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Thursday, 15 December 2011
Choose from one of these 12 efforts as your European Tour Shot of the Year 2011 (EuropeanTour)
As the curtain comes down on arguably the greatest season in the history of The European Tour, it is down to you, the fans, to choose the 2011 Shot of the Year.
January: The first of our 12 candidates for the award is January’s winner Paul Casey, who after finding the centre of the fairway at the par 5 ninth in the first round of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain, dispatched a simply towering five wood approach to a pin tucked tightly behind the greenside bunker. The ball landed soft as you like as it plummeted down to the green, before rolling up to some eight feet, leaving a putt that the Englishman would duly convert for eagle en route to the title at The Royal Golf Club.
February: Next up was February’s winner Alvaro Quiros, who sensationally secured the first half of his Dubai double with what he described as ‘the perfect shot’. This came in the form of a three quarter wedge on the 166-yard par 3 11th that pitched just a few feet short of the pin before rolling into the heart of the hole. Huge celebrations followed, but these were nothing compared to the elation he must have felt an hour or so later upon being crowned Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion, by a solitary shot.
March: There were more hole in one heroics in March as David Horsey’s Moroccan magic saw him ace the 180-yard second hole in the final round of the Trophee Hassan II on his way to victory. It all looked so simple, as the Englishman fired in a five iron that bounced twice before hopping into the bottom of the hole, helping Horsey to his second European Tour title.
April: Matteo Manassero picked up the April honours after a stunning eagle on the final day in Malaysia helped him to his second European Tour title at the Maybank Malaysian Open. Tied for the lead at the time, the then 17-year old Italian took dead aim with his third at the par 5, finding the hole after a skip and a jump and leaving the youngest ever winner on The European Tour’s arms aloft in the middle of the fairway.
May: Now there isn’t much that World, European and US PGA Tour Number One Luke Donald has not won in 2011, further proof of which comes with this wonderful Wentworth effort that saw the usually assured fairway finder having to escape quite brilliantly from the trees down the right of the 13th in the final round of the BMW PGA Championship. Surrounded by bushes, trees and a fair few spectators Donald picked what looked like the smallest gap he could find, punching it low and from left to right onto the back edge of the green. The escape saw him save par, and retain momentum, as he took the title, ascended to World Number One and won the May Shot of the Month as a result.
June: Rory McIlroy picked up the first of a Shot of the Month double in June after his stunning six iron approach at Congressional’s daunting tenth hole finished just inches from the cup, essentially assuring him of his first Major championship and US Open glory.
July: It's McIlroy again as he followed his June heroics with another spectacular in July, when escaping from a particularly crooked drive at home in the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland. Finding himself behind a mammoth oak, and aiming outrageously far right from only 129 yards, McIlroy produced a shot worthy of a Major Champion, hooking it up and over the tree from the thick, wet rough to finish only 15 feet from the flag - a simply stunning effort.
August: August’s Shot of the Month came from 2011 Renaissance man Thomas Bjorn, who having won earlier in Qatar picked up his second win of the season at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, thanks to this stunning play-off approach. Having seen off the title tilts of some three play-off partners on Sunday, he still had George Coetzee to finish off, and he did just that. Laying up on the par 5 18th – and fifth play-off hole – the Great Dane reminded us all once again why he is called such, firing in a punched effort from 141 yards to within a few feet. He would hole the putt and make the birdie that finally saw him take the title.
September: Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey got in on the act at St Andrew’s in September, fending off a couple of Major winning countrymen thanks to this stunning effort at the 16th. Lying one shot clear at the time – and 180 yards from the pin – Hoey took the title by the horns and tamed his own nerves, punching it in low and to mere inches. With McIlroy looking on from the treacherous 17th tee it was just what Hoey needed, parring his way in for the biggest title of his career so far.
October: There are few things finer than watching the barrel chested Miguel Angel Jimenez in full flow, and this was evident again in the final round of the Andalucía Masters as ‘The Mechanic’ went toe-to-toe with the eventual winner Sergio Garcia. Looking to end the Spanish drought at Valderrama, and having made an albatross there in 1994, Jimenez took dead aim across the water at the spine tingling 17th with five wood in hand. Furiously urging it to ‘stay right’ as it reached the top of its flight, it duly listened, coming down on the very front edge and rolling up to ten feet or so. He would not make the putt, but he would take home Shot of the Month honours for October.
November: Martin Kaymer knew heading into the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions that he would have to go some to catch overnight leader Fredrik Jacobson, and having gotten off to a slow start it looked exceedingly unlikely. However, facing a tricky greenside bunker shot at the seventh, the German showed his class, splashing out onto the green’s edge before watching the ball track dead centre and into the hole. It would prove the catalyst for some serious fireworks – nine birdies in the last 12 to be exact – as he romped to his first World Golf Championship title.
December: Finally, Rory McIlroy made it a hat-trick of Shot of the Month victories with a stunning final round flourish that culminated in the most spectacular of sand shots down 18 en route to the UBS Hong Kong Open title. Leading by one down the last, and seemingly taking dead aim, the Northern Irishman came up just short and in the sand - but never fear, Rory’s here – pitching the ball delicately out onto the green before watching it track all the way into the cup. Cue fist pumps and celebratory hugs galore, and significanatly kept this hopes of winning the Race to Dubai alive heading into the season finale.
