Weekly Tour Wrap-Up: 13th Feb 2012

The sixth week of the 2012 season saw an array of the world’s best golfers come to the fore and attempt to stamp their mark on a season thus far dominated by the new generation.

In America, one of the most exciting rivalries in the history of the game was revived, whilst in Europe, another young pretender put forth his vote to be included on a list of stars of the future.

At the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were paired together in the final round. The latter, desperate to preserve his standing and prowess, played an impeccable round of golf to render the end of Sundays final round anti-climatic. The 41-year old became the third player in successive weeks to overturn a final round deficit of at least six shots.

In the Middle East, the Dubai Desert Classic was won by a Spaniard, but perhaps not one you'd have expected. Three of the world’s top four golfers were well in contention heading into the final round, but were all beaten by a wonderful display of skill and nerve from Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

Phil Mickelson controversially turned to the belly putter last year, but his victory should ensure some brief respite from the argument that it presents an unfair advantage. He returned to his old putter at the start of the season; his display on Sunday showing that practice, not equipment, facilitates improvement.

Cabrera-Bello dazzles in Dubai

Rafael-Cabrera Bellow claimed his second European Tour title on Sunday and became the third consecutive Spanish winner of the Dubai Desert Classic.

In a marked contrast to the manner of many recent victories on both sides of the Atlantic, the Spaniard went wire-to-wire to win by one stroke on eighteen-under-par from Stephen Gallacher and Lee Westwood.

Cabrera-Bellow started as he meant to go on, opening with a glorious nine-under-par 63 at the Emirates Golf Club.  It was good enough for a two shot lead from Scott Jamieson and Marciel Siem, who recorded 65s. Dauntingly, however, Thomas Bjorn, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy were lurking three back on six-under-par.

Cabrera-Bellow put together a solid second round of 69 but trailed by one from Bjorn and McIlroy heading into the weekend. Both players had posted identical 65s to share the lead at the half way stage. A notable mention must also be given to Henrik Stenson, who shot an impressive eight-under-par 64 on Friday. Golf fans will hope this signals a return to the form that saw the Swede considered amongst the world’s best not long ago.

At the weekend, though, events didn’t transpire as they might have been expected to, and Lee Westwood came charging from the pack as Bjorn and McIlroy stumbled on Saturday.

The man from Worksop carded a third round 65 to sit atop the leaderboard, with Kaymer and McIlroy only two shots off the lead.

On Sunday, McIlroy went out in 39 to play his way out of the championship, one stroke more than Thomas Bjorn. Westwood, on the other hand, started with a bang, making an eagle at the driveable par-4 2^nd hole to create early distance between himself and the pack.

Cabrera-Bellow wasn’t perturbed, however, and matched Westwood’s outward nine of 35 to trail by one shot with nine holes to go.

Midway through the back nine, there was a three-way tie for the lead. Cabrera-Bellow had birdie eleven and twelve and Westwood the par-5 13th. Stephen Gallacher went one better, making eagle to catapult himself into a share of the lead.

No one was able to mount a charge coming in, and the Spaniard’s birdie at 17 would give him a one shot cushion playing the last. Neither he nor Gallacher were able to make birdie at the par-5, something they had in common with Westwood, whose clumsy third left a 25-footer that he was unable to hole.

Cabrera-Bellow will still be pinching himself after the biggest victory of his career and, courtesy of his efforts in Dubai, can add the WGC Matchplay to his 2012 schedule.

Mickelson storms to victory at Pebble Beach

In California, Phil Mickelson produced a stunning final round 64 to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. He finished on seventeen-under-par, two clear of overnight leader Charlie Wi.

Wi got off to a flying start in the tournament played over three courses. At Spyglass Hill on Thursday he was nine-under-par thru 16 holes, needing two more birdies for the magical 59. He parred home, and was joined atop the leaderboard by Kiwi Danny Lee and two-time champion Dustin Johnson.

Wi maintained his lead on Friday and Saturday, but had a formidable list of past major champions lurking precariously heading into Sunday. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were five and six back respectively, with events of the past two weeks emphasising that no lead is big enough with final round pressure to bear.

Wi made the worst possible start, four-putting for double bogey at the first. He was four over for his round after six holes. Mickelson, on the other hand, managed to cover the first half-dozen in 9 strokes fewer.

He birdied two and four before stiffing his approach at the par-3 fifth hole. On the par-5 sixth, his approach ended up twenty feet from the hole and he duly knocked in the eagle putt.

Woods, playing with Mickelson, made his first birdie of the day at 6, but a series of short missed putts led to bogeys on the next three holes.

On the par-3 12^th, Tiger sensationally holed his bunker shot to put some pressure on Mickelson, himself facing 30-foot putt for par. Unbelievably, he knocked it in and holed an even longer putt for par at the 15^th hole. Wi valiantly birdied the last three holes but it wasn’t enough to catch a dominant Mickelson, whose birdie on the last hole had put him out of sight.

It can only be good for the game of golf to have Mickelson firing on all cylinders, his putting stroke looking as good as it has for quite some time.

Next week, the European Tour heads to India for the Avantha Masters, with Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia making their 2012 PGA Tour debuts at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.