Golf Events from the Weekend 7th June 2015

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 the State of Ohio for the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and it was played on the Muirfield Village GC, Dublin, Ohio. It was hosted by the legendary Jack Nicklaus (USA) and this is the area where he grew up and learnt the game. He also brought this piece of land and designed the Muirfield Village GC on it and named it after the Famous Muirfield course in Scotland that he won his first Open Championship on in 1966. This was the fortieth time the event had been played since the 1976 which was the first one. He also Honours a famous golfer every year that has done something special in the game and this year’s honouree is six time Major Champion, Sir Nick Faldo (England). It carried a huge prize purse of US $6,200,000 for the taking. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) was the defending champion and was keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealand Golfer that gained a start. And it was the golfer by the name of David Lingmerth (Sweden) who scored rounds of 67-5, 65-7, 72 even par and a final round of 69-3 for a 72 hole total of 273-15 but he was tied on that score by Justin Rose (England) who scored rounds of 68-4, 67-5, 66-6 and a final round of 72 even par for a 72 hole total of 273-15 also. So those two players headed back to the par four, eighteenth tee for the first playoff hole. 

 

David Lingmerth (Sweden) tees off during the final round

So to the first playoff hole which was the par four, eighteenth hole. Both players choose a number from the Nationwide Insurance Representatives hand who is the naming rights sponsor of the tournament. David Lingmerth (Sweden) choose one from the hand so he teed off first and hit a poor drive that faded two much to the right and found one of the right hand side fairway bunkers leaving a difficult second shot to the green. Justin Rose (England) choose two from the hand and struck a brilliant drive straight down the centre of the fairway in perfect position to attack the pin tucked on the far left hand side of the green. David Lingmerth (England) played his second shot first and it was a tough one from the right fairway bunker. His caddie, Tim Butler suggested he aim at the right of the green because the lip is smaller on that side. He took his advice and aimed out to the right and the ball just caught the top of the lip and came to rest in the right rough pin high by the green. Justin Rose (England) now knew he had a great chance to end the tournament if he could hit a good second shot on the green with his mid iron. But he struck a poor shot and he pulled it to the left of the green in the rough leaving an extremely difficult chip shot to get up and down handing the advantage back to David Lingmerth (Sweden) as his Mother, Annie Rose looked on with tournament host Jack Nicklaus (USA). David Lingmerth (USA) played his third shot first and played a good chip shot from the right rough and the terrible lie and once it hit the green it came out with over spin and caught a piece of the cup without going in and rolled out to the left fringe and left a very difficult eight foot putt breaking left to right for his par!! Justin Rose (England) played his third shot chip next from the terrible lie he had in the rough to the left of the green. He played it like a bunker shot and flopped it up landing it a few feet on the green and it rolled out to about twenty feet past the pin leaving a very difficult par putt. Justin Rose (England) now putted for his par four from twenty feet and it had a huge right to left break on it. He put a very good stroke on it and it took the right to left break perfectly and fell in the cup at perfect speed with his wife, Kate and two children looking on. Now David Lingmerth (Sweden) knew he would have to make his eight foot sharply left to right breaking putt to extend the playoff to a second hole. He put an awesome stroke on it at awesome speed and it broke right into the centre of the cup and dropped!! So those two players head back to the par four, eighteenth tee for the second playoff hole. 

 

David Lingmerth (Sweden) pumps his fist after holing the winning putt!!

So to the second playoff hole which was the par four, eighteenth hole and David Lingmerth (Sweden) hit a very good tee shot right down the centre of the fairway. Justin Rose (England) played next and struck the poor tee shot with his three wood that faded to the right and landed in the same fairway bunker that he was in, in regulation play when he shanked it and hit a fan!! But this time he had a much better lie with no issues with the lip. David Lingmerth (Sweden) played his second shot first from the middle of the fairway and he stuck it poorly and slightly pulled it and it landed in the front left green side bunker. Justin Rose (England) played his second shot second and struck a very good shot with his short iron that landed on the right side of the green leaving him thirty five feet for his birdie. There was confusion as to who was away first for the third shot but USPGA Tour Official; Slugger White decided it was David Lingmerth (Sweden). David Lingmerth (Sweden) played a brilliant green side bunker shot from the front left green side bunker which was the same bunker that Paul Azinger (USA) holed out to win the 1993 Memorial Tournament!! David Lingmerth (Sweden) didn’t manage to hole it but splashed it out to within three feet below the cup and his par looked a certainty. Justin Rose (England) now putted for his birdie from thirty five feet and struck a very good putt under the circumstances and it came to rest two feet short of the cup. Both players tapped in their par putts and they head to the par four, tenth hole for the third playoff hole. 

