Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Golf Events from the Weekend 18th January 2015



Well it was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup stayed in Hawaii for the first regular season event of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 season and it was the Sony Open in Hawaii and was played on the Waialae CC, Honolulu, Hawaii. It carried a large prize purse of US $5,600,000 for the taking. Jimmy Walker (USA) was the defending champion and was keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) also gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Jimmy Walker (USA) who scored rounds 66-4, 66-4, 62-8 and a final round 63-7 for a 72 hole total of 257-23 and he won by a tournament record nine shots!! And it was the second time he had won this tournament having defended the title he won last year. Also he became just the fourth golfer to win the tournament in back to back years in its 50 year history!! It was his fourth USPGA Tour win of his career to date. He earned US $1,008,000 for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,003,607 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. Robert Streb (USA) is second on that list with US $1,572,408 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. Jimmy Walker (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 957 FedEx Cup Points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far and he is 143 points ahead of Robert Streb (USA) who has earned 814 points from the seven events he has played in. From the five events Jimmy Walker (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved three top ten finishes that includes the win this week. He will be extremely pleased with his four rounds this week that were all in the mid to low 60s especially his 62-8 in his third round which was the equal low round of the day and his 63-7 in the final round which was blemish free and also the equal low round of the day. 
 
Jimmy Walker (USA) tees off during the final round
Jimmy Walker (USA) played a flawless final round of 63-7 which included a front nine of 33-2 with birdies on the par four, eighth hole and par five, ninth hole and he made the turn at minus 18 and was leading by six shots. Scott Piercy (USA) went out in 33-2 and made the turn at minus twelve and was six shots behind the leader. Jimmy Walker (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in two under par with birdies on the par four, tenth and par four twelve holes and now had moved to minus twenty and was now leading by seven shots. Scott Piercy (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par and moved to minus thirteen and now was seventh shots behind the leader. 

Jimmy Walker (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in two under par and that included birding both the par four, fifteenth and par four, sixteenth holes and getting a fine bunker save on the par three, seventeenth hole and he moved to minus twenty two and was now leading by eight shots. Scott Piercy (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and moved to minus fourteen and now was eight shots behind the leader.  Scott Piercy (USA) who finished an hour ahead of the final pairing made a poor par on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes on minus fourteen and was nine shots behind the winner. 

Jimmy Walker (USA) now stood on the par five, 72nd tee with a whopping eight shot lead and he knew tournament was his to win now for sure. This hole is a 90 degree dog leg from right to left. Jimmy Walker (USA) hit a huge hook and it landed in the left hand rough and it appeared he would just have to chip back to the fairway for his second shot. But he must have been pumped up and very confident. He chose to hit his ball over the trees with a short iron and it cleared the trees with ease and landed just short of the green leaving a simple chip shot to get up and down for his birdie. He struck a brilliant chip for his third shot and it came to rest five feet from the pin. He now knew if he could hole his five foot birdie putt he would tie the lowest score in a stroke play event on the USPGA Tour. He calmed his nerve and just as he had down for the whole back nine he rolled it straight in the middle of the cup for his birdie four and finished the 72 holes on minus twenty three to win by nine shots!! He scored 30-5 on the back nine!! He got a huge high five and hug from his caddie, Andy Sanders!! Then his wife, Erin came onto the 72nd green to give him a hug and kiss as well to celebrate the win with him and his two boys Mclain and Beckett were there by his side as well!! When interviewed by the NBC Sports/Golf Channel reporter, Steve Sands he told him “the reason he won this week was because he was more aggressive when he was in the lead compared to when he was leading last week and lost in a playoff to Patrick Reed (USA)”. After he finished second last week he rang his coach, Butch Harmon and he said to Jimmy “When you are in the lead the best way to play is aggressive and don’t get defensive!!” So he took his advice and it worked very well!! Jimmy Walker (USA) displayed incredible intestinal fortitude this week bouncing back from the huge disappointing of losing last week to winning in such dramatic fashion this week. 
 
