Lucas Herbert stressed he has not arrived back home in Australia to celebrate his recent win in Dubai after playing in Saudi last week, as he prepares for the ISPS Handa Vic Open.
Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert is eyeing more silverware at the ISPS Handa Vic Open this week, just a fortnight after winning his first European Tour title at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Herbert is from the city of Bendigo, approximately 125 miles from 13th Beach Golf Links – the host venue of the Vic Open since 2013.

The 24-year-old is looking forward to enjoying support from family and friends this week.

But Herbert insists that the champagne is on ice after his play-off victory against Christiaan Bezuidenhout at Emirates GC two weeks ago.

Herbert, who had been tipped by some pundits to be the next Australian winner in 2019, said: “I don’t turn up to any tournament just to enjoy it. You want to win every event you tee it up in.

“I’m definitely not here this week for a bit of a party with my friends.

“I’ve got next week off and then I’m playing two in a row and then I’ve got a pretty nice stretch off.

“I know in the back of my mind I’ve got some celebrating to do coming up, but right now it’s business time – and we’re going to go and do the things I need to do to play well.

“My game’s good. I played well this morning, so it’s just a case of trying to shake off a bit of jet lag from the travel in Saudi Arabia last week.

“The course is good. I’ve been here enough times to sort of know what’s going on, where they like to put all the pins and how it kind of plays.

“You get pretty much any wind direction out there, so having like a lot of experience is going to be really helpful if the weather behaves, or not, over the weekend.”

Herbert will be joined in the first two rounds by 2018 Dubai Desert Classic champion Haotong Li and three-time European Tour winner Marcus Fraser.

“I think game’s getting there, there are just little bits and pieces I need to put it together, I need to be sharper, said Haotong Li.

“Especially on this course. There’s a lot of fade shots so you have to hit keep your ball lower and hit more fairways. If you do that you’re going to have birdie chances.

“This is my first time playing in a tournament like this, but I think it’s a great idea and to grow the game and let more people realise golf can be a little bit different.

“It’s going to be an interesting week, but I’m enjoying it so far,” added the 24-year-old China pro who is looking for his third European Tour win, and his first Down Under.

Li, who broke through from the Asian Tour after winning the 2016 Volvo China Open, made his third appearance as a professional on Australian soil in 2011, and is making his Vic Open debut this week.

The ISPS Handa Vic Open sees men’s and women’s tournaments played concurrently on the same golf courses for equal prize money.

The first two rounds are played on the Beach and Creek Courses at Barwon Heads, with all the weekend’s action moving to the Beach Course.

All four days will be played played with men’s and women’s alternating groups.

The 36-hole cut sees both tournaments reduced to the top 60 and ties, with the top 35 and ties making a second cut which takes place after the third round.

The men’s event is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, while the women’s event is co-sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Australia Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG).

•Play gets under way at 7.10pm UK time on Wednesday, February 5. To follow live scoring in round one click here.

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Lucas Herbert won a play-off against South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout to secure his first European Tour event at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert won his maiden European Tour title with a play-off victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout on a dramatic final day at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

The duo entered the final day six shots off the lead but with strong winds and showers at Emirates Golf Club, the leaderboard was blown wide open.

Lucas Herbert, who survived a trip to the water 18 before winning at the second extra hole, said: “The last ten minutes feel like I’ve been dreaming.

“It’s so weird. It’s awesome. It’s just the best thing ever. It is so good. We’ve got a bottle of Scotch at home to celebrate, so I can’t wait to get into that with the boys.

“Last week, I was probably like 20th going into the weekend, and probably like for the 10th time in the last 12 months seemed to just back it out and finish at the back of the field.

“We got really frustrated, so put in some really good tactics this week with my mental coach, Jamie Glazier, trying to be positive and a lot of positive stuff.

“It’s so cliché but it works so much. I felt so confident out there and just felt like good golf was going to come.

“I spoke to him just before the play-off, and we talked about the fact that I hit some really poor shots out there today.

“Obviously the second shot on the first play-off hole, probably not one of my best, but you know, you go back and watch any sort of winners, final nine holes, final round, play-off holes, it’s never a perfect scenario.

“Everyone always hits bad shots, and everyone will probably forget about that now that I’ve just gotten that up-and-down and won a tournament.”

Plenty of people have admired Herbert’s talents, so a maiden win was always likely to be a question of when, not if.

So for it to happen after a tumultus few months for his native Australia, and on Australia day itself, proved to be bitter sweet for the 24-year-old from Victoria, who is now exempt on the European Tour until the end of the 2022 season.

Lucas Herbert said: “I know everyone back home is going to be still up, and obviously there’s some pretty awful stuff happening right now in Australia with the fires.”

And it meant yet another young Aussie has joined the winners’ circle after Cameron Smith claimed the Sony Open in Hawaii, on the PGA Tour, two weeks ago.

Herbert added: “Cam Smith sort of said it a couple weeks ago when he won, and I’d like to say the same thing.