 

David Lingmerth (Sweden) on the left is congratulated by Justin Rose (England) on right who he beat in the playoff!!

So to the par four, tenth hole and the third playoff hole. David Lingmerth (Sweden) teed off first and hit a brilliant tee shot that landed right in the centre of the fairway. Justin Rose (England) teed off second and hit a poor tee shot that leaked to the right and landed it the right rough with the trees in the way of his line to the green. David Lingmerth (Sweden) played his second shot first with his five iron and played it correctly aiming it in the middle of the green and not going at the pin that was on the front right. He put a great swing on it and it landed in the middle of the green leaving a thirty foot downhill putt for his birdie three. Justin Rose (England) was now faced with a very difficult decision to make of whether to try and go over the trees or hit a low fade around them? He choose the second option and hit a low fade with his three wood and it was lucky it hit the gallery on the left side of the green because if it hadn’t it would have been way over the green. It left him with a reasonable chance to get up and down for his par. Justin Rose (England) was now faced with the tricky chip shot from the left rough over the left green side bunker. He played it very well but once it hit the green it came out with too much over spin and rolled about twenty feet past the hole on the green. David Lingmerth (Sweden) now knew if he could two putt from thirty feet he could maybe win his maiden USPGA Tour event. He had the same putt in regulation play and left it short so this time he was going to make sure he got it to the hole. He put a good stroke on it but it was a little too speedy and rolled six feet past. Justin Rose (England) putted from twenty feet for his par and missed on the left hand side and it rolled five feet past. Now the tournament rested in David Lingmerth’s (Sweden) hands. He calmed his nerve and rolled the straight four foot par putt right in the centre of the cup!! Then he punched the air with his fist to celebrate his maiden USPGA Tour win!! Justin Rose (England) shook his hand to congratulate him and his caddie, Tim Butler gave him a huge hug and high five to celebrate!! Then he got a huge hug and kiss from his wife to celebrate as well as he was walking off the green!!

Then he was interviewed by CBS Sports on Course Reporter, Peter Kostis and told him “He is so happy with his maiden win on the USPGA Tour and doesn’t really know how to put it into words at this time”. Then Jack Nicklaus (USA) who is the tournament host came over to congratulate him and it would have been an amazing feeling to know that his maiden tournament win had come at his tournament!!

 

David Lingmerth (Sweden) on the left is congratulated by Tournament host Jack Nicklaus (USA) after he won on the third playoff hole!!

David Lingmerth (Sweden) earned US $1,116,000 for the win and moved to thirtieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US$1,624,068 earned from the nineteen events he has played to date this season so far. Jordan Spieth (USA) still leads that list with US $6,063,838 earned from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. David Lingmerth (Sweden) also earned 500 FedEx Cup points for the win and moved to twenty eighth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 870 points earned from the nineteen events he has played to date this season so far and he is 1,658 points behind the current leader of that list who is Jordan Spieth (USA) who has earned 2,528 points from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. From the nineteen events David Lingmerth (Sweden) has played to date this season so far he has made ten cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this very event with the win and prior to this event he had missed four out of his last five cuts. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 65-7 in the second round which was blemish free!! And also the three pars that he made to win the playoff!! But he will be just content with his third round 72 even par but he was still able to win!! David Lingmerth (Sweden) is a good example that any player on the USPGA Tour can win at any time because prior to this week his best finish this season was tied for thirteenth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard in mid March and he had only made nine cuts out of eighteen events entered. 

