He might not have been a name that many were familiar with entering this season, but after the best finish of his so far embryonic European Challenge Tour career a fortnight ago in Kenya, there is no doubting the talent of George Woolgar as he arrives at the Challenge de Madrid this week.
The Chesterfield native finished third at the Barclays Kenya Open in the first full event of the season, missing out on a place in the play-off by a single stroke, after a closing round of 67 had seen him share the lead at points on the final day at Karen Country Club.
He, of course, does not want to get carried away with his start, but the 29 year old is excited by his form, and looking forward to building on a fantastic start to the year.
“Kenya was a great week,” said Woolgar, who finished third on the EuroPro Tour Order of Merit in 2013 to earn his place on the Challenge Tour the following season. “I really enjoy that course, and it suits me, as it is quite tight with small greens. It was my first time there last year and I really enjoyed it so it was great to get back out there and play well, and finishing third was a great boost to the start of the season.
“I played lovely in the final round, I just didn’t get the putter going. I was paired with (Jose-Filipe) Lima, who is very experienced, and it was fun because we had plenty of banter and were urging each other on. It was a great experience.
“I needed a birdie up the last, but didn’t quite make it, having birdied it every day until that point. I just didn’t quite get my approach the right distance, as I had hit it 50 yards further than I had all week from the tee. I guess I was a bit pumped up, but I looked at my notes and thought ‘What do I hit in here?’
The golf course is totally different this week as you just need to smash it off the tee and then try and hole some putts on these greens. That will be difficult though as they are so undulating, but it should be a good week, and the sun is shining too, so I’m loving it.
“I’m not a bomber, and this course does suit the longer hitters, but your irons and approaches have to be spot on as the greens are so sloped. It helps going in with a short iron, but you need to be precise and control your distances, so I’ll just try and play well and see what happens this week.”
Like any player plying his trade on the Challenge Tour, this early part of the season has them chasing a single goal – graduation.
For that talented top 15 come the season’s end, The Race to Dubai will beckon, and Woolgar is excited to have a better crack at climbing the Road to Oman Rankings this year having found his feet during his rookie campaign, especially after having been knocked of course by injury in the real meat of last season.
“Top 15 is the goal,” said Woolgar. “That’s what every player here is going for. You’re here to win and to get your Tour card. I got off to a good start last year, but I got injured and missed seven events, and I struggled to recover after that.
“I’ve had a good winter though, and after last year I have got some good experience, so I’m just trying to settle in now. I know what to do, and I’m not here to make up the numbers, I’m here to do a job and get winning.”
