Everyone who wins on The European Tour International Schedule is entitled to believe, for that week at least, he is the ‘Main Man’’. Being the best ahead of 155 of your peers makes you the ‘Head Honcho’’. But no-one ever felt more like the ‘Big Cheese’’ than Mathias Grönberg.
For, as well as the €183,330 (£127,172) first prize and the relief of ending over three winless years, the 33 year old Swede’’s victory in the 60th Italian Open Telecom Italia saw him receive one of the most unusual additional prizes of the season, namely his weight in cheese from one of the tournament sponsors, Grana Padano.
Moments after receiving the glittering trophy after his two shot victory over Ricardo Gonzalez, José Manuel Lara and Colin Montgomerie, Grönberg marched to the nearby Cheese Pavillion, balanced tentatively on the scales, and was informed that 90kg of their finest fromage was now his. Perhaps it is just as well, we thought, he has homes in Monaco and New York as well as a base in Sweden.
The following week saw The European Tour touch down on mainland Britain for the first time in the year, at The De Vere Belfry for the 33rd and final staging of the Benson and Hedges International Open.
At the inaugural event in 1971, it had been one of European golf’’s then ‘Big Cheeses’’ Tony Jacklin who had stepped forward as the winner. By then Jacklin was known worldwide as winner of the 1969 Open Golf Championship and the 1970 US Open Championship.
He was, without question, the classiest act in town and his victory at Fulford offered instant credibility to a company that went on to be the longest and most continuous sponsor on The European Tour International Schedule.
How fitting then that on a bright and breezy Sunday in May another even younger Englishman, Paul Casey, stepped forward to receive the golden trophy that is host to so many of the most illustrious names in golf.
Despite having won the ANZ Championship on The European Tour earlier in the season, Casey did not carry the same fame into the tournament as Jacklin. For him, Major Championships remain a dream to unfold. But the swaggering manner of his final round echoed much of what encouraged Jacklin himself to step forward all those years ago.
As he cradled the cup and glanced at the impressive list of past champions it was entirely unsurprising that Casey's hitherto focused stare was clouded by tears of joy. “Two years ago this was my first tournament as a professional and to stand here now as the last ever champion is a bit overwhelming. This means so much to me," he said.
For Padraig Harrington, victory the following week in the Deutsche Bank – SAP Open TPC of Europe at Gut Kaden meant almost as much to the Irishman, but for differing reasons.
Harrington has become one of the leading European players so quickly it is easy to forget that he only turned professional at the end of 1995. Furthermore, because of his cheerful demeanour, courtesy and charm, he has made more friends than most. It is said you learn far more about a man from his demeanour in defeat than in victory and Harrington has borne this out.
Prior to this victory he had come second no less that 19 times in stroke play and match play tournaments, 17 times since the start of the 1999 season. It is said that no-one remembers who finishes second. Yet everyone in golf knew about Harrington and his near misses. He had a record that was on everyone's lips for the wrong reasons. He was in danger of being remembered as golf's nearly man.
There were not many ifs and buts about Harrington's tenth victory as a professional however other than it came in a one hole play-off with Thomas Björn. Harrington had led after the first, second and third rounds, but in the end he won with a display of sheer guts and character.
His rounds of 65-66-70-68 totalled 19 under par and although there were nervous moments throughout a long and exciting final afternoon, when four men were in with a chance, it was the Irishman who triumphed, nervelessly holing a 12 footer at the 72nd to force the play-off before holing from four feet at the first play-off hole for victory. It had, he hoped, laid to rest a few ghosts.
And so to Wentworth Club and the Volvo PGA Championship, the flagship event of The European Tour International Schedule.
To win on the West Course - the Harry Colt masterpiece superbly prepared again by Chris Kennedy, the Golf Courses Manager - is, of course, never easy especially with such a title at stake in addition to a 583,330 euro (£414,555) first prize. It becomes a more formidable task when those breathing down your neck also include Paul Casey, winner of the Benson and Hedges International Open two weeks earlier, Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie. But Ignacio Garrido was equal to the task.
Faced with a play-off against Trevor Immelman, the duo returned to the 18th tee and, as so often happens, the South African found the green on the par five in two but Garrido still won.
He did so with a fabulous chip from the side of the green, leaving the ball two feet from the cup from where he holed after Immelman had taken three putts, thus completing a memorable victory.
Garrido had followed in the footsteps of compatriots Seve Ballesteros, José Maria Olazábal and Manuel Piñero by winning the Volvo PGA Championship and he had recorded the 124th victory by a Spanish player since The European Tour was born in 1972. He delivered a wonderful speech at the prize giving, displaying an honesty and modesty that truly reflected his character.
While there were many moments of enjoyment in May there was also one of sadness with the death of Mark McCormack, the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the International Management Group.
Paying tribute, Ken Schofield, Executive Director of The European Tour, said: “His [Mark’’s] sheer force of presence was, certainly for me, very inspiring. The name and reputation went before him and he was no disappointment in reality. He was larger than life, an icon in our lives.”
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