Sharma wins second European Tour title in Malaysia

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – It doesn’t take long to encounter the source of discomfort and self-destruction at Carnoustie. The infamous Barry Burn is just steps off the first tee and must be crossed as you walk down the fairway. Consider it a gentle introduction to the nasty business that awaits at the end of your day. Usually, the Barry Burn doesn’t come into play on the opening hole, although a certain 14-time major winner will argue otherwise. In Tiger Woods’ last visit to Carnoustie in 2007, he pull-hooked a 2-iron off the tee into the water during the second round. “Basically a lack of commitment on the golf shot,â€� Woods explained afterwards, “and a poor result.â€� The brick-banked stream runs through the north half of the course and only touches a handful of holes, mostly on the back nine – including, of course, the 17th and 18th where it has directly influenced the outcome of previous Open Championships. As such, the Barry Burn will never be far from the consciousness of players this week. “It’s like a snake that you’ve bashed on the head but then recoils to confront you again,â€� Ian Poulter aptly described in a British newspaper. So where does this “snakeâ€� come from? We know where the Barry Burn ends, flowing into the North Sea. But where does it originate? Turns out that finding the source of the Barry Burn is more difficult than avoiding it with a set of golf clubs. Consider it the biggest mystery in Scotland since the Loch Ness monster. The logical first step, of course, is a quick Google search. The Barry Burn Wikipedia page states the source as in Sidlaw Hills in Angus and offers coordinates – latitude of 56 degrees, 32 minutes, 36.6504 seconds north and longitude of 2 degrees, 52 minutes, 29.6724 seconds west. Just plug in those numbers into the GPS and go, right? Not so fast. Upon reaching the destination, about nine miles from Carnoustie, the setting is very peaceful. Pastoral. Lavender heather (or perhaps lupins) flowing in the gentle breeze, a quaint farmhouse down the narrow road, darkening clouds keeping their distance. And not a drop of water in sight. Obviously not the right spot. A short drive away is a small parking lot that includes an information plaque for the Inverarity Millenium Project. It states that the “Inverarity is bisected by a burn (one of only a few in Scotland which flows inland) from Lumley Den towards Fotheringham, where it is joined by the Corbie Burn, which flows from Dilty Moss, Kirkbuddo. The two burns become the Kerbet and this in turns flows in the Dean, which runs through the Valley of Stratmore.â€� A lot of burns mentioned, but alas, not the one we seek. Two other cars are in the lot. One belongs to the Diamond Dog Service, and a woman soon shows up, a bit exhausted after playing tug-of-war with the four big dogs she was walking. Did she know anything about the Barry Burn? “No sir, I’ve not heard of that one,â€� she says politely, still fighting to keep the dogs under control. The woman in the other car is asked about Sidlaw Hills. “You’re not even close,â€� she said. “That’s Sidlaw Hills over there.â€� She’s pointing to a range several miles away, likely wondering if the American she just encountered had dabbled in too many whisky tastings. Continuing down the road, we cross a small bridge and wonder if water is flowing under it. Seems promising and worth a brief check. Indeed, a small stream trickles past; perhaps the occupants in the nearby house could verify that it’s the Barry Burn. However, the posted signs next to the bridge aren’t exactly welcoming. “Shooting in progressâ€� declares one. “Warning: CCTV system installed on these premisesâ€� states another. Probably best to drive away quickly and quietly. Fortunately, a quarter-mile away, a man is out walking his dog. Gordon is from Monifieth and is a golfer. Asked about the stream, he flatly states, “It’s not the Barry Burn. It’s just a burn.â€� Told that Wikipedia indicates the source is in Sidlaw Hills, he adds, “That seriously surprises me, since the Barry Burn flows through the east. It doesn’t even make sense.â€� Time to suspend the search and return to Carnoustie, as Padraig Harrington is headed to the media center. The Irishman won here in 2007, but it wasn’t without drama, as he hit two shots into the Barry Burn on the 72nd hole before escaping with a double bogey that salvaged a playoff spot. At that point, it appeared Harrington was headed for the same fate that befell Jean Van de Velde in 1999. The Frenchman found the Barry Burn on his last hole — and nearly played out of it, famously taking his shoes and socks off and rolling up his pants legs to stand in the water before realizing his ball was too deep, thus accepting an unplayable. He suffered a triple bogey to drop into a three-man playoff eventually won by Paul Lawrie. Harrington was more fortunate. Sergio Garcia failed to convert a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win the Open outright, and Harrington then beat the Spaniard in the four-hole playoff for the first of his two consecutive Open titles. That gives him a unique perspective: Barry Burn Survivor. Asked what thoughts run through his head when the Barry Burn is mentioned, Harrington recalls the first time the “snakeâ€� bit him – at the 1992 British Amateur, when he lost a match with double bogeys on each of the last two holes. “I’ve got history with this golf course, and certainly the Barry Burn,â€� Harrington said. Meanwhile, in the media center, an endless loop of videos are being played – and one is a feature on the Barry Mill, which is owned and operated by the National Trust in Scotland for educational purposes. The water for the mill comes from the Barry Burn. “The Barry Burn is the lifeblood of this building,â€� states spokesman Ciaran Quigley. Seems like a good place to resume the search. Although the mill is closed on this day, the grounds are open for exploring … or, in this case, investigating. Another information plaque explains that the lade – a Scottish terms for man-made chanel – carries the water from its source to the mill. Seeing the word “sourceâ€� is definitely encouraging, and the map trail notes it’s only a half-mile away. Perhaps even closer. “Driver, 3-ironâ€� says a man who had just been there. He is, of course, accompanied by his dog. Starting to sense a theme here. Unfortunately, he doesn’t think it’s the source of the Barry Burn. “They just meant the source of the water for the mill,â€� he noted. “Sorry to disappoint you. I think it’s farther into the hills.â€� Upon reaching the lade, those fears are confirmed. A dam closes off one direction and re-directs a portion of the Barry Burn to the mill. Still, one last hope. Another map had shown the Barry Burn to originate where it meets Pitairlie Burn. That spot was not too far from the mill, a right turn from a T-junction on an unnamed access road off A92. Indeed, this map seemed to make sense, and the stone bridge gave away the position. Unlike the previous stop near the shooters’ hangout, this river flow was larger, more powerful. It had potential. Was this the start of the Barry Burn? Had Carnoustie’s Brigadoon finally revealed itself? If so, there was nothing official. No signage. Barry Burn seemed barely there. If this was the source – and there’s no guarantee it was – then it felt a bit underwhelming. Perhaps that’s how it should be. After all, the Barry Burn wasn’t actually part of the course after James Braid was hired to spruce up Carnoustie prior to hosting its first Open in 1931. The five-time Open champ was a little overzealous with his redesign, though, and the course received poor reviews when it hosted the Scottish Amateur championship in 1930. Carnoustie chairman James A. Wright then led a committee to fix the issues with another redesign before 1931 – and that’s when the Barry Burn became an integral part of the layout. Ultimately, where the Barry Burn starts doesn’t really matter, especially to the 156 golfers in the field this week. All they care about is how to avoid it, especially late on Sunday when golf’s oldest championship is determined. “There’s no point making too big of a deal out of it,â€� said Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who knows how to avoid the Barry Burn – he owns the course record of 63. “If you hit fairways, greens, that’s kind of your plan. So if it goes wrong, it goes wrong — but it’s not going away anytime soon.â€�

