Golf Events from the Weekend 23rd June 2013

Well it was another brilliant weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world. This week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship and it was played on the TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, CT. And it was the Golfer by the name of Ken Duke (USA) who scored rounds of 69-1, 68-2, 65-5 and a final round of 66-4 for a 72 hole total of 268-12 but he was tied on that scored by Chris Stroud (USA) who scored rounds of 66-4, 69-1, 66-4 and a final round of 67-3 for a 72 hole total of 268-12 also. So those two players headed back to the par four, 18th tee for the first playoff hole.

Both players made solid par fours on the first playoff hole so it was back to the par four, 18th hole for the second playoff hole. This time both players hit their drives down the centre of the fairway. Ken Duke (USA) played his second shot first from just behind the road that crosses the fairway. He hit a brilliant shot with his short wedge and it came to rest two feet from the flag stick. Chris Stroud (USA) played his second shot next and but he struck it poorly and pulled it 20 feet to the left of the flag stick pin high and left himself with a very difficult birdie putt to hole. Chris Stroud (USA) putted first for his birdie three and he knew deep down that he had to hole it to extended the playoff to a third hole.  He struck a good putt but it just missed on the right hand side and he had to settle for his par four. That meant that Ken Duke (USA) now had a putt to win his maiden USPGA Tour event at age 44. He steadied himself and struck a perfect putt from two feet that that fell right in the centre of the cup and he had won his maiden USPGA Tour event of his career. He pumped his fists to celebrate the win!! Then he hugged his caddie.

Ken Duke (USA) celebrates after winning the
Travelers Championship!!

Ken Duke (USA) won US $1,098,000.00 for the win and moved to 23rd position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,600,045 earned from the 19 events he has played to date this year so far. Tiger Woods (USA) still leads that list with US $ 5,909,742 earned from the nine events he has played to date this year so far. Ken Duke (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 20th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 842 points earned from the 19 events he has played to date this year so far. He is 1,538 points behind the current leader of the FedEx Cup Points list who is Tiger Woods (USA) who has earned 2,380 points from the nine events he has played to date this year so far. Tiger Woods (USA) is 416 points ahead of Matt Kuchar (USA) who is in second place with 1,964 points earned from the 15 events he has played to date this year so far. Ken Duke (USA) so far this year has made nine cuts from the 19 events he has played in and has also achieved two top ten finishes that includes the one here.

Ken Duke (USA) played an awesome final round of 66-4 which included a front nine of 34-1 with his lone birdie coming on the par four, second hole. He played a brilliant back nine of 32-3 which included an amazing birdie on the par four, tenth hole when he pulled his second shot with his short iron and it looked like his ball was destined to end up in the hazard on the left, but it caught a tree branch solid and rebounded back on to the green five feet from the flag stick!! He managed to hole that putt for his birdie three. He then went on to birdie the par three, eleventh hole, par five, thirteenth hole where he holed a 30 foot putt down the slope which fell in the cup on its last roll!! He also birdied the short par four, 15th hole and his lone bogey came on the par four, 14th hole. As I mentioned earlier he won on the second playoff hole.

Ken Duke (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour on and off since the 2004 season after gaining his full USPGA Tour card at the 2003 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for 12th position to gain his full USPGA Tour card for the 2004 Season. He lost his card in the 2004 season and spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons back on the Web.com Tour. In the 2006 season he finished inside the top 25 on the final Web.com Tour Money list standings to gain his full 2007 USPGA Tour card back. In 2007 and 2008 he had two excellent seasons on the USPGA Tour with winning over 1million US $ in each of them. But in 2009 he had another poor season and was forced to go back to the 2009 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and he missed getting his full 2010 USPGA Tour card by one shot where he finished tied for 26th position. He spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons back on the Web.com Tour and in 2011 he finished inside the top 25 on the final Web.com Tour Money list to gaining his full USPGA Tour card back for the 2012 season. He had a much better season in 2012 on the USPGA Tour where he again made over 1million US $. And he easily kept his card for the 2013 season.

 

Ken Duke (USA) poses with the Travelers Championship Trophy he won!!