David Lingmerth (Sweden) (born 22 July 1987) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. David Lingmerth (Sweden) played college golf at the University of West Florida (one year) and the University of Arkansas (three years) where he was a two-time All-American. He won one event at West Florida and another at Arkansas. David Lingmerth (Sweden) played on the Web.com Tour during the 2011 season. He had some success with two third place finishes and five top-10s but missed out on earning his USPGA Tour card by two spots on the season-ending money list, finishing 27th; the top 25 advanced to the USPGA Tour. He also played the USPGA Tour Qualifying School in a move to try and earn playing privileges, but finished way down the field outside the top 100.

David Lingmerth (Sweden) continued on the Web.com Tour in 2012 and after losing a playoff earlier in the year, he won his first event on the tour at the Neediest Kids Championship in October, finishing a stroke ahead of Casey Wittenberg (USA). David Lingmerth (Sweden) ended the season ranked tenth on the money list, which earned him his USPGA Tour card for the 2013 season. In only his second career start on the USPGA Tour, David Lingmerth (Sweden) finished as a joint runner-up at the Humana Challenge after losing in a three-man playoff. He shot a 10-under-par round of 62 in the final round to get into the playoff alongside Brian Gay (USA) and Charles Howell III (USA). He was eliminated at the first extra hole after finding the water with his second shot to the par-5 eighteenth hole. David Lingmerth (Sweden) also led the 2013 Players Championship in the third round, finishing tied for second, two strokes behind Tiger Woods (USA). David Lingmerth (USA) earned his maiden USPGA Tour win at the 2015 Memorial Tournament (which I mentioned above). His uncle, Goran Lingmerth, played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League.

 

Jack Nicklaus (USA) the Tournament host on the left and David Lingmerth (Sweden) on the right pose with the Memorial Tournament Trophy he won!!

