Golf Events from the Weekend 24th August 2014

Well it was another amazing weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to New Jersey for the first FedEx Cup Playoff event and it was the Barclays and was played on the Ridgewood CC, Paramus, New Jersey. It carried a huge prize purse of US $8,000,000 for the taking. The top 124 players on the final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings were eligible participate (It would of been the top 125 players but Dustin Johnson (USA) has taken a six months leave of absence from the tour). And it was the golfer by the name of Hunter Mahan (USA), who scored rounds of 66-5, 71 even par, 68-3 and an awesome final round of 65-6 for a 72 hole total of 270-14 and he won by two shots for his sixth win of his USPGA Tour career to date so far. He won US $1,440,000 for the win and moved to twenty first position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,920,503 earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far. Rory McILroy (NIR) still leads that list with US $7,036,096 earned from the 14 events he has played to date this season so far. Hunter Mahan (USA) also earned 2,500 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for the win and moved to the top of the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 3,276 points earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far and is currently 466 points ahead of Rory McILroy (NIR) who is in second position with 2,810 points earned from the 14 events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty two events Hunter Mahan (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the win here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par and under par especially his first round 66-5 and his final round 65-6 which was the equal low round of the day and included scoring 32-4 on the back nine!!

 

Hunter Mahan (USA) tees off during the final round

Hunter Mahan (USA) played a brilliant final round of 65-6 which included a front nine of 33-2 with birdies on the par four, first hole and par four, fifth hole and made the turn at minus ten and was one shot behind the leader. Stuart Appleby (Australia) went out it 34-1 and made the turn at minus seven and was four shots behind the leader. Jason Day (Australia) went out in 33-2 and made the turn at minus eleven and was leading by one shot. Cameron Tringale (USA) went out in 32-3 and made the turn at minus ten and was one shot behind the leader. 

Hunter Mahan (USA) played holes ten to 14 in two under par and moved to minus 12 and was now tied for the lead. Stuart Appleby (Australia) played holes ten to 14 in four under par with making three birdies in a row from holes ten to 12 and also birding the 14th and he moved to minus eleven and was now only one shot behind the leader. Jason Day (Australia) played holes ten to 14 in one under par and moved to minus 12 and was now tied for the lead. Cameron Tringale (USA) played holes ten to 14 in even par and remained at minus ten but now was two shots behind the leader. 

Hunter Mahan (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in three under par making three consecutive birdies and moved to minus 15 and was now leading by two shots heading to the par four, 72nd hole. Stuart Appleby (Australia) played holes 15 to 17 in one under par and moved to minus 12 and was three shots behind the leader heading to the par four, 72nd hole. Jason Day (Australia) played holes 15 to 17 in even par and remained at minus 12 and was three shots behind the leader heading to the par four, 72nd hole. Cameron Tringale (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in three under par with making three consecutive birdies and moved to minus 13 and was now only two shots behind the leader heading to the par four, 72nd hole. 

Stuart Appleby (Australia) who was playing just under an hour ahead of the final group made a solid par on the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 12 and finished two shots behind the winner. Cameron Tringale (USA) who was playing a couple of groups ahead of the final group made an untimely bogey five at the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 12 and finished two shots behind the winner. Hunter Mahan (USA) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group now stood on the par four, 72nd tee with a three shot lead. He chose driver off the tee on the dog leg left to right par four but he faded it too much and it landed well in the trees to the right. When he got up to his ball he discussed his second over with his caddie, John Wood over what shot to play. He had two options, the first was to chip out to the fairway on the left leaving a wedge shot for his third and his other option was to try and hook his ball around the trees and onto the green. He chose the first option and chipped his ball out onto the fairway leaving a wedge shot of just over 100 yards to the green. He now knew if he could just hit his short wedge on the green for his third shot and two putt he would more than likely win. But he slightly pulled his third shot and it missed the green on the left hand side and settled down in the thick rough leaving a difficult up and down for his bogey. He hit a good chip shot for his fourth from the left hand green side rough and the ball bounced by the hole and came to rest ten feet past the hole. He calmed his nerve and put an excellent roll on the ten foot birdie putt and it rolled right into the centre of the cup for his bogey five. 

 

Hunter Mahan (USA) just after he holed the winning putt on the 72nd Green!!

He gave his caddie, John Wood a huge high five and hug to celebrate then there was a big surprise for him as his Wife, Kandi and one year old daughter Zoe came on to the 72nd green to celebrate the win with him. They had just flown in from Texas about half an hour earlier. The win was not certain yet because Jason Day (Australia) could still eagle the par four, 72nd hole to force a playoff. Jason Day (Australia) who was playing in the final group lost his drive in the right hand rough on the par four, 72nd hole. He was faced with a mid iron for his second shot and he knew it must go in the hole for eagle to force a playoff but he didn’t get the contact he wanted and it landed in the rough to the right of the green. He managed to get up and down for his par four and finished the 72 holes at minus 12 and finished two shots behind the winner. Hunter Mahan (USA) now knew his win had been confirmed and he got a kiss from his wife, Kandi and hugged his daughter, Zoe. Hunter Mahan (USA) scored 32-4 on his back nine. He finished the 72 holes on minus 14 and won by two shots. He was then interviewed by CBS Sports on course reporter, Peter Kostis (USA) and he told him “That all the hard work he had done in the last few months on his golf swing was starting to pay off!!” and when asked by Peter Kostis (USA) if he had thought he had done enough to be considered by U.S. Ryder Cup Captain, Tom Watson (USA) for a Captains Pick Selection for the up and coming matches in Scotland next month he replied “Yes”. 

 

Kandi and Zoe Mahan on the left and Hunter Mahan (USA) on the right poses with The Barclays Trophy he won!!

Hunter Mahan (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour for the last nine seasons and has easily kept his card for the next season every season since except for the 2005 season where he had to go back the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for ninth position and gained his full USPGA Tour status back for the 2006 season. He has current career earnings on the USPGA Tour of US $27,679,560 earned from the 303 events he has played in his career to date so far. He has also won six events on the USPGA Tour so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2007 Travelers Championship, 2010 Waste Management Phoenix Open, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, 2012 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, Shell Houston Open and the 2014 The Barclays. I feel his seventh win on the USPGA Tour isn’t too far off and perhaps it will happen in 2013/14 season in one of the three remaining playoff events? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 season and FedEx Cup Playoffs and perhaps he can win the 2014 FedEx Cup after going so close in 2011?

