German Dier leads from go to whoa
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2002 TNT Dutch Open | Wrap | 29 Jul 2002
In just his second full season on the European Tour, Gemany’s Tobias Dier has emerged as one of its most promising players. Last year he won the North West of Ireland Open in his first year. He has not shown a great deal of consistency as yet, having made only seven of nineteen starts this season, but he has shown that he can win. To do it in the manner he did, suggests that he has what it takes, once consistency develops, to be a regular contender in Europe.
Dier gained his card for Europe via the Challenge Tour in 2000 after turning pro in 1998. He qualified for the Australasian Tour in 1999 by leading the tour school that season and played several events without a lot of success. He was only twenty three then and so is still young man (25).
That he was able to lead from the start and hold off strong finishes from Jamie Spence, Peter Lonard and Padraig Harrington speaks volumes for not only his playing skills, but his mental capacity also.
Jamie Spence’s eagle at the last was worth a lot of money as it broke him clear of a tie for second with Lonard and Harrington. Despite the fact that Spence has won twice on the European Tour, this was by far his biggest cheque (200,000 euros) and comes at a time when his golf has been pretty ordinary for eighteen months or so. His win in 2000 in Morroco was the only thing keeping him from losing his card last year and this season this has been his first top ten in twenty starts.
Lonard continued what has been an amazing season with his tie for third with Harrington. He gains another $A185,000 to go with the more than $A2,000,000 made in the US this year and so riches beyond perhaps his wildest dreams twelve months ago, maybe even six months ago.
The ever improving Jarrod Moseley was fifth and a cheque for $A138,000, New Zealander Greg Turner 16th, Peter O’Malley and Nick O’Hern were 23rd, Scott Gardiner in his first start in Europe for a couple of months was 31st, Stephen Leaney 48th and Lucas parsons 71st.
