Globetrotter Green favourite in Austria
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2008 Bank Austria GolfOpen | Preview | 04 Jun 2008
Richard Green may well take the award for the most travelled golfer in recent months, having played events in Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Dubai, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Ireland, London and last week in Ohio. This week he is Austria and is about to defend the Bank Austria GolfOpen, a title he won at this same venue last year when he defeated Jean Francois Remesy in a playoff.
Green struggled to a final hole bogey in 2007 to provide the Frenchman one last opportunity but that was denied at the very first hole when Green birdied after Remesy had found the water with his second. Green had also finished fourth in this event in 2006 and so has an obvious affinity with the Doug Carrick designed layout.
So too does local golfer Markus Brier who won this event in 2006 and a Challenge Tour event on the same course in 2004, but Brier has struck a loss of form in recent times and will need all the local support he can muster to contend this week it would seem.
Darren Clarke’s win in China over a month ago saw the Ulsterman return to near his best and his fourth place last week in Wales provides further evidence of that. Clarke missed the cut in this event last year but is in a significantly better place with both his mind and his game now.
Soren Hansen appears to be the player to watch this week having finished runner up to Brier in the event two years ago and played well enough of late to contend again. Hansen is entered to play next week’s US Open Championship and so this could be considered an unusual preparation but clearly he has a plan.
One of the more interesting players in the field is New Zealander Michael Campbell who is currently ranked outside the top 300 in the world three years after his stunning victory at the 2006 US Open. Campbell is scheduled to play at Torrey Pines next week and like Hansen is one of the few in this week’s field who will do so.
There are several other Australasians in the field including last week’s winner Scott Strange, who must be given some sort of chance of doing well, although backing up after such a significant moment in his life event is going to be a tough task.
Scott Barr, Gareth Paddison, Peter Fowler, Terry Pilkadaris, Andrew Tampion, Terry Price, who was last week playing Sunshine Tour events in Queensland, and Steve Alker make up a large number of players from down under and are all currently entered.
New Zealander, Mark Brown, has lost his way a little after his great win at the Johnnie Walker Classic in India, missing his last three cuts.