Coming in tied for second position at 272-12 after 72 holes was Stuart Appleby (Australia); he earned US $597,333.34 for his efforts and moved to 64th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,455,291 earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 1083 FedEx Cup Points playoff points for his efforts and moved to 19th position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings with 1,637 points earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made 18 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 65-6 which was the equal low round of the day. But he will be disappointed with his first round 73+2 which ruined any chance he had of winning. Stuart Appleby (Australia) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 1996 season and in that time he has current career earnings of US $28,751,481 from the 488 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 and see him make the Tour Championship and maybe even claim the 2014 FedEx Cup? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour Season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Also tied for second position was Jason Day (Australia); he also earned US $597,333.34 for his efforts and moved to 16th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,188,241 earned from the 12 events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 1083 FedEx Cup Points playoff points for his efforts and moved to seventh position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 2,111 points earned from the 12 events he has played to date this season so far. From the 12 events he has played to date this season so far he has made ten cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 64-7 which was the equal low round of the tournament. But he will be disappointed with his first round 72+1. He has only played 12 events this year due to a thumb injury that has caused him to have rehab time. He has won twice on the USPGA Tour with his maiden win coming at the 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship and his second win coming in the 2014 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship in mid February. He had three top ten finishes in the four Major Championships last year and here they are: Solo third at the Masters Tournament in April; tied for second at the 113th US Open Championship in June; tied for 32nd at the 142nd Open Championship in July and tied for eighth at the 95th PGA Championship. So far in his career his has amassed earnings of US $17,016,597 from the 148 events he has played in so far in his USPGA Tour career. I feel his third win on the USPGA Tour could well be in one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Playoff Events and he could even win the 2014 FedEx Cup? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Events.

The final player to tie for second position was Cameron Tringale (USA); he also earned US $597,333.34 for his efforts and moved to 40th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,925,303 earned from the twenty eight events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 1083 FedEx Cup Points playoff points for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff points list standings with 1,865 points earned from the twenty eight events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty eight events he has played to date this season so far he has made twenty one cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his first and final rounds that were both 66-5. But he will be disappointed with his third round of 72+1. Cameron Tringale (USA) first qualified for the USPGA Tour in 2010 by finishing in tied for 19th position at the 2009 USPGA Tour Final Qualifying Tournament. In his rookie year on the USPGA Tour in 2010 where he made his debut as a member of the USPGA Tour at the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii in January and in his rookie season he earned just more than $US 300,000 from the twenty one events he played in leaving him 176th on the money list. His best finishes were ties for eleventh position at the Viking Classic and the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. In December 2010 Cameron Tringale (USA) regained his USPGA Tour card for 2011 USPGA Tour season by finishing fourth at final Qualifying-School. He managed to keep his card for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. This year he has played really consistent on 2013/14 USPGA Tour from the large amount of tournaments he has played so far and this top ten finish will give him lots of confidence to keep on improving and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win this year in one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Playoff events? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Events.

Coming in tied for fifth position at 273-11 after 72 holes was Ernie Els (RSA); he earned US $292,000 for his efforts and moved to 55th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,656,552 earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 500 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to 39th position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 1,110 points earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 66-5. But he will be disappointed with his third round which was 71 even par. Ernie Els (RSA) has already won 19 USPGA Tour events in his career and that includes four Major Championships. He is now 44 years of age and turns 45 in mid October and is entering his twilight years on the USPGA Tour. Perhaps he could win his fifth Major Championship before his career is over and even win the 2014 FedEx Cup? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs Series.  

Also tied for fifth position was Matt Kuchar (USA); he also earned US $292,000 for his efforts and moved to fifth position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $4,421,969 earned from the twenty one events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 500 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and remained in fourth position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 2,421 points earned from the twenty one events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty one events he has played to date this season so far he has made 19 cuts and achieved eleven top ten finishes which is two more than Jimmy Walker (USA), Jim Furyk (USA) and Rory McILroy (NIR) have achieved on the USPGA Tour this season so far with nine. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his final round of 67-4 where he finished it by chipping in on the 72nd hole. He must like the Ridgewood Country Club because last time The Barclays was played here in 2010 he won the event in a playoff. Matt Kuchar (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour full time on and off since the 2002 season and has easily kept his card for the next season every season since except for the 2005 season. He spent the 2006 season on the Web.com Tour and earned his 2007 USPGA Tour card back by earning US $300,867 from the 21 events he played in and finished in tenth position on the final 2006 Web.com Tour Money list standings. Since 2007 he has had huge success on the USPGA Tour and his current all time USPGA Tour earnings are US $ 30,837,996 earned from 322 events he has played to date so far in his career. The next step for him would be to win a Major Championship and maybe it will happen in the first Major Championship of 2015 which is the Masters Tournament next April? He has now won seven times on the USPGA Tour to date in his career so far and here they are from his first to the most recent: 2002 The Honda Classic, 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship, 2010 The Barclays, 2012 THE PLAYERS Championship, 2013 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance and the 2014 RBC Heritage. I wish him all the best with for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs series. 