Jimmy Walker (USA) gets a hug from his wife, Erin as his two boys, Mclain and Beckett are by his side as well!!
Jimmy Walker (USA) won his maiden USPGA Tour event at the 2013 Frys.com Open, after nine years and 188 PGA Tour starts. He won by two strokes over Vijay Singh (Fiji) after shooting 62-66 over the weekend. The win gave him an exemption into the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and earned him his first trip to The Masters Tournament and a USPGA Tour card until the end of 2016. Jimmy Walker (USA) also entered the world's top 50 for the first time. Jimmy Walker (USA) opened up 2014 finishing tied for 21st at his first visit to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The following week in January 2014, he earned his second USPGA Tour win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He birdied four of the final six holes and shot a final round 63 to win by one stroke over Chris Kirk (USA). Five weeks later, in early February 2014, Jimmy Walker (USA) won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am by one stroke over Dustin Johnson (USA) and Jim Renner (USA). He had a six-stroke advantage going into the final round, but shot a two-over-par 74 on Sunday and needed to hole a five-foot par putt on the 18th for the victory. This was his third victory of the 2014 season in just eight starts, after previously going 187 events without a victory. With his win, Jimmy Walker (USA) became the leader on the 2014 money list, FedEx Cup standings, and Ryder Cup points standings. He also raised his Official World Golf Ranking to 24th. A tied for eighth finish at the 2014 Masters Tournament raised his ranking to 19th, and ensured him an invitation into the 2015 tournament. He went on to post top-ten finishes at two other majors, a tied for ninth at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, and a tied for seventh at the 2014 PGA Championship. His highly successful season earned him a spot on the 2014 Ryder Cup, another personal first. Jimmy Walker (USA) went as high as 17th in the Official World Golf ranking during the 2014 season and now is at a career high 13th after his win at the 2015 Sony Open in Hawaii. With three wins in 2014, Jimmy Walker (USA) is fully exempt until the 2017-2018 USPGA Tour season. Let’s hope he can now win some even bigger tournaments like the WGC – Events and even his maiden Major Championship in the 2015. I wish him every continuing success for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Jimmy Walker (USA) poses with the Sony Open in Hawaii trophy he won for the second consecutive year running!!
Coming in solo second position at 266-14 after 72 holes was Scott Piercy (USA); he earned US $604,800 for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $962,008 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 489 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four 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 third and fourth rounds that were consecutive 66-4s. Scott Piercy (USA) turned professional in 2001. He played on various mini-tours before becoming a Nationwide Tour member in 2008. After a poor start to the season he won two tournaments in August, and finished ninth on the money list to earn USPGA Tour playing rights for 2009. Scott Piercy (USA) made an encouraging start to his USPGA Tour career, recording five top-twenty finishes in his first six starts, and this run of form elevated Scott Piercy (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings in March 2009. He finished the season ranked 90th on the money list to retain his tour card. In 2010, Scott Piercy (USA) slipped and finished 136th, as a result losing some of his status for 2011. In 2011, Scott Piercy (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event at the Reno – Tahoe Open. He won his second USPGA Tour title in 2012 at the RBC Canadian Open by one stroke over Robert Garrigus (USA) and William McGirt (USA). As a result, he earned a place in the following week's WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and was therefore unable to defend his Reno – Tahoe Open title. The RBC Canadian Open win also allowed Scott Piercy (USA) entry into 2013 Masters Tournament, his first. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form into the next few weeks and achieve his third win on the USPGA Tour in the 2014/15 season. 

