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
Hilton Head, South Carolina for the RBC Heritage and it was played on the Harbour
Town GL, Hilton Head, South Carolina. It carried a good prize purse
of US $5,900,000 for the taking. It was played in a relaxed family environment
after the pressure the week before at the first Major Championship of the year
which was the Masters Tournament and a lot of the players brought their
families with them to this tournament because there is lots for them to do.
Matt Kuchar (USA) was the defending champion and was keen to defend his title
in his home State. Danny Lee (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) gained starts as
well. And it was the golfer by the name of Jim Furyk (USA) who scored rounds of
71 even par, 64-7, 68-3 and a final round of 63-8 for a 72 hole total of 266-18
but he was tied on that score by Kevin Kisner (USA) who scored rounds of 68-3,
67-4, 67-4 and a final round of 64-7 for a 72 hole total of 266-18 also. So
those two players headed back to the par four, eighteenth hole for the first
playoff hole.
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| Jim Furyk (USA) tees off on the 72nd hole |
So to the first
playoff hole and Jim Furyk (USA) and Kevin Kisner (USA) both choose a number
out of the USPGA Tour Officials Hat. Jim Furyk (USA) choose number one and he
teed off first and Kevin Kisner (USA) choose number two and he teed off second.
Jim Furyk (USA) teed of first and hit a brilliant drive right down the centre
of the fairway short of the water hazard with Calibogue Sound on the left hand side. Kevin Kisner (USA) teed off second
and struck a brilliant drive as well that drew back to the centre of the
fairway from the right hand side. Jim Furyk (USA) played his second shot first
with his short iron and struck another brilliant shot that was right over the
flag stick and came to rest eight feet underneath the flag stick on the green
and left him with a very makeable birdie putt. Kevin Kisner (USA) played his
second shot next with his nine iron and he too struck a good shot which landed
on the green leaving him a putt from fifteen feet from the cup and he knew
walking up to the green that he had to more than likely hole that putt if he
was going to extend the playoff to a second hole. Kevin Kisner (USA) putted for
his birdie from fifteen feet first and struck a very good putt that fell in the
cup on the left hand side of the hole for his birdie three and he now really had
put the pressure back on Jim Furyk (USA) who must of been thinking “What do I
have to do to win my seventeenth USPGA Tour event because his last win which
was his sixteenth came in 2010 at the Tour Championship and he has had a lot of
close calls since and has always come out on the losing side every time!!” Jim
Furyk (USA) now knew the only way to get to the second playoff hole was to make
the eight foot birdie putt. He studied the line with his caddie, Mike “Fluff”
Cowan, then he put an awesome stroke on the putt and it rolled right in the
centre of the cup!! Jim Nantz, who is the CBS Sports Anchorman, mentioned that
the putt Jim Furyk (USA) just made to extend the playoff was “Incredibly gutsy!!”
So those two players headed to the par three, seventeenth hole for the second
playoff hole.
%2Bcelebrates%2Bjust%2Bas%2Bthe%2Bwinning%2Bputt%2Bdrops!!.jpg) |
| Jim Furyk (USA) drops his putter and pumps his fists just before the winning putt drops!! |
Jim Furyk (USA) teed off first on the par three, seventeenth hole which
was the second playoff hole and he hit a brilliant seven iron that never left
the flag stick and landed just to the left of the flag stick about eight feet
short of the cup leaving a very makeable birdie putt. Kevin Kisner (USA) played
second and chose an eight iron, he hit a very good shot that came to rest
twenty feet short of the flag stick on the green but he knew he would more than
likely have to whole that putt if he was going to extend the playoff to a third
hole. Kevin Kisner (USA) putted for his birdie from twenty feet and he put a
good stroke on it but it never took the left to right break he was expecting and
it missed on the left hand side of the cup and he easily tapped in for his par.
He now knew his fate was in Jim Furyk (USA) hands. Jim Furyk (USA) now knew his
eight foot par putt was for the tournament win and his first in just short of
five years!! Jim Furyk (USA) and his caddie, Mike “Fluff” Cowan again studied
the line intensively. Then Jim Furyk (USA) stroked his birdie putt and knew he
could get the monkey of his back and avoid all those questions from the media
about “When are you going to win again”? He struck a brilliant putt that was
right on line at perfect holing speed and fell in the centre of the cup for his
birdie two and he had won the RBC Heritage and finally his seventeenth USPGA
Tour event!! He dropped his putter in pure joy of winning!! Then he high fived
and hugged his caddie, Mike “Fluff” Cowan!! Then he was interviewed by CBS
Sports on course reporter, Peter Kostis and he told him “He was so pleased to
win here and he finally grabbed the opportunity to win when it presented
itself” He also said “He was so pleased with the way he played in the final round
with scoring 63-8 and also birding the two playoff holes and he knew it was his
day when he started getting fortunate bounces early in his round”.
