Well it was another excellent 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 Illinois
for the John Deere Classic and it was played on the TPC Deere
Run, Silvis, Illinois. It carried a smaller prize purse of US $4,700,000
for the taking. Brian Harman (USA) was the defending champion and was keen to
defend his title. Also it was the last chance for players that weren’t already
exempt for the 144th Open Championship (which is the third Major Championship
of 2015 and is played the following week) to qualify for it if they finished
inside the top five and were the top player not already exempt for the Open
Championship. Tim Wilkinson (NZL), Danny Lee (NZL) (He has already qualified
for the Open Championship with his win at the Greenbrier Classic) and Steven
Alker (NZL) all gained starts as well and it was a great chance for them to
have a high finish and maybe even qualify for the Open Championship because
most of the top players on the USPGA Tour were in the UK preparing for the
144th Open Championship except the number two player in the world, Jordan
Spieth (USA) who was staying loyal to the John Deere Classic sponsors and
playing in the event he won as his maiden USPGA Tour event in 2013 when he was
given a sponsor’s exemption which gave him full membership on the USPGA Tour
and launched his career. And it was the golfer by the name of Jordan Spieth
(USA) who scored rounds of 71 even par, 64-7, 61-10 (Which was the low round of
his USPGA Tour career to date so far) and a final round of 68-3 for a 72 hole
total of 264-20 but he was tied on that score by Tom Gillis (USA) who scored
rounds of 66-5, 65-6, 69-2 and a final round of 64-7 for a 72 hole total of
264-20 also. So those two players headed back to the par four, eighteenth tee
for the first playoff hole. They were greeted there by the tournament host and CEO
of John Deere Company in America who got the players to draw a number from the
hat, Jordan Spieth (USA) choose number one and teed off first. Jordan Spieth
(USA) hit his tee shot and it faded too much to the right and it landed in the
right hand rough leaving a difficult second shot to the green. Tom Gillis (USA)
choose number two from the hat and teed off second. He hit a very good drive
down the left hand side of the fairway leaving himself a mid iron to the green
for his second shot. Tom Gillis (USA) was the first to play his second shot hit
his mid iron into fifty feet short of the pin on the green and had a difficult
two putt for his par but it was similar to the putt he had in regulation play. Jordan
Spieth (USA) discussed his second shot with his caddie, Michael Greller and they decided that Jordan Spieth (USA) would fade the
ball around the trees from the rough because the ball was sitting okay. Jordan
Spieth (USA) put an excellent swing and contact on the ball and it landed about
thirty feet short of the flag stick on the green. Tom Gillis (USA) putted for
his birdie first from fifty feet and he hit a good putt under the circumstances
of the playoff pressure. He rolled it up to four feet left of the cup but still
had nervy putt to hole for his par. Jordan Spieth (USA) now had his thirty foot
birdie putt to win the John Deere Classic for the second time in three years. He
looked it over with his caddie, Michael Greller and then he put a firm
aggressive stroke on it and it almost took the left to right break to
perfection but lipped out on the left side of the cup and rolled three feet
past. Tom Gillis (USA) now putted his four footer for par that had a very
slight left to right break in it. He put a very good stroke on it and rolled it
into the centre of the cup for his par four. Jordan Spieth (USA) rolled his
three foot par putt in and those two players headed back to the par four,
eighteenth tee again for the second playoff hole.
