Golf Events from the Weekend 14th December 2014

Well it was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the PGA Tour of Australasia and the OneAsia Tour had a joint venture as they stage the final events of their 2014 seasons and it is the Australian PGA Championship and was played on the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast and carried a large prize purse of AU $1,000,000 for the taking. Adam Scott (Australia) was the defending champion and was keen for back to back titles. Ryan Fox (NZL) led the New Zealand Challenge and was looking for another high finish. And it was the golfer by the name of Greg Chalmers (Australia) who scored rounds of 71-1, 71-1, 71-1 and a awesome final round of 64-8 which was blemish free (And the low round of the tournament) and also he birdied the 72nd hole to get into the playoff for a 72 hole total of 277-11 but he was tied on that score by Adam Scott (Australia) who scored rounds of 68-4, 69-3, 69-3 and a final round of 71-1 for a 72 hole total of 277-11 also. Wade Ormsby (Australia) scored rounds of 68-4, 67-5, 71-1 and a final round of 71-1 which included birding the par four, 72nd hole to get in the playoff also. So those three players headed back to the par four, 18th tee for the first playoff hole.

 

Greg Chalmers (Australia) in action during the final round

Greg Chalmers (Australia) drew number one from the officials hat and teed off first, next to tee off was Wade Ormsby (Australia) and last to tee off was Adam Scott (Australia). All three players made par four’s on the first playoff hole so they headed back to the par four, 18th tee for the second playoff hole. After the three players had played there second shots it looked like Greg Chalmers (Australia) was going to be eliminated because he had hit a poor fairway bunker shot and was faced with a difficult chip shot from the left hand green side rough and Wade Ormsby (Australia) had played an awesome fairway bunker shot that was only eight feet from the flag stick. Adam Scott (Australia) had stiffed his short wedge shot to eight feet past the pin. Greg Chalmers (Australia) hit his chip shot heavy and it came to rest 12 feet short of the cup. He was still away putting for his par and he displayed great intestinal fortitude when he rolled his 12 foot putt in the centre of the cup for his par, he must have thought at the time that was not enough to keep going to the third playoff hole? But to his amazement both Adam Scott (Australia) and Wade Ormsby (Australia) missed there birdie putts. Wade Ormsby (Australia) must have been really angry with himself that he wasn’t able to convert his birdie putt because who knows the next time he will get a chance as good as he had to win a Major event like this in Australia? So all three players headed back to the par four, 18th tee for the third playoff hole. 

This time both Adam Scott (Australia) and Greg Chalmers (Australia) hit very good second shots in to within 15 feet of the flag stick. But Wade Ormsby (Australia) had found the same right hand side fairway bunker and this time he over hit his shot and his ball landed in the heavy rough to the left of the green. He was first to play his third shot which was buried in the rough. He played it well and it came to rest four feet from the cup. But he knew that par mightn’t be good enough. Greg Chalmers (Australia) was now faced with the same putt he had on the last playoff hole but this time it was for birdie. He struck a brilliant putt that fell right in the centre of the cup for his birdie three!! Adam Scott (Australia) was now faced with a ten foot birdie putt to extend the playoff to a fourth hole. And he was up to the challenge and rolled it right in the centre of the cup for his birdie three!! Both Adam Scott (Australia) and Greg Chalmers (Australia) shook Wade Ormsby’s (Australia) hand in commiseration because he had been eliminated from the play off. They both headed back to the par four, 18th tee for the fourth playoff hole.   

Greg Chalmers (Australia) lost his ball well to the left off the tee and was lucky he had a second shot that he did. Adam Scott (Australia) boomed another drive over 300 metres down the centre of the fairway. Greg Chalmers (Australia) played a very good second shot under the circumstances and it landed just past the pin and rolled to the back of the green. Adam Scott (Australia) played an okay wedge for his second that came up 15 feet below the cup. Greg Chalmers (Australia) played a very good chip shot for his third that came to rest four feet below the cup. Adam Scott (Australia) now had a great chance to claim the title but he left the putt short. Greg Chalmers (Australia) easily tapped in the four footer for his par and both players went back to the par four, 18th tee for the fifth playoff hole. 

