Breakfast Ball #49: 2024 European Report Cards, Part 1

It is that time of year where we look back on what has been and get excited about what is to come. With that in mind, I would love your feedback on Blue Horizon Golf. I have set up a quick survey at this link and would be very appreciative if you could fill it out.

Merry Christmas!

In This Week’s Newsletter:

2024 Report Cards: A year in review, part one

Robert MacIntyre: A

Starts: 33 | Top 20s: 14 | Top 5s: 3 | Wins: 2

What a dream season for Scotland’s newest golfing star. After making his Ryder Cup debut in 2023, many thought he may be a one-and-done Ryder Cup player. However, his performances this season have elevated him into the upper tier of European golfers. After battling homesickness early in the season, Bob achieved a heartfelt victory at the Canadian Open with his father as his caddy. He followed it with a triumph at his home open, including an iconic moment on the final green.

Justin Rose: C+

Starts: 24 | Top 20s: 5 | Top 5s: 1 | Wins: 0

2024 will always be the year of “what if” for Justin Rose. Across 24 starts he only managed two top ten finishes, but both of those results came at major championships. He finished in T6 at the PGA Championship in May, before a spirited performance at The Open saw him finish in second place, two shots behind Xander Schauffele. Rose had to play a 36-hole qualifier to get his spot in The Open, and then almost converted it into a second major title. It will be an uphill battle for Rose to play in his seventh Ryder Cup.

Viktor Hovland: D

Starts: 17 | Top 20s: 6 | Top 5s: 2 | Wins: 0

Viktor Hovland entered 2024 with high expectations, poised to elevate his career to new heights. After an impressive 2023, where he dominated at the Tour Championship and emerged as the standout player of the Ryder Cup, Hovland sought to refine his game further. However, a coaching change aimed at perfecting his swing proved counterproductive. The adjustments didn’t yield the desired results, prompting Hovland to return to his former coach, Joe Mayo. Despite the reunion, his season came to an early end in October due to an unspecified injury. For a deeper dive into Hovland’s journey, check out Kevin Van Valkenburg’s May article here.

Tommy Fleetwood: B+

Starts: 27 | Top 20s: 17 | Top 5s: 6 | Wins: 1

Tommy Fleetwood is a beacon of consistency. 17 top 20 results in 27 starts is the sign of a golfer that puts himself in a position to win tournaments very often. However, Fleetwood just can’t convert those opportunities into a maiden victory on US soil. The Englishman’s sole victory this year came in the Dubai Invitational back in January, and he fell just short of Olympic glory in Paris behind Scottie Scheffler. Will 2025 be the year that Fleetwood finally wins on the PGA Tour? We shall see.

Tyrrell Hatton: A

Starts: 27 | Top 20s: 20 | Top 5s: 9 | Wins: 2

The transition to LIV Golf hasn’t worked out for everyone (e.g., Patrick Reed, Dustin Johnson), but Tyrrell Hatton has thrived. He returned to the winner’s circle at LIV Nashville, marking his first victory since January 2021, and followed it up with a triumph at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour. With a game suited for major championships, the only question is whether Hatton’s mental toughness can match his talent. Here’s hoping 2025 brings even more success for the fiery Englishman.

Shane Lowry: B

Starts: 28 | Top 20s: 16 | Top 5s: 4 | Wins: 1

Shane Lowry had a strong 2024, highlighted by a victory at the Zurich Classic alongside Rory McIlroy and a T9 finish at the TOUR Championship, securing a spot in the FedEx Cup top 10. At The Open Championship, Lowry led through two rounds, but a disappointing 77 on Saturday dashed his hopes of a second Claret Jug. Looking ahead, he’ll aim for redemption in 2025 at Royal Portrush, the site of his first Open title.

Next week we will dive into the final 6 2023 European Ryder Cup players including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Swedish sensation Ludvig Åberg.

I’d Love Your Feedback!

As 2024 comes to a close, I’m reflecting on how to make this newsletter more enjoyable and engaging for you in 2025. To do that, I’d really appreciate your input.

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Other News and Results

• 🇿🇦 South African Shaun Norris won the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the DP World Tour

  • This was Norris’ second win in a row after he won on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago

• 😭 Adrien Dumont de Chassart fell just two strokes short of reclaiming his PGA Tour card during the final round of Q-School in Florida

  • The Belgian finished 139th in the FedEx Cup rankings which gives him conditional status on the PGA Tour in 2025, meaning he will get starts in lower tier tournaments but is not guaranteed a full season of play

  • Americans Lanto Griffin, Hayden Buckley, Will Chandler, and Matthew Riedel secured cards, along with Argentinian Alejandro Tosti and Japan’s Takumi Kanaya

• 📈 Chieh-po Lee won the single available spot at the LIV Golf Promotions event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  • 92 players were in contention for the sole LIV card and the field was trimmed to 20 players for the final round on Saturday/

Coming up this Week on Tour

• The DP World Tour is in Mauritius for the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the final top level pro golf event of 2024

• The PNC Championship is an event run by the PGA Champions Tour that pairs parents and their children together in Orlando

  • Padraig Harrington, Nick Faldo, and Bernhard Langer are some of the Europeans that will be playing alongside their children. See the field here

Evan’s Trivia Corner

Trying something new here. Shoutout to John DeLuca for the idea!

Rory McIlroy won his his third straight Race to Dubai (European Tour Order of Merit/Money list) title this year, matching Seve Ballesteros for six wins. Only one golfer has won more than 6 - who is it?

Clue: This player won 7 straight European Tour Order of Merit titles during his career, but never managed to win a major championship.

Come back next week for the answer!

If you have any feedback for the newsletter or would like to get in touch, I would love to hear from you! Email [email protected] or message us on Twitter/X at @BlueHorizonGolf. Thank you for reading!