Ex-Ryder Cup ace Wood gets back to big-time in Turkey
Former European Ryder Cup player Chris Wood says he felt like he "had been going through hell" after a closing 64 at the Turkish Open saw him record a first European Tour top-10 finish since 2018.
Before rookie winner Martin Couvra took victory on Sunday, Wood, a former European PGA Championship winner at Wentworth who was part of Europe's Ryder Cup team at Hazeltine under Darren Clarke, wrote an emotional story in Antalya.
Chronic anxiety and burnout led to a dramatic drop in Wood's form from 2019, with his last top-10 coming at the 2018 KLM Open.
"It's been horrendous, to be honest," said Wood, who was playing on a sponsor's invitation after losing his card and whose 11-under total gave him a share of seventh, six shots behind Couvra.
"It's been - since 2019 really - I just feel like I've been going through hell, so to put a score together today is obviously great.
"I've been working so hard at home just quietly with a great team and it's been a long old road, to be honest.
"I never lost belief in myself - you obviously have days where it feels harder than some.
"The fire in my belly has always been there. I'm relying on invites this year. I'm ready - I'm practising so well at home that a call last minute is not a problem, I'm ready to go.
"Hopefully this is a first little step forward and anyone who wants me at their event, please pick up the phone because I need a few starts this year."
Couvra had led at the halfway stage but a third-round 72 left him four shots off the pace going into the final round.
However, the 22-year-old Frenchman produced a superb 64 to finish two shots clear of Spain's Jorge Campillo and China's Li Haotong.
"It was amazing to win on my first year on the DP World Tour - it's just a dream," said Couvra.
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The Advertiser
3 days ago
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'Piss poor': Wood slams race-ending Supercars incident
Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Ryan Wood has blasted James Golding's racing as "piss poor" after an incident ended his outing in Perth. The pair locked horns late in Sunday's 83-lap, 200km sprint at Wanneroo Raceway when PremiAir Nulon Racing's Golding had run wide at turn one. Wood made the most of his opportunity and moved into fifth on the inside, but Golding was unwilling to give up ground. With eight laps to go, Golding made side-on contact with the second-year driver and ended up running both cars off. Wood, who at one point was as high as second after qualifying fifth, was unable to finish the race. Golding finished 22nd after being slapped with a drive-through penalty for the incident. "I was racing someone that shouldn't have been in that position with the way he raced everyone else before that, and he finished me off, so that was pretty awesome," Wood told Fox Sports. "For someone that's pretty experienced, it was pretty piss poor. "I expect better than that, and I know I'm no princess out on the racetrack. "I race hard, but I'm pretty sure I race pretty fair most of the time, so I didn't feel like that was the case then." Golding apologised for the incident, with the pair seen talking in the garages after the race. "I got on the (tyre) marbles, and by that point, once you're on the outside, you can't really disappear," Golding told Fox Sports. "We're both racing hard. Unfortunately, when we bumped, it broke my steering, which pulled me hard right into him and ended his race. "Sorry to those guys, but we're all racing hard out there. "It's racing. S**t happens sometimes." Wood believed Golding should have been punished earlier for an incident with Triple Eight driver Will Brown. Golding was defending his position in fourth when the nose of Brown's car hit his right rear and sent him wide at turn seven. On-track aggression has been dialled up this year as the series undergoes a massive format shake-up. Wood has himself drawn scrutiny from stewards, handed a drive-through penalty in Melbourne after sending Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq into the wall on the opening lap. "There should have been penalties before that with the same driver," Wood said. "It doesn't matter when someone gets a penalty after they finish someone off, it shouldn't get to that point. "I'm sure I got a lot worse for a lot less this year." It is a frustrating end to the weekend for Wood, who had claimed the opening sprint for his first Supercars win. Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins on Saturday after suffering a suspension failure. "Just gutted for our whole team because they produced us with a race car to put ourselves in a position to win all three races this weekend," Wood said. "I don't know who's walked under a ladder or something, but yeah, definitely going to get some spells put on us for some good luck." Broc Feeney extended his championship lead by taking out the final sprint, followed by Matt Payne and James Courtney in second and third, respectively. Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Ryan Wood has blasted James Golding's racing as "piss poor" after an incident ended his outing in Perth. The pair locked horns late in Sunday's 83-lap, 200km sprint at Wanneroo Raceway when PremiAir Nulon Racing's Golding had run wide at turn one. Wood made the most of his opportunity and moved into fifth on the inside, but Golding was unwilling to give up ground. With eight laps to go, Golding made side-on contact with the second-year driver and ended up running both cars off. Wood, who at one point was as high as second after qualifying fifth, was unable to finish the race. Golding finished 22nd after being slapped with a drive-through penalty for the incident. "I was racing someone that shouldn't have been in that position with the way he raced everyone else before that, and he finished me off, so that was pretty awesome," Wood told Fox Sports. "For someone that's pretty experienced, it was pretty piss poor. "I expect better than that, and I know I'm no princess out on the racetrack. "I race hard, but I'm pretty sure I race pretty fair most of the time, so I didn't feel like that was the case then." Golding apologised for the incident, with the pair seen talking in the garages after the race. "I got on the (tyre) marbles, and by that point, once you're on the outside, you can't really disappear," Golding told Fox Sports. "We're both racing hard. Unfortunately, when we bumped, it broke my steering, which pulled me hard right into him and ended his race. "Sorry to those guys, but we're all racing hard out there. "It's racing. S**t happens sometimes." Wood believed Golding should have been punished earlier for an incident with Triple Eight driver Will Brown. Golding was defending his position in fourth when the nose of Brown's car hit his right rear and sent him wide at turn seven. On-track aggression has been dialled up this year as the series undergoes a massive format shake-up. Wood has himself drawn scrutiny from stewards, handed a drive-through penalty in Melbourne after sending Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq into the wall on the opening lap. "There should have been penalties before that with the same driver," Wood said. "It doesn't matter when someone gets a penalty after they finish someone off, it shouldn't get to that point. "I'm sure I got a lot worse for a lot less this year." It is a frustrating end to the weekend for Wood, who had claimed the opening sprint for his first Supercars win. Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins on Saturday after suffering a suspension failure. "Just gutted for our whole team because they produced us with a race car to put ourselves in a position to win all three races this weekend," Wood said. "I don't know who's walked under a ladder or something, but yeah, definitely going to get some spells put on us for some good luck." Broc Feeney extended his championship lead by taking out the final sprint, followed by Matt Payne and James Courtney in second and third, respectively. Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Ryan Wood has blasted James Golding's racing as "piss poor" after an incident ended his outing in Perth. The pair locked horns late in Sunday's 83-lap, 200km sprint at Wanneroo Raceway when PremiAir Nulon Racing's Golding had run wide at turn one. Wood made the most of his opportunity and moved into fifth on the inside, but Golding was unwilling to give up ground. With eight laps to go, Golding made side-on contact with the second-year driver and ended up running both cars off. Wood, who at one point was as high as second after qualifying fifth, was unable to finish the race. Golding finished 22nd after being slapped with a drive-through penalty for the incident. "I was racing someone that shouldn't have been in that position with the way he raced everyone else before that, and he finished me off, so that was pretty awesome," Wood told Fox Sports. "For someone that's pretty experienced, it was pretty piss poor. "I expect better than that, and I know I'm no princess out on the racetrack. "I race hard, but I'm pretty sure I race pretty fair most of the time, so I didn't feel like that was the case then." Golding apologised for the incident, with the pair seen talking in the garages after the race. "I got on the (tyre) marbles, and by that point, once you're on the outside, you can't really disappear," Golding told Fox Sports. "We're both racing hard. Unfortunately, when we bumped, it broke my steering, which pulled me hard right into him and ended his race. "Sorry to those guys, but we're all racing hard out there. "It's racing. S**t happens sometimes." Wood believed Golding should have been punished earlier for an incident with Triple Eight driver Will Brown. Golding was defending his position in fourth when the nose of Brown's car hit his right rear and sent him wide at turn seven. On-track aggression has been dialled up this year as the series undergoes a massive format shake-up. Wood has himself drawn scrutiny from stewards, handed a drive-through penalty in Melbourne after sending Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq into the wall on the opening lap. "There should have been penalties before that with the same driver," Wood said. "It doesn't matter when someone gets a penalty after they finish someone off, it shouldn't get to that point. "I'm sure I got a lot worse for a lot less this year." It is a frustrating end to the weekend for Wood, who had claimed the opening sprint for his first Supercars win. Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins on Saturday after suffering a suspension failure. "Just gutted for our whole team because they produced us with a race car to put ourselves in a position to win all three races this weekend," Wood said. "I don't know who's walked under a ladder or something, but yeah, definitely going to get some spells put on us for some good luck." Broc Feeney extended his championship lead by taking out the final sprint, followed by Matt Payne and James Courtney in second and third, respectively.