The final player to tie for fifth position was William McGirt (USA); he also earned US $292,000 for his efforts and moved to 79th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,243,018 earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 500 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to 35th position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 1,146 points earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made 17 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes that includes the one here. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 66-5. But he will be just content with his second round of 71 even par. William McGirt (USA) gained his card on the USPGA Tour for the first time in his career when he finished in tied for second position at the 2010 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and gained his 2011 USPGA Tour card. He had a poor rookie season with only earning US $532,933 from the 32 events he played in and that placed him in 141st position on the final 2011 USPGA Tour Money list standings. He went back to the 2011 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and gained his card back for the 2012 season by finishing in tied for 13th position. He had a much better season in 2012 where he made over one million US dollars easily keeping his card for the 2013 season. Maybe he could achieve his maiden win on the USPGA Tour in the 2013/14 season and perhaps it could be one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Playoff Events? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Coming in solo eighth position at 274-10 after 72 holes was Jim Furyk (USA); he earned US $248,000 for his efforts and remained in fourth position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $4,883,595 earned from the 18 events he has played to date this season so far and he is still the highest player on the money list that is yet to win a tournament in the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season. He also earned 425 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings with 2,276 points earned from the 18 events he has played to date this season so far. From the 18 events he has played to date this season so far he has made 18 cuts and achieved nine top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all in the 60s especially his first round which was 66-5. But he will be disappointed with his final round 70-1 after being tied for the lead after 54 holes and he was the only player that finished inside the top ten that scored a final round in the 70s. Jim Furyk (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 1994 season. 2012 was a year of missed chances for him with his narrow misses at winning the US Open Championship and couple of other tournaments. But he hasn’t won on the USPGA Tour since the 2010 THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola and he also won the FedEx Cup that year as well. But he has won 16 tournaments in his USPGA Tour career to date so far and that includes his maiden Major Championship which came at the 2003 US Open Championship. I feel his 17th win will come very soon and maybe it could be in one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Playoff Events and perhaps he could win the 2014 FedEx Cup? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs Series

Rounding out the top ten in tied for ninth position at 275-9 after 72 holes was Rickie Fowler (USA); he earned US $208,000 for his efforts and moved to eighth position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $4,150,317 earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 363 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings with 1,834 points earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved eight top ten finishes which includes the one here and his last five starts have been top ten finishes and all four Major Championships he achieved top five finishes with finishing tied for fifth at the Masters Tournament in April, tied for second at the 114th U.S. Open Championship in June, tied for second at the 143rd Open Championship in July and tied for third at the 96th PGA Championship in August. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third and final rounds that were both 67-4. But he will be disappointed with his second round which was 73+2. He has been playing on the USPGA Tour as a full member since the 2010 season after gaining his card by finishing in tied for 15th position at the 2009 USPGA Tour Final Qualifying School. He has easily kept his card for the next season every season since. He won his maiden USPGA Tour event at the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship so he will be looking for his second win on the USPGA Tour this year and perhaps it will come in one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Playoff Events? But he will have to wait eight months for another chance to win his maiden Major Championship now because the next one is the Masters Tournament in April next year. And going on his form in the Major Championships this year he would be odds on to win his Maiden Major Championship at some stage in the next few years. I wish him all the best for the rest of the USPGA 2013/14 season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series. 

Also tied for ninth position was Morgan Hoffmann (USA); he too earned US $208,000 for his efforts and moved to 107th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $879,972 earned from the twenty nine events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 363 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to 72nd position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 811 points earned from the twenty nine events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty nine events he has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and this was the very first top ten finish he has achieved to date this season so far. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his third round 66-5. He made the biggest move this week of the players that started the week outside the top 100 on the FedEx Playoffs Points list standings with starting the week 124th position and climbing 52 places to 72nd position. Morgan Hoffmann (USA) spent two years attending Oklahoma State University where he played on the golf team. As a highly rated amateur, he held the number one spot in the World Amateur Golf Ranking for a time in 2009, and played in that year's Walker Cup. After playing in the 2010 U.S. Open, Morgan Hoffmann (USA) decided to leave college early in order to turn professional. He qualified for his first professional major at the 2012 U.S. Open, finishing in a tie for 29th position. Morgan Hoffmann (USA) has been a resident of Saddle Brook, New Jersey. Morgan Hoffmann (USA) played on the Web.com Tour in 2012, starting the season with no status and getting by on sponsor exemptions and Monday qualifiers. He played in 13 events and finished 19th on the money list, good enough for a promotion to the USPGA Tour for the 2013 Season. In his rookie season on the USPGA Tour in 2013 he played in twenty events and made eleven cuts and achieved three top ten finishes and finished in 117th position on the final 2013 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings which was a fine effort in his rookie season and easily kept his card for the 2013/14 USPGA Tour Season. He will need another good finish in the top ten next week to make it to the third FedEx Cup Playoff Event at the BMW Championship the following week. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour Season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Also tied for ninth position was Kevin Na (USA); he too earned US $208,000 for his efforts and remained in twentieth position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,970,427 earned twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 363 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to 13th position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 1,776 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made 18 cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his second round 66-5. Kevin Na (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2004 season and has kept his card every season since. He only played in eight events in the 2013 USPGA Tour season because of a back injury (bulging discs) that flared up after the Masters Tournament. He has one win on the USPGA Tour to date in his career so far and that came at the 2011 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He will be very happy with his season so far. So far in his career to date he has career earnings of US $16,235,028 earned from the 269 events he has played so far to date in his career. Let’s hope he can continue on this form for the rest of the season and achieve his second win on the USPGA Tour and perhaps in one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Events? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