%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bleft%2Bembraces%2Bhis%2Bcaddie%2C%2BMike%2BFluff%2BCowan%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bright%2Bjust%2Bafter%2Bhe%2Bwon.jpg) |
| Jim Furyk (USA) on the left and Mike "Fluff" Cowan his caddie on the right embrace after he holed the winning putt!! |
Jim Furyk (USA) earned US $1,062,000 for the win and moved to eighteenth
position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US
$1,544,661 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so
far. Jordan Speith (USA) still leads that list with US $5,087,996 earned from
the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. Jim Furyk (USA)
also got 500 FedEx Cup Points for his win and moved to nineteenth position on
the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 742 points earned from
the seven events he has played to date this season so far and he is 1,330
points behind the current leader of that list who is still Jordan Spieth (USA)
with 2,072 points earned from the eleven events he has played to date this
season so far. From the seven events Jim Furyk (USA) has played to date this
season so far he has made six cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which
includes the win this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final
rounds this week that were all under par especially final round 63-8 which was
the low round of the day and also the two birdies he made on the two playoff
holes!! But he will be just content with his first round 71 even par which saw
the unusual occurrence of him making eighteen straight pars!!
Jim Furyk (USA) played an awesome final round of 63-8 and it included a
front nine of 30-6 which included birdies on the par five, second hole, par
three, fourth hole, par four, sixth hole, par three, seventh hole, par four,
eighth hole and par four, ninth hole. He then played the back nine in 33-2 with
birdies on the par four, twelve hole, par four, thirteen hole and par five,
fifteenth hole and his lone bogey of the day came on the par four, eleventh
hole. And in the twenty holes he played on Sunday he was ten under par with the
two birdies he made on the two playoff holes!! Jim Furyk (USA) turned
professional in 1992. He won the Nike Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic on the then
Nike Tour in 1993. He joined the USPGA Tour in 1994 and won at least one
tournament each year between 1998 and 2003. At the time, this was the
second-best streak of winning seasons behind Tiger Woods (USA) and he made the
top ten in the Official World Golf Ranking. Jim Furyk's (USA) biggest win to
date came on June 16, 2003, when he tied the record for the lowest 72-hole
score in U.S. Open history to win his first Major Championship. In 2004, he
only played in fourteen events after missing three months due to surgery to
repair cartilage damage in his wrist; he missed six cuts and his highest finish
was tied for sixth, which caused him to fall out of the top hundred on the
money list. He returned to good form in 2005 and regained his top ten ranking,
winning a USPGA Tour event in that year and two in 2006. In the 2006 season, he
finished a career-high second on the Money list and won the Vardon Trophy for
the first time. He also had thirteen top-ten finishes, including nine top-3s,
four second-place finishes, and two victories. The 2010 USPGA Tour season was a
banner one for Jim Furyk (USA). After going more than two seasons winless, he
won a career-best three tournaments on Tour in 2010: The Transitions
Championship, the Verizon Heritage, and the season-ending Tour Championship.
His victory in the Tour Championship also earned him the 2010 FedEx Cup after
winning by one stroke. His accomplishments in 2010 won him both the PGA Player
of the Year and PGA Tour Player of the Year for the first time.
%2Bposes%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BRBC%2BHeritage%2BTrophy%2Band%2Bis%2Bwearing%2Bthe%2BTartan%2BJacket%2Bhe%2Bwon!!.jpg) |
| Jim Furyk (USA) poses with the RBC Heritage Trophy he won and also wears the Tartan Jacket!! |
Since 2012, Jim Furyk (USA) has come close on several occasions to
winning more titles, but to date has not done so (Until the RBC Heritage this
week). At the 2012 U.S. Open, Jim Furyk (USA) led after 54 holes and was still
the leader deep into the final day, before snap hooking his drive into the
trees at the 16th which led to a bogey and was followed by another at the 18th.
