2011 - A Year in Review

2011 was the year of Luke Donald

It culminated in a day of triumph. After Alvaro Quiros sunk a dramatic eagle putt on the 72nd to add just a little extra gloss on a tremendous win at the Dubai World Championship, Luke Donald was ushered in as the first player in history to officially win the Money Lists on both the European and US PGA Tour's. The Race to Dubai, which spanned a total of 51 weeks, went right down to its final event. Although Rory McIlroy, who himself has had a breakthrough season, didn't quite threaten Donald's lead in the end, it offered a sense of drama, excitement and uncertainity - three words that have indeed dominated a momentous year in the world of golf.

PGA Tour

The youth dominated in 2011

In what was in many respects a transitional year Stateside, the rookies took over. With the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk taking more of a spectators seat, the PGA Tour offered tremendous variety and an influx of new exciting young talent with an incredible 13 first time winners. 2011 was a year of opportunity for many. The successes of Webb Simpson, Keegan Bradley and Gary Woodland illustrate that the depth in fearless, talented and committed young American players is far greater than many critics would have believed. The FedEx Cup still hasn't yet found the perfect format, however it is still the best end to a season that is currently possible, and the excitement factor was certainly clear at a dramatic Tour Championship which concluded with a $10 Million playoff between Bill Haas and Nick Watney. To the delight of the Tour, the battle for the money list was prolonged to the final week of the Fall Series at Disney with Luke Donald brilliantly holding back a brave late season fight back from Webb Simpson.American golf ended 2011 in fine fashion with victories in both the World Cup of Golf, and in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

European Tour

Sergio came back to form in 2011 looking ahead.

Following an historically successful 2010 season, this year wasn't far from being as good. With European Tour members Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke all claiming Major Championship glory in 2011, the recent dominance from the Tour on the major stage did not relent. Similarly to the States, a great number of young players continued to gain prominence. With players such as Matteo Manassero, Alex Noren, Oliver Fisher and Pablo Larrazabal all picking up victories, the pool of potential Ryder Cup qualifiers both in 2012, but also well into the future has been deepened, and with a welcome late season return to form from Sergio Garcia, there is plenty of experienced added into that mix. The Race to Dubai, in its 3rd year, had undoubtedly its most successful season yet. World Number 1 Luke Donald looked destined for months to claim the title, but a late surge from US Open champion Rory McIlroy kept the race alive until the final week in Dubai.

LPGA Tour & Ladies European Tour
It continues to be a dark period for the ladies game, both financially and commercially. Despite the quite incredible achievements of Yani Tseng, arguably the most talented female player seen in generations, the ladies game still struggles to retain sponsors and television spots. However this side of the game offered us arguably the finest sample of dramatic and exciting golf in 2011. The Solheim Cup, which took place at Killeen Castle in Ireland, was maligned by slow play and an often subdued atmosphere, suddenly came to life on the final day and particularly during the final hour of the Singles when a Europe, inspired by Suzann Petterson, Caroline Hedwall and Azahara Munoz, came back from what appeared to be likely defeat, to win their first Solheim since 2003. It was sporting drama at its very best, and placed a much needed and deserved spotlight onto the ladies game. However, despite this exposure, the battle for the ladies professional game, both in Europe and in the States, continues to be a losing struggle, and the fight will continue well into the years ahead, as these very talented women deserve so much better.

The 2011 Solheim Cup was a great week for European and Ladies golf as a whole.

The Masters Tournament

Charl Schwartzel won a dramatic Masters Tournament

In one of the most memorable editions of this iconic event from Augusta National, talented South African Charl Schwartzel, following the greatest individual finish to a Masters, joined his compatriots Gary Player and Trevor Immelman in having the privilege of wearing the Green Jacket. Schwartzel birdies the final four holes on Sunday to defeat an extremely talented chasing pack on a day in which eight different players had at least a share of the lead, included five simultaneously on the back nine. Following the tragic collapse of Rory McIlroy, who went into Sunday with a four shot lead, Tiger Woods set the tournament alight with a dramatic front nine of 31 and inspired the other members of the leaderboard onto providing us with the most Augusta excitement that a Masters Tournament has offered us this century. McIlroy's woe was Schwartzel gain, but one thing is for certain, Sunday's at the Masters are back.

