Ross is the latest Ryder mover
ON THE GREENS WITH
SAM TORRANCE
ROSS MCGOWAN is the latest unfamiliar name to throw the Ryder Cup formbook upside down with a polished performance to win the Madrid Masters at the weekend.
McGowan’s seven-shot victory saw him claim a first European Tour victory and saw him shoot to second, behind Simon Dyson, in the early Ryder Cup rankings. Captain Colin Montgomerie will no doubt be delighted with the way the race to Celtic Manor is panning out with some unrivalled contenders giving him a nice selection headache.
TOUCHING DISTANCE
McGowan also came within one shot of recording a magical 59 with 10 birdies and two eagles culminating in a blistering third round which paved the way for victory.
This is the second round of 60 in the last month, after Rafael Cabrera-Bello’s effort in Austria, but the mark is yet to be broken on Tour. With the standard reaching these new heights, however, I believe it’s only a matter of time.
This is a big weekend for me as I go into the inaugural Benahavis Senior Masters in Marbella, Spain, knowing that a high finish will put me in touching distance of Ian Woosnam at the top of the standings with one tournament to go.
With all the problems I’ve had with injury, a third Order of Merit title would be a pretty special achievement for me, but with Glenn Ralph and Peter Mitchell also breathing down my neck, there is still a lot of hard work to be done.
RYDER CUP WORLD POINTS LISTA
1 Simon Dyson (Eng) 63.57
2 Ross McGowan (Eng) 48.00
3 Padraig Harrington (Ire) 47.39
4 Alexander Noren (Swe) 40.37
5 Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 36.42
6 Rory McIlroy (NI) 32.00
(Top 4 qualify automatically)