He finished in a tie for fourth, two strokes behind Webb Simpson (USA). At the 2012
WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, Jim Furyk (USA) led after the first three
rounds and looked set to win the championship as he held a one-stroke lead
going into the final hole, but a double-bogey cost him the title to Keegan
Bradley (USA). At the 2013 PGA Championship, Jim Furyk (USA) led by one stroke
going into the final day over Jason Dufner (USA), but this time his lead was
overturned on the front nine and he was unable to reduce the deficit as Jason Dufner (USA) won by two strokes. Jim Furyk's
(USA) caddy since 1999 has been Mike “Fluff” Cowan, who was Tiger Woods (USA) caddy
for his first two years as a professional. On September 13, 2013, Jim Furyk
(USA) shot a 12-under-par 59 in the second round of the BMW Championship at Conway
Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, becoming just the sixth player to
shoot 59 in a USPGA Tour event. In July 2014, Jim Furyk (USA) held the 54-hole
lead at the RBC Canadian Open, with a three stroke advantage over his nearest
competitor Tim Clark (RSA). However Tim Clark (RSA) produced five birdies in
his last eight holes to claim the title, after Jim Furyk (USA) missed a 12
footer on the 18th green to force a playoff. The three shot margin was the
largest 54-hole lead Jim Furyk (USA) has ever lost in his tour career. In
February 2015, Jim Furyk (USA) held a one shot lead at the AT&T Pebble
Beach National Pro-Am going into the final round, but shot a two over round of
74 to finish six strokes behind Brandt Snedeker (USA). Jim Furyk's (USA) round
was the worst of any player to finish within the top 50 on the final day. Since
Jim Furyk's (USA) last victory at The Tour Championship in 2010, he is 0-for-9
with a lead/co-lead after 54 holes. On April 19, 2015, Jim Furyk (USA) ended
the long slump when he defeated Kevin Kisner (USA) with birdie on the second
playoff hole at the RBC Heritage. The victory was his second at the event (having
won here in 2010 also) and his seventeenth victory on the USPGA Tour. He are
his seventeen wins from the first to the most recent: 1995 Las Vegas Invitational;
1996 United Airlines Hawaiian Open; 1998 Las Vegas Invitational; 1999 Las Vegas
Invitational; 2000 Doral – Ryder Open; 2001 Mercedes Championship; 2002
Memorial Tournament; 2003 U.S. Open Championship (Maiden Major Championship); 2003
Buick Open; 2005 Cialis Western Open; 2006 Wachovia Championship; 2006 Canadian
Open; 2007 Canadian Open; 2010 Transitions Championship; 2010 Verizon Heritage;
2010 The Tour Championship and the 2015 RBC Heritage. He has also achieved
twenty two top ten finishes in Major Championships (Which includes his maiden
US Open Championship win in 2003). And he has also achieved seventeen top ten
finishes in WGC Events but it is amazing to think he has not won one. Let’s
hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA
Tour season and perhaps win his eighteenth event? I wish him all the best for
the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Coming in solo second position at 266-18 after 72 holes and losing on the
second playoff hole was Kevin Kisner (USA); he earned US $637,200 for his
efforts and moved to fortieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money
list standings with US $1,032,947 earned from the fifteen events he has played
to date so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved
to thirty seventh position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list
standings with 559 points earned from the fifteen events he has played to date
this season so far. From the fifteen events he has played to date this season
so far he has made nine cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes
the one this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were
all in the mid 60s especially his final round 64-7 which was blemish free!! And
the thirty eight holes he played on the weekend (Including the two playoff
holes) he made one eagle and ten birdies without dropping a single shot!! But
he will be a little disappointed with his par on the second playoff hole that
lost him the title. But he can take a lot of positives out of this week moving
forward. But to date this is his best finish on the USPGA Tour in his career so
far. Kevin Kisner (USA) (born February 15, 1984) is an American professional golfer.