The final player to tie for ninth position was Patrick Reed (USA); he too earned US $208,000 for his efforts and remained in eleventh position on current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,832,449 earned from the twenty five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 363 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to eighth position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings with 2,028 points earned from the twenty five events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty five events he has played to date this season so far he has made 17 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his second and final rounds this week that were 66-5 and 65-6 that was the equal low final round. But he will be disappointed with his first round 71 even par and his third round 73+2. Patrick Reed (USA) is in his second season on the USPGA Tour after gaining his 2013 USPGA Tour card by finishing in tied for 22nd position at the 2012 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament. He had a brilliant rookie season with earning US $1,961,519 from the twenty six events he played in with recording five top ten finishes which included his maiden win which came at the Wyndham Championship. He finished in 35th position on the final 2013 USPGA Tour Money list standings. He is still very young with only being 24 years old. With the win at the WGC - Cadillac Championship in early March it now sees him exempt on the USPGA Tour till the end of the 2016 season. It is amazing to believe he had won three USPGA Tour events before he played in his first Major Championship which was the Masters Tournament in April. Also in 2012 on the USPGA Tour he successfully Monday qualified for six tournaments on the USPGA Tour which was just an amazing effort considering there are 100 odd Golfers trying for the four spots on offer each week. Here are those six events he Monday qualified for and the results: Monday qualified for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans (T24), Wells Fargo Championship (T32), HP Byron Nelson Championship (missed cut), Travelers Championship (T47), True South Classic (T21) and Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Classic (T22). I feel all those good finishes he achieved two years ago from Monday qualifying have given him the confidence to achieve what he has so far in the last two years and I look for him to keep on improving in the coming weeks. Everything at the moment is going well in his life and I wouldn’t be surprised if he won his fourth USPGA Tour event this season and it could even be one of the three remaining FedEx Cup Playoff Events and perhaps even the 2014 FedEx Cup? It seems now he has brought more consistency to his game with making his making his last four straight cuts and two of those were top ten finishes. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Danny Lee (NZL) was one of two New Zealand Golfers in the field and he scored a brilliant round of 67-4 in the first round which was awesome and he was only two shots behind the leader. Then he scored a good second round of 71 even par. He scored a good third round of 70-1 and a poor final round of 73+2 for a 72 hole of 281-3 and he finished in tied for 38th position. He earned US $32,000 for his efforts and moved to 122nd position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with  US $744,345 earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 147 FedEx Cup Playoffs points for his efforts and he moved to 96th position on the current 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs points list standings with 637 points earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made 12 cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came over five months ago at the Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com where he finished in solo second position in early March. He will be happy with his first three rounds of 67-4, 71 even par and 70-1 but he will be disappointed with his final round of 73+2 after he went out in 33-2 and had got to minus seven he preceded to make four bogeys in the next five holes and ended up scoring 40+4 on his back nine. But however he managed to do enough to secure his place next week  inside the top 100 players on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list after the conclusion of the Barclays and qualified for the second FedEx Cup Playoff event which is the Deutsche Bank Championship the next week. Let’s hope he can achieve a top ten finish next week and make it to the top 70 players at the conclusion of the Deutsche Bank Championship and make it in to the third FedEx Cup Playoff Event which is the BMW Championship in two weeks time? I wish all the best in his next few tournaments he plays in for the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Tim Wilkinson (NZL) was the other New Zealand Golfer in the field and he scored an average round of 72+1 in the first round. Then he scored a second round of 71 even par. Then a third round of 72+1 for a 54 hole total of 215+2 and because the field had to be cut to the low 70 players for the final round and he finished in tied for 71st position and he finished in the category of “Made the Cut, Did not Finish”.  And because of this it means his 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Series is now over for him. He did earn US $15,680 for his efforts and currently lies in 115th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $824,179 earned from the twenty five events he played in this season. He also earned four FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and finished in 119th position on the final 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 498 points earned from the twenty five events he played in this season and he got US $70,000 from the FedEx Cup Bonus Money Distribution. From the twenty five events he played in this season he made 18 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes with his first coming at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in mid November last year and the second coming at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in early February this year and the third coming at the Barracuda Championship earlier this month. He will be disappointed with his three rounds this week that were all in the low 70s when he knew he needed to score in the high to mid 60s to make it into the top 100 players that advance to the second FedEx Cup Playoff event which is the Deutsche Bank Championship the next week. But he can be very satisfied with his 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series. He season is over now but he has retained his full playing status for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. Let’s hope he can build on this season and having an even better one next season? I wish him all the best for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour Season and FedEx Cup which starts in early October 2014.

The happiest player this week was Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) who finished in 100th position on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup playoffs points list standings after the Barclays with 611 points earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far and he became the last player eligible for the Deutsche Bank Championship which is the second FedEx Cup Playoff event next week. The least happy player this week was Troy Merritt (USA) who finished in 101st position on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 609 points earned from the 19 events he has played in this season and he missed out on playing in the second FedEx Cup Playoff event at the Deutsche Bank Championship the next week by two points!! His 2013/14 USPGA Tour Season and FedEx Cup Playoff series is now over but he is assured of having fully exempt playing status for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour Season.

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoff Series heads to Norton, Massachusetts for the Deutsche Bank Championship which is the second FedEx Cup Playoff Event. Only the top 100 players on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings after the Barclays will be eligible to compete. It is played on the TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts. It carries a huge prize purse of US $8,000,000 for the taking. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL) is the only New Zealand Golfer in the field because he finished in 96th position on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings after the Barclays. It starts on Friday 29th August because it has a scheduled Monday finish on Labour Day Holiday Monday which is the 1st September. 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 fourth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 43rd week of his career is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his tied for twenty second position this past week at The Barclays and two weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and three weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also five weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.10 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for 15th position at The Barclays this past week and two weeks ago tied for 15th position finish at the 96th PGA Championship with 9.16 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who was fresh off his tied for 38th position at The Barclays this past week and he finished in tied for fourth position at the 114th U.S. Open Championship ten weeks ago and also finished tied for second at the BMW International Open and eight weeks ago and also finished in tied for 39th position at the 143rd Open Championship five weeks ago and two weeks ago finished in tied for third position at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.02 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Sergio Garcia (Spain) who is fresh off  his tied for tied for 57th position this past week at The Barclays and two weeks ago tied for 36th position at the 96th PGA Championship and also finished solo second position three weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and five weeks ago he tied for second position at the 143rd Open  Championship with 7.73 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list this week is Justin Rose (England) who is fresh off his win six weeks ago at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and five weeks ago finished in tied for twenty third position at the 143rd Open Championship and three weeks ago he finished in tied for fourth position at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and two weeks ago finished in tied for twenty fourth position in the 96th PGA Championship and this past week finish in tied for 30th position at The Barclays with 7.30 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Steve Alker (NZL) is in his first week of his first spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for fifth position at the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft this past week on the Web.com Tour. This week he gains 19 places and rises to 243rd position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list with 0.75 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember when playing in cold conditions it is important to keep your hands warm!!

Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com

Golf Events from the Weekend 17th August 2014

It was another exciting weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to North Carolina for the final regular season event of the 2013/14 FedEx Cup and it was the Wyndham Championship and it was played on the Sedgefield CC, Greensboro, North Carolina. And it was the golfer by the name of Camilo Villegas (Colombia) who scored rounds of 63-7, 69-1, 68-2 and a brilliant final round of 63-7 for a 72 hole total of 263-17 and he won by a single stroke for his fourth USPGA Tour win and his first since 2010. He earned US $954,000 for the win and moved to 58th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with earned US $1, 526,574 earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far. Rory McILroy (NIR) still leads that list with US $6,965,896 earned from the 13 events he has played to date this season so far. Camilo Villegas (Colombia) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to 37th position on the final regular 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1002 points earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far and he is 1,580 points behind the leader of final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings who is Rory McILroy (NIR) who has earned 2,582 points from the 13 events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty six events Camilo Villegas (Colombia) has played to date this season so far he has made 18 cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week when he won. He will be extremely happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s and especially his first round 63-7 which saw him take the first round lead by a shot and his final round 63-7 which was the lowest round of the day by a shot and he also scored the lowest round of the tournament twice. 