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3 days ago
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'Piss poor': Wood slams race-ending Supercars incident
Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Ryan Wood has blasted James Golding's racing as "piss poor" after an incident ended his outing in Perth. The pair locked horns late in Sunday's 83-lap, 200km sprint at Wanneroo Raceway when PremiAir Nulon Racing's Golding had run wide at turn one. Wood made the most of his opportunity and moved into fifth on the inside, but Golding was unwilling to give up ground. With eight laps to go, Golding made side-on contact with the second-year driver and ended up running both cars off. Wood, who at one point was as high as second after qualifying fifth, was unable to finish the race. Golding finished 22nd after being slapped with a drive-through penalty for the incident. "I was racing someone that shouldn't have been in that position with the way he raced everyone else before that, and he finished me off, so that was pretty awesome," Wood told Fox Sports. "For someone that's pretty experienced, it was pretty piss poor. "I expect better than that, and I know I'm no princess out on the racetrack. "I race hard, but I'm pretty sure I race pretty fair most of the time, so I didn't feel like that was the case then." Golding apologised for the incident, with the pair seen talking in the garages after the race. "I got on the (tyre) marbles, and by that point, once you're on the outside, you can't really disappear," Golding told Fox Sports. "We're both racing hard. Unfortunately, when we bumped, it broke my steering, which pulled me hard right into him and ended his race. "Sorry to those guys, but we're all racing hard out there. "It's racing. S**t happens sometimes." Wood believed Golding should have been punished earlier for an incident with Triple Eight driver Will Brown. Golding was defending his position in fourth when the nose of Brown's car hit his right rear and sent him wide at turn seven. On-track aggression has been dialled up this year as the series undergoes a massive format shake-up. Wood has himself drawn scrutiny from stewards, handed a drive-through penalty in Melbourne after sending Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq into the wall on the opening lap. "There should have been penalties before that with the same driver," Wood said. "It doesn't matter when someone gets a penalty after they finish someone off, it shouldn't get to that point. "I'm sure I got a lot worse for a lot less this year." It is a frustrating end to the weekend for Wood, who had claimed the opening sprint for his first Supercars win. Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins on Saturday after suffering a suspension failure. "Just gutted for our whole team because they produced us with a race car to put ourselves in a position to win all three races this weekend," Wood said. "I don't know who's walked under a ladder or something, but yeah, definitely going to get some spells put on us for some good luck." Broc Feeney extended his championship lead by taking out the final sprint, followed by Matt Payne and James Courtney in second and third, respectively.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Perth Now
'Piss poor': Wood slams race-ending Supercars incident
Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Ryan Wood has blasted James Golding's racing as "piss poor" after an incident ended his outing in Perth. The pair locked horns late in Sunday's 83-lap, 200km sprint at Wanneroo Raceway when PremiAir Nulon Racing's Golding had run wide at turn one. Wood made the most of his opportunity and moved into fifth on the inside, but Golding was unwilling to give up ground. With eight laps to go, Golding made side-on contact with the second-year driver and ended up running both cars off. Wood, who at one point was as high as second after qualifying fifth, was unable to finish the race. Golding finished 22nd after being slapped with a drive-through penalty for the incident. "I was racing someone that shouldn't have been in that position with the way he raced everyone else before that, and he finished me off, so that was pretty awesome," Wood told Fox Sports. "For someone that's pretty experienced, it was pretty piss poor. "I expect better than that, and I know I'm no princess out on the racetrack. "I race hard, but I'm pretty sure I race pretty fair most of the time, so I didn't feel like that was the case then." Golding apologised for the incident, with the pair seen talking in the garages after the race. "I got on the (tyre) marbles, and by that point, once you're on the outside, you can't really disappear," Golding told Fox Sports. "We're both racing hard. Unfortunately, when we bumped, it broke my steering, which pulled me hard right into him and ended his race. "Sorry to those guys, but we're all racing hard out there. "It's racing. S**t happens sometimes." Wood believed Golding should have been punished earlier for an incident with Triple Eight driver Will Brown. Golding was defending his position in fourth when the nose of Brown's car hit his right rear and sent him wide at turn seven. On-track aggression has been dialled up this year as the series undergoes a massive format shake-up. Wood has himself drawn scrutiny from stewards, handed a drive-through penalty in Melbourne after sending Erebus driver Jack Le Brocq into the wall on the opening lap. "There should have been penalties before that with the same driver," Wood said. "It doesn't matter when someone gets a penalty after they finish someone off, it shouldn't get to that point. "I'm sure I got a lot worse for a lot less this year." It is a frustrating end to the weekend for Wood, who had claimed the opening sprint for his first Supercars win. Wood was cruelly denied back-to-back wins on Saturday after suffering a suspension failure. "Just gutted for our whole team because they produced us with a race car to put ourselves in a position to win all three races this weekend," Wood said. "I don't know who's walked under a ladder or something, but yeah, definitely going to get some spells put on us for some good luck." Broc Feeney extended his championship lead by taking out the final sprint, followed by Matt Payne and James Courtney in second and third, respectively.