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| Jordan Spieth (USA) acknowledges the crowd after he holed out for an eagle on the par five, seventeenth hole in the third round!! |
So to the second playoff hole and Jordan Spieth (USA) teed off first and
hit a very good drive right that started down the left hand side of the fairway
and faded back to the centre leaving him in perfect position for his second
shot to the green with his short iron. Tom Gillis (USA) teed off next and he
struck a poor drive that faded too much to the right and would leave him a very
difficult second shot that he would have to punch under the trees if he was
going to have any chance of hitting the green. Tom Gillis (USA) played his
second shot first and after discussing it with his caddie he choose to go for
the green. Ian Baker – Finch (Australia) who is CBS Sports Golf Analyst said
“It would be silly for him to try and fade a long iron around the trees and
onto the green because there was a good chance his ball would land up in the
water hazard to the left, he suggested he lay up to 100 yards short of the
green and take his chance of getting up and down from there”. But Tom Gillis
(USA) tried the all or nothing shot with a five iron to hit it through the
trees and run it up to the green. It came out with too much hook spin on it and
rolled through the fairway into the water hazard on the left hand side!! Jordan
Spieth (USA) now played his second shot second and must now have been thinking
if he could just hit the green and two putt he would be the champion. After
discussing the shot over with his caddie, Michael Greller he choose a seven
iron, he hit it to the fat side of the green leaving him about forty feet for
his birdie and could enjoy the walk to the green. Tom Gillis (USA) now took his
penalty drop from the water hazard and got ready to play his fourth shot from
just over 125 yards and knew if he was going to extend this playoff to a third
hole he would more than likely have to hole it out for his par four. He struck
the shot okay but it landed in the fringe to the right pin high. And he was now
faced with a fifteen foot chip shot for his bogey five. Jordan Spieth (USA) now
calmed his nerve and stuck his forty foot birdie putt knowing that two putts
was good enough for his fifth win on the USPGA Tour. He put a very good roll on
it and it took the left to right break and missed on the left hand side and
came to rest three feet past the cup. Tom Gillis (USA) now knew he would have
to chip in his fifteen foot chip shot from the fringe and it would still
properly not be good enough. He struck it well but missed on the left hand side
and came to rest six feet past the cup. He let Jordan Spieth (USA) putt first
and he easily tapped in his three foot par putt for the win!! Jordan Spieth
(USA) was congratulated by his fellow competitor, Tom Gillis (USA) and his
caddie and his caddie, Michael Greller gave him a huge hug and high five to
celebrate!! Then he was interviewed by CBS Sports on course reporter, David
Feherty and he told him “It feels great and gosh the memories that he and his
caddie, Michael Greller had here from winning his maiden USPGA Tour event in
2013 and to go back in a playoff and relive some of the conversations we had in
the playoff then and to come out with the same result was just awesome even
though I got off to not the best of starts I am certainly pleased with the
outcome and I will take the confidence of this win over to St. Andrews next
week”.
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| Jordan Spieth (USA) smiles and holds his putter in the air after holing the winning putt on the second playoff hole!! |
Jordan Spieth (USA) earned US $846,000 for the win and increased his lead
at the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US
$8,709,838 earned from the eighteen events he has played to date this season so
far. Dustin Johnson (USA) is currently second on that list with US $4,326,104
earned from the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far.
Jordan Spieth (USA) earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and increased his
lead at the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with
3,628 points earned from the eighteen events he has played to date this season
so far and he is 1,713 points ahead of Jimmy Walker (USA) who has earned 1,915
points from the sixteen events he has played to date this season so far. From
the eighteen events Jordan Spieth (USA) has played to date this season so far
he has made sixteen cuts and achieved eleven top ten finishes (which is the
most of any player on the USPGA Tour so far) which includes the win this past
week which was his fourth of the season (and his second in as many starts) and
fifth of his career to date so far and also his three other wins with the first
one coming at the Valspar Championship in March, his second coming at the
Master Tournament (Maiden Major Championship win) in April and his third coming
at the 115th U.S. Open Championship (Second Major Championship win) in June. He
will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the mid
to low 60s especially his 61-10 in the third round which was blemish free and
the low round of the day and the tournament and also it was his lowest round of
his professional career to date so far. And he will also be happy with how he
played the two playoff holes in even par to win!! But he will be just content
with his first round 71 even par but it didn’t prevent him from winning!! He
became the second two time John Deere Classic Champion in the tournament
history and the first player to win four times in a season before the Open
Championship (Third Major Championship) since Tiger Woods (USA) way back in
2000.
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| Jordan Spieth (USA) plays a chip shot during the final round |
Jordan Alexander Spieth (USA)
(/ˈspiːθ/; SPEETH;
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 Tournament 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 also won the 2015 U.S. Open
Championship with a final score of 5-under-par. 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 22, following Tiger Woods (USA), Sergio García (Spain),
and Robert Gamez (USA). He is the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby
Jones (USA) in 1923. Jordan Spieth (USA) was born in Dallas, Texas, to Shawn T.