David Lingmerth (Sweden) will gain a lot of spoils out of this win and will now get to playing in the PGA Championship and 2016 Masters Tournament and all the WGC Events and his confidence must have lifted to a new high knowing he can match it with the best players in the world. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps win his second USPGA Tour event? I wish him every continuing success for the remaining events of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo second position at 273-15 after 72 holes and losing on the third playoff hole was Justin Rose (England); he earned US $669,600 for his efforts and moved to seventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,007,424 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,185 points earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. From the eleven events he has played to date this season so far he has made seven cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 66-6!! But he will be disappointed with his final round 72 even par that included a mixed bag of six birdies and six bogeys and a shank from the right fairway bunker on the par four, eighteenth hole where he struck a fan but managed to get up and down for his par four to force a playoff with David Lingmerth (Sweden) and also his bogey he made on the third playoff hole that lost him the Tournament!! But he must be one of the favourites heading into the second Major Championship of 2015 which is the 115th U.S. Open Championship in two weeks time having won it in 2013 as his maiden Major Championship win? Justin Rose (England) has won seven USPGA Tour events to date so far in his career with the most recent one being the 2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April and here are his other six: 2010 Memorial Tournament; 2010 AT&T National; 2011 BMW Championship; 2012 WGC – Cadillac Championship; 2013 U.S. Open Championship (Maiden Major Championship) and 2014 Quicken Loans National (He has won every year since 2010). Justin Peter Rose (England) (born 30 July 1980) is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the USPGA Tour, while keeping his membership on the European Tour. He won his first major championship at the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club, becoming the first English player to win a major since Sir Nick Faldo (England) in 1996 and the first to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin (England) in 1970. He first came to prominence as an amateur at the 1998 Open Championship where he holed a dramatic shot from the rough at the final hole to finish in a tie for fourth place. He won the 2007 Order of Merit on the European Tour and was ranked in the World top-ten for 34 weeks between November 2007 and July 2008. In March 2012, Justin Rose (USA) won his first World Golf Championship event at the WGC – Cadillac Championship and as a result he re-entered the world top-10. After finishing second to Tiger Woods (USA) in the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational, he rose to a career high world ranking of third. On 29 June 2014, Justin Rose (England) won the Quicken Loans National, beating Shawn Stefani (USA) at the first hole of a playoff, with both players having tied after 72 holes. Two weeks later, Justin Rose (England) won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. At the 2015 Masters Tournament, Justin Rose (England) finished in a tie for second with Phil Mickelson (USA) behind winner Jordan Spieth (USA). Justin Rose's (England) 14-under 274 (as well as Phil Mickelson's (USA)) was the lowest score by a runner-up in Masters history. He has also achieved one Major Championship win in his career so far to date and that came at the 2013 U.S. Open Championship. He has also won seven times to date on the European Tour with his last win coming at the 2014 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. He has also achieved eight other top ten finishes in Major Championships. He has also achieved nine top ten finishes in WGC Events that includes his win at the 2012 Cadillac Championship. He has represented Team Europe in the 2008, 2012 and 2014 Ryder Cups which Team Europe won in 2012 and 2014. Let’s hope he can achieve his eighth win on the USPGA Tour in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps his second Major Championship? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Coming in tied for third position at 275-13 after 72 holes was Francesco Molinari (Italy); he earned US $359,600 for his efforts and moved to eighty sixth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with  US $781,424 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 163 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to ninety third position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 430 points earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. From the eleven 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 this past week. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 68-4 in the first round that was blemish free and his 67-5 in the second round. But he will be just content with his final round 71-1 and disappointed with his back nine 38+2 especially his double bogey five on the par three, sixteenth hole when he was tied for the lead with three holes to play!! But he will be happy with this finish on the whole. Francesco Molinari (Italy) (born 8 November 1982) is an Italian professional golfer. He is a three-time winner on the European Tour, with one of those wins being the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2010. Francesco Molinari (Italy) earned his European Tour card for 2005 through qualifying school. He finished in 86th place on the tour's Order of Merit in his rookie season. In May 2006, Francesco Molinari (Italy) claimed his first European Tour victory, becoming the first Italian since Massimo Mannelli (Italy) in 1980 to win the Telecom Italia Open. This victory helped him finish 38th on the Order of Merit. Francesco Molinari (Italy) didn't win on Tour between 2007 and 2009 but during that time he recorded twenty top-10 finishes including three runner-up finishes. He finished 60th on the Order of Merit in 2007, 24th in 2008 and 14th in the Race to Dubai in 2009. In October 2009, Francesco Molinari (Italy) reached the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. On 29 November 2009, Francesco Molinari (Italy), along with his older brother Edoardo Molinari (Italy), led Italy to their first World Cup victory at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China. In August 2010, he represented Europe in the 2010 Ryder Cup which took place at Celtic Manor Resort. Europe defeated the United States 14½–13½. 

