Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
South African Tim Clark ended an eight-year PGA Tour title drought with a one-shot victory at the Players Championship in Florida on Sunday.
Clark stormed from three behind England's Lee Westwood overnight to seal the win, hitting a superb run of five birdies in six holes around the turn to go one stroke ahead of the chasing pack at the TPC Sawgrass. The 34-year-old parred the last six holes for an outstanding five-under-par 67, the best round of the day, and a 16-under total of 272 to win the tournament widely classed as the 'fifth major'.
Clark had previously finished as a runner-up eight times on the US circuit, so he was understandably delighted to have finally broken his duck. Australian Robert Allenby finished second after he birdied two of the last five holes for a 70.
Tiger Woods, though, walked off the course after completing just six holes in his final round, with the world No.1 citing a neck injury for the reason behind his withdrawal. The injury once again puts a question mark against when or where we will see the Woods again as he battles his personal problems and a loss of form.
Phil Mickelson failed to take advantage of Woods's withdrawal as he dropped to 17th. Victory for the left-hander would have seen Mickelson end Woods's 598-week stay at the top of the world rankings.
Westwood is refusing to be too disappointed after another final-round failure cost him victory in Florida. Just as he had done at The Masters, Westwood started the last 18 at the top of the leaderboard, only for the wheels to come off his challenge. Ultimately it was the final few holes that cost Westwood as he found a bunker at the 16th and then the water at the 17th. But despite finishing joint-fourth, four shots behind Clark, I have no doubt that he will be challenging once again for his maiden Major in California next month.
Fredrik Andersson Hed fended off a late challenge from England's David Horsey to claim his first European Tour win at the Italian Open in Turin. The Swede had fired a brilliant nine-under-par 63 to assume a six-shot lead over Miguel Angel Jimenez on Saturday, but he bogeyed his first hole of the day as his advantage began to erode. Thankfully he managed to hold on and Andersson Hed took a title that has been a long time in the making. He is a testament to persistence and perseverance having visited Q School no less than 14 times over the years; a very very deserved victory!
Someone who is just starting out on what will undoubtedly be a stellar career is Italian teenager Matteo Manassero; he shot a final-round 71 to end his professional debut on a very respectable five under.The 17-year-old, who last month became the youngest player to make a cut at the US Masters, will next compete at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, which starts on May 20.
The Players Championship marks the start of a great run of events on both sides of the Atlantic as we build up to the US Open in June; the Byron Nelson, the Wales Open on the Ryder Cup course at Celtic Manor and the PGA Championship at Wentworth to name but a few.
It is going to be a lot of fun to see how it all pans out.
