GOLF EVENTS FROM THE WEEKEND 23RD JANUARY

Scott Laycock (Australia) 

sinks the winning putt to win 

the 1st Surf Coast Knockout

Well it was another exciting weekend on the Professional Golf Scene. First I will start with the Australasian Tour. This week it was the Surf Coast Classic played at the Sands Torquay Golf Club in Victoria, Australia. It was a Tournament 1st for PGA Tour of Australasia, because it combined the 2 forms of the game, Match play and Stroke play.

The 1st 54 holes were played as a normal Stroke play tournament with a cut to the top 50th players after 36 holes. Then after 54 holes the top 32 players qualified for a knockout match play tournament on the final day. It was modified Match play with each match over 6holes.

Peter O’Malley (Australia) qualified as top seed with a 54 hole score of 200 -16, after rounds of 68-4, 64-8 and 68-4. Next best was Daniel Fox (Australia) and Andrew Buckle (Australia) on 204-12. Best New Zealander was Michael Hendry (NZL) on 213 -3, but he faded after a 1st round 64-8, also on 213-3 was Brad Shilton (NZL). They both were involved in a playoff with another 7 players tied on -3 for the last 2places in the Match play draw. But unfortunately they both missed out. The other New Zealander to make the 36 hole cut was Mahal Pearce (NZL) who was at 219 +3, that was after a shocking 3rd round of 77+5 that derailed his chances of making the top 32 for the match play final round knockout.

So to the final day of the Surf Coast Knock match play. Play started nice and early at 8:45am. First match out was Aaron Townsend (Australia) verse Brad Kennedy (Australia) with Brad Kennedy (Australia) winning the 6 hole match 1up, Next match at 8:53am was Paul Gow (Australia) verse Paul Spargo (Australia), with Paul Spargo (Australia) winning 3 & 1. After all the 16 first round matches were completed, the 16 winners were, Brad Kennedy (Australia), Paul Spargo (Australia), Leigh McKechnie (Australia), Daniel Fox (Australia), David Mckenzie (Australia), Andre Stolz (Australia), Terry Pilkadaris (Australia), Andrew Buckle (Australia), Scott Priest (Australia), Paul Sheehan (Australia), Brendan Smith (Australia), Adam Bland (Australia), Steve Collins (Australia), Peter Senior (Australia), Peter Wilson (Australia), and Scott Laycock (Australia).

So on to the 2nd round, and the 8 players remaining after those matches were Paul Spargo (Australia), Leigh McKechnie (Australia), Andre Stolz (Australia), Andrew Buckle (Australia), Scott Priest (Australia), Adam Bland (Australia), Steve Collins (Australia) and Scott Laycock (Australia). On to the quarter finals and the 4 players still left after those matches were, Leigh McKechnie (Australia), Andrew Buckle (Australia), Adam Bland (Australia) and Scott Laycock (Australia).

The Semi Finals were some very close matches with Andrew Buckle (Australia) defeating Leigh McKechnie (Australia) in one Semi Final and Scott Laycock (Australia) defeating Adam Bland (Australia) in the other. So to the Final between Scott Laycock (Australia) and Andrew Buckle (Australia). It was very closely fought out match that Scott Laycock (Australia) prevailed to win 1up. So Scott Laycock (Australia) became the inaugural winner of the Surf Coast Knockout. It was quite amazing really that he made the 36 hole match play draw having survived a 9 player playoff for 2 places on Saturday afternoon. He was also seeded the lowest at 32nd. Also 4 of his 5 matches went to the Knockout hole. He described pulling off the winning like “Keanu Reeves in The Matrix- dodging bullets”.  And he feels the PGA Tour of Australasia should have more tournaments like this in the future, as it gives huge excitement to the crowd and people watching on TV.

