The time has long since past when comparisons with other golfing arenas were essential in order to assess the importance of European golf on the global stage. Such sidelong glances are simply no longer necessary because of the breathtaking structure that now stands in place to encourage the best golfers from all over the world on an annual pilgrimage that knows no national boundaries.
Indeed, if sport is a unifying influence, in that excellence and performance are the only criteria by which an individual should be judged, then The European Tour International Schedule remains a shining example of that philosophy because its campaigners of so many different nationalities demonstrate intense rivalry on the field of play yet also bond effectively with each other when required to work as a team.
Part of this is due, of course, to the shared experience of globe-trotting and the need to adapt to whatever conditions of climate, culture, food and golf that await them wherever The European Tour stops each week on its round-the-world odyssey. Part is also due to the nature of the game and its demands which prompt a collective awareness of what the other man is going through whether good or bad. The net result is an all-embracing atmosphere of family in which, despite occasional distractions, goodwill prevails.
Moreover, the degree of skill The European Tour International Schedule now requires for success can be measured not only in terms of improved scoring but in the number of resounding achievements its Members have demonstrated in forays to other parts in 2001, none more so than those of South Africa’s Retief Goosen. His dramatic play-off victory for the US Open Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa in June underlined the global aspect of the sport in that it formed the basis of his triumphant campaign to become the first non-European for 19 years to top the Volvo Order of Merit.
It was additional proof that the old theory about being obliged to play constantly in the United States in order to win there was quite superfluous as Germany’s Bernhard Langer, Spain’s José Maria Olazábal and Welshman Ian Woosnam, among others, had shown at various times by popping over from Europe to win their respective Masters Tournament titles.
Other excursions brought ample rewards, too, as Sweden’s Pierre Fulke reached the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play in Australia in January and earned sufficient prize money to sustain him at the top of the Volvo Order of Merit table for five months until dislodged by New Zealander Michael Campbell, who was then displaced by Angel Cabrera from Argentina.
Cabrera’s reign was short-lived when Goosen soared to the top of the list with his US Open Championship win and remained the elusive target for his closest challengers, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and South Africa’s Ernie Els, for the rest of the season. Indeed it is a measure of the rich rewards now on offer for supreme skills that Goosen had earned 2,007,723 euro (£1,204,833) in prize money even before the Open Championship in July, and eventually took his total official winnings to 2,862,806 euro (£1,760,476). CHECK
He was, in fact, one of five multiple winners during the 2001 season because in addition to the US Open Championship he captured The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond title a week before the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes - where the American David Duval scored his first Major victory - and later took the Telefonica Open de Madrid in a play-off to put himself beyond reach in the race for Volvo Order of Merit honours.
Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie showed customary resilience after his run of seven successive Volvo Order of Merit titles came to an end in 2000, and bounced back to win the Murphy’s Irish Open and the Volvo Scandinavian Masters. Indeed, he had shown earlier in the year signs that he was in determined mood when he won the Ericsson Masters in Melbourne, Australia, in February.
Langer’s enduring talent brought him two victories - The TNT Open and the Linde German Masters - while last year’s Masters Champion, Vijay Singh, of Fiji, made his mark with victories in the Carlsberg Malaysian Open and the Caltex Singapore Masters in consecutive weeks.
Of course, in strict terms the ultimate multiple winner was American Tiger Woods, the world’s leading golfer, because he captured the Johnnie Walker Classic and the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe in addition to the 2001 Masters Tournament. This made Woods the first golfer in history to hold all four Major titles at the same time with the US Open Championship, Open Championship and US PGA Championship from the 2000 season. Later he captured the WGC-NEC Invitational and it is a reflection of the wider awareness of his responsibilities that he, too, plans a competitive programme on an international scale.
The overall health of The European Tour International Schedule is extremely robust with a contingent of no fewer than 12 first time winners in 2001, and some old favourites proving they still possess the desire and ability to produce golf of the highest quality. Indeed, Irishman Des Smyth’s Madeira Island Open victory at the age of 48 and 34 days, making him the oldest ever winner on The European Tour International Schedule and beating the record previously held by Neil Coles by 20 days, has stirred the hopes and ambitions of much younger though similarly experienced campaigners who now realise they, too, may have many years left before the action has to stop.
In fact, longevity of service was a keynote of the 2001 season because the veteran Englishman Roger Chapman reached an impressive milestone by playing in his 500th event. So, too, did England’s Malcolm Mackenzie while the remarkable Irishman Eamonn Darcy, at the age of 49, played in his 600th tournament. More evidence, if required, of the broad church that exists within the professional game and allows each individual to achieve personal goals to the limit.
For some, however, it was just the start, particularly those who experienced the thrill of winning on The European Tour for the first time. Paul Casey, the English newcomer, made a speedy impact by achieving a victory in only his 11th event when he took the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship while Tobias Dier from Nürnberg in Germany held his nerve to win the North West of Ireland Open by a stroke.
Darren Fichardt from South Africa became the Sao Paulo Brazil Open champion and Adam Scott, from Australia, earned the Alfred Dunhill Championship title in South Africa. But, perhaps, the most dramatic line-up of newcomers emerged from Argentina with Jorge Berendt winning the Cannes Open in France, fellow countrymen Ricardo Gonzalez taking the Omega European Masters in Switzerland and Angel Cabrera the Open de Argentina on home soil.