The US Open.

In 2011 the promise of Rory McIlroy came true

In what was the greatest performance seen in a Major since Tiger Woods' obliteration of the Pebble Beach field in 2000, Rory McIlroy wrote his own edition of the US Open record book with a quite simply phenomenal performance at Congressional. Exorcising the demons from Augusta, Rory destroyed the assembled field in a manner that many doubted we would ever see again. The great literary minds of the 19th and 20th centuries would not have been able to adequately describe Rory's performance, but it was an event of extraordinary proportions that shook the world of the golf and will be spoken about for decades. Rory McIlroy, the prodigal talent from Northern Ireland, showed his promise in a manner, which even his greatest supporters would have been stunned by. The 2011 United States Open, the third edition at Congressional Country Club, will not go down alongside the classics in terms of excitement, but will be remembered for some time to come, because of one individual, Rory McIlroy.

The Open Championship

In 2011 Darren Clarke finally kissed his dream.

Following McIlroy's exploits in the previous month, if there was one Ulsterman you would have picked to win the 141st Open Championship at Royal St George's, it most likely wouldn't have been 42 year old Darren Clarke! In what was the golfing fairytale of the decade, Clarke, who has overcome great personal tragedy and suffering in his life, finally won a Major in his 54th attempt in emotional fashion in the testing conditions of the Kentish coast. Clarke battled the conditions, and the quirky layout of Sandwich, better than anyone else in the field, as he outlasted a charge from Phil Mickelson and a sustained challenge from another American, Dustin Johnson. It was the most popular win in modern memory, and there was not a member of the crowd and watching audience who didn't have a tear in their eye as Darren Clarke strode down the 18th fairway of Sandwich, knowing that he had achieved the ultimate goal; He was the Open Champion.

The PGA Championship.

Keegan Bradley made history in 2011

The PGA, often regarded as the forgotten of the four majors, certainly made a name for itself with its dramatic conclusion that had rarely been matched before. The first half of the week was dominated by the disastrous performance of Tiger Woods, who after a fine start, fell to his worst ever finish in a Major Championship, missing the cut by six shots after rounds of 77 and 73. As the 93rd PGA looked like drifting into the category of the unmemorable, two unexpected names rose to the top and provided those who watched with a golfing spectacle. Keegan Bradley, in his first ever major appearance, and Jason Dufner, who had never won on the main Tour, displayed incredibly exciting golf under the utmost pressure, in a duel which had to be settled in the end by a three hole playoff. Ultimately it was a tearful Bradley who became Bradley became only the third player after Francis Ouimet (1913 - US Open) and Ben Curtis (2003 - Open Championship) to win a major in his first ever attempt. It was a dramatic and unexpected ending to one of the finest major championship quartets that has been seen for quite some time.

Will Luke Donald and Tiger Woods battle head to head in 2012?

 It was the year that just kept on giving. 2011 was truly an exciting year to be a golf fan. Consistently, event after event, whatever the Tour, whatever the gender and whatever the age, it continued to deliver small crumbs of drama and excitement, and as fans of the game, you were desperate to experience some more. There isn't a golf fan in the world that isn't excited about the potential of 2012. With a resurgent Tiger Woods looking to get back to the top, he'll face stiff opposition in the form of Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, all of whom are basing themselves primarily on the PGA Tour in the New Year. In a Ryder Cup season, captains Olazabal and Love will be keeping an eye on their respective teams, while also glancing over at the continuing rise in strength within the other side. When all of these factors are taken into consideration, 12 months from now, 2011 might in contrast turn out to be a rather average season in what is beginning to develop into the most exciting and competitive period in the modern history of the professional game.