Spieth and Mary Christine (née Julius) Spieth. He attended St. Monica Catholic
School and graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School in 2011. Jordan
Spieth (USA) has won five USPGA Tour events to date so far with the first one
being the 2013 John Deere Classic and the second one being the 2015 Valspar
Championship and both his first two have come in playoffs. And his third one in
April and his equal biggest to date so far in his very young career at the 79th
Masters Tournament (His Maiden Major Championship) and the second one this past
week and the equal biggest to date so far at the 115th U.S. Open Championship
(His Second Major Championship) and the fifth one coming at the John Deere
Classic (second win in three years at this tournament) this past week. He also
won the 2014 Emirates Australian Open and 2014 Hero World Challenge (Tiger
Woods Tournament) in back to back weeks at the end of last year.
Jordan Spieth (USA)
opened the 2013 season by missing the cut by two strokes at the Framers
Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January. In March, Jordan Spieth (USA) made
three cuts, finishing tied for second at the Puerto Rico Open and tied for
seventh at the Tampa Bay Championship. He notched another top-10 finish in
April at the RBC Heritage, a tie for ninth. He earned Special Temporary Member
status in March, allowing him unlimited sponsor exemptions. On July 14, about
two weeks before his twentieth birthday, Jordan Spieth (USA) won the John Deere
Classic in a three-way, sudden-death playoff on the fifth playoff hole against
defending champion Zach Johnson (USA) and David Hearn (Canada). He became the
fourth youngest USPGA Tour winner and the first teenager in 82 years; last
accomplished by Ralph Guldahl (USA) at the Santa Monica Open in 1931. Jordan Spieth
(USA) holed out from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to make the playoff.
With the victory, Jordan Spieth (USA) was granted full status as a USPGA Tour
member and became eligible for the FedEx Cup, entering in eleventh place in the
standings. It also earned him entry into the next three majors: the 2013 Open
Championship, PGA Championship, and 2014 Masters Tournament. He moved to 59th
in the Official World Golf Ranking. Only five weeks after his first victory,
Jordan Spieth (USA) played the Wyndham Championship, where he lost in a playoff
to Patrick Reed (USA). The runner-up finish moved him up to 36th in the
Official World Golf Ranking. Jordan Spieth (USA) shot a final round 62 in the Deutsche
Bank Championship, vaulting him into a tie for fourth and 28th in the Official World
Golf Ranking. Just two days later, captain Fred Couples (USA) selected Jordan Spieth
(USA) for the United States squad in the 2013 Presidents Cup. On September 27,
2013, Jordan Spieth (USA) was named USPGA Tour Rookie of the Year. He ended the
2013 season tenth on the USPGA Tour money list, and ranked twenty second in the
world, after beginning the year 810th with no status.
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| Jordan Spieth (USA) poses with the John Deere Classic Trophy he won for the second time in three years!! |
Jordan Spieth (USA) in 2014 made his debut at the Masters Tournament and
shared the 54 hole lead with Bubba Watson (USA). During the final round, Jordan
Spieth (USA) at one point was the standalone leader by two strokes and, had he
held on, would have become the youngest Masters Tournament champion in history
(Tiger Woods (USA) holds the record at 21 years of age), but Bubba Watson (USA)
retook the lead heading into the back
nine and never relinquished it. Jordan Spieth (USA) finished in a tie for
second with Jonas Blixt (Sweden). Jordan Spieth (USA) thus became the youngest
runner-up in Masters Tournament history and subsequently moved into the world's
top ten. Jordan Spieth (USA) also ended the tournament having shot no worse
than an even-par (72) in any of his rounds. In November, Jordan Spieth (USA) won
his second tournament as a professional at the Emirates Australian Open on the PGA
Tour of Australasia; in the final round he shot a course-record 63 to win the
title by six strokes. A week later Jordan Spieth (USA) completed back-to-back
victories, winning the Hero World Challenge in Florida. He won the tournament
wire-to-wire and in doing so set a new tournament scoring record of
26-under-par. On March 15, Jordan Spieth (USA) won the Valspar Championship in
a three-way playoff with Patrick Reed (USA) and Sean O’Hair (USA). He secured
his victory on the third extra hole by sinking a twenty eight foot birdie putt.
