SHATTERING EXPERIENCE AT THE EISENHOWER TROPHY

27/09/2016

Team Malta at the WATC have just returned home after a long and shattering experience in Mexico where they placed a low 68th out of 71 teams – unfortunately the worst result for Malta over these last years.

Indeed Malta ended with a score of +87 equivalent to 200 strokes better than Armenia who placed last but also 125 worse than the Australian winning team and some 60 shots short of the mid-40 placing that was hoped ahead of the tournament. On an individual basis out of 213 players JJ Micallef placed tied 190 with a four day score of +39; Andy Borg placed 197 with +48 and Christian Brown placed 200th with a +55. The best two players were both from Australia with a -17 and -15 scores respectively whilst the worst score was registered by a German with a +362 – equivalent to having played the course five additional times than regular play.

Naturally these comments are based solely on the leader board published by the International Golf Federation during the tournament. More humane comments have been received by Christian’s father and Nick Borg the team’s captain and are being reproduced below.

“Although none of the boys played especially badly, good from tee to green, kept their game heads on, I lost count of the number of bad breaks /unlucky lies/ lipped-out putt etc. There were some mitigating circumstances: I have never experienced such heat/humidity combination, the chaps were playing against the conditions as well as the course.

By day four, even though I was merely walking the course, monitoring progress and offering encouragement, I was totally exhausted and had to bail out by the ninth.

The hotel, tournament, organisation etc were first class, a fact entirely appreciated by Team Malta.
You know , most of the guys in the top ten finishers are already virtually pros or on the cusp of turning pro, there were definitely some names to look out for in the future.

I think all 3 of your players got a lot out of it, learned a lot, were thoroughly gentlemanly and a credit to your Association and country”. Dominic Brown

“When we got there it was immediately apparent that the weather was going to be a factor. The humidity was really high and the sun was strong. Thrown in with that was the occasional heavy rain shower though we were lucky that only hit us on the first round. In fact a few players walked off or did not show for round 4 and a few threw up from the heat.

The competition was split over 2 courses which were extremely different from each other – Paraiso was very heavily undulating, with fast greens and Mayakoba (a PGA tour event course) is flatter but well-crafted and longer than Paraiso. Both had pretty narrow fairways with no forgiveness for error. A stray drive invariably meant a lost ball, an unplayable ball or a drop. Both had incredibly thick semi rough and rough that meant either difficulty in connection, inability to spin the ball so getting a flyer from long irons coming in, or in chipping, a high possibility of fluffing it… I saw a lot of very clearly talented players struggling with the chipping from the rough.

Paraiso’s greens being very undulating meant that if you approached in the wrong area or were a little short, you could be in serious trouble. As an example, Andy played a great approach at hole 16 to the 3rd tier, but was too close to the flag and spun back, rolled down 2 tiers and off the green and down a slope. An approach of 130 yards, right by the pin and ended up with 50 yards to chip up! Brutal punishment for errors.

I walked with them and by round 5 my feet were killing me (and I’m fit!). By round 6 I had 5 toes taped up for blisters! The humidity and the distance took their toll!

Mayakoba par 4s were usually a really well struck driver and a 3 or 4 iron in to the hole. The course was too long for short hitters to manage and our boys were on the edge, at the limit of their range. On a good day with good weather conditions, they could manage it but in the humidity and heat, tough going. Paraiso was also not short and having to hit it hard meant taking on trouble risk…

So although they all had their very good spells. The overall scores were a reflection of a few holes of trouble generally with the rest of the round being good.

Overall I think they gave 110% (because you had to out there!) and left nothing back. The teams who we were competing with in Japan had similar scores to us here so I think they were feeling the same things we were. The top flight players were so straight they were able to avoid the hazards that were so costly. Scotland for example played great at 10 under on day 1 and then were plus 2 for the final 3 days. Heat exhaustion.
If we had managed one or two level par rounds which was possible we would have jumped up around 10 places but it was not to be.

I was very proud to be with them and be there to support and try to cheer them on, and they gave it all, so it’s a pity the result wasn’t better but factoring in the heat and conditions, it was not a bad showing. I saw many other scratch and plus handicap players struggling very badly, so I think we can hold our heads up.” Nick Borg