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) tees off during the final round

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) played an amazing final round of 63-7 which was blemish free and included an awesome front nine of 29-6 which included an eagle on the par five, fifth hole and birdies on the par four, second hole, par four, fourth hole, par four, sixth hole and par four, eighth hole. He made the turn at minus 16 and was leading by a two shots. Bill Haas (USA) went out in 31-4 and made the turn at minus 14 and was two shots behind the leader. Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) went out in 33-2 and made the turn at minus 12 and was four shots behind the leader.

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) played holes ten to 14 in even par and remained at minus 16 and was still leading by one shot. Bill Haas (USA) played holes ten to 14 in one under par and moved to minus 15 and now was only one shot behind the leader. Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) played holes ten to 14 in one under par and moved to minus 15 and now was one shot behind the leader.

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) played holes 15 to 17 in one under par and headed to the 72nd hole at minus 17 and was now tied for the lead. Bill Haas (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in one under par and moved to minus 16 and was still one shot behind the leader with just the 72nd hole to play. Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) played holes 15 to 17 in two under par and moved to minus 17 with just the par four, 72nd hole to play and was now tied for the lead.

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) who was playing about an hour ahead of the leaders hit a good drive down the par four, 72nd hole which found the left side of the fairway. He then struck a good mid iron which found the front of the green. He was able to two putt for his par and he scored 34-1 on the back nine and finished the 72 holes on minus 17 and he had set the pace as leader in the club house. Bill Haas (USA) who was playing a few groups ahead of the final group made a solid par at the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 16 and was one shot behind the winner. Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) who was playing in the group in front of the final group hit the par four, 72nd hole in the regulation two shots but left himself with a putt over forty feet for his birdie three. He struck his birdie putt way too strong and left himself a very difficult ten foot putt for par which unfortunately missed as well and he had to settle for bogey and finished the 72 holes on minus 16 and finished one shot behind the winner.  

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) acknowledges the crowd after holing out on the 72nd green!!

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) now realised he had won the Wyndham Championship and he was very happy about it. When he was interviewed by the CBS Sports on course reporter, Peter Kostis (USA) he said “All golfers go through there ups and downs and I had suffered my share of the downs in the last few years” he also said “I have continued to work very hard at my game and all that hard work I have put in over the past few months has paid off”. He also gave his sponsors huge praise for sticking by him over the past few years when he wasn’t producing the results they expected of him. Camilo Villegas (Colombia) began playing on the USPGA Tour in 2004 and earned his USPGA Tour card just prior to the 2006 season. He had a blistering start to his 2006 rookie year on tour, with two second place finishes and a third place (at The Players Championship) in his first nine events. He missed making the 2006 Masters Tournament in his rookie year by a single position on the Official USPGA Tour Money List (11th). However, he made his first Masters' appearance in 2007 by finishing in the top 40 of the Official USPGA Tour Money List for 2006. He qualified for the 2008 Masters Tournament through his exceptional play during the inaugural FedEx Cup playoff system, that included an opening round 63 (8 under par) at the Deutsche Bank Championship and three straight top 10 finishes. He entered the FedEx Cup playoffs in 52nd place and improved to 28th place through his play in the first three events, thus qualifying for the 30-man field at The Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, where he finished in the top 10 for the third straight week and finished 24th on the final FedEx Cup points list.

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) won his first USPGA Tour title in September 2008, winning the BMW Championship by two shots over Dudley Hart (USA). For the last 44 holes of the tournament, Camilo Villegas (Colombia) did not three putt, one-putting 27 of those last 44 holes. This victory took him to a career high of 18th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Camilo Villegas (Colombia) followed his BMW Championship win with a victory in The Tour Championship. He beat Sergio Garcia (Spain) in a playoff, having trailed by five shots going into the final round. The win took Camilo Villegas (Colombia) to number seven in the Official World Golf Rankings and established him as the highest ranked golfer from South America. He finished the season 7th on the PGA Tour money list. In late 2008 Camilo Villegas (Colombia) joined the European Tour, making his first European Tour appearance at the 2008 HSBC Champions, the first tournament of the 2009 season. However he continued to play predominately in the United States. He had no victories in 2009 but had five top-10 finishes and ended the season ranked 45th on the final USPGA Tour money list and in the top 30 of the European Tour's Race to Dubai. He has spent over 30 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings since 2008, with a career high rank of seventh. At the 2009 Chevron World Challenge, CamiloVillegas (Colombia) made a very rare albatross (double eagle) on a 568 yard par 5, firing a 262 yard second shot into the hole. In March 2010, Camilo Villegas (Colombia) earned his third victory on the USPGA Tour, winning The Honda Classic by five strokes over Anthony Kim (USA). Camilo Villegas (Colombia) chose not to maintain his status on the European Tour, and a slump in form in 2012 meant he had to enter the USPGA Tour's Qualifying School at the end of the season; he finished 144th on the final money list. Camilo Villegas (Colombia) did not regain a Tour Card but had conditional status on the PGA Tour for 2013, playing in the 126-150 category. His status gave him entry based on sponsor exemptions, past championships, and priority ranking. He regained full privileges for 2014 with a 110th place finish in the 2013 FedEx Cup. In 2014, Camilo Villegas (Colombia) won the Wyndham Championship (As I mentioned earlier), his first win on USPGA Tour in more than four years. The win moved him into the 37th position of the 2014 FedEx Cup prior to going into the FedEx Cup playoffs. With this victory, Camilo Villegas (Colombia) earns an invitation into the 2015 Masters Tournament and two years full-exempt status on the PGA Tour. The win this past week at the Wyndham Championship with give him lots of confidence heading into the FedEx Cup Playoffs in the next few weeks and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he wins his fifth USPGA Tour event in one of them. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 season and the FedEx Cup Playoff events. 