And with this fifth USPGA Tour win this past week at the John Deere Classic he
now remains in a career high position of second in the latest Official World
Golf Rankings and if he can win the 144th Open Championship (third Major
Championship of the 2015 season) next week he will surpass Rory McILroy (NIR)
at the top spot of the Official World Golf Rankings. On June 21, 2015, Jordan Spieth
(USA) won the 115th U.S. Open Championship. He shot a final round of 69
(1-under-par), to give him a total of 275 (5-under-par) to win the tournament
by one shot. Dustin Johnson (USA), who three-putted from 12 feet on the 72nd
hole, finished tied for 2nd (with Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)), one stroke behind. Jordan
Spieth (USA) became the sixth player ever to win the Masters and the U.S. Open
Championship back to back, and the first since Tiger Woods (USA) in 2002. The
other four golfers to accomplish this feat are Hall of Fame members Ben Hogan
(USA), Arnold Palmer (USA), Jack Nicklaus (USA) and Craig Wood (USA). After
earning a spot on the 2013 Presidents Cup team, Jordan Spieth (USA) began to
plan the Jordan Spieth Charitable Fund. The fund provides awareness and
financial assistance to special needs children, military families and youth
golf. Jordan
Speith (USA) is the son of Chris and Shawn Spieth, both natives of Pennsylvania.
His grandfather, Donald Spieth, is a renowned conductor. The Spieths are of German
descent. Jordan's great-great-grandfather, Carl Spieth, immigrated from Württemberg
in 1891. Jordan Spieth (USA) has two younger siblings, Steven and Ellie. Steven
is a basketball player at Brown University. Ellie has grown up with
disabilities and Jordan Spieth (USA) has credited her with keeping him grounded
and focused as well as keeping the game of golf in perspective. He has been
linked to Annie Verret, who works at the First Tee after graduating from Texas
Tech. Still at
the tender age of twenty one years old his future looks very bright and I
wouldn’t be surprised at all if he wins his third Major Championship in the
next few years and perhaps it will happen at the 144th Open Championship next
week and still has a chance at keeping the Calendar year Grand Slam for 2015
alive. I wish him all the best for the remaining events for the 2015 part of
the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Coming in solo second position at 264-20 after 72 holes and losing on
the second playoff hole was Tom Gillis (USA); he earned US $507,600 for his
efforts and moved to 122nd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money
list standings with US $616,409 earned from the twelve events he has played to
date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup points for his efforts
and moved to 122nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list
standings with 384 points earned from the twelve events he has played to date
so far. From the twelve events he has played to date this season so far he has
made six 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 mid to high 60s
especially his final round 64-7 that got him into the playoff with world number
two, Jordan Spieth (USA)!! But he will be disappointed with how he played on the
second playoff hole when he put his tee shot in the trees to the right and his
second shot in the hazard to the left and handed the tournament to Jordan
Spieth (USA). But he will be happy with his week on the whole and extremely
pleased that he gained the last spot in the 144th Open Championship (The player
that finished the highest position inside the top five and ties at the John
Deere Classic that was not already qualified for the 144th Open Championship at
St. Andrews would qualify). Thomas
Charles Gillis (USA) (born July 16, 1968) is an American professional
golfer. Tom Gillis (USA) was born in Pontiac, Michigan, and graduated from Lake
Orion High School in Lake Orion, Michigan. He turned professional in 1990 after
playing collegiate golf at Oakland University in Michigan.
