Forsyth Rises Into World Top 100

Alastair Forsyth has risen into the top 100 in the World Rankings after finishing tied 2nd in the Estoril Open de Portugal this week. Forsyth missed out on his 2nd title in 3 tournaments in a playoff with David Howell and eventual winner Gregory Bourdy.

The Scot won the Madeira Islands Open just 2 weeks ago, defeating Hennie Otto in a playoff, to climb 70 places in the World Rankings from 179th to 109th. The following week he finished in a tie for 25th place in the MAPFRE Open de Andalucia in Spain to move up another 2 places to 107th. His tied 2nd finish at the Estoril Open de Portugal has ascended the 33 year old to 91st in the World Rankings.

This is a stark contrast to the start of Forsyth’s 2008 season after missing the cut at his first 5 tournaments. After amassing a grand total of €0 in prize money for his first 5 tournaments of the season, Forsyth has turned it all around, now sitting 28th in the European Tour Order of Merit, with his prize fund sitting at €235,025 for just 3 tournaments.

Forsyth now seems to be hitting the best form of his career and he will be hoping to gain his best finish in the Order of Merit at the end of the year. His best year on the European Tour was in 2003 where he finished 19th, thanks to €850,180 in prize-money.

 

The 2002 Malaysian Open winner is now only the 2nd Scot in the top 100 of the World Rankings alongside Colin Montgomerie, who is 73rd in the World Rankings. Golf in Scotland looks to be heading to an era where Monty will not be the top Scot, and with only 18 places separating the pair it is looking increasingly likely.

 

Forsyth now takes a well earned break as the Masters in Augusta commences, although he will be looking to qualify for next year’s tournament as one of the top 50 ranked players in the world.

Scots Golfers in Global Tournaments

This weekend, 18 Scottish golfers will be teeing off at 4 different venues as they all look to find some winning form on the highest stage. The Madeira Islands, Portugal, will stage the European Tour as 13 Scots will be trying to vie for the title and pick up a €116,660 cheque and win exemption for all of the 2009 European Tour tournaments. Leading the Scottish charge at the tournament will be former Open winner Paul Lawrie, Alastair Forsyth, Andrew Oldcorn and Andrew Coltart. Most of the rest of the Scottish players are from the Challenge Tour but are able to play at the tournament because the top European Tour players taking part in the CA Championship in Doral, Florida.

One of those players who is competing in CA Championship in Florida is Colin Montgomerie. The 44-year old needs a fourth placed finish or higher if he is to qualify for the first Major of the season – The Masters at Augusta. The CA Championship is part of the World Golf Championship series as they bid to pull in the world’s top golfers in an attempt to increase global competition. Monty missed the cut last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida, and will be looking to get back to form, although he will have to compete with the world’s best and may need to beat the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mikelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh if he wants to participate at The Masters.

Also in Florida this week is the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open. One Scotsman who is a unknown figure in Scotland is Martin Laird. Glasgow born Laird graduated from the Nationwide Tour last year after finishing in 13th place on the money rank list and he is now bidding to consolidate his place on the PGA Tour so he can continue his career on its upward trend. Most of the PGA Tour’s top players are at the CA Championshipso it is seen as a chance for all the players playing at the Puerto Rico Open to get a victory and keep their place on the PGA Tour for the 2009 season.

Finally, there is 3 Scots competing in the Asian TourInternational in Thailand. Dubai based Ross Bain, Simon Dunn and former Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman are competing to win the tournament and collect their first win of the season on the Asian Tour. Special attention will be paid to Saltman after he put in a brilliant performance for the Walker Cup team and then turned professional in 2007. After missing out on European Tour qualification, he turned to the Asian Tour for the 2008 season in aim to establish himself in professional golf.

World Golf Championships – CA Championship

• Colin Montgomerie

European Tour – Maderia Islands Open

• Andrew Coltart, David Drysdale, Alastair Forsyth, Paul Lawrie, Craig Lee, Andrew McArthur, Alan McLean, Jamie McLeary, George Murray, Steven O’Hara, Andrew Oldcorn, Gary Orr, Peter Whiteford.

PGA Tour – Puerto Rico Open

• Martin Laird

Asian Tour – Asian Tour International

• Ross Bain, Simon Dunn, Lloyd Saltman

The Road to Augusta

Colin Montgomerie made a positive step in the World Match Play Championship in his bid to reach The Masters in Augusta. He was sent packing in the 3rd round by eventual runner-up Stuart Cink – but that didn’t stop him rising 8 places in the World Rankings to reach 54th.

On the Wednesday he beat the World number 8, Jim Furyk, 3&2, and on the Thursday went on to triumph 1 up against another American, Charles Howell III, the World number 38. However, veteran Montgomerie was knocked out by Cink 4&2 on the Friday.

The race to Augusta is very much on now for Montgomerie, who, to qualify, must be in the top 50 by the Sunday before The Masters starts. He will play the Johnnie Walker Classic in India this week, then the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea and the CA World Championship in Florida before the cut-off date at the end of March.

It’s a sad contrast to the times when Monty was pushing to win Majors left, right and centre. It has remained a mystery as to how he has never won a Major, and will be forever known as “the best golfer never to win a Major” unless he can pull something special out of the bag. In his primetime, the 1990s – he won 7 European Tour Order of Merit titles in a row, as well as the title in 2005 so there had always been an perception of inevitability about him conquering his long term battle, but yet he is still trying to conquer.

It also shows how downhill direction of the standard of Scottish golfers on the World Stage. Even as recent as 2005, there was a large contingent of 11 Scots in the field at the British Open in St. Andrews, whereas there were only four in 2006 and seven in 2007.

Montgomerie’s success has covered up the lack of depth in the Scottish game over the past 15 or so years. His 8 Order of Merit titles and constant competitiveness at Majors has kept the Scottish golfing fans satisfied, but the time will come when Monty will finally hand over the baton to a young heir.

Only in 1999 has there been a Scottish golfer who grabbed more of the limelight than Monty – Paul Lawrie. He won the British Open at Carnoustie, and was the first Scot to win a major since Sandy Lyle at The Masters in 1988. However, that offered Monty only a brief break out of the spotlight as Lawrie failed to live up to the expectations piled on by the media in search of a new hero. Marc Warren has also been tipped for the top after triumphing in the Scandinavian Masters 2 years in a row. He also played with Montgomerie when they won the golf equivalent of the World Cup at the beginning of the year.

Hope springs eternal in the long-term for Scottish golf fans, but Monty is the only man with whom they can place their hope in the short-term.