Greg Chalmers (Australia) lost his drive to the right again in the fairway bunker. Adam Scott (Australia) hit another booming drive right down the centre of the fairway over 300 metres. Greg Chalmers (Australia) hit his fairway bunker shot out to the right hand side of the green just past pin high about 40 feet away. Adam Scott (Australia) hit his short wedge about 15 feet below the flag stick. Greg Chalmers (Australia) hit a very good putt from 40 feet for his birdie that came to rest four feet to the right of the cup. Adam Scott (Australia) now had another chance to win the title but again he missed his 15 foot birdie putt just to the left hand side and tapped in for his par four. Greg Chalmers (Australia) now had a tricky four footer to hole through his own shadow. He rolled it right in the centre of the cup. So they went back to the par four, 18th tee for the sixth playoff hole. 

Greg Chalmers (Australia) found the right hand fairway bunker again. Adam Scott (Australia) this time hit his first off line drive of the playoff and it found the same fairway bunker but slightly farther up. Greg Chalmers (Australia) hit an excellent second shot into 15 feet below the flag stick in a similar position that Adam Scott (Australia) had been in a lot during the playoff. Adam Scott (Australia) was now faced with a difficult shot from the right hand fairway bunker which he was close to the lip. He played it okay and it came out pin high to the left on the fringe. He used his putter and rolled it up to within a foot of the cup and tapped in for his par four leaving Greg Chalmers (Australia) a great chance to claim the title if he could hole his 15 foot birdie putt. Greg Chalmers (Australia) calmed his nerve and stuck a putt that came up inches short and he tapped in for his par four. So both players headed back to the par four, 18th tee for the seventh playoff hole which was now the longest playoff in PGA Tour of Australasia history for a tier one event. 

Greg Chalmers (Australia) again lost his tee shot into the right hand green side bunker. Adam Scott (Australia) hit another booming drive that got a fortuities bounce to the left and landed in the fairway over 300 metres out.  Greg Chalmers (Australia) played an okay second shot and it landed about 40 feet to the left past the flag stick on the green in a similar position to where he was on the fifth playoff hole. Adam Scott (Australia) played another one of his average wedges shots for his second and it landed 15 feet short of the flag stick on the green. Greg Chalmers (Australia) hit a good putt for his birdie three from 40 feet and it came to rest three feet from the cup. Adam Scott (Australia) again had a 15 foot birdie putt to win the title. But he stuck it far too hard and rolled it five feet past the cup and he was still away. He calmed his nerve but hit a poor return putt for his par and it missed on the right hand side not even touching the cup!! He easily tapped in for his bogey five. That now meant that Greg Chalmers (Australia) had his four foot par putt to win the 2014 Australian PGA Championship. He calmed his nerve and rolled it right in the centre of the cup!! He then high fived and hugged his caddie to celebrate!! Then he shook Adam Scott (Australia) hand in a very Sportsman like manner to acknowledge the battle they had been in for at least the last ninety also minutes. Greg Chalmers (Australia) was then presented with the Joe Kirkwood Cup from the Queensland and Minister for Tourism, Janet Stuckey. And when interviewed by Pat Welsh from seven sports channel he said “He was very tired after all the golf he had played today and he was honoured to win the Australian PGA Championship again”. He won it three years previous in 2011. 

 

Greg Chalmers (Australia) on the left shakes Adam Scott (Australia's) hand on the right after holing the winning putt!!

Greg Chalmers (Australia) won AU $180,000 for the win and won the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $254,525.00 earned from the fourth events he played in this season (It was the second time he had won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit having also won it in 2011). Steven Jeffress (Australia) was second with AU $ 213,651.86 earned from the 13 events he played in this season. From the four events Greg Chalmers (Australia) played in this season he made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which came in his last two starts and included the win here.  He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his final round 64-8 that was blemish free and the low final round by four shots!! And he played the seven holes in the playoff one under par. 

He will gain a lot of confidence out of this win and the way he played in the final round and the seven playoff holes with displaying the fighting qualities he has as well as a first class short game. Greg Chalmers (Australia) has been a professional golfer since 1995 in that time he has won five times on the PGA Tour of Australasia with winning the 1997 Australasian Players Championship, 1998 and 2011 Australian Open and 2011 and 2014 Australian PGA Championship. He has also played the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2000 Season but is yet to achieve a win on that tour. But he has won two events on the Web.com Tour. His best finish in a Major Championship to date has been tied for fourth at the 2000 PGA Championship. Let’s hope he can carry on this fine form into 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season when it recommences in Mid January. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season in America.

  

Greg Chalmers (Australia) poses with the Joe Kirkwood Cup he won!!

