The Nordea Masters! T25th

Tour Diary

What an event Nordea put on for the European Tour’s Nordea Masters at Bro Hof Slot!

From getting off the plane the hospitality and player support was world class!

This week Laura and the children were out with me and landing in Stockholm we actually had two cars waiting to collect us! One for our luggage and one for us!

The luggage had to slum it in the new BMW 4 series whilst we cruised to the course in a new X6!

It was only Monday, so we all headed to the hotel mid-afternoon, unpacked, chilled, had a swim and got our bearings!

We were the only golfers in our hotel, as the official one was so expensive once again, and I had managed to find what felt like a good ‘Yorkshire’ rate in Sweden where everything is so expensive!

So Tuesday for me was a full day of practice, whilst the girls had other plans!

This week the Tour/Sponsors had arranged a family day on Tuesday and a wives’ day on Wednesday (this was all paid for too by Nordea).

So Tuesday the girls headed off to ‘Junibacken’ and had a wonderful time!!

It’s like a fairy-tale wonderland with all Swedish characters such as the Moomins!

I had my standard long day up at the club, did some driver testing, and some work with Trackman just checking my swing numbers.

Steve arrived at lunch time then we went out and played with Mark Foster, finishing around 7.30pm.

Wednesday was just a practice day, so a day of putting games, and keeping the good swing feelings from the previous day on the range.

Whilst I practised, Jess and Olivia were in the Tour Crèche, which they provide most weeks on Tour, again another fantastic service which is free – they really try to make it accessible for families to travel.

This meant Laura actually got to watch me this week, hence all the action shots!! 🙂

The same day Laura went off on the ladies’ day to Stockholm with a group of wives and mums. They had a great time visiting:

– The King’s Palace

– The Grand Hotel for a Smorgasbord lunch

– And some shopping

This was all VIP for them, guided round for the whole day!

Every day the BMW cars picked us up and shuttled us back and forth from hotel and golf course, it was a half an hour journey but they made it so easy!

We also became good friends with Anders who drove for us most of the week, it was like having the friendliest guided tour of Sweden every day, and we learnt things you never normally would when at an event!

About the course…

Firstly, on the eye it was amazing! Very impressive, especially as you drive into the course and see the vast amount of water surrounding it!!

But it was one of those courses that you play in practice and think, “wow, it’s going to be really tricky”.

I say that due to the length but more so the slopes on the greens … But in practice you always tend to do crazy putts the full length of the green and just think you are going to three putt everywhere.

But when the tee positions slightly change through the week, the wind blows and helps on many holes, it’s not as long, and then you play into segments of the greens and some pin positions all of a sudden become really easy ones as the ball always feeds down to them!

But it’s a great test – I’m just glad we didn’t play it from the back tees which measure 8000 yards, which is just crazy!

My golf…

It was the first week this year that I’ve known the guys I’ve played with in the first two rounds – and I knew these two would not finish last! (Like in Morocco).

I don’t mean to sound nasty, but it sure helps when you’re all playing ok and drag each other round.

Joel Sjolholm shot -4, Zander Lombard level, and I really did scrap it round for level par!! (72)

I was surprisingly very poor off the tee, but my putting held my game together and a birdie finish down 9 gave me a boost to go into round 2.

Round 2 I played lovely, birdie, birdie start always helps!! And I pressed on and got it to -4 after 15 holes!

17 is the famous island green you see in all the pictures, it’s a great last 4 holes to finish and the last two are in an amazing amphitheatre!!

I left myself a tricky long putt and three putted … Then parred the last and was pretty happy to sign for 69 (-3) and move up to T26th.

A good day’s work!

Saturday for round 3 the weather changed, it was pretty cold, the wind had really picked up and all of a sudden it became a really tough test!

I played really solid, managed to post 70 (-2) and moved up to T12th which was very pleasing! A light afternoon of practice, some fun with the kids and it was back to our hotel for an early night!!

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Round 4 the weather was similar, if not windier!! I bogeyed the first after a mis- club into the green but then plodded around really solid not making a birdie until the par 5 9th.

I played the next three holes well and after birdieing 12 I moved into the top 10. I was confident, my game was good and there were still some good chances!

The 13th is a great risk reward hole, I hit a really nice tee shot, and it gave me the opportunity to cross the water and go for the par 5 in two!

I hit 4 iron straight at it! I called it early too: “Steve that’s perfect”, so to then see it drop out of the sky maybe a foot short and splash was a big shock!

I walked forward 30 yards and then flew the green with a 6 iron, it bounced into the deep trees and in the end I was very grateful to make 7!!!!

It didn’t shake me too much, I was 1 over and that was never a bad score…

A good par up the next, then onto 15 – another risk reward hole! I killed it off the tee, then hit a ‘worldie’ of a three iron from 260 through the back of the 90% island green…. Played a great chip and unfortunately failed to convert the birdie and that probably annoyed me a little!

A three putt bogey on 16 and 18 from long range sandwiched a double bogey 5 on the island green 17th after myself and Tyrell Hatton both found the water!

Very disappointing but a day that showed a lot of promise in many aspects of my game!

In the end, and after the way the first round felt… T25th is not a bad overall result! It’s more weekend golf under my belt, more money on the OOM before the re-rank, and lots of positive vibes to take into Austria this week!

But away from the golf it’s been a fantastic week too! Being able to relax with my family, and for it not be non-stop golf like a normal week is a breath of fresh air!

Even if the kids are totally crazy at times!!

But to be hitting balls on the range Saturday afternoon, and look across to the crèche at the end of the range and watch Jessica having a golf lesson at the same time was pretty sweet!!

Then we headed home together, and I fly straight back out for the next event in Austria where my coaches Mark Baber (mind) and Mark Pearson (swing) are joining me!!

It should be fun!!! 🙂

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Last modified: June 3, 2019