8 February, 2011
Email: sportonline@rte.ie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gregallenrte / @gregallenrte
Last Wednesday, you could have walked into your local bookmakers and been offered 200-1 on Thomas Bjorn winning the Qatar Masters.
Mind you, last Wednesday, the very mention of his name (Bjorn is, incidentally translated as 'bear' in Danish) would have generated responses like 'a wonderful ball striking talent tormented by inner demons, and past his prime', or possibly less charitably 'a wonderful talent but an irascible hot-head and past his prime'.
There are grounds for believing both analyses were accurate up to last week but the bit about him being past his prime is now wide open for debate.
Because Bjorn is a real sleeping giant of the European Tour and it should be noted, that he is, at 39, only two years older than the current World No 1 Lee Westwood; six months older than Pádraig Harrington and younger than four players inside the world’s top 12 (Mickelson, Stricker, Furyk and Els).
The second coming of Bjorn may yet be more impressive than Version 1.0 judging by the manner in which he closed out victory in Qatar, soundly defeating a high quality field by a margin of four strokes.
'The Bear': Two wins signal he is back in the winning habit
Having gone more than four years from his Irish Open success in May 2006 to last June’s triumph in a bijou event in Estoril without success, Bjorn has now won more often on the European Tour in the last 12 months than Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey combined.
But from mid 2006 to 2010, Bjorn’s form fell through the floor and many observers pointed towards his decision in 2007 to take on the role as Players’ Committee chairman, as the reason for his decline.
Bjorn admitted in late 2009 that the demands of his office were distracting to say the least.
'This job took its toll on Mark James, it took its toll on Jamie Spence – now it has taken its toll on me,' he commented before resigning and re-dedicating himself to his golf.
He would subsequently return to the position as chairman but with a more paced and sanguine approach to his duties.
Bjorn has always been a serious ball-striking talent and in the first five years of the new century, he was arguably Europe’s best Major championship contender finishing second in the Open on two occasions and runner-up also in the 2005 USPGA Championship.
Famous meltdown: Three in a bunker at Royal St Georges
He famously led the field at Royal St Georges in 2003 by three strokes with four holes to play only to endure an agonising meltdown which included an infamous double bogey on the 16th where he took three to get out of a greenside bunker.
A grateful, if extremely fortunate Ben Curtis, who himself had dropped four shots over the last seven holes, claimed the Claret Jug.
The 'three to get out of a bunker' scenario wasn’t the only disaster he suffered at Royal St Georges. In the first round he ran up a quadruple bogey 8 at the 17th which included a two stroke penalty for thumping the sand in frustration.
Such incidents of jaw-dropping catastrophe have been a commonplace in Bjorn’s stormy career.
In July 2004, he walked off the course after six holes of the first round at the Smurfit European Open in clear mental distress saying through tear-filled eyes that 'he was fighting with demons in the head' .
The following year in the same event, he led by four entering the final round only to drop ten shots over the closing four holes including the carding of an 11 at the par 4 17th where he struck three consecutive shots off the tee into the River Liffey. He signed for an eye-watering 86.
He finally enjoyed success on Irish soil at Carton House in 2006 and while there were no more wins for the following four years there was no shortage of controversy and turmoil in his life.
Here’s a quick summary:
• August 2006 – Bjorn was not selected by Ian Woosnam as a wildcard pick for the European Ryder Cup team and responded by saying that the Welshman did not have leadership qualities and called Woosnam’s captaincy 'the most pathetic I've ever seen'.
• Aug 2009 - Bjorn revealed he had undergone a brain scan and 'every imaginable test' after suffering dizzy spells and extreme tiredness.
• October 2009 - Bjorn, suffering from stress, indicated that he would resign as Chairman of the Players Committee, which he did, only to return to the role several months later.
Also in October 2009, in typically confrontational mode, Bjorn voiced his opinion on reports of Padraig Harrington’s opposition to the proposal that European Tour players should be asked to play a ‘core’ of four events in Europe.
'I don’t know where Pádraig is coming from, and he always uses the press,' the Dane said.
'He never comes to people on the committee and never will do. It’s his committee – he does not seem to understand that', said Bjorn who had been a good friend of Harrington for 14 years.
Mellowed version of Bjorn; a serious contender again?
Bjorn turns 40 on February 18 and there are indications that he seems to have mellowed, certainly on the evidence of his calm demeanour under pressure in Qatar.
He heads to the Dubai Desert Classic this week as a serious contender, having won over the Emirates course ten years ago in a wonderfully defiant display to thwart both Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington..
Woods will again be in the field as will the two players ahead of him in the world rankings, Westwood and Martin Kaymer but the Dane is worth an outside bet – each way at least – but don’t expect to be quoted 200-1.
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MAGUIRE TWINS: PLENTY OF COMPETITION WORLDWIDE
We are undoubtedly excited in Ireland these days about the Maguire twins and their extreme potential as evidenced just over a week ago by Leona’s 15 stroke victory in the Portuguese Ladies Amateur Open against a high-quality international field.
Leona is now Europe’s highest ranked female amateur golfer but on the other side of the world, there was a performance last week which sharply puts into perspective the depth of young talent that exists.
13-year-old Lydia Ko, a Korean-born New Zealander, finished 12th in a top-flight professional event, the Australian Open just a week after she came within a three-foot putt of forcing a play-off in the New South Wales Open.
Ko appears to differ from other prodigies who have gone before her, notably Michelle Wie, in that she remains a real kid at heart.
When it was put to her that her last two performances might place pressure on her for next week’s New Zealand Open in her home country, she replied: ‘I don't think so, it just gives me the courage to play well in my next tournament. I'm looking forward to going home, I can be like a seven year-old for a day again.'
She laughed and added: 'Then I get straight back into it.'
Time to head to the bookies, I think.
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ABOUT: Like any golf fan who meets up with his or her weekly fourball, I love a good debate about the wonderful game of golf. I will be writing an occasional column offering opinions and perspectives based so a fair degree degree on my experiences covering the four majors as well as other significant events on the world calendar through the year.
But at the heart of this column, is a desire to extend the debate to anyone who wants to participate. So whether you're longing to see Padraig Harrington climb back up the rankings, or think Graeme McDowell will be more than a one year wonder or that Rory McIlroy is the second coming, or that Tiger Woods will reclaim the world No 1 spot or whatever, let me know.
Your questions and opinions are welcome.
Contact Greg:
Email: sportonline@rte.ie (with 'Greg Allen' as the subject)
Twitter: www.twitter.com/gregallenrte / @gregallenrte
Archive:
19 Jan, 2011: Abu Dhabi Championship
18 Jan, 2011: Olazabal is Europe's perfect captain
25 Jan, 2011: Kaymer's rise; winter a slow time for golf? Not in 2011