“Everyone around the world is behind us and hopefully we can keep fighting harder than what I did on the first play-off hole.

“That’s nothing compared to the firefighters and volunteers putting out the fires. Sending all my love back home and hope everyone is well, and thanks for the support.”

Bezuidenhout and Herbert both fired brilliant rounds of 68 to get to nine-under par, with the South African finding water after laying up on the last.

The winner of last year’s Andalucia Masters – at Spain’s equally tough Valderrama – made a clutch putt for bogey, while Herbert birdied the 17th and 18th to get into the play-off, having taken on the water at the daunting last to make his birdie four.

This time it was the Australian who found the water with his second on the first play-off hole before saving par thanks to a stunning shot from the drop zone to take it back to the tee.

His second shot next time around could not have been more different, as he got within 20 feet and a two-putt birdie handed him the title, and second position in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

LUCAS HERBERT LEADS AUSTRALIAN PGA AFTER FIRST ROUND

Bezuidenhout has overcome his own battles – having been banned for taking a banned substance as an amateur prescribed to help him overcome a serious stammer and nervousness problem.

He was putting a positive face on the disappointment of his first play-off defeat.

“I was hitting something great putts. Made great saves coming in,” said Bezuidenhout.

“Made a great up-and-down on 14 and 15 to keep myself going. I just think we played in the tougher conditions.

“Those last five holes played quite brutal. Happy to finish off the way I did and make the save.

Reflecting on the trip to the water in regulation, he added: “I laid it up to my perfect yardage, 78 to the flag.

“The first shot just came out a little bit right – didn’t fly the yardage, just spun back.

“If it landed on the green, it was quite firm, and it landed just in the fringe and spun back into the water. With the spin, it was always going to be in the water.

“Me and my coach Grant have been doing work which I believe in.

“I believe we’re doing the right things and we’re working towards the right stuff, and nice to see all the hard work’s paying off, and paying off on the course, especially in big tournaments like this.”

Spaniard Adri Arnaus, South African Dean Burmerster and Hertfordshire’s Tom Lewis finished at seven-under – a shot clear of American Kurt Kitayama and China’s Wu Ashun.

•To see the final results click here.

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Lucas Herbert made six birdies and an eagle on his way to a five-under 67 in the first round of the Australian PGA Championship, at RACV Royal Pines, in Queensland. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

LUCAS Herbert carded six birdies and an eagle at RACV Royal Pines Resort to share the first round lead at the Australian PGA Championship with compatriot Brett Rankin.

The pair are two of nine Australians inside the top 14, joined by five New Zealanders on three-under par or better on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

After two birdies and an eagle on his first three holes, 24-year-old Herbert rallied again after three dropped shots.

Herbert, who recently recovered from a wrist injury, made four gains on his back nine, including three on his final four holes from the sixth to the ninth, to sign for a five-under 67.

“It was an interesting day,” said Lucas Herbert. “I usually set myself targets, numbers-wise, but I didn’t today.

“I let everything go and enjoyed being out there. The course is in great shape, I just enjoyed being out on a nice golf course with one of my best mates on the bag.

“That was on my mind, I didn’t feel like I got off to a great start, but then I didn’t feel like I fell too far backwards because I wasn’t concentrating on that either.

“My iron play was pretty good. That’s improved quite a lot in the last few weeks. Good flight in the wind out here, it was a bit breezy on the back nine,” Herbert added.

“It was solid. I didn’t throw shots away with silly doubles, if I stop throwing shots away I’ll go alright.”

Herbert finished 107th on the Race to Dubai in 2019, having been 47th in his rookie season in 2018, which included five top fives – the best a runner’s-up finish in the Portugal Masters.

The big-hitting Aussie and fellow countryman Rankin sit one stroke ahead of five others, including Herbert’s fellow European Tour members Nick Cullen, Min Woo Lee and Wade Ormsby.

Min Woo Lee, who narrowly missed out on keeping his card in his rookie season on the European Tour, said: “I think early on I didn’t really take the opportunities because there’s a big crowd – and I’m not really used to it.

“But yeah, it’s pretty special, added Lee, the younger brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee.

“It’s massive. I hit a lot of good shots – some got rewarded, some didn’t get rewarded, but I felt like I played pretty good and I’m pretty proud of the way I finished.

“It was pretty calm this morning, so hopefully tomorrow morning I can go out there and shoot a low score,” added Lee, who became the first Australian to win the US Junior Championship, in 2016.

The Lees became the first brother and sister to claim USGA junior titles after MinJee’s victory in the 2012 US Girls Championship.

Fox in top 10 with eyes on Order of Merit

NEW Zealand’s Ryan Fox could secure the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit crown this week.

The Kiwi, who leads by almost AU$75,000 from Zach Murray. Fox, won his maiden European Tour title at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in February,

Fox – the longest driver on the European Tour in 2019 – shares eighth place on three-under. He said: “I’m pretty happy.

“It’s playing a bit tougher than previous years. The course has settled in a little bit and it’s a little bit firmer out there. You can end up in some pretty bad spots.

