Golf
Embarrassing moment is costly for Dinwiddie
A FIRST top ten finish is far from
something to be upset about, but
Robert Dinwiddie was left thinking
what might have been' after
making two cuts of a different
kind in Spain.
Dinwiddie landed in Lisbon
yesterday morning ahead of this
Thursday's Estoril Open de Portugal
in confident mood after
climbing to within five places of
the top 100 on the Order of Merit.
Having earned just short of
£30,000 for a share of sixth place
in the MAPFRE Open de Andalucia
on Sunday, he is looking
to the coming months with optimism
as he aims to secure his
Tour card for next season.
But while pleased with his
finest performance since turning
professional towards the end of
2006, the Barnard Castle golfer
has been left reflecting on an embarrassing
moment that could
have cost him a first title.
After an excellent second
round at Marbella's sun-baked
Aloha club, Dinwiddie reached
the turn on Saturday two under
for the third round and nine
under for the tournament.
Two pars followed and he arrived
at the 12th one shot adrift
of then leader Lee Westwood,
only for humiliation to strike.
After pulling his tee-shot left of
the water, Dinwiddie walked to
his ball but found he couldn't
play it.
In hopping over a small wall to
get back to the fairway he tore an
eight-inch rip from the zip in his
trousers down his inner thigh.
The double bogey which followed
was an indication that he had
been distracted.
"I had no change of trousers,
no water proofs, no nothing," said
Dinwiddie. "It was the first time
I had been well-placed, being regularly
shown on the television,
and here I was with six holes to
play getting a draught in my
trousers.
"I had little option but to keep
playing like that for the last few
holes and it was distracting. Who
knows how distracting?"
The statistics provide the answer.
His only bogey of the round
arrived at the 17th before a double
bogey - only the second he
had over the four days - at the
last. A three over par score left
him off the pace.
But with a change of clothes
Dinwiddie was back on song the
following day.
A superb 66 was only blotted by
one bogey and his seven birdies
ensured that he climbed back up
to sixth.
After finishing 30th in the MasterCard
Masters and 11th in the
Michael Hill New Zealand Open
at the end of last year, he has
struggled in 2008.
His performance in Spain,
however, has given him a new lift
in terms of self-belief.
"It's funny because I was confident
anyway, despite missing a
few cuts," said Dinwiddie, who
has only made two from six cuts
this year.
"I had been playing reasonably
well but it has been frustrating
while I have been putting things
together with my game. But I am
really chuffed to finish in the top
ten and I do have a new burst of
confidence."
With £48,000 earnings for the
season, he is already well on his
way to edging towards a figure
that will automatically gain his
Tour card for next season. Last
season that was around £175,000.
"I will keep working at it and,
rather than looking at figures, if
I achieve all the other targets I
have then I will get my Tour card
anyway," said Dinwiddie.
"After getting myself in contention
on Sunday, I am looking
to do that more often, starting in
Portugal this week. More top ten
finishes mean I will be back next
year."
■ International Pairs has devised
an exciting new way to
enter the world's largest tournament
for club golfers - by launching
its very own knockout competition.
The 2008 International Pairs
Open Qualifier will be played
over a series of four knockout
rounds in regions throughout the
UK between June and September
and is open to all club golfers
with a valid CONGU affiliated
handicap.
To find out more details about
the qualifier, or to register a club,
call 01489 878509, or e-mail
info@internationalpairs.com. Alternatively,
visit the website at
www.internationalpairs.com.
9:00am Tuesday 1st April 2008
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