Coming in tied for second position at 277-11 after 72 holes and losing on the third playoff hole to Greg Chalmers (Australia) and Adam Scott (Australia) as I mentioned above was Wade Ormsby (Australia); he earned AU $84,750.00 for his efforts and finished in 13th position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $116,658.33 earned from the three events he played in this season. From the three events he played in this season he made two cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which included the one this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first two rounds that were 68-4 and 67-5. But he will be disappointed with his birdie putt on the second playoff hole that was a great chance for him to win his maiden PGA Tour of Australasia event and how he played on the third playoff hole to only make a par and get eliminated. But he will gain a lot of confidence out of the birdie putt he made on the 72nd hole to get into the playoff. Wade Ormsby (Australia) was born in Adelaide, Australia. He attended the University of Houston in the United States for three years before turning professional in 2001. Wade Ormsby (Australia) began his career on the PGA Tour of Australasia in his home country, while also trying to play in Europe. He played his first full season on the European Tour in 2004, having earned his place via qualifying school at the end of 2003. He finished 112th on the Order of Merit in his first season to retain playing rights, and improved to 71st in 2005, but he hasn't retained his card automatically since then. However, he has regained it several times via return trips to qualifying school, in 2006, 2008 and 2010. In December 2006 (though on the 2007 season schedule) he finished joint runner-up in the Blue Chip New Zealand Open, which remains his best result in a European Tour event. In 2008, Wade Orsmby (Australia) played on the second-tier U.S.-based Nationwide Tour, recording two top-10 finishes. His best year in his home country was 2006, when he ended sixth on the Order of Merit. But he is just coming off his career best season on the European Tour in 2014 with finishing in 51st position on the final 2014 Race to Dubai Money list standings with € 597,477 earned from the twenty eight events he played in and that included making twenty three cuts and achieving four top ten finishes with his best being his tied for fourth finish at the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Youth and Sports which got him a start the following week at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. He achieved his maiden win as a professional at the 2013 Panasonic Open India on the Asian Tour. Let’s hope he can keep this hot form up for the early 2015 European Tour events in mid January. I wish him all the best for the 2015 European Tour season.

The other player to tie for second position and losing to Greg Chalmers (Australia) on the seventh playoff hole was Adam Scott (Australia); He too earned AU $84,750.00 for his efforts and finished in fourth position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $207,250.00 earned from the three events he played in. From the three events he played in he made three cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which included the one here. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all in the 60s especially his first round that was 68-4. But he will only be content with his final round 71-1 and he will be disappointed with how he putted in the seven playoff holes especially his three putt on the seventh playoff hole to surrender the championship to Greg Chalmers (Australia). In fact over the 72 holes of regulation play he had 125 putts!! But he still proved he is a huge force to be reckoned with in Australian Golf with the three top five finishes he recorded in his visit down under in 2014. Adam Scott (Australia) has been playing professional golf since 2000 and in that time he has won twenty seven events worldwide. Eleven of those wins have come on the USPGA Tour with his last being the 2014 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and he won his maiden Major Championship at the 2013 Masters Tournament. He has also won eleven times on the European Tour, and five times on the PGA Tour of Australasia which include the 2009 Australian Open, 2012 & 2013 Australian Masters and 2013 Australian PGA Championship. And he reached the number one ranking on the Official World Golf Rankings in May 2014. Let’s hope he can keep this form up for the early events on the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season and to have another huge season in America next year in 2015. 

Michael Hendry (NZL) scored a good first round of 70-2, then a good second round of 71-1, then a brilliant third round of 67-5 which was the low round of the day by a shot and a good final round of 71-1 for a 72 hole total of 279-9 and he finished in solo fourth position. He earned AU $48,000.00 for his efforts and finished in 19th position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $76,302.73 earned from the seven events he played in this season. From the seventh events he played in this season he made seven cuts and achieved two top ten finish that includes the one this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his third round 67-5. Michael Hendry (NZL) turned professional in 2005. Michael Hendry (NZL) plays on the PGA Tour of Australasia, Japan Tour and the OneAsia Tour. He has one victory on each tour. On the OneAsia Tour, Michael Hendry (Australia) won the 2010 Indonesia Open. He finished third on the Order of Merit in 2010 and sixth in 2011. On the PGA Tour of Australasia, Michael Hendry (NZL) won the 2012 New Zealand PGA Pro – Am Championship. In 2012, he finished second on the Order of Merit. He has been playing the Japan Tour fulltime in 2014 and he finished in 51st position on the final 2014 Japan Tour Money list with ￥21,306,402 earned from the 16 events he played in and he made twelve cuts and achieved three top ten finishes. He also easily retained his card for the 2015 Japan Tour season. Let’s hope he can carry this fine form into the 2015 season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