Coming in tied for third position at 267-13 after 72 holes was Harris English (USA); he earned US $291,200 for his efforts and moved to 33rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $419,730 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 30th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 231 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 65-5. Harris English (USA) has won two events on the USPGA Tour in his career so far with his first being the 2013 FedEx St. Jude Classic and the second one came at the 2013 OHL Classic at Mayakoba. As an amateur, Harris English (USA) played in two Nationwide Tour events 2011: the Station Athens Classic at UGA in May and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in July, which he won. He was only the third amateur to win on the Tour, following Daniel Summerhays (USA) in 2007 and Russell Henley (USA) in 2011. The tournament was played at the Ohio State University Golf Club, Scarlet Course in Columbus. After playing in the Walker Cup in 2011 in Scotland, Harris English (USA) turned professional in September. His debut was at the Nationwide Tour's Soboba Golf Classic and he nearly won his second event at the WNB Golf Classic, but lost in a playoff to Danny Lee (NZL). The runner-up finish moved him to 75th on the Nationwide Tour's money list. In December, Harris English (USA) earned his USPGA Tour card for 2012 by finishing in a tie for 13th at the USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. As a USPGA Tour rookie in 2012, Harris English (USA) made 22 of 27 cuts with three top ten finishes, and earned over $1.18 million to keep his tour card. He secured his first victory in 2013, at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis in June. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps achieve his third win in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for third position was Matt Kuchar (USA); he too earned US $291,200 for his efforts and moved to twenty six position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $490,693 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to twenty first position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 291 points earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. From the four events he has played to date this season so far he has made fours cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 63-7 that was blemish free. But he will be disappointed with his final round 71+1 that consisted of seventeen pars and one bogey without a single birdie which is very strange for him. Matt Kuchar (USA) has won seven times on the USPGA Tour in his career to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2002 Honda Classic; 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship; 2010 The Barclays; 2012 The Players Championship; 2013 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship; 2013 The Memorial Tournament and the 2014 RBC Heritage. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships with his best being tied for third at the 2012 Masters Tournament. Let’s hope he can achieve his maiden Major Championship win of his career in 2015? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for third position was Gary Woodland (USA); he too earned US $291,200 for his efforts and moved to thirteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $859,117 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to sixteenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 367 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second and third rounds that were consecutive 65-5s. But he will be disappointed with his first round 70 even par that put him behind the eight ball. Gary Woodland (USA) has achieved two wins on the USPGA Tour to date so far in his career and the first one came at the 2011 Transitions Championship and the second one was the 2014 Reno – Tahoe Open. In March 2011, Gary Woodland (USA) won his first USPGA Tour title at the Transitions Championships by one stroke when fellow American Webb Simpson (USA) missed a par putt on the final hole. Just a few moments earlier Gary Woodland (USA) had scrambled a fantastic par from the same position as Webb Simpson (USA) on the last, after hitting his second shot over the back of the green. This win secured Gary Woodland (USA) a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament and also elevated him to a career high 53rd in the Official World Golf Rankings. He later earned an invitation into the U.S. Open Championship after moving into the Top 50. He left the tournament with an Official World Golf ranking of 39th. In November 2011, he won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup of Golf with Matt Kuchar (USA). He finished 2011 ranked 17th on the USPGA Tour money list and 51st in the Official World Golf ranking. He had ended 2009 ranked 959th and 2010, 588th. Gary Woodland's (USA) career-best Official World Golf ranking is 36th after the 2011 Greenbrier Classic. Let’s hope he can continue having top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Rounding out the top ten in tied for sixth position at 268-12 after 72 holes was Zac Blair (USA); he earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 41st position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $374,617 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 31st position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 221 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his third round 64-6. But he will be disappointed with his first round 71+1 which put him way behind the eight ball. Zac Blair (USA) is an exciting prospect after gaining his 2014/15 USPGA Tour card by finishing in eleventh position on the final Web.com Tour Finals Priority Rankings. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Brian Davis (England); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 83rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $187,652 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 110th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 83 points earned from the six events he has played to date so far this season. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 65-5 in the third round. But he will be disappointed with his second round of 70 even par. Brian Davis (England) has been a professional golfer since 1994 and has been playing the USPGA Tour since the 2005 season after becoming the first Englishman to be medalist at the USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. In April 2010 Brian Davis (England) called a two-stroke penalty on himself on the first play-off hole on Sunday to hand Jim Furyk (USA) a victory at the Verizon Heritage. Brian Davis (England) later received much praise for his decision which cost him a potential first USPGA Tour victory. Brian Davis (England) finished second again later in 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, three shots behind Zach Johnson (USA). Brian Davis (England) has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps even his maiden USPGA Tour win of his career in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Max Homa (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 63rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $236,314 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 53rd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 163 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round of 63-7. In October 2013, Max Homa (USA) turned professional and finished tied for ninth at the Frys.com Open, which was his first USPGA Tour event as a pro. In December 2013, he tied for sixth place in the Web.com Tour qualifying school. In May 2014, he earned his first professional win at the Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro – Am. He finished 32nd in the Web.com Tour Finals Priority Rankings to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Jerry Kelly (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to twenty seventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $484,472 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 253 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 62-8 in the second round but he will be angry with his 73+3 in the first round that put him way behind the eight ball. Jerry Kelly was born in Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Hartford in 1989 and turned professional later that year, but didn't make it onto the USPGA Tour until 1996. This followed a successful 1995 season on the second tier then Nike Tour (Now Web.com Tour), when he won two tournaments. His best career year to date is 2002, when he finished fourth on the USPGA Tour money list and won the USPGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii and Advil Western Open. Jerry Kelly (USA) won the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a two-foot par on the final hole, beating three players by one stroke (Charlie Wi (South Korea), Rory Sabbatini (RSA), and Charles Howell III (USA). It had been seven years since his last win. Jerry Kelly (USA) has been featured in the top 20 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Jerry Kelly (USA) must be eying up the Champions Tour for the 2017 season as he turns 50 in late November 2016. Let’s hope he can achieve some more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps even his four win in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Rory Sabbatini (RSA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 34th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $412,963 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 34th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 213 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 63-7 in the final round which was the equal low round of the day. But he will be angry with his third round 74+4. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) turned professional in 1998 and joined the USPGA Tour in 1999. He was the youngest member of the tour that year. During the first decade of the 2000s, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) had five PGA Tour wins; he finished 2006 placed 12th on the money list. In September 2007, he reached the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time, with a high of eighth. He spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 in 2007 and 2008. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) tied for second at the 2007 Masters Tournament and the 2007 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He won the Par 3 Contest at the 2008 Masters Tournament. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) has represented South Africa in the World Cup five times and won the event with Trevor Immelman (RSA) in 2003. In his first Presidents Cup appearance in 2007, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) had a 0–3–1 record, as the International team was defeated by the United States team. In May 2009 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) captured his fifth PGA Tour title by winning the HP Bryon Nelson Championship by two strokes over Brian Davis (England). He broke the tournament record for scoring with a score of 269 (−19), beating the previous record of 270 (−18). In March 2011 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) won his sixth PGA Tour Title at The Honda Classic with a one stroke victory over South Korea's Y. E. Yang. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) entered the final round with a five stroke lead over the rest of the field, helped by a course record-equalling 64 on day two. He started his final round in solid fashion with an early birdie at the 3rd hole, however as the round progressed he made bogeys at the 9th and 14th, meaning that Y. E. Yang (South Korea) was able to cut that lead to just one, with a spectacular tee shot on the par-three 15th that landed 18 inches past the pin. On the next hole though, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) holed a clutch birdie putt to tighten his grip on the title and played out the 17th and 18th in even-par to hold on for a one stroke victory. This win also secured him a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament. I am sure his seventh USPGA win is not too far off either and maybe it will happen in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Shawn Stefani (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $887,790 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 449 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 65-5 in round three. Shawn Stefani (USA) turned professional in 2005 and played on mini-tours until 2012, when he joined the Web.com Tour and won twice. He got his first tour win at the Midwest Classic in August, and his second in October at the Miccosukee Championship. He finished sixth on the 2012 money list to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2013 season. During the final round of the U.S. Open Championship in 2013 at Merion, Shawn Stefani (USA) carded a hole-in-one on the 229-yard (209 m) 17th hole, the first ace ever recorded in 18 USGA championships held at Merion. His 4-iron tee shot bounced off the slope left of the green and rolled a considerable distance into the cup. Let’s hope he can continue on this fine form he displayed this past week in the  rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps gain his maiden USPGA Tour win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.

