golf and meet up with Putting Coach Phil Kenyon. Part of his preparation involved walking the course at the weekend to spend time working primarily on the greens.

Hopefully Stenson can use the finish as spur for the remainder of the season and the final major of the year, the USPGA, in 2 weeks time.

Henrik Stenson with his Putting Coach Phil Kenyon

Monday, 12 July 2010 23:56

At the Barclays Scottish Open in Loch Lomond, Edoardo Molinari battled the foulest Scottish weather and a dangerously able-looking Darren Clarke to win his maiden European Tour victory. One true constant for the Italian's meteoric rise in the last 18 months (a record 3 wins on the Challenge Tour last season) has been his putter.

Molinari is not only a very handy all-rounder on the golf course and hugely well-liked, he is also one of the most gifted putters of his generation. According to Edoardo's putting coach Phil Kenyon the 29 year-old from Turin truly understands the old maxim of 'putting for dough', and he spends a remarkable amount of time and focus on perfecting his skills with the flatstick. The hours he puts with Phil can clearly be seen in his metronomic accuracy with the putter and the steady nerve with which he performs one he's safely on the green.

He went into the final round with just a 1 stroke lead, but that was after an extraordinary 3^rd round 63 (only one shot off Retief Goosen's 1997 standing course record of 62). That 3^rd round performance and the immense psychological advantage he owns from knowing once he's on the green he's truly in his element, meant that by the 14^th he looked pretty much uncatchable.

Indeed, it was on the par 4 14^th that both his playing partners, brother Francesco and Darren Clarke - lying 4 feet and 1½ feet from t he cup respectively - watched as Edoardo unflinchingly sunk a 10 foot putt to birdie the hole.

His consistency is due also in large part to the fact that he has kept the same putter in the bag for over 6 years - a Yes! Callie.

In addition to the winner's cheque for just over €600,000 Edoardo Molinari also saw himself zip past more experienced younger brother Francesco in the Race to Dubai rankings to occupy #8 position. Additionally, he now looks set to be a real contender for the Ryder Cup Team.

Phil Kenyon with Edoardo Molinari at the recent BMW Championship