Craig Lee will be feeling gutted at missing out on his first European Tour title after his disappointing final round at the Abu Dhabi championship. But I’m sure once he reflects on his week as a whole he will see there were plenty of positives.
For starters, he led a strong field which included the current Open champion Phil Mickelson and a multiple major winner in Rory McIlroy after 54 holes.
He was unable to close it out after a disappointing final round of 77 which opened the door for Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal to claim victory but, as much as it will have hurt, he should remember he still had a terrific week.
A top-10 finish represents a solid start to the year for him and he should take encouragement from that. If he keeps going and stays positive, I’m sure the first win on tour will come.
Sunday was not the day Craig was after but it will be great experience for him the next time he is leading going into a final round.
I know how tough it is to win on the European Tour.
My first win came in the Catalan Open in 1996 but it didn’t stop me from suffering a fourth round to forget in spectacular fashion two years later.
I was second going into the final round of the Portuguese Open in 1998 and feeling pretty good about my chances, especially after shooting a nine-under-par 64 in the second round.
But golf is a game which takes you on a rollercoaster ride like no other and my great second round was soon a distant memory as I shot 82 to go from second to joint 40th.
I came off the course and replayed every shot in my head but it was pointless. What’s done is done and you have to move on.
While there was agony for Craig there was joy for the new champion as Sunday was a fantastic win for Pablo.
I haven’t played too much with him but what I can tell you is that he is a man who rarely lacks in confidence.
He is obviously a very good player and to record his first win in more than two years will certainly have given him a spring in his step.
One Scot who did have an enjoyable weekend was my fellow P&J columnist Stephen Gallacher.
Stevie was seven under for his final two rounds and that was good enough to help him finish tied for eighth place in the tournament.
As everyone keeps reminding the players, we’re in a Ryder Cup year and I know it’s a goal Stevie would love to achieve.
The new season is just under way but it never hurts to have some valuable Ryder Cup points in the bag early.
It’s impossible not to think of the Ryder Cup as that’s all you get from everyone these days.
It’s tough at times but we just try to get on with it and play our game.