“I played really solid tee-to-green. Got up-and-down on a couple of bad shots I hit and made a couple of putts – I probably left a couple out there as well.

“But I’m very happy with three-under,” added Fox.

Adam Scott lurks with Cink three shots back

MAJOR champions Stewart Cink, winner of The Open at Turnberry 10 years ago, and Adam Scott, who won the Masters in 2013, share 15th place on two under.

Scott, the highest-ranked player in the field, but who is looking for his first win since the 2016 WGC Cadillac Championship, at Doral, said: “I played good today.

“Unfortunately, I really mishit that drive on 13 and it cost me two. Other than that it was stress-free, but it wasn’t easy out there.

“I had a lot of in-between numbers. When it’s windy here you have to be careful, you don’t want to be chipping short-side around here.

“The grain is too much to deal with. I wish I could have that swing on 13 over again.

“All in all, I feel good about that round,” added Scott, who has 10 wins on the European Tour and five more Down Under.

Joining Scott and Cink on that number are Challenge Tour graduates Calum Hill, from Scotland, and Lancashire’s Jack Senior.

Qualifying school graduates Aaron Cockerill and Johannes Veerman, from Canada, and the United States respectively, and France’s Damien Perrier, are also two-under after the first round – three behind Lucas Herbert and Rankin.

•For live scoring in the Australian PGA Championship click here.

The post Lucas Herbert bounces back to share Australian PGA lead with fellow Aussie Rankin appeared first on Golf North.

Paul Casey shares the lead at the Porsche European Open after a sparkling 66 in testing conditions at Green Eagles Golf’s Nord Course. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

PAUL Casey defied testing conditions at Green Eagle Golf Courses to card a stunning six-under par 66, to take a one-stroke lead into the second round of the Porsche European Open.

Surrey’s four-time Ryder Cup player carded five birdies on the back nine, adding to gains made on the first and seventh holes, to sit one stroke ahead of Austria’s Matthias Schwab, who carded a bogey-free round of five under par.

Casey who has won 12 more times since his first win on the European Tour at Gleneagles in 2001, said: “It was a really good round of golf.

“There were a couple of putts that slipped by, but that is such a difficult golf course. I was happy with the patience I was showing and the quality of strike, considering I hadn’t played well in the pro-am.

“Now I stand here happier. The score doesn’t really do it justice – that’s one of the finest rounds of golf I’ve played this year,” added the four-time Ryder Cup player.

“I prefer it when it’s hot. I’ve always been a very good driver and I’m a good long-iron player – that was demonstrated today.

“The three-iron I hit into the 14^th was good. It suits me, but it doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I like easier golf courses, but this is the Porsche European Open – it is meant to be difficult.

“I’m here for a competition and I’m here because I want to win,” said Casey, who has four top fives and four top 10s in Germany, playing in the BMW International and Linde German Masters.

Matthias Schwab, who finished tied for eighth last week in the Omega European Masters at Crans, said: “It was a very good round for me.

“It was tough conditions – rain, really strong wind and sun every now and then. I managed to adjust well, I made some good shots and made some good putts – I’m happy with my score.

“I’m happy with only one bogey on my scorecard, added the Austrian, who is still seeking his maiden European Tour victory in his second full season on Tour.

Schwab added: “I had a four-week break and that came at the right time. I took some time off and worked on my game a bit, that seems to have paid off.”

Just 22 players in the 150-man field finished their first rounds under par after battling wind and rain on the Porsche Nord Course, which is the third-longest visited by the European Tour in 2019.

Wilshire’s Brabazon Trophy winner Ben Stow set the early clubhouse lead on four-under, and was joined on that number by Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre and German Max Rottluff.

Stow, the Rushmore Park player who won the English Amateur Strokeplay in 2014 before turning pro in 2015, said: “I worked my ball really well around the golf course.

“I managed it quite well and I chipped and putted really nicely. In these types of conditions you have to chip and putt well.

“I holed some good seven/eight-footers to keep it going and made some good birdies as well,” added Stowe, who missed four months with a serious knee injury before bouncing back with his maiden Challenge Tour win in Prague last summer.

Rottluff is making just his fifth European Tour appearance this week and said: “I played solid off the tee, especially in the wind.

“Finding the fairways was keen and I rolled in a few nice putts, which was a bonus and I managed to get around with a decent score.

“I’ve been in the US for seven years now. Graduated in ’16. Every year I felt like I was getting better in every aspect of the game and off the golf course, in terms of managing myself and travelling.

“I feel like I’ve been developing nicely and to come and shoot a good score is proving to myself that I have been working in the right places.”

Australian Lucas Herbert built on his tied-eighth finish at last week’s Omega European Masters with a three-under par start in Hamburg.

He joined Sweden’s Alexander Björk and Sussex’s Ben Evans in sixth place. Thomas Pieters – winner of last month’s D+D Real Czech Masters – is one of four players four strokes behind Casey on two-under.

For live scoring in round two click here.

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