Thomas Bjorn blows it....

[Kilted Arab]

Bjorn, four shots ahead going into the final round of the European Open, shoots a shocking 14-over par on the last day.

Included in his round was a nightmare at the 17th. After finding water at the 16th, he then hits three consecutive drives into the River Liffey and cards an 11...

Poor bastard...

[IrishGolfer]

Originally Posted by Kilted Arab

Bjorn, four shots ahead going into the final round of the European Open, shoots a shocking 14-over par on the last day.

Included in his round was a nightmare at the 17th. After finding water at the 16th, he then hits three consecutive drives into the River Liffey and cards an 11...

Poor bastard...

Ya beat me to it...

Word of the week - septuple

So you are standing on the 15th tee in a major tournament at -4 in command of the lead, having just steadied the ship with a bird on 14. You then go bogey, bogey to be still leading but starting to get a bit worried. The wheels are starting to coming off and the conditions are tough so you have a good chat with yourself on the 17th tee. Come on now a good drive here will sort me out. Three balls into the water from the tee later you run up a septuple bogey 11.

Talk about a train wreck! This was like the Fugitive multiplied by 100.

I feel really sorry for Bjorn, he's good bloke but I dare say that he will find it tough to bounce back from that. See it for yourselves...
http://scores.europeantour.com/score...40&iTourI d=1

[Dave Ireland]

Originally Posted by IrishGolfer

Ya beat me to it...

Word of the week - septuple

So you are standing on the 15th tee in a major tournament at -4 in command of the lead, having just steadied the ship with a bird on 14. You then go bogey, bogey to be still leading but starting to get a bit worried. The wheels are starting to coming off and the conditions are tough so you have a good chat with yourself on the 17th tee. Come on now a good drive here will sort me out. Three balls into the water from the tee later you run up a septuple bogey 11.

Talk about a train wreck! This was like the Fugitive multiplied by 100.

I feel really sorry for Bjorn, he's good bloke but I dare say that he will find it tough to bounce back from that. See it for yourselves...
http://scores.europeantour.com/score...40&iTourI d=1

Nahhh Irish, no tears from me for Bjorn ... 2 words ...Divine Retribution .... this is the geezer that walked off the course after 6 holes of his round last year....made no apologies to his playing partner, just disappeared.

Then he had the gall to not respond to reasonable questions this year about his behaviour....I wish he understood the absolute privilege it is to be a pro golfer when the rest of us can only imagine.... btw I like him as a golfer just hate the sulks of him and his ilk ...

[IrishGolfer]

Originally Posted by Dave Ireland

Nahhh Irish, no tears from me for Bjorn ... 2 words ...Divine Retribution .... this is the geezer that walked off the course after 6 holes of his round last year....made no apologies to his playing partner, just disappeared.

Then he had the gall to not respond to reasonable questions this year about his behaviour....I wish he understood the absolute privilege it is to be a pro golfer when the rest of us can only imagine.... btw I like him as a golfer just hate the sulks of him and his ilk ...

Dave, from memory, Bjorn had a breakdown. Word was he was verging on basket-case syndrome and close to giving up the game. I agree about behaving like a professional, but sometimes guys just snap mentally. It's hard to face up to that in public, and so you risk the aloof, arrogant attitude thang.

Who knows what might have happened in the public eye. Him jumping into a bunker and rolling around in the sand foaming at the mouth.

Look at Casey at the US Open. The guy was chewing in up bad. His "Team" decided it was better for him to walk off. Who's to know that guy wasn't in a darkened room, rocking back and forth on the end of his bed.

It is a privelidge to play this game but there are huge pressures to perform. Some dudes can't handle it. I am not condoning it, just merely wondering if there is more to it than surface level arrogance.

[Dave Ireland]

Funny, as you mention the "basket case" syndrome .... I seem to remember it now being a throwback to The Open when he folded down the stretch in Carnoustie (I think). I agree that there is nothing worse than living your life in the public eye when there's a question about mental fragility.

[Kilted Arab]

Originally Posted by Dave Ireland

Funny, as you mention the "basket case" syndrome .... I seem to remember it now being a throwback to The Open when he folded down the stretch in Carnoustie (I think). I agree that there is nothing worse than living your life in the public eye when there's a question about mental fragility.

Bjorn dropped a four shot lead with three to play in the 2003 Open at Royal St George's...Ben Curtis (who he? ed) went on to win. Bjorn had the nightmare in the bunker if you recall.