2010 was Francesco Molinari's (Italy) best year on Tour to date. On 7 November 2010, Francesco Molinari (Italy) won the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China. He defeated Lee Westwood (England) by one stroke, finishing at 19-under par. The win moved him into fourteenth in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest ranking to date. He also recorded eleven top-10 finishes including two runner-up finishes en route to a fifth place finish in the Race to Dubai. Francesco Molinari (Italy) had a steady 2011 without any further victories but did record seven top-10 finishes, including a third place at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He finished the year ranked twenty first in the Race to Dubai. Francesco Molinari (Italy) picked up his third win on the European Tour on 6 May 2012 at the Reale Seguros Open de España. He was four strokes out of the lead going into the final round but fired a 65 (–7), the best round of the tournament, to win by three strokes over Alejandro Cañizares (Spain), Søren Kjeldsen (Denmark) and Pablo Larrazábal (Spain). In July 2012, the week before the Open Championship, Francesco Molinari (Italy) lost in a playoff at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. He was defeated on the first playoff hole by Jeev Milkha Singh (India). Francesco Molinari (Italy) was a member of Europe's Ryder Cup team that won in 2010. At the 2012 Ryder Cup he halved with Tiger Woods (USA) the last singles match on the final day. The half-point meant Europe not only completed a comeback from 10–6 down at the start of the final day to retain the cup, but won it outright by a score of 14½ points to 13½. Francesco Molinari (Italy) played well enough on the 2014 USPGA Tour as a non-member to earn a USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead on the USPGA Tour and maybe achieve his maiden USPGA win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The other player to tie for third position was Jordan Speith (USA); he too earned US $359,600 for his efforts and remained at the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $6,063,838 earned from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 163 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and remained at the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 2,528 points earned from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. From the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far he has made fourteen cuts and achieved nine top ten finishes which is the most of any player on the USPGA Tour in the 2014/15 season to date so far and that includes the one this week and his win at the Valspar Championship in March and his maiden Major Championship win at the Masters Tournament in April. He will be happy with his first and final rounds that were both in the 60s especially his final round 65-7 which was the low round of the day by two shots and included an incredible chip in eagle on the par five, fifteenth hole!! But he will be just content with his second and third rounds that were both in the low 70s. He must now be one of the favourites heading into the second Major Championship of 2015 which the 115th U. S. Open Championship in two weeks time? Jordan Alexander Spieth (USA); born July 27, 1993) is an American professional golfer on the USPGA Tour, currently ranked second in the world rankings. Jordan Spieth (USA) won his first major at the Masters in 2015 with a score of 270 (−18), earning him US $1.8 million. Jordan Spieth (USA) tied the 72-hole record set by Tiger Woods (USA) in 1997 and became the second youngest to win the Masters Tournament, behind Tiger Woods (USA). He is the third-youngest player in USPGA Tour history to win multiple events, behind Tiger Woods (USA) and Sergio García (Spain). Jordan Spieth (USA) is the fourth player to win multiple events before turning Twenty Two, following Tiger Woods (USA), Sergio García (Spain), and Robert Gamez (USA). Jordan Spieth (USA) was born in Dallas, Texas, to Shawn T. Spieth and Mary Christine (née Julius) Spieth, both natives of Pennsylvania. He has two siblings, Steven and Ellen. The Spieth brothers both attended St. Monica Catholic School and graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School. Jordan Spieth (USA) graduated JCPS in 2011. Jordan Spieth's (USA) paternal grandfather, Donald Spieth, is a retired orchestra conductor. Jordan Spieth (USA) has won three USPGA Tour events in his career to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2013 John Deere Classic; 2015 Valspar Championship and the 2015 Masters Tournament (Maiden Major Championship). He also has achieved two top ten finishes in Major Championships which include his win at the Master Tournament in 2015 and tied for second in the 2014 Masters Tournament. And has represented Team USA in the winning 2013 Presidents Cup and also the 2014 Ryder Cup all under the age of twenty two years old. He also won the 2014 Australian Open and 2014 Hero World Challenge (Tiger Woods Tournament) in back to back weeks at the end of 2014. Let’s hope he can win his fourth event on the USPGA Tour in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps it will come at the 115th U.S. Open Championship in two weeks? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Rounding out the top seven in tied for fifth position at 276-12 after 72 holes was Jim Furyk (USA); he earned US $226,300 for his efforts and moved to eighteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,313,161 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 994 points earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. From the eleven events he has played to date this season so far he has made nine cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his win at the RBC Heritage in April. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his second round 66-6!! And he must be one of the dark horses to win the second Major Championship of the year which is the 115th U.S. Open Championship Open in two weeks time. Jim Furyk (USA) has won seventeen times to date so far on the USPGA Tour and here 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 yet. 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 which could be the 115th U.S. Open Championship in two weeks time? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for fifth position was Marc Leishman (Australia); he too earned US $226,300 for his efforts and moved to eighty first position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $833,825 earned from the fifteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to seventy second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 519 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 eleven cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his 67-5 in the second round!! Marc Leishman (Australia) (born 24 October 1983) is an Australian professional golfer who currently plays on the USPGA Tour. In 2009 he won the Rookie of the Year award on the USPGA Tour. He was the first Australian to win the award. Marc Leishman (Australia) won his first tournament after 96 starts on the USPGA Tour in June 2012 at the Travelers Championship, coming from six strokes back of the 54 hole leaders to win by a stroke. He shot a final round of 62, which included eight birdies and no bogeys to match his career best round and second best comeback in the tournament's history. He became the second Australian to win the event after Greg Norman (Australia) in 1995. At the 2013 Masters Tournament, Mark Leishman (Australia) was the co-leader after the opening round, alongside Sergio García (Spain), as he shot a six under total of 66. He maintained his challenge over the second and third rounds to go into the final day two strokes behind the leaders. He finished tied for fourth with Tiger Woods (USA), four shots off the lead. He has also achieved one other top ten finish in a Major Championship at the 2014 Open Championship where he tied for fifth position. He has also achieved three top ten finishes in WGC – Events with his best being solo third at the 2014 Bridgestone Invitational. And he also represented Team International at the 2013 Presidents Cup against Team USA. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the coming weeks. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for fourth position was defending champion, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan); he too earned US $226,300 for his efforts and remained in eleventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,734,824 earned from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,206 points earned from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. From the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far he has made fifteen cuts and achieved eight top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his first round this week that was 64-8 and was blemish free and saw him tied for the lead after round one (it was the lowest first round score ever by a defending champion in the forty year history of the event)!! But he will be just content with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the low 70s. He too must be a dark horse to win the second Major Championship of 2015 which is the 115th U.S. Open Championship in two weeks time. He has also been one of the most consistent players on the USPGA Tour in the 2014/15 season to date so far with only missing one cut and achieving eight top ten finishes. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and maybe his second win?  Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) (松山 英樹 Matsuyama Hideki, born 25 February 1992) is a Japanese professional golfer, who at age eighteen won the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) turned professional in April 2013 and won his second professional tournament, the 2013 Tsuruya Open on the Japan Golf Tour. Five weeks later, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) won his third title on the Japan Golf Tour at the Diamond Cup Golf tournament. Following a top 10 finish at the 2013 U.S. Open, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) entered the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He won his fourth Japan Golf Tour event in September at the Fujisankei Classic. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) would win his fifth Japan Golf Tour event in December at the Casio World Open. The win also made Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) the first rookie to lead the Japan Tour's money list. For 2014, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) qualified for the USPGA Tour through non-member earnings. In just seven USPGA Tour-sanctioned events, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) had six top-25 finishes, including a tied for sixth at the 2013 Open Championship. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) earned his first USPGA Tour win at the 2014 Memorial Tournament, beating Kevin Na (USA) in a playoff and moving to a career-high OWGR ranking of thirteenth. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) would win his sixth Japan Golf Tour event late in the 2014 season. In November, the victory came at the Dunlop Phoenix in a playoff over Hiroshi Iwata (Japan). Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) finished fifth at the 2015 Masters Tournament, the best major finish of his career to date. 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.  