Camilio Villegas (Colombia) poses with the Sam Snead Cup he won for winning the Wyndham Championship while taking a selfie!!

Coming in tied for second position at 264-16 after 72 holes was Freddie Jacobson (Sweden); he earned US $466,400 for his efforts and moved to 41st position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,868,882 earned from the twenty four events he has played today this season so far. He also earned 245 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finish in 38th position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 987 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made 17 cuts and achieved four top ten finishes that includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final three rounds that were 64-6, 66-4 and 66-4. But he will be slightly disappointed he wasn’t able to achieve his second USPGA Tour title. Freddie Jacobson (Sweden) has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2004 Season and has easily kept his card for the next year every season since. In that time he has amassed career earnings to date of US $16,182,707 earned from the 255 events he has played into date so far in his career and his maiden win came at the 2011 Travelers Championship. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 season and FedEx Cup Playoff events and hope he can have more top ten finishes and perhaps secure his second USPGA Tour win?

Also tied for second position was Bill Haas (USA); he too earned US $466,400 for his efforts and moved to twenty ninth position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,225,378 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 245 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in twenty fourth position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,268 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made twenty three cuts and withdrawn from one event and he has achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 64-6 that was blemish free. Bill Haas (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour Fulltime since the 2006 season after gaining his 2006 USPGA Tour card at the 2005 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament where he finished in tied for 26th position to earn his rookie USPGA TOUR card for 2006 season and to do that he had to make birdie on final hole to earn his card on the number (11-under). Since gaining his full USPGA Tour card in 2006 he has easily kept his card every season for the following season every season since. And in that time he has achieved five wins on the USPGA Tour and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2010 Bob Hope Classic, Viking Classic, 2011 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, 2012 Northern Trust Open and the 2013 AT&T Classic. And in 2011 he won the FedEx Cup in a winner-take-all playoff, he pared the third playoff hole (par-3 18th hole) to defeat Hunter Mahan (USA) to win the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and the FedEx Cup, winning the latter by 15 points over Webb Simpson (USA) and becoming the first player in his 20s to win the season-long competition. He entered the final round three strokes behind Aaron Baddeley (Australia) and Hunter Mahan (USA) but carded a final-round 68-2 to finish regulation tied with Hunter Mahan (USA) at 8-under 272. In the playoff, he appeared to have shot himself out of winning both on the second playoff hole, the Par four, 17th hole at East Lake GC, when his approach to the par 4 landed in the water adjacent to the green. He made a great up and down for par to continue the playoff. As a result of his win, he pocketed the US $1,440,000 first-place cheque and the US $10-million prize for winning the 2011 FedEx Cup. He became just the third player to win the TOUR Championship in his first appearance, joining Chad Campbell (USA) (2003) and Bart Bryant (USA) (2005). He and his father, Jay, are the only father-son combination to tee it up in the TOUR Championship. I feel the next step for him will be to win his maiden Major Championship and I believe it could happen in the 2015 season, perhaps at the Masters Tournament next April? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 part of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Coming in solo fourth position at 265-15 after 72 holes was Heath Slocum (USA); He earned US $254,400 for his efforts and moved to 141st position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $566,167 earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 135 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and finished in 129th position on the final 2013/14 Regular Season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 419 points earned from the twenty three events he played in. From the twenty three events he played in this year he made 12 cuts and this was the very first top ten finish he achieved in the season. He will be happy with his four rounds this week because they were all in the 60s especially his first and second rounds that were consecutive 65-5s. But unfortunately it wasn’t enough for him to get inside the top 125 on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points standings list and he will now have to go back and play the Web.com Tour Finals to gain his 2014/15 USPGA Tour card back. Heath Slocum (USA) joined the USPGA Tour in 2001 and since then he has secured four wins. His first win was in 2004 at the Chrysler Classic of Tucson. His second win came at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic in 2005. His third win came at The Barclays in 2009. His best finish in a major is a tie for 9th at the 2008 U.S. Open and he has featured in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Heath Slocum (USA) represented the United States at the 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup with Boo Weekley (USA) and finished in 2nd place. Heath Slocum (USA) barely qualified for the 2009 FedEx Cup Playoffs: he finished 124th on the regular season points list, with 125 qualifying. At the first playoff event, The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, he won the event by one stroke, holing a 21 foot putt for par on the last hole to deny Ernie Els (RSA), Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Steve Stricker (USA), and Tiger Woods (USA) the chance of victory. Heath Slocum's (USA) win, his third on the Tour, vaulted him 121 spots on the FedEx Cup points list, to third position; it also earned him US $1,350,000 more than double his prior winnings in 2009.  His fourth win came at the McGladrey Classic in October 2010. Let’s hope we will see him back on the USPGA Tour for the 2014/15 season?  

Coming in tied for fifth position at 266-14 after 72 holes was Webb Simpson (USA); he earned US $193,450 for his efforts and moved to 14th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,193,111 earned from the twenty one events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 13th position on the final 2013/14 Regular Season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,536 points earned from the twenty one events he played in this season. From the twenty one events he has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved eight top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his win at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in October last year. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first round 64-6. Webb Simpson (USA) 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 kept 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 an 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 win 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 and he won his fourth event at the 2013 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in October last year. I’m sure his fifth win isn’t too far off either and maybe it will happen in one of the four FedEx Cup Playoff events? I wish him all the best with the tournaments he plays in the coming weeks in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and if he gets off to a good start in the first two tournaments maybe he could be the 2014 FedEx Cup Champion? 

Also tied for fifth position was Brandt Snedeker (USA); he too earned US $193,450 for his efforts and moved to 51st position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,652,380 earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 55th position on the final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 812 points earned from the twenty three events he played this season. From the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far he has made twenty cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 65-5. He has had a rather average 2013/14 season on the USPGA Tour by his high standards and this top ten finish maybe just what he needs to boost his confidence. Brandt Snedeker (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2007 season and he has easily kept his card every year for the following season every year since and he has achieved six wins in that time and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2007 Wyndham Championship, 2011 The Heritage, 2012 Farmers Insurance Open, TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the RBC Canadian Open. In 2012 he won the FedEx Cup and the Ten Million Dollar Bonus that goes with it and perhaps he could win it for a second time in 2014. I feel he is destined to win a Major Championship before his career is over, maybe it will happen in the 2015 and perhaps it could happen at the first Major Championship of the year next year at the Masters Tournament next April? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 season and the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The final player to tie for fifth position was Nick Watney (USA); he too earned US $193,450 for his efforts and moved to 101st position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $913,398 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 94th position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 584 points earned from the twenty four events he played this season. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first three rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round of 64-6. But he will be disappointed with his final round of 70 even par when he held the 54 hole lead and especially his back nine of 37+2. Nick Watney (USA) in 2007, after two years of slow progress, won his first USPGA Tour title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This victory took Nick Watney (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. He got his second tour win at the 2009 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, with a one-stroke victory over John Rollins (USA), taking him to his highest position yet in the World Golf Rankings, number 76. 

