Olazabal shoots three year low 65

European Team captain, Jose Maria Olazabal produced his lowest score in three years on the final day of the BMW Italian Open and assured the world there would not be a repeat of mindless Nick Faldo Ryder Cup ‘Opening Speech’ of four years ago.

Olazabal bogeyed the first but then birdied three in a row en route to a seven under par 65 for a seven under par tally.

Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano made amends for missing out on Ryder Cup selection winning a second BMW Italian Open in six years by two strokes with a last round 64 for a 24-under par tally.

South African Garth Mulroy (67) second on 22-under par and the Ryder Cup duo of Nicolas Colsaerts and Martin Kaymer, both with 67s, sharing fifth place on 18-under par.

Clara’s Shane Lowry produced a last round 69 to share 13th place on 15-under par and one fewer than Belfast’s Michael Hoey who signed for a 65, and with his next event his defence of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Olazabal has this week resting at his home in Fuenterrabia before heading to London next week and joining just three team members – London-based Francesco Molinari, Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts and Aberdeen’s Paul Lawrie – aboard next Monday’s the special charter from London Heathrow to Chicago’s O’Hare Airport.

But while the Spaniard, who is heading to his 10th Ryder Cup, is delighted with the form of his 12 players he only fear seems the formality of the occasion.

“That’s why I am taking this week off. I am going to stay at home, just relax, chill out, make a few calls, check everything’s in place,” he said.

“I’ll also be talking to the PGA people, to my team, to see everything is spot on.

“Thomas Bjorn and Jamie Spence are travelling to Chicago on Thursday, so they’ll be on site from Friday and they will give me some information on the set-up of the course.

“There is some other things I need to do plus I’ll be keeping an eye on how the boys are playing in Atlanta. You know, those little things.”

And with now just over a week before competition commences is also speeches and especially those at the Opening Ceremony and beamed to millions around the globe, that also keeping Olazabal awake.

Four years ago, Faldo made an even bigger fool of himself with a golf bag full of bloopers notably his ‘Padraig Harrington – He’s hit more golf balls than potatoes grown in Ireland’, and naming Soren Hansen as Soren Stenson’.

If anything, you can be assured Olazabal will brings tears of sorrow to those watching with reference to his late, great friend Seve Ballesteros.

Olazabal did that in 2009 in being inducted two years ago into the World Golf Hall of Fame and also at Celtic Manor in addressing the European side.

“The speeches are the part I feel more uncomfortable with,” he said.