The only New Zealand Golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) and he scored rounds of 75+3 in the first round which was shocking in calm winds and it included a poor front nine of 38+2 where he bogeyed the par four, third hole, par five, fifth hole and par four, sixth hole and his lone birdie came on the par four, ninth hole. He scored a poor back nine of 37+1 which included birdies on the par four, fourteenth hole and par five, fifteen hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, thirteenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par four, eighteenth hole. Then he scored a good second round of 70-2 that included an poor front nine of 37+1 with birdies on the par four, second hole, par five, seventh hole and par four, ninth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, first hole and par three, fourth hole and a shocking double bogey on the par four, sixth hole and then he scored a excellent back nine of 33-3 with birdies on the par four, thirteenth hole, par five, fifteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole for a 36 hole total of 145+1 to miss the cut by two shots. He moved to fifty fourth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,221,687 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far (And it is the first time in his USPGA Tour career he has surpassed the US $1,000,000 mark in single season earnings!!). He moved to fifty third position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 640 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made fourteen cuts and withdrawn from one event and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one two weeks ago at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and the one in mid March 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 second round 70-2 and especially with the 33-3 he scored on the back nine but mad with his first round 75+3 when he had showed good form leading into this tournament. This will slightly dent his confidence after some good recent play. This is proving to be his career season to date so far in his young USPGA Tour career and his maiden USPGA Tour win can’t be too far away? 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 (NZL) 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. 