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Like the 143 other players in the field, Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello came to THE PLAYERS Championship last month only to see it canceled after one round due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike those other players, Cabrera Bello has yet to return home. For now, he and his family remain in the area. Accidental Floridians, if you will. “We’ve only been able to make decisions with the information we had at the time,� Cabrera Bello, who shot a first-round 68, said in a phone interview from his rental home in the Ponte Vedra Beach area. His wife Sofia and their 8-month-old daughter Alva Margareta are with him, as are his manager Richard Rayment plus Rayment’s wife Gabby and their daughter Nikki. The six, who normally live in the same apartment building in Dubai, have been scrambling like many others to shelter in place after many travel options became unavailable to them amid the COVID-19 crisis. “After THE PLAYERS,� Rayment said, “we thought, OK, what are we going to do?� The idea of getting on an airplane for the long trip back to Dubai was unappealing, and travel restrictions were going up fast. Where to go? What to do? Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, one of Cabrera Bello’s fellow competitors, caught one of the last flights back to Europe. “We decided to rent a place for two weeks,� Rayment said, “and then things changed quickly. The UAE closed its borders, so we had to find another home and got the one we’re in now for a month and possibly one more. So really we’re just here, on lockdown a long way from home. It’s crazy, what’s happening. “I’ve made so many calls I could be a travel agent here,� he added with a rueful laugh. Not that he’s complaining; he knows they’re among the lucky ones. Like all touring pros, Cabrera Bello, who stayed at the Sawgrass Marriott for tournament week, is used to being on the move. He had planned on going from THE PLAYERS to the Valspar Championship in Tampa, the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, then the Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Rayment’s daughter, a lawyer, was going to be at Augusta National for the first time. Then everyone’s plans fell apart. Since THE PLAYERS was canceled, Cabrera Bello hasn’t played much golf. He may go out for a quick nine or hit balls around dinner time to limit contact with others in this social distancing environment. The news from Spain and in America is grim, but Cabrera Bello checks it regularly. Sometimes he puts a piece or two into a puzzle. He’s twice driven to Orlando to see his coach, David Leadbetter. When he must go shopping for groceries or other necessities for the family, he always takes precautions. It’s the new normal, and it’s how he’d want others to behave around his 89-year-old maternal grandmother, Egda. His only surviving grandparent, she lives with his parents back home in Gran Canaria, Spain, and all are doing well, he said. So are his siblings, and his friends. “I speak with them every other day, and send texts,� he said. “My brother is in Malaga, my sister in London. My wife’s family, her mom lives in Portugal, and her dad in Sweden. They are all safe and healthy. It’s more a concern for our grandparents who are high age and higher risk.� His mother, he added, is a doctor in a dialysis clinic, and has been told by the authorities in Spain to stand by in case she’s needed. So far, Gran Canaria has not emerged as a hot spot. Back in Ponte Vedra Beach, Team Rafa plan to stay for the rest of April and into May, at which point they might have enough information to decide what to do next. Maybe Cabrera Bello, who made the first-ever albatross at the 16th hole at THE PLAYERS in 2017, will even know enough to begin to formulate a schedule for what’s left of 2020. Meanwhile, he’s taking it slow and reconnecting with family and friends. He checks in with other Spanish golfers such as Sergio Garcia and Jon Rahm via What’s App, and has especially appreciated his extended time with new daughter Alva Margareta. “I like to set up routines like a normal family instead of seeing her for a week and then being away for a week,� Cabrera Bello said. “I’ve seen her for like 2-1/2 months straight right now, and it’s absolutely beautiful to watch the little improvements that she goes through every day. You try something with her and she can’t do it, and a week later she’s doing it. “We’re going to learn to enjoy every single day because in the blink of an eye things can change so dramatically,� he added. “The hardest thing is to see so much suffering and worrying about loved ones. I know the end of the tunnel is somewhere, but I just don’t know where it is.�

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Bubba Watson advanced to his first final in the Dell Technologies Match Play and denied Justin Thomas going to No. 1 in the world.

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