In the 2010 USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Nick Watney (USA) had a three-shot lead going into the final round. However, he shot a final round of 81, which dropped him back to a tie for 18th place. Nick Watney (USA) won the biggest tournament of his career to date and his first World Golf Championship at the WGC – Cadillac Championship at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in March 2011. He entered the final round trailing by two strokes, but shot a final round 67, including a run of four birdies in five holes in the middle of the round, and finished with a birdie at the notoriously difficult 18th, to record a two-stroke victory over compatriot Dustin Johnson (USA).  Nick Watney (USA) admitted in an interview afterwards that he had dwelt on finishing 2nd at Doral, in the same tournament two years before, when his putt on the 18th finished a couple of inches short of the hole. After the victory, Nick Watney (USA) moved up to number 15 in the World Golf Rankings. In July, Nick Watney (USA) won for the second time in 2011 at the AT&T National by beating K. J. Choi (South Korea) by two strokes. The victory owed much to his third-round score when he set a course record 62 around Aronimink Golf Club, beating the previous record set coincidentally on the same day, which Chris Kirk (USA) and Steve Marino (USA) held briefly with joint 63s. Nick Watney (USA) shot a 27 on the back nine, which tied the second lowest nine-hole score ever recorded on the USPGA Tour. The record is held by Corey Pavin (USA) who shot 26 at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwakee in 2006.

During the final round Nick Watney (USA) did not record a single bogey, making a number of crucial par saving putts to hold off the challenge of K. J. Choi (South Korea) and capture his fourth PGA Tour title. This win took Nick Watney (USA) to the top of the FedEx Cup standings, ahead of K. J. Choi (South Korea), and into the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. He finished the 2011 season ranked third on the USPGA Tour money list. During the 2011 President's Cup, he defeated K.J. Choi (South Korea) on the final day to give the United States team a distinct advantage over the International Team coached by Greg Norman (Australia). The four-day match play tournament was played in Melbourne, Australia. During the first round of the 2012 U.S. Open Championship at the Olympic Club, Nick Watney (USA) made a double eagle on the par-five 17th hole to become only the third man to record a double eagle in U.S. Open history. The others being T.C. Chen (Taiwan) in 1985 at Oakland Hills and Shaun Micheel (USA) in 2010 at Pebble Beach. In August 2012, Nick Watney (USA) won the first of the four FedEx Cup playoff events, The Barclays, at Bethpage Black in New York. He came from two behind in the final round to win by three strokes over Brandt Snedeker (USA) to take the outright lead in the FedEx Cup standings. This was the first playoff event victory of his career. After Rory McILroy (NIR) won the second playoff event, Nick Watney (USA) dropped to second in the standings. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs. 

Rounding out the top ten in tied for eighth position at 267-13 after 72 holes was Brad Fritsch (Canada); he earned US $148,400 for his efforts and moved to 140th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $568,391 earned from the 18 events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 151st position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 322 points earned from the 18 events he played in this season. From the 18 events he has played to date this season so far he has made seven cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first three rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 63-7. He will now head back to the Web.com Tour Finals in attempt to try and earn his USPGA Tour card back for the 2014/15 season. Brad Fritsch (Canada) played on the Canadian Tour from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2010 to 2011. His best finish was second at the 2004 Bay Mills Open Players Championship. He played on the Web.com Tour from 2007 to 2009 and 2012. His best finish was tied for second at the 2012 Mylan Classic. Brad Fritsch (Canada) gained his USPGA Tour card for 2013 by finishing in the top 25 of the Web.com Tour money list in 2012. He improved his position by finishing tied for seventh at the 2012 PGA Tour Qualifying School. He made 18 cuts in 24 events in 2013, finishing 142nd on the money list and missing the FedEx Cup playoffs by four places (ranked 129th). He played in the Web.com Tour Finals and finished 14th to regain his PGA Tour card for 2013/14 season. I wish him all the best for the Web.com Tour Finals in the coming weeks.

Also tied for eighth position was Kevin Kisner (USA); he too earned US $148,400 for his efforts and moved to 94th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $954,497 earned from the twenty five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 93rd position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 587 points earned from the Twenty five events he played in. From the twenty five events he has played to date this season so far he has made 17 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 64-6. Kevin Kisner (USA) played the Web.com Tour full-time in 2010, winning once at the Mylan Classic. He finished the year in 11th position on the final 2010 Web.com Tour money list and earned his 2011 USPGA Tour card. Kevin Kisner (USA) failed to earn enough money on the USPGA Tour in 2011 to retain his card (and finished 181st on money list), but finished in tied for eleventh position at the 2011 final qualifying school to earn his card for 2012 USPGA Tour season. He again failed to retain his card, finishing 167th position on the final 2012 USPGA Tour money list, and missed earning a card in qualifying school by one stroke. He returned to Web.com Tour in 2013 and won the Chile Classic in March. He finished 13th on the final 2013 Web.com Tour regular season money list to earn his 2014 PGA Tour card. Let’s hope he can build on this top ten finish and have more in the coming weeks and also play well in the first FedEx Cup Playoff events? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs.