Tiger Woods (USA) who was playing in his fifth tournament of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season in his first round scored 73+1 which was average and included an excellent front nine of 33-3 with birdies on the par four, second hole, par four, sixth hole and par five, seventh hole. Then he played the back nine in 40+4 which was shocking and included birdies on the par four, fourteenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole but he had a poor bogeys on the par four, tenth hole, par five, eleventh hole, par four, thirteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and was derailed with a disastrous double bogey on the par four, eighteenth hole and it was after his four week layoff to work on his game since the PLAYERS Championship in early May. Then he came out in the second round and scored a 70-2 which included a very good 33-3 on the front nine with birdies on the par four, first hole, par four, second hole and par three, four hole and he scored a back nine of 37+1  which included birdies on the par three, twelfth hole and par four, fourteenth hole but had poor bogeys on the par four, tenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole to make the cut right on the number at 143-1. Then he scored a disastrous third round of 85+13 which was his worst round as a professional and it included a shocking front nine of 42+6 which included poor bogeys on the par three, fourth hole and par five, fifth hole and he made terrible double bogeys on the par three, eighth hole and par four, ninth hole!! and he played a worse back nine of 43+7 with his lone birdie coming on the par five, fifteenth hole and he had poor bogeys on the par five, eleventh hole, par three, twelfth hole, par four, fourteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and a shocking quadruple bogey eight on the par four, eighteenth hole and a poor final round of 74+2 which he scored a 34-2 on the front nine with birdies on the par five, fifth hole, par five seventh hole and par four, ninth hole and his lone bogey came on the par four, second hole and he scored a shocking back nine of 40+4 which was a mixed bag and included birdies on the par four, eleventh hole and par three, sixteenth hole but he had a poor bogeys on the par four, thirteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and disastrous double bogeys on the par five, fifteenth hole and par four, eighteenth hole and he scored a 72 hole total of 302+14 and finished in solo seventy first position (last of the players who made the cut by eight shots). He earned US $12,276 for his efforts and moved to 173rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $187,276 earned from the five events he has played in to date this season so far. He also earned one FedEx Cup point for his efforts and moved to 196th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points standings list with 58 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, withdrawn from one event and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be content with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the mid to low 70s especially his 70-2 in the second round to make the cut on the number!! But he will be angry with his third round 85+13 which was the highest round to date in his professional career!! And he played the front nine at two under for the week which was good and the back nine a terrible sixteen over for the week which included playing the par four, eighteenth hole in a terrible eight over for the week. At least he will be happy that his back has held up to complete 72 holes in his last three tournaments and I feel a top ten finish is not to far way for him if he can find away to hit his drives in the fairway and cure his chip yips!! His next start will likely be at the 115th U.S. Open Championship which is the second Major Championship of the year in two weeks time.  I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads to the State of Tennessee for the FedEx St. Jude Classic and it is played on the TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee. It carries a huge prize purse of US $6,000,000 for the taking. Ben Crane (USA) is the defending Champion and will be keen for back to back titles. It will also attract some of the leading players from the European Tour who want to play a tournament in the America to warm up for the second Major Championship of the year which is the 115th U.S. Open Championship which is on the following week. Danny Lee (NZL is having the week off but Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steven Alker (NZL) should gain starts. It starts on Thursday 11th June. 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 fortieth fourth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 84th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his missed cut at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation one week ago and two weeks ago he missed cut at the BMW PGA Championship with 12.83 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off his tied for third position at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance this past week and also his tied for thirtieth position at the AT&T Byron Nelson one week ago with 9.38 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Jim Furyk (USA) who is fresh off his tied for fifth position at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide this past week and three weeks ago missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship with 6.75 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for forty second position at the Players Championship four weeks ago and also his tied for seventeenth position at the WGC – Cadillac Match Play five weeks ago with 6.75 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his tied for thirteenth position at the Nordea Masters this past week and also his tie for fifty eighth position three weeks ago at the Wells Fargo Championship with 6.67 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his twelfth week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after he missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide this past week on the USPGA Tour. This week he falls four places and drops to 155th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 1.08 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember it is important to stay positive at all times on the golf course!!

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