The win earns Scott Laycock (Australia) AU $18,000, and should give him a huge boost of confidence for the rest of the season. The PGA Tour of Australasia takes a month break now before it recommences at the Cellarbrations QLD PGA Championship on Thursday 24th February at the City Golf Club, in Queensland, Australia. I will look forward to reporting back the results on that tournament.

Martin Kaymer (Germany) with 

the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship Trophy

Now to the European Tour and the Race to Dubai which started it’s desert swing, the 1st of 4 tournaments in the desert. It was the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship that was staged at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Martin Kaymer (Germany) was the defending champion. He played flawless golf over the 4 days with scores of 67-5, 65-7, 66-6, 66-6: 264 -24. So he defended his title with easy by 8shots. And it was the 3rd time he has won this tournament in 4 years. The win earned him € 334,398 and moved him to number 2 on the world rankings over taking Tiger Woods (USA) who is now back in 3rd place. The win also places him 2nd on the Race to Dubai money list behind Charl Schwartzel (RSA) with €334,398 from the 1 event he has played.

Whereas Charl Schwartzel (RSA) has played 5 events for the €419,927 he has earned to top the Race to Dubai earnings. There are 5 South Africans in the top 10 of the Race to Dubai standings which shows to me their golfers are playing to a high standard. I feel Martin Kaymer (Germany) may reach Number 1 in the world this year, and could even add to his Major tally having already won the PGA Championship last year.

2nd,  8shots back was Rory McIlroy (NIR) on -16, it was his 1st start this year on the European Tour and should be a boost to his confidence that he is playing so well, so soon. Retief Goosen (RSA) scored the best final round of 64-8 and finished -14, tied 3rd with Graeme McDowell (NIR). Charl Schwartzel (RSA) had another good performance finishing tied 8th at -10. Phil Mickelson (USA) making a rear appearance on the European Tour had a poor tournament by his high standards. He finished tied 37th at -5 and slid further down the world rankings to number 5. Danny Lee (NZL) the only New Zealander to make the cut finished a promising -2 in 53rd place, and with 2 rounds of 69-3, he showed his best form isn’t too far away. But a 3rd round 76+4 ruined his chance of a high finish. But he earned € 7,022 for his efforts. The other New Zealanders in the field both missed the 36 hole cut. Michael Campbell (NZL) scored 72even & 71+1 to miss the cut by 1shot. But Mark Brown had two poor rounds of 74+2 to miss it by 4 shots.

The European Tour stays in the Middle East for its 2nd leg of the desert swing and heads to the Royal Golf Club, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bahrain for the Volvo Golf Champions. It starts on Thursday 27th January and is a brand new tournament. The €1,700,000 prize money will surely attract some of the best players in Europe. I will report back who won next week.

And now to the USPGA Tour, and this past week it stage the Bob Hope Classic at four separate courses that were PGA West (Palmer Course),  PGA West (Nicklaus Course),
La Quinta CC, and Silver Rock, La Quinta, California with the final round being played on the PGA West (Palmer Course). The 1st 4 rounds all the professionals in the field play with 3 Amateurs on each of the 4 courses. Then the Top 70 professionals and ties contest the final round to decide the champion. Well after 90 holes there was 3 players tied at -27. They were Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela), Gary Woodland (USA) and Bill Haas (USA). Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) only needed a par on the 90th hole to win outright but missed his 9foot par putt.

So the 3players head back to the 18th tee for the 1st playoff hole. Bill Haas (USA) missed the fairway to the right, and Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) and Gary Woodland (USA) hit their drives down the centre of the fairway. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) hit his 2nd shot 1st and left it out well to right, next to the hospitality tents. Gary Woodland (USA) hit a brilliant 2nd shot that almost hit the pin, but rolled just through the green. Bill Haas (USA) hit a poor 2nd shot short of the bunkers on the right. He then was 1st to hit his 3rd shot, again hitting a poor shot and only just getting it on the green, leaving a very hard birdie putt to make. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) then hit a brilliant chip shot that was PGATour.com shot of the day. He had to chip over the bunkers and land it in the rough; it caught a piece of the hole and nearly went in for eagle, but secured an easy birdie for him. Gary Woodland (USA) hit a poor chip shot and had too hole a 6foot putt for birdie which he did. But Bill Haas (USA) long putt for birdie missed and he was eliminated from the playoff.