There were wins for American compatriots Steve Stricker (WGC - Accenture Match Play) and David Toms (US PGA Championship). At 19 years old, Australia’s Aaron Baddeley also triumphed for the first time on The European Tour International Schedule, beating Spain’s Sergio Garcia in a play-off for the Greg Norman Holden International in Sydney, Australia. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson captured his first title at the Benson and Hedges International Open, and in so doing graduated in superb style from winning the 2000 European Challenge Tour Rankings, then as the sun began to set on another season so three times French Amateur champion Gregory Havret become the second Frenchman to win on The 2001 European Tour International Schedule by claiming his maiden title in his rookie season. He closed with a 69 to win the Atlanet Italian Open at Is Molas Golf Club, Sardinia. The tournament also marked another significant milestone for The European Tour as, for the first time, the leading 115 in the Volvo Order of Merit all won in excess of £100,000.
The early part of the year had a case-hardened appearance to it with Mark McNulty from Zimbabwe, playing in his 25th consecutive season, holding on to the Mercedes-Benz South African Open and foiling a spirited attempt by England’s Justin Rose to win his first title. Campbell was back in form to win the Heineken Classic when The European Tour moved “Down Under” to The Vines Resort in Perth.
When the assembled cast teed up for the Dubai Desert Classic at The Emirates in early March it was generally assumed that Woods would be the dominant figure and so it transpired until the final hole when the Danish professional Thomas Björn put the American star under pressure as they were tied for the lead and proved to be the more resolute in what had essentially turned into a match play encounter between them.
Zimbabwe’s Tony Johnstone maintained the triumphant march of the “oldies” with a win in the Qatar Masters, but by April the young lions began to find their stride with England’s Ian Poulter taking the Moroccan Open, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson the Via Digital Open de España and Welshman Phillip Price the Algarve Open de Portugal in successive weeks.
Olazábal regained the winning touch in the Novotel Perrier Open de France. Yet, perhaps, the most heartening win of the season was that of Andrew Oldcorn. He started the Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club as a 150-1 outsider yet upstaged the stars to take the title which proved to be rightful reward for his tenacity and determination after earlier setbacks.
By the time French professional Thomas Levet won the Victor Chandler British Masters, Australian Peter O’Malley had taken The Compass Group English Open and Scotland’s Andrew Coltart The Great North Open champion, players from 15 different countries had won on The European Tour. By the end of the season in which The European Tour visited 23 different countries and had attracted competitors of 25 nationalities there were winners from Argentina, Australia, Denmark, England, Fiji, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United States, Wales and Zimbabwe.
One of the most triumphant performances came from Clarke, winner of the Dimension Data Pro-Am in South Africa and the Chunichi Crowns in Japan earlier in the year, who, in front of thousands of jubilant fans, became the first Irishman to win on home soil for 19 years as he took the Smurfit European Open at The K Club outside Dublin. Paul McGinley was another Irishman to win but in his case it was on Welsh soil as he captured The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open.
By this time, too, The European Tour had a customary feel and balance to it as the new brigade mingled comfortably with the experienced old guard and the arrival of American John Daly, winner of the 1991 US PGA Championship and the 1995 Open Championship, in the BMW International Open served to underline that eternal truth that form varies but class endures. Daly became a winner for the first time in six years with a score of 27 under par 261 at Golfclub München Nord-Eichenried which, had it not been for preferred lies on Saturday, would have tied the lowest under par total in the history of The European Tour. Moreover, the American professional came very close to a double success but was narrowly foiled by Langer in the Linde German Masters.
Indeed, during a year in which stamina and perseverance (plus a large helping of self-belief) characterised so many victories, some of the best were yet to come as Woosnam staged a command performance to win the Cisco World Match Play Championship by earning the title in three separate decades (and two different centuries for that matter). His victims included the US Open Champion Goosen, as well as Montgomerie and 2000 Volvo Order of Merit winner Lee Westwood, of England, whose form was frustratingly elusive all season. In the final Woosnam defeated Harrington, who could ruefully reflect on the frustrations of being runner-up seven times through the year.
On reflection, Woosnam’s remarkable performance was compensation in part for the dreadful mix-up at the Open Championship when he was penalised for having one club too many in his bag following the start of the final round - a setback which some genuinely believe cost this inspirational player perhaps his best chance so far of victory in the Open. His Wentworth Club win was followed by a similar comeback exploit at St Andrews by Scotland’s Paul Lawrie as the 1999 Open Champion scored a dramatic last green victory on the Old Course to take the Dunhill Links Championship.
During the interim Garcia spread his talent successfully to both sides of the Atlantic by following two wins on the US PGA Tour by capturing the Trophée Lancôme in Paris. His success on American soil underlined a wider impact as Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik again became a US winner, and the remarkable Argentinian José Coceres, who required three attempts to qualify for The European Tour, then toiled for 11 years, suddenly broke through at the age of 38 to win two US events.
A tribute to longevity, of course. But more than this, living proof that a vibrant European Tour, which offers opportunity, incentive and challenge to players as they emerge and develop, creates a climate for champions and can be judged by the quality and number of its heroes. It is, after all, the sole raison d’etre for The European Tour International Schedule. And one that it fulfils completely.
Michael McDonnell
Reproduced by kind permission from The European Tour Yearbook 2002