Tom Gillis (USA) played on the USPGA Tour in 2010 after several years on
the Nationwide Tour, and having previously competed on the USPGA Tour in 2003
and 2005, and the European Tour from 1998 to 2002. He also played in several USPGA
and Nationwide Tour events during the 1990s. Tom Gillis (USA) won his first
event on the Nationwide Tour at the 2009 Nationwide Tour Players Cup. He
finished fifth on the money list to earn his 2010 USPGA Tour card. In 2010, Tom
Gillis (USA) finished tied for fifth at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He
retained his playing rights for the 2011 season, finishing 76th on the money
list. His best career finish to date so far is a tie for second at the 2012
Honda Classic and a solo second at the 2015 John Deere Classic after a playoff
against Jordan Spieth (USA) as I mentioned before. Let’s hope he can take this
form into the third Major Championship of the year at the 144th Open
Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland and have more top ten finishes in the
weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the remaining part of the 2015 part of
the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
The other player to tie for third position and the best New Zealand golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) who was coming off his maiden USPGA Tour win last week at the Greenbrier Classic scored rounds of 68-3 in the first round which was good in light winds and it included a good front nine of 34-1 where he birdied the par five, second hole and par three, seventh hole but his lone bogey came on the par four, fifth hole. He scored a good back nine of 34-2 which included birdies on the par five, seventeenth hole and par four, eighteenth hole. Then he scored a good second round of 68-3 that was blemish free and included a very good front nine of 32-3 which included birdies on the par four, first hole, par four, fourth hole and par four, fifth hole and then he scored an average back nine of 36 even par with nine straight pars in a row!! Then he scored an brilliant third round of 62-9 which was blemish free and the lowest round of his USPGA Tour career to date so far and included a very good front nine of 31-4 with birdies coming on the par four, first hole, par five, second hole, par three, third hole and par four, sixth hole and scored an excellent back nine of 31-5 which included birdies on the par five, tenth hole, par three, twelfth hole, par four, thirteenth hole, par four, fourteenth hole and par five, seventeenth hole and a very good final round of 67-4 which included a good front nine of 34-1 with birdies on the par four, sixth hole and par four, ninth hole but he had a poor bogey on the par four, fourth hole when he made the stupid mistake of lifting his ball to clean and place it when they were playing the ball down today (They played lift, clean and place in the third round because of the heavy overnight rains on Saturday Morning that delayed play for three hours) and he scored an excellent back nine of 33-3 with birdies on the par four, tenth hole, par four, fourteenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par five, seventeenth hole but he made an untimely bogey five on the par four, eighteenth hole when he was tied for the lead at minus twenty and only needed par to get in the playoff but faded his drive too far to the right and hit his second shot over the back of the green and failed to get up and down for his par four and he had a 72 hole total of 265-19 and he finished tied for third position which was a brilliant effort after his maiden win at the Greenbrier Classic the week before. Danny Lee (NZL) earned US $272,600 for his efforts and moved to fifteen position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,741,522 earned from the twenty eight 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 $2,000,000 mark in single season earnings!!). Danny Lee (NZL) also earned 163 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twelfth position on the current FedEx Cup Points standings list with 1,342 points earned from the twenty eight events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty eight events Danny Lee (NZL) has played to date this season so far he has made seventeen cuts and withdrawn from one event and achieved five top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his maiden win one week ago at the Greenbrier Classic and seven 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 extremely pleased with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 62-9 which was blemish free and his low round of his USPGA Tour career to date so far!! But he will be disappointed with the penalty he incurred on the par four, fourth hole where he lift, clean and placed his ball when he wasn’t entitled to do so because they were playing the ball down and how he could only make a bogey on the last hole when a par would of got him into a playoff with Jordan Spieth (USA) and Tom Gills (USA). But over the last two weeks he has moved his golf career up a huge notch and I look for him to keep on improving and have a good result at his maiden Open Championship at St. Andrews next week.