 

Coming in tied for eighth position was William McGirt (USA); he too earned US $148,400 for his efforts and moved to 95th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $951,018 earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 81st position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 646 points earned from the twenty six events he played in. From the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far he has made 16 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first and final rounds that were both 64-6. But he will be disappointed with his third round which was 71+1. He gained his card on the USPGA Tour for the first time in his career when he finished in tied for second position at the 2010 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and gained his 2011 USPGA Tour card. He had a poor rookie season with only earning US $532,933 from the 32 events he played in and that placed him in 141st position on the final 2011 USPGA Tour Money list standings. He went back to the 2011 PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament and gained his card back for the 2012 season by finishing in tied for 13th position. He had a much better season in 2012 where he made over one million US dollars easily keeping his card for the 2013 season. Maybe he could achieve his maiden win on the USPGA Tour in the 2013/14 season and perhaps it could be one of the four FedEx Cup Playoff Events? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs. 

The final player to tie for eighth position was Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela); he too earned US $148,400 for his efforts and moved to 120th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $735,203 earned from the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and finished in 108th position on the final 2013/14 regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 505 Points earned from the twenty two events he played in this season. From the twenty two events he has played to date this season so far he has made 15 cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round which was 65-5. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) won his first Nationwide Tour event in 2010 at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open. He finished the season seventh on the money list and earned his 2011 USPGA Tour card, the first Venezuelan to do so. On 23rd January 2011, Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) won his first USPGA Tour event, the Bob Hope Classic, after defeating tour veteran Bill Haas (USA) and Gary Woodland (USA) in a sudden death playoff. It was Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) fifth overall start on the USPGA Tour and the second as a member of the tour. The victory was the first by a Venezuelan at a USPGA Tour event; Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) earned entry into the Masters Tournament and a two-year exemption on the USPGA Tour. In his next start he finished in a tie for third at the Farmers Insurance Open, holding a share of the lead on the back nine and moved to a career Official World Golf Ranking high of 69th. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) was the first USPGA Tour rookie to lead the FedEx Cup Points standings. In July 2012, Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) was the runner-up finisher at the annual Telus World Skins Game to Paul Casey (England) held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after having won the 2011 event in Banff ,Alberta. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) started 2013 with three missed cuts in three tournaments. He sat out the remainder of the 2013 USPGA Tour season after shoulder surgery. Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) attempted to regain his USPGA Tour status through the Web.com Tour Finals, but fell short and started the 2013-14 season on a Medical Extension. He satisfied his medical extension with a tied for third finish at the John Deere Classic this past week. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs.

The happiest player this week was Robert Allenby (Australia) who finished in 125th position on the final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 438 points earned from the twenty eight events he has played to date this season so far and he became the last player eligible for the Barclays which is the first FedEx Cup Playoff event next week. The least happy player this week was Nicholas Thompson (USA) who finished in 126th position on the final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 437 points earned from the 30 events he has played to date this season so far and he missed out on playing in the first FedEx Cup Playoff event at the Barclays next week by a single point!! He will now have to go back to the Web.com Tour Finals to regain his full playing status for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour Season. 

Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealand Golfer in the field and he scored rounds of 73+3 in the first round which was poor. Then he scored a good second round of 70 even par for a 36 hole total of 143+3 and missed the cut by five shots. He currently lies in 125th   position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with  US $712,345  earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far. He finished in 116th position on the final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup points list standings with 490 points earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far he has made eleven cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came five months ago at the Puerto Rico Open presented by seepuertorico.com where he finished in solo second position in early March. He will be happy with his second round of 70 even par. But he will be disappointed with his first round 73+3 that really made it hard for him to make the cut. With this being the final event in the regular 2013/14 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup season it means he has secured his place in the first FedEx Cup Series playoff event which is the Barclays which starts on Thursday 21st August. He will need a very good performance next week to get himself inside the top 100 players on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list after the conclusion of the Barclays on Sunday night to qualify for the second FedEx Cup Playoff event which is the Deutsche Bank Championship the following week. Let’s hope he can achieve a top ten finish next week? I wish all the best in his next few tournaments he plays in for the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Tim Wilkinson (NZL) who chose to sit out the Wyndham Championship this week currently lies in 109th position on the current 2013/14 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $808,499 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. He also finished in 114th position on the final regular season FedEx Cup Points list standings with 494 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made 17 cuts and achieved three top ten finishes with his first coming at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in mid November last year and the second coming at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in early February this year and the third coming at the Barracuda Championship earlier this month. With this being the final event in the regular 2013/14 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup season it means he has secured his place in the first FedEx Cup Series playoff event which is the Barclays which starts on Thursday 21st August. He will need a very good performance next week to get himself inside the top 100 players on the 2013/14 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list after the conclusion of the Barclays on Sunday night to qualify for the second FedEx Cup Playoff event which is the Deutsche Bank Championship the following week. Let’s hope he can achieve a top ten finish next week? I wish all the best in his next few tournaments he plays in for the 2013/14 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series.

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup head to New Jersey for the first FedEx Cup Playoff event and it is the Barclays and is played on the Ridgewood CC, Paramus, New Jersey. It carries a huge prize purse of US $8,000,000 for the taking. The top 124 players on the final regular season 2013/14 FedEx Cup Points list standings will be eligible participate (It would of been the top 125 players but Dustin Johnson (USA) has taken a six months leave of absence from the tour). Adam Scott (Australia) is the defending Champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) will also gain starts because there places in the top 125 have already been secured. It starts on Thursday 21st August 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 third week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 42nd week of his career is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his win one week ago at the 96th PGA Championship and two week ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also four weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.15 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for 15th position finish one week ago at the 96th PGA Championship with 9.15 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who finished in tied for fourth position at the 114th U.S. Open Championship nine weeks ago and also finished tied for second at the BMW International Open and seven weeks ago and also finished in tied for 39th position at the 143rd Open Championship four weeks ago and one week ago finished in tied for third position at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.10 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Sergio Garcia (Spain) who is fresh off  his tied for 36th position at the 96th PGA Championship one week ago and also finished solo second position two weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and four weeks ago he tied for second position at the 143rd Open  Championship with 7.80 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list this week is Justin Rose (England) who is fresh off his win five weeks ago at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and four weeks ago finished in tied for twenty third position at the 143rd Open Championship and two weeks ago he finished in tied for fourth position at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and one week ago finished in tied for twenty fourth position in the 96th PGA Championship with 7.35 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Tim Wilkinson (NZL) is in his third week of his second spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for eighth finish at the Barracuda Championship two weeks ago on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips three places and falls to 246th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list with 0.73 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember the grip is a very important part of the golf swing!!

Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com