Plenty on offer at Smurfit European Open
IN: News | European PGA | Smurfit Kappa European Open (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 05 Jul 2006
With the Open Championship now just two weeks away, it becomes a case of schedule juggling for many of Europe's leading players. Some like to play the week prior to a major as perhaps that is a plan that has yielded results previously or they may enjoy the momentum that builds up heading into a major. Others like to take the week prior off in order to suitably prepare in a leisurely manner.
Most of Europe's leading players are in Ireland this week for the Smurfit Kappa European Open although the event is missing one or two notables, more especially the leading money winner in 2006 on the European Tour, David Howell, and Thomas Bjorn, with those players looking to complete their final preparations for the Open at next week's Scottish Open.
Those two players aside, the event has attracted a high quality field to contest what is again a big money tournament. The €3.47 million on offer includes a first prize of €578,000, which is an attraction in itself but given the Ryder Cup points that are on offer at such a crucial stage, a closely and fiercely fought contest is more than likely in store.
The K Club just outside of Dublin is an Arnold Palmer designed layout featuring Penn A4 Creeping Bent grass greens. This course has been used for most of the events played here although in 2004 when the event was won by Retief Goosen the adjacent Smurfit course was the layout use while alterations were made to the Palmer layout. It will be this course that is the home for the Ryder Cup in two months time.
The defending champion is Kenneth Ferrie, who shocked many when winning last year but following his fine effort at the US Open another such victory would not be quite the same surprise.
The favourite is Retief Goosen but perhaps more for the fact that he is the leading world ranked player in the event rather than any strong belief that he can dominate this field. He comes off a missed cut at the US Open and a 29th place at the Barclays the week prior and will therefore need to improve is he is to beat such a strong field.
Padraig Harrington is in the middle of an amazing run of form which includes his fifth place at the US Open and two runner up placings in the weeks following at the Booz Allen and then last week at the French Open. He will be buoyed by a local crowd but he will need their support as the mental fatigue of being in contention so often of late must surely take its toll soon.
Paul Casey is another who is playing beautifully in season 2006 and a win here would move him past the absent Howell on the European Tour money list. He has a played well enough at the K Club in the past and given that he has been only twice outside the top twenty in his last fourteen starts this season, including his win at the Johnnie Walker, he is playing well enough to be a serious threat.
Colin Montgomerie was runner up last year in this event and he showed he has recovered from his last hole debacle at the US Open by finishing runner up at the Johnnie Walker Classic two weeks ago.
Michael Campbell is now without the mantle of being the reigning US Open Champion and judging by his bounce back tournament last week at the French Open, after missing the cut at Winged Foot, it might just have a positive impact on his play. He will now be free of the responsibilities and obligations that a current major winner has and as a player who has won this event before he has even more reason to do well.
Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson are others who might do well and from an Australian perspective Richard Green appears to be getting closer to a big week. He played well last week at the French Open and has played well at the K Club previously. He does not win often but there is something about the manner in which green is playing that suggests another is not far away.
Other Australians in the field are Peter O'Malley, Brett Rumford, Marcus Fraser, Wade Ormsby, Peter Senior, Matthew Millar and David Bransdon.
Photo - Anthony Powter
