In just his second full season on the European Tour, Gemany's Tobias Dier has emerged as one of its most promising players. Last year he won the North West of Ireland Open in his first year. He has not shown a great deal of consistency as yet, having made only seven of nineteen starts this season, but he has shown that he can win. To do it in the manner he did, suggests that he has what it takes, once consistency develops, to be a regular contender in Europe.
Dier gained his card for Europe via the Challenge Tour in 2000 after turning pro in 1998. He qualified for the Australasian Tour in 1999 by leading the tour school that season and played several events without a lot of success. He was only twenty three then and so is still young man (25).
That he was able to lead from the start and hold off strong finishes from Jamie Spence, Peter Lonard and Padraig Harrington speaks volumes for not only his playing skills, but his mental capacity also.
Jamie Spence's eagle at the last was worth a lot of money as it broke him clear of a tie for second with Lonard and Harrington. Despite the fact that Spence has won twice on the European Tour, this was by far his biggest cheque (200,000 euros) and comes at a time when his golf has been pretty ordinary for eighteen months or so. His win in 2000 in Morroco was the only thing keeping him from losing his card last year and this season this has been his first top ten in twenty starts.
Lonard continued what has been an amazing season with his tie for third with Harrington. He gains another $A185,000 to go with the more than $A2,000,000 made in the US this year and so riches beyond perhaps his wildest dreams twelve months ago, maybe even six months ago.
The ever improving Jarrod Moseley was fifth and a cheque for $A138,000, New Zealander Greg Turner 16th, Peter O'Malley and Nick O'Hern were 23rd, Scott Gardiner in his first start in Europe for a couple of months was 31st, Stephen Leaney 48th and Lucas parsons 71st.
Bob Gilder may have been excused for wondering if he was reliving a scene from seven days earlier when he was faced with a playoff for the Fleet Boston Classic against one time US PGA Champion John Mahaffey.
At last week's SBC Open in Chicago Gilder had watched as Hale Irwin self destructed at the first playoff hole for him to win there, although here it was a much tougher battle with the playoff lasting three holes before Gilder's birdie sealed the deal.
Gilder now has four Senior Tour victories to his name and the 20001 Rookie of the Year looks set for more.
Mahaffey perhaps surprisingly has only won the one event on the Seniors Tour back in 1999, but he has found a vein of form of late with three top fives in the last five starts. Another win may now be not too far away for teh Texan.
Rodger Davis was 22nd after a good start. He still needs another $US200,000 or thereabouts to ensure he has his card for next year. The top 31 at season's end are those that retain playing priveleges for 2003.
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