Danny Jin-Myung Lee (NZL) (born 24 July 1990) is a professional golfer from Rotorua, New Zealand. Danny Lee (NZL) was born in South Korea and emigrated to New Zealand at the age of eight. His name in Hangul is 이진명. He became a naturalized New Zealander on 2 September 2008 at Rotorua, where he attended Rotorua Boys' High School. Danny Lee (NZL) turned professional after the 2009 Masters Tournament, forfeiting his guaranteed entry into the 2009 U.S. Open and the 2009 British Open as the 2008 U.S. Amateur champion. In April, Danny Lee (NZL) signed a two-year endorsement contract with Callaway Golf, to use Callaway clubs, balls, and signage on his clothes. The company has not released how much his contract is worth, but sources say it is for US$1 million per year. Danny Lee (NZL) was allowed to use seven sponsor exemptions during the USPGA Tour season, and gained three other starts courtesy of his U.S. Amateur and Johnnie Walker Classic titles. Danny Lee (NZL) entered the new season in 2012 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, 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 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. introduced me to Steve. Steve is a simple guy who is teaching me how to practice with better routine and how to trust my own game and not think too much. In 2013 Danny Lee (NZL) played on the Web.com Tour, finishing fifteenth on the regular season money list to regain his USPGA Tour card for 2014. 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). And as I mentioned before 2014/15 USPGA Tour season has been Danny Lee’s (NZL) career best season to date and now he has got his maiden USPGA Tour victory I feel his game is only going to go from strength to strength with the renewed confidence it will bring to him. His Official World Golf Ranking has now moved to sixty ninth and he now gets guaranteed starts in the next three Major Championships and is exempt on the USPGA Tour till the end of the 2016/17 USPGA Tour season. I look for his second USPGA Tour win to come in the next few years and for him to achieve some top ten finishes in Major Championships (Perhaps at the 144th Open Championship next week?). The future looks very bright for Danny Lee (NZL) moving forward. I wish him all the best for the remaining part of 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Rounding out the top seven in tied for fifth position at 266-18 after 72 holes was Chris Stroud (USA); he earned US $171,550 for his efforts and moved to 107th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $725,595 earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to ninety first position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 510 points earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far he has made thirteen 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 60s especially his final round 63-7 which was the low round of the day!! Chris Stroud (USA) (born February 3, 1982) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the USPGA Tour. Chris Stroud (USA) was born in Nederland, Texas. He played college golf at Lamar University and was a two-time All-American. As an amateur, he won the 2003 North and South Amateur and played on the 2004 Palmer Cup team. Chris Stroud (USA) turned pro in 2004. He played on mini-tours until earning his USPGA Tour card at the 2006 (T16), 2007 (3rd), and 2008 (T4) Qualifying schools. He was not able to finish high enough on the money list to retain his card until 2009 when he finished 113th. His best performance in a USPGA Tour event during these early years was a tie for fifth at the 2007 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In 2010, Chris Stroud (USA) earned the highest payout of his career so far of US $237,500 for finishing tied for tenth at The Players Championship. He has made over six million dollars during his seven years on the tour to date. Chris Stroud's (USA) best career USPGA Tour finish is second at the 2013 Travelers Championship. He lost in a sudden-death playoff to Ken Duke (USA) on the second extra hole, after chipping in from the fringe on the 72nd hole for birdie to force the playoff. Let’s hope he can gain a lot of confidence out of this finish moving forward and have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the remaining 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.
Also tied for fifth position was Justin Thomas (USA); he too earned US $171,550 for his efforts and moved to forty third position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,605,297 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to thirty ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 840 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 seventeen cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first round 63-8 which saw him share the lead!! My prediction is that he wins his maiden USPGA Tour event before the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season is complete. 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.
The final player to tie for fifth position was Johnson Wagner (USA); he too earned US $171,550 for his efforts and moved to eighty fifth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $922,860 earned from the seventeen events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 100th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 465 points earned from the seventeen events he has played to date this season so far. From the seventeen 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 week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 63-8 in the second round which was blemish free and the low round of the day and his 67-3 in the third round which was also blemish free!! He will be happy with his last two weeks having made the cut both times because his five previous tournaments he had missed his last five cuts!! Montford Johnson Wagner (USA) (born March 23, 1980) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. Johnson Wagner (USA) was born in Amarillo, Texas and grew up in upstate New York, where his father taught computer sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He caddied for three summers at Hudson National in Westchester County, New York. Johnson