Bjorn apparently called this K-Club fiasco "the worst day of his golfing life". Well, if he went loopy after The Open, then this could finish him.

[Dave Ireland]

Aye Kilted ..... yeah I remember it now .... he was impeccable for 3 and a half days and he handed out a putting lesson. I suppose in 1 way he's to be admired in calling a spade a spade .... there was no dressing up his condition as "fatigue" or "lack of confidence" and he did wear his heart on his sleeve.

It's just in the context of professional sport, where so many people "big" themselves up, just look at Tiger in post-round interviews - that Bjorn would reveal a chink in his armour, something that can be expolited - Ryder Cup comes to mind.

I remember further back Ronan Rafferty dipping into the trees for a toilet break (must be a nordie thing ) ...and never been seen again

[IrishGolfer]

This was from an article from last year's European Open. God only knows what this poor bugger is going through now....

'Demons' force Björn to quit

The ’Great Dane, almost certainly the finest golfer produced by his country, bogeyed four of the first five holes at the K Club’s tough and windy new Smurfit course, and then abruptly turned to his partners, Paul Casey and Michael Campbell, and apologetically announced he was quitting the tournament.

"I just can’t face being in a tournament situation at the moment," Björn told pressmen afterwards in attempting to explained his unusual behaviour.

"I still have as much love for this game as I’ve ever had, but I want to get away, sit down and think about what I need to do.

"I work hard on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and then on Thursdays it just all seems to collapse.

"It’s the worst stretch I’ve ever had in my life."

The 33-year-old, who lost the Open Championship to shock winner Ben Curtis at Royal St George’s in Sandwich last year after being three ahead with four to play, is now a doubtful starter for next week’s Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, but said he was "100 per cent sure" he’d be teeing off in The Open.

"It takes place at Royal Troon in a fortnight", he added, giving the impression he expected to have found some answers to his troubled form and confidence by then.

Björn has missed the cut in four of his last five tournaments on the US PGA Tour, including in the Masters and US Open, and has returned to Europe with his confidence in tatters and his cumulative scores in the US adding up to a depressing 53 over par.

"The last three or four months have been awful," he admitted, his face and body language clearly reflecting his unhappy state of mind.

"I’m fine health-wise, but I’m fighting some things on the course and I don’t feel comfortable out there. I need to sort it out.

"I’m confused about what’s happening and while I know it can change quickly, I’m starting to think about skipping this year - not taking it off, but disregarding the results.

"I’m putting myself under so much pressure to perform week after week, but it’s getting worse.

"When you are working as hard as I am, courses like Shinnecock Hills (where theUS Open was played) and here knocks you and knocks you.

"This is not where I want to be mentally and I don’t want to go on doing it.

"I want to get away and when I come back I want to be prepared and ready to play.

[Dave Ireland]

Very interesting article IG .....reminds a lot of the mental turmoil of Ronnie O'Sullivan in snooker. It appears that the overriding need to succeed both professionally and on a personal level scuppered his god given talent.

Kinda makes ya wonder how the guy languishing #150 places on the order of merit feels about scoring a £ 5,000 cheque by making a halfway cut - now that's pressure

[tomysole]

I couldn't believe he was 4 strokes ahead and choked like that. Poor guy

[Bravo]

Interesting post. I was at the in-laws on holiday and pretty much missed out on the world of golf for three days. (It was miserable.)

It sounds like Bjorn has "mental issues" that surfaced in the 2003 Open.

Before that, was Bjorn known as a "choker"? Had he closed out and won quite a few tourneys - or has he had the problem a long time? I hope he does not have a problem with mental illness. I wish this on noone and there is so much ignorance of the entire affair.

[Kilted Arab]

Originally Posted by Bravo

Interesting post. I was at the in-laws on holiday and pretty much missed out on the world of golf for three days. (It was miserable.)

It sounds like Bjorn has "mental issues" that surfaced in the 2003 Open.

Before that, was Bjorn known as a "choker"? Had he closed out and won quite a few tourneys - or has he had the problem a long time? I hope he does not have a problem with mental illness. I wish this on noone and there is so much ignorance of the entire affair.

Hey Bravo. He's had a few wins in his time - http://www.europeantour.com/players/...7&sOption=wins

Bjorn is linked with one of the clubs in Dubai and he won the 2001 Desert Classic here - the field included Tiger. And Bjorn was in the same group as Tiger for all four rounds. So I guess he has the ability to close out...unless that has left him for some reason...?