Our Broadcast team travel the world in order to help bring our 3D environments to the spectator at home – Updated weekly we’d like to share with you some of our experiences in our tales from the tour section.

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Latest Tales from the Tour:

April 2009
Tales from the Tour - Andalucia 2009.

Back onto the European mainland at last and the feeling that the 2009 season starts in earnest. Of course the Far East events, those in the Middle East and the co sanctioned events in South Africa are very important and immensely popular, but there is something of a ‘homecoming’ sensation as your feet European soil at the tail end of March.

It’s a new venue for the Open de Andalucia this year, although not a new venue for the European Tour. After two years at Aloha Golf Club we are at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. Funnily enough we were here in this fabulous city at this lovely course just under 12 months ago for the Open de Espana. The layout has undergone nothing in the way of significant modifications and once again is in awesome condition with the rough looking as if it will cause a good deal of frustration during the week.

Andalucia has something of a reputation as the ‘frying pan’ of Spain. The weather is usually sunny and hot so it was something of a surprise to see a little rain during the week. Not that is disrupted play a great deal but at least for a day or so the TV compound resembled Glastonbury during the festival.

The practice facilities for the players are usually some distance from where we are based in the compound, but at this event we are right next door to the driving range. Handy, particularly as in the few quiet moments you get the chance to watch the Tour Pros practicing their drills.

Most of us try, at least in part to spot the form players during the week. My predictions are normally pretty woeful but I was pleased this week to spot Soren Kjeldsen striking the ball well. I was aware he had a decent finish at the WGC event at Doral. Soren duly took the title and on the way grabbed a course record 62. I must say that on the basis of this masterful insight into golfing form I shall still not be risking any of my hard earned with any sort of wager in the future. I am more than acutely aware that my past record should be taken into account!

On occasions on tour we manage a bit of ‘a kick about’ amongst the crew. The PinPoint boys duly turned up on Friday evening along with about fifteen others from the ETP team.

At this point I need to point out that I am not as young as I was! Even in my prime I was not exactly blessed with pace. Nowadays that loss of a yard of pace mean I appear virtually stationary but nobody can deny my enthusiasm. Big Jim, being decidely younger than myself looked more the part in his chosen role as ‘the big man at the back’, that was at least until he took a volley to a sensitive area. He really did turn a peculiar colour for a while! Still it was a good game, Jim even said he wished we could play more often!

Feb 2009
Tales from the Tour - Dubai 2009.

Dubai, the final event in the European Tour Desert Swing. This was the 20th staging of the event and once again boasted a stellar field. Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey all teeing it up at the Emirates Golf Course.

The excitement was there from the very beginning of the week. Rumours of who was to be the Ryder Cup captain for 2010 have been circulating for the past two weeks. A name that suddenly gained credibility was that of Colin Montgomerie, along with Jose Maria Olazabal or maybe Sandy Lyle. On Wednesday the only thing I knew for sure was that it was anything but a foregone conclusion.

Anyway, as the world now knows Colin Montgomerie will take the reins at Celtic Manor and generally the news was greeted with great satisfaction. Monty’s talismanic role in other Ryder Cups will, all Europeans will hope, again will be crucial.

Monty, of course declared himself ‘deeply honoured’ and it appeared to have an effect of the big Scot’s play as he turned in some tremendous golf to finish T13th for the event.

In truth the week was a little more arduous than usual for players and TV crew alike.

Thursday and Friday both started with a very heavy fog smothering the golf course. Over 2 and a half hours delay in play meant that everyone was playing catch up from the beginning. Six hours of continuous coverage on Thursday meant we saw some great play but it all proved a bit tiring for Jim and Tom striding the fairways pretty much without food or water! Certainly it was little easier for Robin and I sat as we were in the production truck - hey ho, we all endure what we must!

Despite the disruptions, this years Dubai Desert Classic was one of the most gripping I can remember.
19 year old Rory McIlroy looked odds on to claim his first European Tour victory - and Dubai’s first wire to wire winner. However there was always the thought in the back of ones mind that he has lost in playoffs twice and that included letting a six shot lead evaporate in Switzerland last season.

Once again Rory managed to fashion a six shot lead after five birdies on the spin around the turn. But three bogeys in the last five holes and with Justin Rose focusing on his first victory on the Tour since grabbing the Volvo Masters at the end of 2007.

Come the signature par 5 18th and there was just one shot separating the pair. Both players laid up short of the water, Justin possibly with no choice but Rory did so as the percentage play. McIlroy positioned himself nicely and had a 75 yard pitch to hole side. The adrenaline kicked in and the ball powered through the green to the back bunker. Rose who had slightly overhit his second had a tricky shot from the rough that he place about 12 feet below the hole.

The pressure was now on the 19 year old from Northern Ireland and you could almost taste the tension in the production truck! An excellent chip from the young man leaving him 3 feet and him coolly saw that in and McIlroy has his first victory on the European Tour. It was a fantastic performance and a privilege to be part of action in some small way. The consensus of opinion is that McIlroy will go on to win many a ‘Major’. Certainly if I were Colin Montgomerie I would be marking young McIlroy down as an ‘extremely probable’ for Wales 2010.

Jan 2009
Tales from the Tour - Qatar 2009.