Coming in solo fifth position at 280-8 after 72 holes was Scott Stallings (USA); he earned AU $50,000 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia he doesn’t get a final 2014 Order of Merit ranking. From the one event he played on the PGA Tour of Australasia this season he made one cut and achieved one top ten finish which came this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all under par especially his third round 68-4. But he will only be content with his first round 72 even par. He was playing in this tournament as a sponsors invite this week because the tournament organisers wanted a USPGA Tour winner from the past season playing in the tournament and he had won the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open in late January. Scott Stallings (USA) has been a professional since 2007 and gained his 2011 USPGA Tour card at the Q School in 2010 and finished tied for eleventh to earn his card for 2011. He struggled at the beginning and he missed his first five cuts, then finished tied for 42nd at the Puerto Rico Open for his first USPGA Tour finish that he made a cheque. His next event, the Transitions Championship, earned him a third place finish. Thanks to a favour from practice partner Kenny Perry (USA), who is sponsored by tournament sponsor Transitions Optical and shares an agent with Scott Stallings (USA), Scott Stallings (USA) got into the tournament on a sponsor exemption. The third place finish was the highest for a sponsor exemption at this event. Scott Stallings (USA) won the Greenbrier Classic (USA) in July 2011 for his first PGA Tour victory. Despite struggling at times during the final round, Scott Stallings (USA) was able to earn his way into a three-way playoff. He made a birdie on the first playoff hole, while his opponents, Bob Estes (USA) and Bill Haas (USA) made par, which gave him the title. The win moved Scott Stallings (USA) from 88th in the FedEx Cup standings to 26th. His Official World Golf Ranking went from 224th to 119th, after starting the year at 562nd. The win also qualified Scott Stallings (USA) for the 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, 2011 PGA Championship, 2012 Masters Tournament, and the 2012 Players Championship. Scott Stallings (USA) won his second career tournament at the 2012 True South Classic. Scott Stallings (USA) was unable to defend his title in Mississippi because he earned a spot in the 2013 Open Championship after an already exempt Phil Mickelson (USA) won the Scottish Open. It was the second consecutive major Scott Stallings (USA) earned entry as an alternate; he gained entry into the U.S. Open Championship after another player withdrew. In January 2014, Scott Stallings (USA) won the Farmers Insurance Open for his third USPGA Tour title. Let’s hope he can carry this form into the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo sixth position at 281-7 after 72 holes was Boo Weekley (USA); he earned AU $40,000 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia he doesn’t get a final 2014 Order of Merit ranking. From the three events he played this season he made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his first and third rounds that were both in the 60s especially his first round 66-6. But he will be disappointed with his second and final rounds that were in early to mid 70s. Boo Weekley (USA) was also playing in the tournament on a sponsor’s exemption to add some excitement to the tournament with his bubbling and outgoing personality!! Boo Weekley (USA) has been a professional since 1997 and played on mini-tours until 2002, when he qualified for the USPGA Tour. He made the cut in only five of 24 events that year, and lost his tour card. From 2003 through 2006, he played on the Nationwide Tour, finishing well enough in 2006 to again qualify for the USPGA Tour. His first victory came at the Verizon Heritage in April 2007. Boo Weekley's (USA) good form at the start of the 2007 season included two top 10 finishes before his victory, after which he reached a new career high of 55th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Later in 2007, he entered the top 50 of the rankings. He represented the United States at the 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup with Heath Slocum (USA) and finished in 2nd place. In 2008, Boo Weekley (USA) successfully defended his title at the Verizon Heritage, and rose into the top 25th on the Official World Golf Rankings. Boo Weekley (USA) shot to prominence at the 2008 Ryder Cup, with a succession of virtuoso displays of superb golf including an emphatic 4&2 victory over Oliver Wilson (USA) in final day Singles play. The final day was also notable however when Boo Weekley (USA) was filmed riding his driver "cowboy horse" style down the first fairway. Boo Weekley's (USA) nickname comes from Yogi Bear's sidekick, Boo Boo Bear. He failed out of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he studied turfgrass science. After only one year at Baldwin, where he played on the golf team, Boo Weekley (USA) returned home. He was hired as a hydroblaster at the Monsanto chemical plant in Pensacola, Fla. where he would be lowered into large ammonia tanks to clean them. Boo Weekley (USA) began his professional career on the Developmental Players Tour (DP Tour) in Atlanta, Ga., a tour co-founded by Jack Slocum, father of fellow USPGA golfer and friend Heath Slocum (USA). Boo Weekley (USA) attended high school with Heath Slocum (USA) and they played together on the golf team. He lists Ben Hogan as his hero. In May 2013, Boo Weekley (USA) won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. Boo Weekley (USA) beat Matt Kuchar (USA) by one stroke to take his first win in five years. Let’s hope he can take this form into the early tournaments in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for seventh position at 282-6 after 72 holes was Matthew Giles (Australia); he earned AU $30,500.00 for his efforts and finished in 30th position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $54,405.85 earned from the eleven events he played in. From the eleven events he played in this season he made six cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which included the one here. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 69-3. But he will be disappointed with his first round 73+1. Matthew Giles (Australia) is a professional golfer from NSW, Australia who has been a professional since 2010. He also finished in 52nd position on the final 2014 One Asia Tour Order of Merit with US $28,831.32 earned from the five events he played in. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season whatever tour he ends up playing on. 