A quite delightful dozen to choose from then, so over to you - log into My European Tour and register your vote for a chance to win our fantastic golfing break. Good luck!
January: The first of our 12 candidates for the award is January’s winner Paul Casey, who after finding the centre of the fairway at the par 5 ninth in the first round of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain, dispatched a simply towering five wood approach to a pin tucked tightly behind the greenside bunker. The ball landed soft as you like as it plummeted down to the green, before rolling up to some eight feet, leaving a putt that the Englishman would duly convert for eagle en route to the title at The Royal Golf Club.
February: Next up was February’s winner Alvaro Quiros, who sensationally secured the first half of his Dubai double with what he described as ‘the perfect shot’. This came in the form of a three quarter wedge on the 166-yard par 3 11th that pitched just a few feet short of the pin before rolling into the heart of the hole. Huge celebrations followed, but these were nothing compared to the elation he must have felt an hour or so later upon being crowned Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion, by a solitary shot.
March: There were more hole in one heroics in March as David Horsey’s Moroccan magic saw him ace the 180-yard second hole in the final round of the Trophee Hassan II on his way to victory. It all looked so simple, as the Englishman fired in a five iron that bounced twice before hopping into the bottom of the hole, helping Horsey to his second European Tour title.
April: Matteo Manassero picked up the April honours after a stunning eagle on the final day in Malaysia helped him to his second European Tour title at the Maybank Malaysian Open. Tied for the lead at the time, the then 17-year old Italian took dead aim with his third at the par 5, finding the hole after a skip and a jump and leaving the youngest ever winner on The European Tour’s arms aloft in the middle of the fairway.
May: Now there isn’t much that World, European and US PGA Tour Number One Luke Donald has not won in 2011, further proof of which comes with this wonderful Wentworth effort that saw the usually assured fairway finder having to escape quite brilliantly from the trees down the right of the 13th in the final round of the BMW PGA Championship. Surrounded by bushes, trees and a fair few spectators Donald picked what looked like the smallest gap he could find, punching it low and from left to right onto the back edge of the green. The escape saw him save par, and retain momentum, as he took the title, ascended to World Number One and won the May Shot of the Month as a result.
June: Rory McIlroy picked up the first of a Shot of the Month double in June after his stunning six iron approach at Congressional’s daunting tenth hole finished just inches from the cup, essentially assuring him of his first Major championship and US Open glory.
July: It's McIlroy again as he followed his June heroics with another spectacular in July, when escaping from a particularly crooked drive at home in the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland. Finding himself behind a mammoth oak, and aiming outrageously far right from only 129 yards, McIlroy produced a shot worthy of a Major Champion, hooking it up and over the tree from the thick, wet rough to finish only 15 feet from the flag - a simply stunning effort.
August: August’s Shot of the Month came from 2011 Renaissance man Thomas Bjorn, who having won earlier in Qatar picked up his second win of the season at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, thanks to this stunning play-off approach. Having seen off the title tilts of some three play-off partners on Sunday, he still had George Coetzee to finish off, and he did just that. Laying up on the par 5 18th – and fifth play-off hole – the Great Dane reminded us all once again why he is called such, firing in a punched effort from 141 yards to within a few feet. He would hole the putt and make the birdie that finally saw him take the title.
September: Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey got in on the act at St Andrew’s in September, fending off a couple of Major winning countrymen thanks to this stunning effort at the 16th. Lying one shot clear at the time – and 180 yards from the pin – Hoey took the title by the horns and tamed his own nerves, punching it in low and to mere inches. With McIlroy looking on from the treacherous 17th tee it was just what Hoey needed, parring his way in for the biggest title of his career so far.
October: There are few things finer than watching the barrel chested Miguel Angel Jimenez in full flow, and this was evident again in the final round of the Andalucía Masters as ‘The Mechanic’ went toe-to-toe with the eventual winner Sergio Garcia. Looking to end the Spanish drought at Valderrama, and having made an albatross there in 1994, Jimenez took dead aim across the water at the spine tingling 17th with five wood in hand. Furiously urging it to ‘stay right’ as it reached the top of its flight, it duly listened, coming down on the very front edge and rolling up to ten feet or so. He would not make the putt, but he would take home Shot of the Month honours for October.
November: Martin Kaymer knew heading into the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions that he would have to go some to catch overnight leader Fredrik Jacobson, and having gotten off to a slow start it looked exceedingly unlikely. However, facing a tricky greenside bunker shot at the seventh, the German showed his class, splashing out onto the green’s edge before watching the ball track dead centre and into the hole. It would prove the catalyst for some serious fireworks – nine birdies in the last 12 to be exact – as he romped to his first World Golf Championship title.
December: Finally, Rory McIlroy made it a hat-trick of Shot of the Month victories with a stunning final round flourish that culminated in the most spectacular of sand shots down 18 en route to the UBS Hong Kong Open title. Leading by one down the last, and seemingly taking dead aim, the Northern Irishman came up just short and in the sand - but never fear, Rory’s here – pitching the ball delicately out onto the green before watching it track all the way into the cup. Cue fist pumps and celebratory hugs galore, and significanatly kept this hopes of winning the Race to Dubai alive heading into the season finale.
A quite delightful dozen to choose from then, so over to you - log into My European Tour and register your vote for a chance to win our fantastic golfing break. Good luck!
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