Kevin Kisner (USA) was born in Aiken, South Carolina. He played college golf at
the University of Georgia and was a member of their 2005 NCAA Division I
Championship team along with Chris Kirk (USA), Richard Scott (USA) and Brendon
Todd (USA). After graduating in 2006, he turned professional. Kevin Kisner
(USA) played on the mini-tours (NGA Hooters Tour and Tarheel Tour) and from
2007 to 2009, winning three times. He also played in six Nationwide Tour events
in 2009. He played the Nationwide Tour full-time in 2010, winning once at the Mylan
Classic. He finished the year eleventh on the 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 (181st on money list), but finished tied for eleventh at
qualifying school to earn his card for 2012. He again failed to retain his
card, finishing 167th on the money list, and missed earning a card in
qualifying school by one stroke. He returned to (the now renamed) Web.com Tour
in 2013 and won the Chile Classic in March. He finished thirteen on the 2013
Web.com Tour regular season money list to earn his 2014 USPGA Tour card. His
best finish on the USPGA Tour is a second place at the 2015 RBC Heritage (As I
mentioned above) after losing on the second hole of a playoff to Jim Furyk
(USA). Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and
perhaps win his maiden USPGA Tour event in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA
Tour season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the
2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Coming in solo third position at 268-16 after 72 holes was Troy Merritt
(USA); he earned US $401,200 for his efforts and moved to seventieth position
on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $718,790 earned
from the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also
earned 190 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to sixty seventieth
position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 397 points
earned from the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far. From
the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far he has made eight
cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be
very happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially
his 61-10 in round two which was the equal low round of the day and the
tournament and included ten birdies without a single blemish!! It also included
a back nine of 28-7 and in that back nine he birdied the last four holes!! But
he will rue the double bogey he made on the par four, eighth hole in the third
round and the double bogey he made on the par four, twelfth hole in the final
round when he was tied for the lead. He will gain a lot of positives out of
this week going forward. Troy Merritt (USA) (born October 25, 1985) is an
American professional golfer who has plays on the USPGA Tour and the Web.com
Tour. Troy Merritt (USA) was born in Osage, Iowa. He played college golf at Winona
State University until after his sophomore year, when he transferred to Boise
State University. He was first team All-WAC for Boise State and tied the
school-record for a low round score when he posted a 62 (-9) in the second
round of the District VII Shootout. Troy Merritt (USA) turned professional in
2008. Troy Merritt's (USA) first win on the Nationwide Tour came on September
6, 2009 when he won a US $117,000 purse at the Mexico Open, beating Australia's
Adam Bland (Australia) with a twenty foot birdie putt on the first hole of a
playoff. On December 7, 2009, Troy Merritt
(USA) became only the third golfer to medal at USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament
by leading after every round. Despite a double-bogey on the final (108th) hole
of the six round tournament he won by one stroke over veteran Jeff Maggert
(USA) with a score of twenty two under-par. In 2010, Troy Merritt (USA)
finished 125th on the USPGA Tour Final Money list standings, earning the final
spot to retain a tour card. Troy Merritt (USA) currently resides in Arizona
with his wife Courtney. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the
weeks to come. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the
2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Coming in solo fourth position at 269-15 after 72 holes was Brendon Todd
(USA); he earned US $283,200 for his efforts and moved to forty eighth position
on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $950,473 earned
from the twelve events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned
135 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to forty fourth position on the
current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 515 points earned from the
twelve events he has played to date this season so far. From the twelve events
he has played to date this season so far he has made ten cuts and achieved
three top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his
second, third and final rounds that were all in the mid to low 60s especially
his third round 63-8 which was the low round of the day and it was blemish
free!! But he will be disappointed with his first round 73+2 which left him too
many shots to make up to seriously contend for the title and especially the
triple bogey he made on the par three, fourteen hole!! But he can take a lot of
confidence out of his last three rounds and he is having another great season
backing up from his maiden USPGA Tour win at the 2014 HP Bryon Nelson
Championship. Brendon Todd (USA) joined the Nationwide Tour in 2008. That year
he won the Utah Championship, and finished 19th on the money list, earning him
a spot on the USPGA Tour in 2009. At the 2009 Athens Regional Foundation
Classic on the Nationwide Tour, Brendon Todd (USA) became the first player on
the Tour to ace the same hole twice in the same tournament. On April 16, during
the first round, his ace on the 157 yard, par-3, 17th hole, came with a 7-iron.
The next day, the ace came with an 8-iron from 147 yards. In his rookie season
on the USPGA Tour in 2009, he made only 5 of 21 cuts, and did not earn a tour
card for 2010.
