It was another great weekend on the professional golf scene in the USA.
I will start with the USPGA Tour and the FedEx Cup. This week it was the 1st event of the Florida Swing. It was the Honda Classic that was played on the Jack Nicklaus design course, PGA National Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It was played in extremely windy conditions with the cut being the highest of the year so far. It fell at +6.
I will start with the USPGA Tour and the FedEx Cup. This week it was the 1st event of the Florida Swing. It was the Honda Classic that was played on the Jack Nicklaus design course, PGA National Champion Course, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It was played in extremely windy conditions with the cut being the highest of the year so far. It fell at +6.
And it was Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) that took home the spoils and his 1st win in 2 years on the USPGA Tour. He scored rounds of 71+1, 64-6, 66-4 and a final round of 70 even par to finish at 271-9 for 72holes. Early stages in the final round he was cruising to victory. He had a four shot lead heading into the back nine. But when Y. E. Yang (South Korea) birdied the 13th and 15th holes and when Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) bogeyed the 14th hole the lead was cut to two shots. But a brilliant birdie by Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) on the extremely difficult par 4 16th hole virtually assured Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) of the win.
 |
| Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) with the Honda Classic Trophy |
But in saying that, Y. E. Yang (South Korea) hit the par 5 18th hole in two shots and 2putted to post 66-4 for his final round and 272-8 for 72holes. That meant Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) had too two putt from 20feet for the win. He rolled the 1st putt about 2feet by. And Johnny Millar (USA) who was commentating for NBC Sports said “sometimes the hardest thing to do is to two putt when you need to do it”. But Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) calmly rolled in the two footer and the victory was his. His wife had flown in the night before to be by his side with his youngest child that was born last year. She gave him a congratulations kiss. And then he burst in to tears of joy when interviewed by Dottie Pepper (USA) from NBC Sports.
It was Rory Sabbatini's (South Africa) 6th win on the USPGA Tour, and his 1st this year. He earned 500 FedEx Cup for his win and now has 724 FedEx Cup points from the 8events he has played this season. He is tied with Bubba Watson (USA) for 3rd on the list. They are 28points behind Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) who is 2nd on the list with 752 Points from the 7events he has played. He is 303 points behind Mark Wilson (USA) who has 1,055 from the 6events he has played. He is the early front runner this year in the FedEx Cup.
Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) is now 6th on the money list with $US 1,412,194 and is in the WGC – Cadillac Championship that is the 2nd World Golf Championship of the year starting on Thursday. This win could give Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) the confidence to have a really big year. And it seems he has now lost the bad temper he displayed early in his professional career and is now content and happy with his life and his golf game.
Y. E. Yang (South Korea) did well to come 2nd at -8, and is showing the form he displayed in 2009 when he won this same tournament and his 1st Major, the PGA Championship when he was the 1st player to beat Tiger Woods (USA) in a Major when he held the 54 lead in a Major. I also expect Y. E. Yang (South Korea) could do well in the majors again this year. 3rd was Jerry Kelly (USA) was on -7, after 4solid rounds in very tough conditions. 4th was Ricky Barnes (USA) on -4, 5th was Tommy (Two Gloves) Gainey (USA) on -3, it was a great showing by Tommy after he nearly won the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February, but blew the 17th hole and finished tied 8 th in that Tournament. And now with the $US 482,485 he has won from the 8 events he has played this year puts him 34th on the money list and is well on his way to making the $US 786,977 that it took to keep your card on the USPGA Tour in 2010.
Tied for 6th was Graeme McDowell (North Ireland) who shot the best final round of 64-6, Jeff Overton (USA), Matt Bettencourt (USA), and the rookie USPGA Tour player Gary Woodland (USA), they were all on -2, Luke Donald (England) last week’s winner was tied 10th on -1 after a great final round of 66-4, so was Hiroyuki Fujita (Japan), Stuart Appleby (Australia) and Charles Howell III (USA).
It will be remembered as the tournament that the Elements beat the players. And with players like Adam Scott (Australia) and Mike Weir (Canada) each scoring rounds in the 80’s, and defending Champion, Camilo Villegas (Colombia) scoring rounds of 78+8, 79+9 to miss the cut by 11shots, it just shows how difficult it was. But it was mainly holes 15, 16, and 17 that were causing the problems. Jack Nicklaus (USA) the designer of the course named those 3holes the Bear Trap. In the wind those holes can become unplayable with water surrounding the greens as well as bunkers. It is has proved over the years that it can intimidate even the world’s best players.
 |
| This is situated just as you reach the 15th tee known as the Bear Trap caption |
Next week the USPGA Tour has the 2nd of the 4 tournaments in the Florida Swing with the World Golf Championships - Cadillac Championship that is played at the Raymond Floyd designed TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Miami, Florida and is the 2nd of 4 World Golf Championships this year to be played. With 80 of the best players in the world turning up to play for a Purse of $US8, 500,000, it is sure to be great viewing. Ernie Els (South Africa) will be looking to defend the title he won last year. It starts on Thursday 10th March.
For the players that aren’t in that tournament they play the Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com on the Trump Intrntl GC - Puerto Rico, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. With $US 3,500,000 up for grabs, Derek Lamely (USA) will be looking to defend his title he won last year. That tournament as well starts on Thursday 10th March.
 |
| Brenden Pappas (South Africa) with the Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open trophy |
It was Brenden Pappas (South Africa) who had his 2nd win on the Nationwide Tour, and he wins $US 108,000.00 for the Victory. That moves him to 1st on the Nationwide Tour money list with $US 110,585 from the 1st two tournaments he has played this year. It will give him a lot of confidence to gain his USPGA Tour Status back which he lost last year. And who knows two more wins could see him gain a battlefield Promotion to the USPGA Tour later in the year. Won Joon Lee (Australia) was tied 3rd on -7, long hitting America Bubba Dickerson (USA) was tied for 8th, Best New Zealander was Danny Lee (NZL) in only his 2nd Nationwide Tour start of his career. He scored rounds of 69-2 and 73+2 for a 36 hole total of 142even, and was in tied 49 th at even. He earned $US1,920.00 for his efforts and has earned $US 4,505 from the 2 tournaments. Which I would say was a slow start to his Nationwide Tour Career.
He is placed 50th on the Nationwide Tour money list, but is the top New Zealander at the moment. The rest of the New Zealanders missed the cut including Tim Wilkinson (NZL), Brad Iles (NZL), Steve Alker (NZL) and Josh Geary (NZL). They all shot 144+2 to miss the cut 2shots.
The next Nationwide Tour event is in 3weeks time and is the 1st on USA soil this year. It is Chitimacha Louisiana Open that is being played at Le Triomphe CC, Broussard, Louisiana it starts on Thursday 24th March and Fabian Gomez (Argentina) will be looking to defend his title he won last year.
There was no event on the European Tour last week, and this week the only event is the Co-Sanctioned with the USPGA Tour at the World Golf Championships - Cadillac Championship that is being played at TPC Blue Monster at Doral, Miami, Florida. So for the players not in that tournament they have another week off. The next tournament on the European Tour is the Sicilian Open that is being played at Donnafugata Golf Resort & SPA,Sicily,Italy, and with €1,000,000 to play for it will no doubt attract a good field of European Tour Professionals. That starts on Thursday 17th March.
So until next week when I bring you all the results of what happened in the Professional Tournaments from around the world. Remember keep in on the short grass and hole all your putts.
Source: pgatour.com
No comments:
Post a Comment