Also tied for seventh position was Scott Strange (Australia); he earned AU $30,500.00 for his efforts and finished in twenty ninth position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $55,584.36 earned from the six events he played in this season. From the six events he played in this season he made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which included the one this week. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all under par and saw him have a share of the 54 holes lead, especially his second round 66-6 which was the equal low round of the day. But he will be disappointed with his final round 76+4 which ruined his chance of winning his maiden PGA Tour of Australasia event. Scott Strange (Australia) turned professional in 2001 and he joined the Asian Tour in 2003 via Qualifying School, then had his first Asian Tour success in 2005, when he won the Myanmar Open. The following year he captured the Philippine Open. Having performed well in tournaments co-sanctioned by the European Tour during 2007, Scott Strange (Australia) earned a place on the European Tour for 2008 through his position on the Order of Merit. During his first season on the European Tour, Scott Strange (Australia) recorded his first win with a wire-to-wire victory at the Celtic Manor Wales Open, which lifted him into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time. In April 2009 he won the Volvo China Open by one shot. Let’s hope he can continue this form into the 2015 season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

Rounding out the top ten in tied for ninth position at 283-5 after 72 holes was John Senden (Australia); he earned AU $26,000.00 for his efforts but because he only played in two events on the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia he wasn’t eligible to have a final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit ranking. From the two events he played in this season he made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his second and final rounds that were both in the 60s especially his 68-4 in the second round. But he will be disappointed with his first and third rounds that were both 73+1s and in his third round he walked into a tree while throwing his golf ball to a young fan and had a bruise on his head. John Senden (Australia) has been playing professional golf since 1992. John Senden (Australia) has played all over the world. He is a regular competitor on the PGA Tour of Australasia and has spent time playing in Asia. In Europe he won twice on the second tier Challenge Tour in 1998 and was a member of the main European Tour from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, John Senden (Australia) joined the USPGA Tour in the United States, after coming through the qualifying school in 2001. During his first year on tour he successfully kept his playing status with eight top-25 finishes in 30 events. He claimed his first USPGA Tour title on 16 July 2006 at the John Deere Classic, a one-shot victory over American J.P. Hayes (USA). Later in 2006 he won his National Open (Australia Open) for the first time. In 2007, he was the leading Australian at the PGA Championship which was won by Tiger Woods (USA) and reached the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. In March 2014, John Senden (Australia) won his second USPGA Tour title (and first in eight years) at the Valspar Championship by one stroke over Kevin Na (USA). In the final round, he came from two strokes back to shoot a one-under 70 to seal victory. The win qualified John Senden (Australia) for the 2014 Masters Tournament where he finished tied for eighth. Over the years he has build a reputation as one of the most solid ball strikers in professional golf. Let’s hope he can have a great 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for ninth position was Cameron Smith (Australia); he too earned AU $26,000.00 for his efforts and finished in twentieth position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $70,479.67 earned from the six events he played in this season. From the six events he played in he made five cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which included the one this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all under par especially his second round 68-4. But he will be disappointed with his 74+2 in the first round. Cameron Smith (Australia) turned professional in 2013. Cameron Smith (Australia) has been coached and mentored since 2004 by Golf Queensland Coach Grant Field, Director of Teaching Australian Golf Performance Centre Twin Waters Golf Club & Pelican Waters Golf Club. He played the Asian Tour in 2014 with huge success and finished fifth on the final 2014 Order of Merit with US $427,476 earned from the nine events he played in. And he had a tied for fifth finish in CIMB Classic in Malaysia in early November that was co – sanctioned with both the Asian Tour and USPGA Tour which was his very first USPGA Tour event he played in and with this finish he gained a start in the Sanderson Farms Championship the following week in America by unfortunately he missed the cut and he got a sponsor’s exemption the next week into the final tournament of the 2014 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season which was the OHL Classic at Mayakoba but missed the cut there as well but it would of been a good experience for him rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the world. I wish him every continuing success in the 2015 season which ever tour he plays on. 