The final player to tie for sixth position was Justin Thomas (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 36th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $392,786 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 38th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 196 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his first and second rounds that were both in the 60s especially his second round 61-11 which was blemish free and consisted of seven birdies and one eagle and was the low round of the day and the week!! But he will be disappointed with his third and final rounds that were both 70 even par rounds. Justin Thomas (USA) was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He played college golf at the University of Alabama where he won six times. He also played on the 2013 NCAA Division I Championship team. He won the Haskins Award in 2012 as the most outstanding collegiate golfer. As an amateur, Justin Thomas (USA) played in the 2009 Wyndham Championship on the USPGA Tour where he became the third youngest golfer to make the cut in a USPGA Tour event, aged 16 years, 3 months and 24 days. Justin Thomas (USA) turned professional in 2013 and earned his tour card on the Web.com Tour through qualifying school. He won his first professional event at the 2014 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. He has played several USPGA Tour events with his best finish a tied for fourth position at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship. Justin Thomas (USA) finished fifth in the Web.com Tour Finals Priority Rankings to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season which he is already making the most of. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in 2015? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.  

There were three New Zealand Golfers in the field and the equal best of them was Danny Lee (NZL) who was the best of the New Zealand Golfers in the field and he scored rounds of 68-2 in the first round which was very good, then he scored a poor second round of 71+1 for a 36 hole total of 139-1 to miss the cut by one shot. He moved to twenty fifth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $502,872 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He moved to twenty seventh  position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 251 points earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his 68-2 in the first round, but he will be disappointed with his poor second round of 71+1. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. Danny has been playing the USPGA Tour on and off fulltime since the 2012 season. Danny Lee (NZL) entered the 2012 USPGA Tour season with USPGA Tour and European Tour cards. He said he was still keen to play a two-tour schedule, however his main focus would be on America. He made only 13 cuts in 26 events on the USPGA Tour and lost his tour card. He did not play on the European Tour. After striking up a successful partnership late in the Nationwide Tour season, Danny Lee (NZL) said he would have Australian, Graeme Courts, a former long-time caddy of Loren Roberts (USA), working for him on the USPGA Tour. K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced Danny Lee (NZL) to another Australian, Steve Bann, as a potential coach. "I am close with K.J. Choi (South Korea) and he said I was thinking too much about my swing," Danny Lee (NZL) said. "I was always working on something and I am too technical sometimes so K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced me to Steve. Steve is a simple guy who is teaching me how to practise with better routine and how to trust my own game and not think too much. Danny Lee (NZL) played on the Web.com Tour in 2013, finishing 15th on the regular season money list to regain his USPGA Tour card for 2014/15 Season. His best finish was second at the Rex Hospital Open. In 2014 on the back of six straight missed cuts, Danny Lee (USA) adopted a claw putting grip for the Puerto Rico Open in March. He credited the change of putting style for yielding him an instant result; a runner-up finish, two shots behind winner Chesson Hadley (USA). Let’s hope he can build on this fine form he displayed this week and maybe achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.  

The second New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored a poor first round 71+1, then an good second round of 68-2 for a 36 hole total of 139-1 and missed the cut by one shot. He moved to 144th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with  US $66,029 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also moved to 131st position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 61 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his second round 68-2, but disappointed with his first round that was a poor 71+1 and ruined any chance he had of making the cut. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and have some top ten finishes as well. 

The final New Zealand golfer in the field was Steve Alker (NZL) and he scored rounds of 72+2 in the first round which was poor, and a very poor second round of 73+3 for a 36 hole total of 145+5 and he missed the cut seven shots. He currently lies in 168th  position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $42,822 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He is currently in tied for 147th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 47 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has make two cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be disappointed with his first round 72+2 which put him well off the pace and extremely disappointed with his second round 73+3 which was a poor round of golf. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the next few events he plays in, in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and even achieve some top ten finishes. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup head to the USA Mainland for the first time in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and it is the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation and it is played on the PGA West (Palmer), La Quinta, California. It carries a huge prize purse of US $5,700,000 for the taking. Patrick Reed (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) will likely gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 22nd January. 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 twenty fourth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 64th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his solo second position at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this past week and he tied for 15th position at the Emirates Australian Open seven weeks ago and eight weeks ago tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 11.19 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his missed cut at the  Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this past week and he finished in solo second position six weeks ago at the Hero World Challenge and eight weeks ago won at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 7.74 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 five weeks ago and he finished in solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open seven weeks ago with 7.25 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his solo tenth position at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions one week ago and tied for twenty fifth position at the Thailand Golf Championship four weeks ago and tied for eleventh position at the Hero World Challenge six weeks ago with 7.11 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 is fresh off his tie for twelfth finish this past week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with 6.41 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his twelfth week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his missed cut this past week at the Sony Open in Hawaii on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips seven places and falls to 228th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.77 Official Golf World Ranking Points.
Remember the most important fundamental in the game of golf is to keep the head still!!
Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com, golfchannel.com 

No comments:

Post a Comment