Brendon Todd (USA) rejoined the Nationwide Tour in 2010. In 2011, he had
a steady season on that tour, and was medalist at the season-ending qualifying
school to return to the USPGA Tour. In 2012, he was the final person to retain
any status on the USPGA Tour. His finish of 150th on the USPGA Tour's money
list meant that he maintained conditional status and avoided the second round
of Q School. As a member of the 126-150 category on that tour, Brendon Todd
(USA) also had full Web.com Tour status. In 2013, Brendon Todd (USA) won his
second Web.com Tour event, the 2013 Stadion Classic at UGA. He finished 20th on
the 2013 Web.com Tour regular season money list, earning him a 2014 USPGA Tour
card. On May 18, 2014, Brendon Todd (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event, in
his 77th start at the HP Byron Nelson Championship (which I mentioned earlier).
Brendon Todd (USA) shot a bogey free round of 66 on the final day to finish two
strokes ahead of Mike Weir (Canada). The victory earned Brendon Todd (USA) a
two year tour exemption and ensured a first visit to The Masters Tournament in
2015 (where he missed the cut). He
followed up his win with a tied for fifth at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at
Colonial to move inside the Top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Therefore, he earned entry into his first major, the U.S. Open Championship,
where he ended seventeenth. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015
part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Rounding out the top six in solo sixth
position at 271-13 after 72 holes was Sean O’Hair (USA); he earned US $212,400
for his efforts and moved to fortieth fifth position on the current 2014/15
USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $995,013 earned from the thirteen
events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup
Points for his efforts and moved to thirty six position on the current 2014/15
FedEx Cup Points standings list with 561 points earned from the thirteen events
he has played to date this season so far. From the thirteen events he has
played to date this season so far he has made ten cuts and achieved two top ten
finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his
second and final rounds that were both in the low 60s especially his 64-7 in
the final round that moved him well up the field. But he will be just content
with his first and third rounds that were both 70-1s. But it was good to see
him have another top ten finish so quickly after his tied for second behind
Jordan Spieth (USA) at the Valspar Championship in mid March. Sean O’Hair (USA) has won four USPGA Tour events in
his career to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent;
2005 John Deere Classic; 2008 PODS Championship; 2009 Quail Hollow Championship
and 2011 RBC Canadian Open. He has recorded two top ten finishes in Major
Championships with a tie for tenth position at the 2009 Masters Tournament and
a tie for seventh position at the 2010 Open Championship. Sean O'Hair (USA) had
a number of issues to deal with in 2011, one of which was the fact that he
split from his swing coach Sean Foley. For the first half of the season, Sean O'Hair
(USA) battled with his swing but could not find any consistent play. He missed
10 out of 17 cuts from the start of the season to mid July, which included five
straight missed cuts in the middle of the season. He was ranked well outside
the top 125 after The Open Championship in July and his season best at that
point was a tie for 16th place at Colonial. However Sean O'Hair (USA) won the RBC
Canadian Open, the first event after The Open Championship in a playoff over
American Kris Blanks (USA) for his first USPGA Tour title in over two years. In
brutally tough conditions in Vancouver, Sean O'Hair (USA) fought back from a
second round 73 on the par 70 course to shoot 66-68 on the weekend. Only eight
players finished under par for the week and Sean O'Hair (USA) was tied at -4
with Kris Blanks after regulation play. Replaying the eighteenth, both players
found trouble from the tee, Sean O’Hair (USA) decided to lay well back and in
the fairway, whereas Kris Blanks (USA) went for it and found the greenside
bunker. Sean O'Hair (USA) played his pitch safely onto the front of the green,
but Kris Blanks' (USA) bunker shot trickled off the back of the green and he
then pitched up to six feet away. Sean O'Hair (USA) two putted for his bogey
but when Kris Blanks (USA) missed his six footer coming back, Sean O'Hair (USA)
was declared champion at the first extra hole. As a result of this win, Sean O'Hair
(USA) moved up from 147th to 43rd on the FedEx Cup list. Also having dropped
out of the world's top 100 earlier in the season, he regained that place by
rising to 60th in the rankings on July 25. In 2012 Sean O'Hair (USA) finished
tied for second position at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He made the cut 19 times
in 24 events and finished 63rd in the FedEx Cup. In 2013 Sean O'Hair (USA) had
his worst USPGA Tour season since joining full-time. He only made 7 cuts in 22
events with only two top-25 finishes and three withdrawals. He played in the Web.com
Tour Finals and finished 16th to retain his USPGA Tour card for 2014. In 2014
Sean O'Hair (USA) played in 25 USPGA Tour events, but only had one top 10 and
finished 160th in the FedEx Cup, which meant a return to the Web.com Tour
Finals. He successfully regained his USPGA Tour card. In 2015 Sean O'Hair (USA)
was given a sponsor's exemption to the Valspar Championship in Tampa, Florida.