Before this maiden win he was having a poor season in 2013 with missing the cut in half the events he had played in. But with this win he gains a place in the 2014 Masters Tournament and the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He is one of the real journeymen on the USPGA Tour and is the second oldest player on the USPGA Tour to gain his maiden win at age 44.  Ed Dougherty (USA) was the oldest at 47 years when he won the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic in 1995. He has always battled through his life and proof of this was as a seventh-grader he was diagnosed with scoliosis. The Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., determined he had a 26-percent curvature of the spine and advised him to wear a back brace 23 hours a day. Two years later, with the curvature reaching 51 percent, he underwent surgery. Without the procedure, the pressure on his lungs and heart might have become life-threatening. Surgeons attached a 16-inch metal road to his spine to facilitate straightening. Remarkably, just months later he returned to his high school golf team—and playing in a back brace—won medallist honours at a district tournament. In 2009, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences established The Ken Duke Endowed Chair in Scoliosis. Funds from the chair treat spinal deformities, tumours and fractures. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in solo second position at 268-12 after 72 holes and losing on the second playoff hole as I mentioned above was Chris Stroud (USA); he won US $658,800.00 for his efforts and moved to 37th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,359,584 earned from the 18 events he has played in to date this year so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 34th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points Standings list with 691 points earned from the 18 events he has played to date this year so far. From those 18 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 12 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes including the one here. It was also his best finish to date in his career on the USPGA Tour. Chris Stroud (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2007 season after he gained his card for the first time at the 2006 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for 16th position. His maiden season on the USPGA Tour in 2007 wasn’t very successful and he was forced to go back to the 2007 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in solo third position to regain his full USPGA Tour card for the 2008 season. Again in his second full season on the USPGA Tour in 2008 he had another poor season and was forced back to the 2008 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for fourth position and gained his 2009 USPGA Tour card back. In 2009 in his third full season on the USPGA Tour he earned enough money to keep his card for the 2010 season by the skin of his teeth. In his fourth full season on the USPGA Tour in 2010 he had a much better season and easily kept his card for the 2011 season. In his fifth full season in 2011 on the USPGA Tour he made just over one million US dollars for the first time in his career and easily kept his card for the 2012 season. In his sixth full season in 2012 on the USPGA Tour he earned just under one million US dollars and easily kept his card for the 2013 season. Already this season he has earned more money than any other of his previous six at the same stage and he is destined to win his maiden USPGA Tour event very soon I feel. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming solo third position at 269-11 after 72 holes was Graham Delaet (Canada); he earned US $414,800.00 for his efforts and moved to 38th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour money list standings with US $1,348,387 earned from the 17 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 190 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 29th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points standings list with 743 points earned from the 17 events he has played in to date this year so far. From the 17 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 14 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes. This finish was also his equal career best USPGA Tour finish of his career to date. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour full time since the 2010 season after gaining his card at the 2009 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for eighth position. In his rookie season on the USPGA Tour in 2010 he had a very good season and earned just under one million US dollars and easily kept his card for the 2011 season. In his second full season on the USPGA Tour in 2011 season he sat out the majority of the campaign due to a back injury and played the 2012 season out of the Major Medical Extension category, where he had 26 events to earn $657,694 in 2012 season. In the 2012 season which was his third full season on the USPGA Tour he earned just over a million US Dollars and easily made the US $657,694 he required to keep his card for the 2013 season. He has already won more money this year than he had his previous three seasons at the same stage. This week he was giving a percentage of his earnings to the flood relief in Canada which is his native country. I feel his maiden win on the USPGA Tour isn’t too far away and maybe it will happen in the 2013 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Coming in solo fourth position on 270-10 after 72 holes was Bubba Watson (USA); he earned US $292,800.00 for his efforts and moved to 44th position on the current USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,311,226 earned from the 13 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 135 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 37th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 670 points earned from the 13 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 13 events he has played to date this year so far he has made eleven cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be cursing his triple bogey six he made the par three, 16th hole when he was leading the tournament prior to that hole. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2006 season and has easily kept his card for the following year every year since. And he has made US One Million Dollars in all of those seasons as well. He has already achieved four wins on the USPGA Tour and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2010 Travelers Championship, 2011 Farmers Insurance Open, Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the 2012 Masters Tournament (Maiden Major Championship). I feel his fifth win on the USPGA Tour will coming in the 2013 season. 

