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Well 2008 came and went and the history books show that Tiger Woods won one major, Sergio won none and Padraig won two. Therefore the best golfer who is set to challenge Woods number 1 position in 2009 is Padraig right?? ah, unfortunately not in my view!

While Harrington’s win was the stuff of dreams for any Irish man like me, I cannot see him getting too much closer to Tiger and I believe Sergio is the one to now take up the mantle to challenge him. If Sergio can get his putting boots on, he is as good as anyone else on the golfing planet in my eyes. People call him a choker and that as a result he will never win a major. Well it might be worth noting they said the same about Padraig up to a few years ago…but 2 years later with 3 majors on the mantle piece, Harrington is no longer the choker. But the question is, how did he overcome this glut of second place finishes which for so long overshadowed his achievements? Well he simply kept putting himself in the position to win, which is exactly what Garcia is doing.

Obviously my hope is for Padraig to dominate next year but Garcia is becoming a big game player and I am confident he can win a major in 2009. I will certainly be backing him to do so. And if Tigers absence extends beyond the Masters, we could see the gap at the top of the World rankings narrow.

El Nino to storm his way to the top, Padraig to add another major or Woods to roar back with a win in the Masters….whats your view?

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The Race to Dubai is the is the new concept of the European Tour, aimed at attracting the best players from all over the world to participate in a lucrative season finale event. The arrangement with LeisureCorp sees the Dubai based company sponsor $173 million in a five-year commitment to the tour.  Many have criticised the Fed-Ex Cup in America for its format and it is evident that the Race to Dubai will incorporate a much less complicated system that will prove more tangible for the supporters of the world’s elite golfers. 

The European tour season will continue as per usual with the exception of the last event of the season. Now the top sixty ranked golfers from the monetary positions, will qualify for The Dubai World Championship instead of the traditional Volvo Masters, which has been replaced. The event will take place on the Greg Norman designed Earth Course at Jumeriah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE from November 19-22 and carry a winner’s cheque for $1,666,660.  In addition, there is a bonus pool once the final standings are determined. The top fifteen will receive compensation for their efforts throughout the season, with the winner pocketing a cool $2 million, the highly coveted Harry Vardon Trophy and a seven-year exemption to the European Tour. 

The only additional stipulation imposed by the European Tour for those who qualify, is that they have played a minimum of twelve events on that particular tour season, an increase from the previous requirement of eleven events. The four majors and the three World Golf Championship events all count and this has ensured that golf’s biggest names have demonstrated their interest in participating. Rising stars Anthony Kim and Camillo Villegas are already confirmed, along with Australians, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby as well as Fijian Vijay Singh. 

The tie-up between LesiureCorp and the European Tour will run for five years with the option to extend the deal for a further five years. The deal also includes funding for the European Tours Physio truck, significant support for selected European Tour events and the construction of a new European headquarters for the tour at Jumeriah Estates. Dubai is a massively important and growing hub, with outstanding air links to all locations worldwide and provides a central meeting place for sponsors and promoters from all tournaments on The European Tour International Schedule. 

While some concern has been expressed on the current credit crunch negatively affecting property sales globally and therefore hindering LeisureCorps business model, CEO David Spencer has confirmed the Race to Dubai is not dependent on future property sales outlining that “it is built on our plans on existing business”.  

The Race to Dubai is an exciting step forward for the European Tour and offers the security of a main sponsor for the coming five years. Commissioner George O’Grady will now hope the new format will provide an exciting climax to a clearly strengthening tour. Its growing global appeal and willingness to move beyond the traditional boundaries, could see it compete with the Fed Ex Cup, forcing the US PGA Tour into a further re-think.

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The 2008 professional Golfing season will be remembered for many different things – Tiger Woods epic battle with Rocco Mediate at the US Open, the passionate performance of the successful US Ryder Cup team and the emotional final staging of the European season ending Volvo Masters at Valderamma. However, as an Irishman, my memories are filled by the global success achieved by the Irish professionals on tour this season. 

At the beginning of the 2008 season, I eagerly anticipated what lay ahead from an Irish perspective. Could the Irish have multiple winners on tour this year? Could Padraig Harrington possibly win another major after his success at Carnoustie in 2007? Could Darren Clarke revive his game to the standard he achieved in years gone by when he was mixing it with – and beating for that matter – the likes of Tiger Woods in the Accenture World Matchplay, or could Graeme McDowell fulfil his goal of making the Ryder Cup and finally announce his emergence on the global scene? To put it simply, in 2008 they did this and much more! 

The victory trail began with McDowell’s playoff success at the Ballentines Championship in South Korea against Jeev Milkha Singh and he would later follow this with a victory in the Barclays Scottish Open against an illustrious field, played on a Loch Lomond course, which is arguably one of the stiffest tests on the European Tour. These results propelled Graeme onto the Ryder Cup team, where he again covered himself in glory, despite the loss of his side. A rejuvenated Darren Clarke won the BMW Asian Open in China and followed this with the KLM Open. This was quite an emotional year for Clarke after the loss of his wife in 2006 and it was a testimony to his drive and commitment in becoming a dual winner on Tour again. Peter Lawrie winning the Open de Espana in a gripping playoff and Damien McGrane displaying one of the most remarkable putting performances in winning the Volvo China Open by nine shots, were fantastic achievements for the two relatively unknown Irishmen and the hope now is that they can cement their status on Tour and taste success again in the 2009 season. 

Undoubtedly however, the events which had every Irish man, women and child glued to their TV sets, were the British and USPGA Opens in which Padraig Harrington prevailed at the expense of Sergio Garcia. I cannot praise highly enough two of the most tenacious performances I have witnessed on a golf course and hope his success continues. Padraig has been an inspiration for the youthful generation around the globe and is the role model that we, in Ireland, are fortunate to have. He has a reputation for practicing longer than most and this dedication to the game has seen him reap the rewards. With such a strong mental attitude, he is the ultimate competitor and it is an exhilarating thought that Harrington may be the one to go head-to-head with Woods in one of the majors next season.  

Overall, 2008 was the year of the Irish. 2008 was the year when we captured 8 titles on the professional scene and the year when we won half of the majors on offer. If 2009 even throws up half this success next year, we are store for another fantastic season. Either way, the Irish crowds will be there to support their men, in the hope of further historic achievements. Who would bet against another year of smiling emerald eyes?

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