Next best New Zealander Ryan Fox (NZL) who scored a good first round of 70-2, then a poor second round of 74+2 and a very good third round of 69-3, and a steady final round of 71-1 for a 72 hole total of 284-4 and he tied for eleventh position. He earned AU $21,000.00 for his efforts and finished in fifth position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $183,785.39 earned from the twelve events he played in. From the twelve events he played in he made ten cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one here this week and also his maiden PGA Tour of Australasia win at the WA Open Championship. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds that were all under par especially his third round 69-3. But he will be disappointed with his second round 74+2. Ryan Fox (NZL) has been playing professional golf since late 2011 and is now starting to show some real promise.  This is also his highest final Order of Merit ranking on the PGA Tour of Australasia since he joined the tour in 2012.  I wish him all the best for the 2015 season and to continue his fine form he has displayed recently. 

Next best New Zealander was David Smail (NZL) who scored an excellent first round of 68-4, then a good second round of 71-1, then a good third round of 71-1 and a shocking final round of 76+4 for a 72 hole total of 286-2 and he tied for eighteenth position. He earned AU $10,607.14 for his efforts and finished in 47th position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $36,324.06 earned from the three events he played in this season. From the three events he played in this season he made three cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all under par especially his first round 68-4. But he will be disappointed with his final round 76+4 that ruined his chances of a top ten finish. David Smail (NZL) has been a professional since 1992. He won the New Zealand Open in 2001 and the following week he won the Canon Challenge. He has won five titles on the Japan Golf Tour and has featured in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. He has been the highest ranked golfer in New Zealand. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

Next best New Zealander was Josh Geary (NZL) who scored a good first round of 70-2, then an average second round of 72 even par, and an average third round of 72 even par and a poor final round of 73+1 for a 72 hole total of 287-1 and he tied for twenty fifth position. He earned AU $7,585.71 for his efforts and finished in 43rd position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $38,561.58 earned from the ten events he played in this season. From the ten events he played in this season he made eight cuts and achieved one top ten finish. He will be content with his first three rounds that were all at par or better. But unhappy with his final round 73+1 when a round in the 60s would of made up a lot of ground. Josh Geary (NZL) joined the tour in 2007 after a very successful amateur career and started on the Canadian Tour, where he had his debut win at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open in 2008. In 2011 he joined the US Web.com Tour, where he made the cut in 12 of 25 starts, with three top-10 finishes to finishing 74th on the money-list. In 2012 Josh Geary (USA) played just five events on the Web.com Tour failing to make the cut in any of his starts. It was also a tough year in Australia for Josh Geary (USA) and 2013 saw him back at Qualifying School where he earned full status on the PGA Tour of Australasia. Rediscovering some form Josh Geary (USA) won the 2013 WA Open Championship which has secured his status for 2014. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season.

Next best New Zealander was Mark Brown (NZL) who scored a good first round of 71-1, then a very good second round of 69-3, then a shocking third round of 75+3 and a poor final round of 73+1 for a 72 hole total of 288 even par and he tied for 32nd position. He earned AU $5,600.00 for his efforts and finished in sixteenth position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $93,818.62 earned from the eight events he played in this year. From the eight events he played in this year he made six cuts and achieved two top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first two rounds that were both under par especially his 69-3 in the second round. But he will be disappointed with his final two rounds that were both over par especially his 75+3 in the third round. Mark Brown (NZL) has been a professional since 1995 and has won three professional events. His best year by far came in 2008 when he won his first Asian Tour event at the Sail Open Golf Championship at Jaypee Greens in India. The following week he won the Johnnie Walker Classic, which was also held in India and was co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia. This victory propelled Mark Brown (NZL) to 64th in the Official World Golf Ranking and he became the highest ranked golfer from New Zealand. He finished 2008 by winning the PGA Tour of Australasia's Order of Merit. Let’s hope 2015 is another big season for him? I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