Coming in tied for fifth position on 271-9 after 72 holes was Webb Simpson (USA); he earned US $231,800.00 for his efforts and moved to 15th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,038,061 earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 105 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 13th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points standings list with 994 points earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. In the 16 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 12 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here. He has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2009 season after gaining his card at the 2008 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for seventh position. He had a fine rookie season in 2009 on the USPGA Tour where he earned just over US one million dollars and easily keep his card for the 2010 season. In his second full season on the USPGA Tour in 2010 he earned just under US one million dollars and easily kept his card for the 2011 season. In his third full season on the USPGA Tour in 2011 he had a Awesome season with earning just over US 6.3 Million Dollars and finished second on the final 2011 USPGA Tour Money list with US $6,347,353 earned from the 26 events he played in. He also won two USPGA Tour events with his maiden one coming at the Wyndham Championship and his second one coming at the Deutsche Bank Championship which was the second FedEx Cup playoff event. In his fourth season on the USPGA Tour in 2012 he had another awesome season with earning just over US 3.4 million dollars and he won his third event on the USPGA Tour which was his Maiden Major Championship at the 112th US Open Championship. I feel his fourth win on the USPGA Tour will coming in the 2013 season.

Also tied for fifth position was J.J. Henry (USA); he too earned US $231,800.00 for his efforts and moved to 100th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $545,213 earned from the 18 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 105 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 102nd position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 344 points earned from the 18 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 18 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 12 cuts and this was his first top ten finish he has achieved this year so far. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2001 season and has easily kept his card for the following season every season since. In that time has career earnings to date of US $13,337,127 earned from the 377 events he has played in so far. He has also won two events on the USPGA Tour with his maiden one coming at the 2006 Buick Championship and his second one coming at the 2012 Reno-Tahoe Open. I am sure his third win isn’t too far off and maybe it will come in the 2013 season?

Coming in tied for seventh position at 272-8 after 72 holes was Ryan Moore (USA); he earned US $196,725.00 for his efforts and moved to 56th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,068,574 earned from the 15 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 88 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 61st position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 521 points earned from the 15 events he has played to date so far. From the 15 events he has played to date this year so far he has made nine cuts and achieved three top ten finishes that includes the one here. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2006 season easily keeping his card every season since and he has achieved two wins so far in his career with the first coming at the 2009 Wyndham Championship and the second coming at the 2012 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He gained his full USPGA Tour card by earning enough money from sponsor’s exemptions in the 2005 season after he played in the 2005 Masters Tournament and US Open Championship because he won the 2004 US Amateur Championship. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he won his third event on the USPGA Tour very soon.

Also tied for seventh position was Charley Hoffman (USA); he also earned US $196,725.00 for his efforts and moved to 39th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $ 1,341,628 earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 88 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 36th position on the current FedEx Cup Points list standings with 672 points earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 16 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 13 cuts and achieved five top ten finishes that includes the one here. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2006 season after gaining his full 2006 USPGA Tour card by finishing in 19th position on the final 2005 Web.com Tour Money list standings with US $212,322 earned from the 26 events he played in. He has easily kept his card for the next season every season since. He has earned over US$1million every season so far as well except in 2008 where he only earned US $945,702. He has won two USPGA Tour events as well so far in his career with the first one coming in 2007 at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the second one coming in 2010 at the Deutsche Bank Championship. I feel he is ready to win for a third time very soon and it could happen in the 2013 season.