The second leg of the Desert Swing on the European Tour. Again the course, Doha Golf Course, was in first class condition. In recent years the weather has been something of a trial in Qatar, but this year, apart from a wet and windy Friday morning, the elements played their part splendidly.

As with most events on Tour, the Pin Point crew are billeted with the majority of the TV crew.

This week that meant the splendid Hotel Cigale in downtown Doha. In my opinion this is one of the nicest hotels we patronise on Tour, something that Spotter Jim appreciated greatly. Mind you I’m not quite so sure the hotel will welcome him back with open arms as he somehow managed to pull the tap from a large container of grapefruit juice resulting in a small flood and a good deal of chaos around the breakfast buffet.

The transmissions on Thursday and Friday went smoothly despite the poor weather already mentioned. Then on Friday evening there is an annual get together for the members of the crew and a round of ‘floodlit’ golf.

The Academy Course at Doha Golf Club is equipped with lights and the organisers generously turn over the course to us each year. Qatar Airlines, one of the lead sponsors for this week’s event were persuaded to offer prizes for the golf night and so Team Pin Point took their place alongside the other TV crew, production and technical. I have to point out that the standard of golf is nothing to write home about. The maximum allowable handicap is 24 and very many of the participants declare handicaps around that figure. It amazes me that our official scorer for the night could hear many of the handicap declarations, given they must have been muffled by the bandanas around the mouths of the golfers waving six-shooters around!!

Still, a very enjoyable evening was had by all!

The serious golf of course was yet to be played. On Saturday Spaniard Alvaro Quiros took centre stage with a magnificent bogey free round of -8.

Another of last weeks nearly men was again in contention. Louis Oosthuizen did enough to ensure a final pairing spot for the final round and it was nice to see a return to form for Andy Coltart. The Scot is a former winner here triumphing in the inaugural event in 1998.

Ominous for all however was the man who would partner Coltart in Sunday’s final 18 holes. Henrik Stenson, another former winner and with a tremendous record at this event shot a fine 66 and made sure everyone would be looking to him come Sunday afternoon.

The final day was one of ups and down for all. Quiros found his ball stuck up a tree on the 9th only for it to be ruled a ‘staked tree’ and so a free drop. He consequently made par. The turning point arguably came at the 15th. Quiros put his second shot into the water but managed to limit the damage to just a bogey.

Oosthuizen’s challenge began to falter with bogey at 12 but Stenson was keeping up the pressure as he birdied 15 and moved to within one shot at 17.

However Quiros found the answer with birdies of his own at 16 and 17 and with Stenson bogeying 18 the 26 year old Spaniard claimed his third European Tour title with a three shot lead.

Another successful week for all involved, Stenson posting his fifth successive top seven finish in Doha.

Quior moves up to fourth in the Race to Dubai, one place ahead of Oosthuizen then comes Stenson.

Now we are off to Dubai for the richest leg of the ‘Swing’. No Tiger Woods this year as his rehabilitation from knee surgery continues but it still promises to be a rare treat for golf fans. Oh and there’s the little matter of the European Tour announcing the name of the man who will lead the European Ryder Cup Team at Celtic Manor, Wales in 2010.

Dec 2008
Sterne pips Ernie as everyone swelters at Pearl Valley.

There is no doubt that Cape Town is one of the world's most iconic cities. The majesty of Table Mountain as we drove away from the airport is one of those sights we will always remember.

Pearl Valley Golf Estate is located a good hour's drive outside Cape Town near the little hamlet of Franchoek deep in the heart of the Cape Winelands. It is a spectacular place to visit, even if golf is not your aim.

For the event, the setting and the weather could not have been better. The Jack Nicklaus designed course makes use of the prevailing winds with each par 3 and par 5 playing a different direction so that similar conditions are not played too often during a round.

On Friday the wind did blow a little, making scoring difficult. The sun also shone and temperatures reached a staggering 37 degrees celcius. When the locals start suggesting it's unusually warm then the weather is scorching!

The Pinpoint crew did it's best to cope with the heat. A portable fan had to be acquired to place behind our computer to try to keep everything cool. A little uncomfortable for Alice who had to sit with a fan between her legs.

Jimmy, our senior spotter strode manfully around the links despite sniffing, coughing and sneezing all week, while Justine kept him from burning to a crisp with copious amounts of factor 50 sun cream.

So to the golf. Some tremendous play during Thursday and Friday looked like it might set up a dream finish with Ernie Els back to form and Lee Westwood looking like the man to beat. As they say, 'you can lose a golf tournament at any time but you can only win it on the Sunday" and so it came down to a thrilling last day. Ernie, who had a terrible Saturday, shot a course record equaling 64 (and that with three putting the last green) on the Sunday. Lee Westwood did not have the round he would like and fell from contention and the young rookie from Northern Ireland Gareth Maybin needed to birdie the last to win. He could only manage a par and so we had a playoff with the previous weeks winner, Richard Sterne. The South African Open is the second oldest Open in the world but remarkably has only been won by a non South African 6 times. For much of the week it looked like this year might see a seventh overseas winner with Rory McIlroy, Damian McGrane, Richard Finch and Micheal Lorenzo-Vera all making good showings. Indeed Sterne was almost anonymous has he quietly crept up the leader board. But it was the 27 year old native of Pretoria who was there to seal victory on the first playoff hole to take his first South African Open title. A thrilling week and one never to be forgotten for Pinpoint in their first visit to Africa.