The final New Zealand golfer to make the cut was Nick Gillespie (NZL) who scored an average first round of 73+1, then a good second round of 70-2, then a poor third round of 74+2 and a final round of 72 even par for a 72 hole total of 289+1 and he tied for 39th position. He earned AU $4,500.00 for his efforts and finished in 50th position on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $32,343.27 earned from the twelve events he played in this season. From the twelve events he played in this season he made five cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his second and final rounds that were at par and under par especially his second round 70-2. But he will be disappointed with his first and third rounds that were both over par. Nick Gillespie (NZL) turned Professional in 2010 and earned status on the PGA Tour of Australasia via Qualifying School for the 2011 season. Failing to retain his status Nick Gillespie (NZL) returned to Qualifying School and again earned status for 2012. A stronger second season saw him retain his card for the 2013 season which was highlighted by a runner-up finish at the WA Goldfields PGA Championship. He lost the title in a playoff with Jack Wilson (Australia). For the second year running Nick Gillespie (NZL) retained his status on the PGA Tour of Australasia. In 2014 he  also played on the PGA TOUR China. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

The New Zealand Golfers who missed the 36 hole cut were Michael Long (NZL) who scored a poor first round of 74+2, then a good second round of 71-1 for a 36 hole total of 145+1 and missed the 36 holes cut that fell at 144 even par by a single shot. David Klein (NZL) who scored an average first round of 73+1, then a better second round of 72 even par for a 36 hole total of 145+1 and missed the 36 holes cut that fell at 144 even par by a single shot also. Richard Lee (NZL) who scored a poor first round of 76+4, then a good second round of 70-2 for a 36 hole total of 146+2 and he missed the 36 hole cut by two shots. Brad Shilton (NZL) who scored a good first round of 72 even par, then a poor second round of 76+4 for a 36 hole total of 148+4 to missed the 36 hole cut by four shots and Gareth Paddison (NZL) who scored a shocking first round of 77+5, then a poor second round of 75+3 for a 36 hole total of 152+8 and he missed the 36 hole cut by eight shots. 

Next week the Asian Tour heads to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for the inaugural Dubai Open which is the finale event for the 2014 Asian Tour season. It is played on the The Els Club Dubai that is designed by the Famous South African Golfer, Ernie Els (RSA). It carries a prize purse of US $500,000 for the taking. There will be a brand new champion because it is a new event. And with Order of Merit winner for the 2014 Asian Tour already decided with David Lipsky (USA) winning. It starts on Thursday 18th December 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 twentieth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 59th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his tied for 15th position at the Emirates Australian Open two weeks ago and three weeks ago tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and eight weeks ago finished in third place at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship ten weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team eleven weeks ago and 13 weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and fourteen weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and fifteen weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and sixteen weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and 18 weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and 19 weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also twenty one weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.35 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his solo second finish one week ago at the Hero World Challenge and three weeks ago won at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and four weeks ago finished in solo third finish at the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team eleven weeks ago with 8.40 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for second position at the Australian PGA Championship this past week and finished in solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open two weeks ago and three weeks ago tied for second position at the Bet Easy Masters and five weeks ago tied for 12th position at the WGC – HSBC Champions and eight weeks ago tied for 38th position in the Japan Open and he tied for ninth position thirteen weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and fourteen weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and fifteen weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and sixteen weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and 18 weeks ago tied for 15th position at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.01 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for twenty fifth position at the Thailand Golf Championship this past week and tied for eleventh position at the Hero World Challenge one  week ago and tied for twenty fourth finish at the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour four weeks ago and winning the WGC - HSBC Champions five weeks ago with 7.47 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Justin Rose (England) who was fresh off his tied for sixth position at the Hero World Challenge one week ago and three weeks ago finished tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 6.94 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his seventh week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for third position at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba four weeks ago on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips three places and falls to 223rd position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.83 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember when you play golf in the rain the most important thing to do is make sure your grips remain dry!!

Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com, golfchannel.com, www.pga.org.au, asiantour.com