He tied for the lead after shooting a final-round 4-under 67, which got him
into a playoff with Jordan Spieth (USA) and Patrick Reed (USA) at 10-under 274.
Jordan Spieth (USA) emerged victorious. Let’s hope Sean O’Hair (USA) can have
more top ten finishes in the weeks to come and perhaps win his fifth USPGA Tour
event in the 2015 season? I wish him all the best with the rest of the 2015
part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
The best New Zealand
Golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) and he scored rounds of 71 even par in
the first round which was very good in the windy conditions and it included a
front nine 33-3 which was his back nine and the highlight of his round was an
eagle on the par five, second hole, then he scored a good 71 even par in the
second round to make the cut on the number, and a very good third round of 69-2
in which he eagled the par five, second hole for the second time this week and
a poor final round of 72+1 where after starting on the back nine he went out in
33-2 and then started the front nine (His back nine) well and found himself
five under for the day with four holes to play and it looked he was going to
make a decent pay cheque, but he finished bogey, par, double bogey and triple
bogey and came home in 39+3 for a 72 hole total of 283-1 and he tied for sixtieth
position. He earned US $12,803 for his efforts and moved to fifty seventh
position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US
$848,855 earned from the eighteen events he has played to date this season so
far. He also earned ten FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to
fifty eight position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list
standings with 440 points earned from the eighteen events he has played to date
this season so far. From the eighteen events he has played to date this season
so far he has made ten cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes
the one two weeks ago at the Valspar Championship and also his tied for third
finish at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in mid November last year. He will be happy
with his first, second and third rounds that were all at even par and under par
especially his third round 69-2. But he will be disappointed with his final
round 72+1 especially his final two holes which he finished double bogey,
triple bogey!! Danny Lee (NZL) just needs to be more consistent and keep the
big numbers of his card and once he has learnt to do that I feel he will
achieve more top twenty or better finishes. Let’s hope he can have some more
top ten finishes in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour
win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. Danny Lee (NZL) 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). I
wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour
season.
The next best New
Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored a shocking
first round of 75+4 in the difficult conditions. Then a good second round of
70-1 where he scored 33-2 on the back nine for a 36 hole total of 145+3 and he
missed the cut by three shots. He currently lies in 193rd position on the
current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $80,303 earned from the
fifteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also is currently
in 182nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with
78 points earned from the fifteen events he has played to date this season so
far. From the fifteen events he has played to date this season so far he has
made four cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be really angry with
his first round 75+4 which made it hard for him to make the cut, but encouraged
by his second round 70-1. In the last ten events he has played on the USPGA
Tour he has only made one 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.
Next week the USPGA
Tour and FedEx Cup head to the State of Louisiana for the Zurich Classic of New
Orleans and it is played on the TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana.
It carries a huge prize purse of US $6,900,000 for the taking. Seung-Yul Noh
(South Korea) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back
titles. Danny Lee (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) are likely to gain starts as
well. It starts on Thursday 23rd April. 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 thirtieth seventh week of his fifth spell of his career and for the
77th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his solo
fourth position at the 79th Masters Tournament one week ago and his tied for
eleventh position four weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by
MasterCard with 11.38 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number
Two is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off his tied for eleventh position at
the RBC Heritage this past week and one week ago he won his maiden Major
Championship at the 79th Masters Tournament with 9.17 Official World Ranking
Points; coming in at Number Three is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off
his tied for nineteenth position at the 79th Masters Tournament one week ago
and also his solo second position four weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer
Invitational presented by MasterCard with 7.49 Official World Ranking Points; coming
in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for twenty
ninth position at the Shenzhen International this past week and also he tied
for thirty eighth position at the 79th Masters Tournament one week ago with
7.14 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the
Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Jim Furyk (USA)
who is fresh off his win at the RBC Heritage this past week and also he missed
the cut at the 79th Masters Tournament one week ago with 6.82 Official World
Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his fifth week of another spell
of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after he finished
in tied for sixtieth position this past week at the RBC Heritage on the USPGA
Tour. This week he slips fives places and falls to 196th position on the Official
World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.89 Official Golf World Ranking
Points.
Remember the most important shot in golf is the one
you are about to play!!
Source: Pgatour.com,
Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine,
europeantour.com, golfchannel.com
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