Rounding out the top ten in tied for ninth position on 273-7 after 72 holes was Angel Cabrera (Argentina); he earned US $158,600.00 for his efforts and moved to 32nd position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,418,356 earned from the 14 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 73 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 39th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 662 points earned from the 14 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 14 events he has played to date this year so far he has made eleven cuts and achieved two top ten finishes that includes the one here and also his runner up finish to Adam Scott (Australia) at the Masters Tournament in April. Angel Cabrera (Argentina) has won two tournaments on the USPGA Tour now and they have both been Major Championships with the other one coming at the 2007 US Open Championship. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if his third win came in the 2013 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season. Also tied for ninth position was Stuart Appleby (Australia); he too earned US $158,600.00 for his efforts and moved to 136th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $ 338,290 earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 73 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 129th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 246 points earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. From those 16 events he has played to date this year so far he has made 12 cuts and this was his very first top ten finish he has achieved so far this year to date. He has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 1996 season and in that time he has current career earnings of US $26,808,263 from the 442 events he has played to date in his career so far. He has also won nine USPGA Tour events and here they are from the first to the most recent: 1997 Honda Classic, 1998 Kemper Open, 1999 Shell Houston Open, 2003 Las Vegas Invitational, 2004 Mercedes Championships, 2005 Mercedes Championships, 2006 Mercedes Championships, Shell Houston Open and the 2010 The Greenbrier Classic (Where he scored an amazing 59-11 in the final round to win!!). He is a very good Golfer that has lost his form in recent seasons; let’s hope this top ten finish can give him the confidence to have more top ten finishes in the coming weeks?

Also tied for ninth position was Morgan Hoffmann (USA); he too earned US $158,600.00 for his efforts and moved to 99th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $547,380 earned from the 14 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 73 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 125th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 252 points earned from the 14 events he has played to date this year so far. From those 14 events he has played to date this year so far he has made six cuts and achieved two top ten finishes that includes the one here. He gained his full 2013 USPGA Tour card by finishing in 19th position on the final 2012 Web.com Tour Money list standings with US $207,540 earned from the 13 events he played in and that included making 12 cuts and achieving seven top ten finishes. He is still very young being only 23 years old and will gain a lot of confidence out of this result. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks to come.

The final player to tie for ninth position was Jeff Maggert (USA); he too earned US $158,600.00 for his efforts and moved to 59th position on the current 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $ 979,727 earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 73 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 84th position on the current 2013 FedEx Cup Points standings list with 401 points earned from the 16 events he has played to date this year so far. From the 16 events he has played to date this year so far he has made eleven cuts and withdrawn from one event. This was his second top ten finish he has achieved to date this season so far with the other one being his tied for second position at the Players Championship in early May. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since 1991 season and he has managed to keep his card for the next season every year since with sometimes having to go back to the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament to do so. At 49 years of age his USPGA Tour career is coming to its end and he can look back on it with great satisfaction with achieving three wins on the USPGA Tour and here they are from the first to the most recent: 1993 Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic, 1999 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and the 2006 FedEx St. Jude Classic. He also went very close to winning the US Open Championship on a few occasions. He will be turning 50 in mid February next year and I sure him will be stamping his mark of the Champions Tour like he has done on the USPGA Tour. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013 season.

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads to the Nation’s Capital for the AT&T National and it is played on the Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, MD. It carries a huge prize purse of US $ 6,500,000. Tiger Woods (USA) is the defending champion as well as tournament host but he won’t be able to defend his title because of an elbow injury, so there will be a new champion. It starts on Thursday 27th June and I will report back who won the Trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the 637th week of his career in total is the Tiger Woods (USA) who is fresh off his win at the Players Championship over a month ago with 12.89 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Rory McILroy (NIR) with 9.53 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Justin Rose (England) fresh off his maiden Major Championship win at the 113th US Open Championship a week ago with 8.16 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Adam Scott (Australia) who won his maiden Major Championship at the Masters Tournament over two months ago with 7.43 Official Golf World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list this week is Matt Kuchar (USA) who is fresh off his win at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance three weeks ago with 6.73 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Michael Hendry (NZL) fresh off  his tie for 55th position at the at the Volvo China Open seven weeks ago is the highest ranked New Zealander Golfer in the world for the nineteenth straight week of his career. This week he slips three places to 173rd position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list with 1.01 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember Golf is played over 18 holes so if you get off to a bad start, don’t give up!!

Source: pgatour.com, europeantour.com