As the European Tour prepares to make its first stop in Europe in the 2016 season this week at the Real Club Valderrama Open de España hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation, we take the opportunity to look back at the best of the action on the continent last season.
This week, Spanish favourite Sergio Garcia becomes the latest star to play a hosting role as The European Tour makes a welcome return to Real Club Valderrama - the site of many a dramatic tournament in years past.
Among a stellar field assembled for the 90th edition of the historic event is two-time Major Champion Martin Kaymer, while former winner Thomas Bjørn revisits the site where he made his Ryder Cup debut 19 years ago.
The Open de España also provided the maiden European calling point last year, when James Morrison earned his second European Tour win at Real Club de Golf El Prat. Concluding in Turkey at the Turkish Airlines Open, the 22 tournaments held on European soil in 2015 gave us 20 different winners from 11 countries.
We start our breakdown of 2015 in Europe with an analysis of the three hardest holes the players will face this year based on the 2015 rankings…
The Hardest Returning Holes
Thongchai Jaidee reigned at the Porsche European Open at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach in Germany last September, but, in the process, had to conquer the 18th hole, ranked the eighth hardest of all the holes on the European Tour last year.
The Thai made par on all four days on the closing hole - one of the better records on the 468-yard par four. During the second round, there were 53 bogeys and 25 double bogeys.
One of the most recognised holes in golf was the second most troublesome. The famous Road hole on the Old Course at St Andrews proved difficult, the 495-yard par four averaging a score of 4.48 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. There were sixes, sevens and even an eight, but not for eventual winner Thorbjørn Olesen, who had a cumulative score of level par over the four rounds.
It will also be intriguing to see how this year’s field approaches the 18th hole at Le Golf National in the 100th Open de France. The 2018 Ryder Cup venue's closing hole ranked the hardest in Europe in 2015 with an average of 4.60, and the 470-yard par four is likely to give the field some food for thought again this summer, particularly if they remember the ten that was made here in 2015. Only three birdies were made on the final day, with 20 double bogeys or worse.
Lowest score
From a golfer’s nightmare to a golfer’s dream, we now move on to the lowest scores in Europe from last year. While there were multiple 62s, with two of those shot by the eventual winner of the tournament, Matt Fitzpatrick can claim the lowest total thanks to his stunning score of 60 at the KLM Open.
No one has ever shot lower than a 60 on the European Tour, but the young Englishman’s ten birdies, including five in a row on the back nine, had him agonisingly close to a piece of history.
Jaco Van Zyl made a 61 at the Turkish Airlines Open in the first event of the Final Series as he finished second to Victor Dubuisson. The South African hit nine birdies and an eagle at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal as he went in search of his first European Tour win.
A score of 62 was a slightly more common occurrence last season, with Danny Willett claiming the first of the year in round two of the Omega European Masters. The Englishman, who eventually won the tournament by one shot from fellow countryman and stablemate Fitzpatrick, shot nine birdies on the Friday.
Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren claimed the final 62 of the year at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Most money earned
Of the hundreds of golfers to have competed in the 22 events held on European soil in the 2015 season, Søren Kjeldsen earned more than anyone on the continent with a healthy €1,414,213. The Dane was rewarded for a remarkably consistent year, in which he won his fourth European Tour title at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation in May.
Kjeldsen’s success in the play-off at Royal County Down saw him take home a cheque for €416,660, while three consecutive top tens, starting in Germany and finishing in England, earned him €423,854 in less than a month.
His tied 11th finish in the first of the Final Series events at the Turkish Airlines Open also handed Kjeldsen a cool €100,864.
Most top ten finishes
That man Kjeldsen takes the honours in this category, too, thanks to a grand total of seven top tens on European soil last season. The 40 year old finished tied ninth in the opening European event of the season in Spain, before travelling to Royal County Down to claim his first victory in six years.
Kjeldsen was second to Alex Noren in the following tournament, the Nordea Masters, and went on to seal four more top ten finishes in his native Denmark, Germany, England and Scotland.
Two more top ten results in China and Dubai capped off an excellent season, but it was his performances in Europe that really caught the eye.
Most top five finishes
Chris Wood also had a memorable campaign in 2015. The Englishman played some scintillating golf in Europe to achieve six top fives, including his second European Tour win at the Lyoness Open powered by Greenfinity.
Wood’s first top five of the year came at the BMW PGA Championship, where he finished in solo fourth. A 15 under par total gave him victory in Austria, before he shared fifth place at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play.
An excellent finish to the season resulted in Wood claiming three top fives in four tournaments at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Portugal Masters and Turkish Airlines Open. The 28 year old is in the field for the Open de España and will be aiming to kick-start another European success story this week.
Most wins
To win twice on the European Tour is no easy feat. To do it twice in one season is impressive, but to achieve it in back-to-back starts is extremely rare. However, Thomas Pieters knew the magic formula last summer.
The Belgian hadn’t had a top ten in Europe in 2015 before appearing at the D+D Real Czech Masters in August. That didn’t stop him firing an impressive 20 under par to win in Prague, three shots clear of Pelle Edberg.
On his return to action two weeks later at the KLM Open, Pieters again surged to victory, shooting a third round 62 to claim his second title in as many starts. Pieters has two top fives already this season…and now Europe awaits once more.
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