It was a fine defence of his title having won this tournament in 2010. So both Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) and Gary Woodland (USA) headed over to the 10th tee for the 2nd playoff hole. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) teed off 1st and drove it left in the water on the long par 4 hole. Gary Woodland (USA) hit his long iron in the fairway. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) then took his drop and hit his mid iron 3rd shot to 20 feet away from the hole on the green. Gary Woodland (USA) then hit his 2nd shot into the right green side bunker. From there he hit a poor bunker shot that rolled through to the left side of the green on the fringe. Then he charged his putt thinking he may need to hole it to keep the playoff going, and missed and it, and it rolled 10feet past. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) then rolled his 20foot par putt into the centre of the cup for his 1st USPGA Tour win in only his 5th start on tour. He pumped his fist in the air to celebrate his win. And his Parents came on to the green to celebrate with him as well.

Jhonattan Vegas

Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) becomes the 1st Venezuelan golfer to win on the USPGA tour and it secures his card till 2013 as well as gaining a place into the US Master is April and the 2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The win earns him $US 900,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points which moves him to 2nd on FedEx Cup list with 509 points, 29 points behind the leader Jonathan Byrd (USA). There were no rounds of 59 shot during the 5rounds with the best being Bill Haas (USA) in the 4th round and Brain Gay (USA) in the final round both scoring 62 -10. Next week the USPGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines (South Course), Torrey Pines (North Course), San Diego, California for the Farmers Insurance Open. It starts on Thursday 27th January with Tiger Woods (USA) making his 1st Appearance for the 2011 season. And having won the US Open here in 2008 and the Farmers Insurance Open many times before, he will be the player to watch. The defending Champion is Ben Crane (USA) who will be keen to defend his title. I will report back all the results next week.

John Cook (USA) with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship 

at Hualalai Trophy

And so to the 1st event on the Champions Tour for 2011. It was the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai played at the Hualalai Golf Course, Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii. John Cook (USA) starts his season where he left off last year. He scored a final round 64-8 that included a 30-6 on the back nine. He scored -22 for 54holes to win by 2 shots over Tom Lehman (USA) on -20, and 1 shot further back was Tom Watson (USA) on -19. So he has now won back to back tournaments having won the Final Tournament of the year last year the Charles Schwab Cup Championship at TPC Harding Park GC, San Francisco, California. He must have a thing about playing golf in the State of California. He earns $US 305,000.00 for the winning and shoots to the top of the Charles Schwab Cup points standings. Russ Cochran (USA) after starting the final round with the lead, faded with a 72even par to finish tied 4th at -17.

The Champions Tour stays in Hawaii this week for the Champions Skins Game that is being played at the Royal Kaanapali Golf Course, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii with Jack Nicklaus (USA) and Tom Watson (USA) the defending champions. I will report back next week who won all the skins.

Just a final note, the 13 year New Zealand Ladies junior golfer Lydia Ko (NZL, am) scored rounds of  68-4, 68-4, 70-2:206-10 to finish 2nd in the Australian Ladies Professional Tour event which was the New South Wales Open played at the Oatlands Golf Club in Sydney. It was an Amazing effort by the 13 year old Golfer that is destined for huge things in the game. And it was only her 3 putting the last green that caused her to lose by 1shot to Caroline Hedwall (SWE) who was the top qualifier at the Ladies European Tour School last year.

Anyway have a great golfing week, remember hitting fairways and greens equals good golf scores. Be sure to read my blog again next week.

Source: pga.org.au, pgatour.com, europeantour.com. golf.co.nz