Wagner (USA) attended Virginia Tech, where he was a member of the golf team. He was a two-time All-Big East Conference selection and individual medalist at the 2002 Big East Conference Championship. He met his wife, Katie, at Virginia Tech. She is a former player on the women's soccer team. Johnson Wagner (USA) is currently a member of the USPGA Tour. He was a member of the Nationwide Tour from 2003 to 2006. He earned his USPGA Tour card for the 2007 season by finishing second on the money list in the Nationwide Tour in 2006. In 2008 Johnson Wagner (USA) gained his first USPGA Tour victory at the Shell Houston Open. The win earned him an invitation to the Masters Tournament and a two-year Tour exemption. In 2010, Johnson Wagner (USA) finished 126th on the USPGA Tour after a rally at the season finale fell short, just missing full Tour privileges. He was described as "delighted" because he started the week 153rd on the money list. Johnson Wagner's (USA) improved position meant avoiding the second stage of USPGA Tour Q - School and retaining conditional status on the USPGA Tour rather than having to play out of the past champions category. On February 27, 2011, he won the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya - Cancun in a playoff over Spencer Levin (USA) with par on the first hole and regained his Tour card through 2013. It was the first time since 2000 that a golfer (Robert Allenby) finished 126th on the Tour and won the following season. Johnson Wagner (USA) won the first full-field event of 2012, the Sony Open in Hawaii, and extended his Tour privileges through 2014. He also moved into the Top 100 in the OWGR for the first time in his career, moving from 198 to 92. Johnson Wagner (USA) had a disappointing 2014 season on the USPGA Tour and finished 150th on the FedEx Cup points list (the last position to retain any USPGA Tour status), leaving him conditionally exempt for the 2014–15 season. Having lost his full playing privileges, Johnson Wagner (USA) earned entry as a sponsor exemption for the 2015 Shell Houston Open. As I mentioned above Johnson Wagner (USA) lost in a sudden-death playoff to J.B. Holmes (USA) on the second extra hole back in April. This moved Johnson Wagner (USA) from 180th in the FedEx Cup standings to eighty first at the time. Let’s hope Johnson Wagner (USA) can have more top ten finishes in the coming weeks with getting a guaranteed start at the Barbasol Championship (Which is played opposite the 144th Open Championship) courtesy of the top ten finish here this past week. 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 Steve Alker (NZL) and he scored rounds of 65-6 in the first round which was excellent
and blemish free and saw him only two shots off the leaders and included a very
good front nine of 32-3 with a brilliant eagle on the par five, second hole and
a lone birdie on the par four, fourth hole, then he scored a good back nine of 33-3
with birdies on the par four, fifteenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par
five, seventeenth hole and he scored a good second round of 69-2 which included
a average front nine of 35 even par with his lone birdie coming on the par
four, ninth hole and his lone bogey coming on the par four, fourth hole and he
scored a good back nine of 34-2 with birdies coming on the par five, tenth hole
and par three, sixteenth hole. He scored a average third round of 70-1 which
included a very good front nine of 32-3 which included birdies on the par five,
second hole, par three, third hole and par four, eighth hole then he scored a
poor back nine of 38+2 with bogeys coming on the par three, twelfth hole and
par four, fourteenth hole and he scored an average final round of 70-1 which
included a good front nine of 33-2 with birdies on the par five, second hole,
par three, third hole, par three, seventh hole but he had a lone bogey on the
par four, fourth hole and he scored a poor back nine of 37+1 which included a
lone birdie on the par three, sixteenth hole and a shocking double bogey six on
the par four, eighteenth hole for a 72 hole total of 274-10 and he finished in
tied for twenty eighth position. He earned US $30,584 for his efforts and moved
to 183rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US
$197,115 earned from the seventeen events he has played to date this season so
far. He earned forty FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 172nd
position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 191 points
earned from the seventeen events he has played to date this season so far. From
the seventeen events he has played to date this season so far he has made seven
cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first round
and second rounds that were both in the 60s especially his 65-6 in the first
round that saw him only two shot behind the leaders!! But he will be just
content with his third and fourth rounds that were both 70-1s and he will be
angry with his double bogey six on the par four, seventy second hole because
had he of pared the hole he would of earned US $30,000 more!! He will gain some
confidence out of making this cut. 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.
The next
best New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored a good
first round of 68-3 with scoring a good front nine of 32-3 with his birdies
coming on the par four, first hole, par four, fifth hole and par four, sixth
hole and then he scored a average back nine of 36 even par with his birdies
coming on the par three, twelfth hole and par four, fourteenth hole but he made
poor bogeys on the par four, eleventh hole and par four, thirteenth hole. Then
he scored a good second round of 69-2 which included a good front nine of 33-2
with birdies coming on the par five, second hole, par four, fifth hole and par
four, sixth hole but he had poor bogey on the par three, third hole and then he
scored an average back nine of 36 even par with his lone birdie coming on the
par five, seventeenth hole and he had his lone bogey on the par three, sixteenth
hole. He scored a poor third round of 71 even par which included a front nine
of 36+1 which included a lone birdie on the par four, sixth hole but he had
poor bogeys on the par four, fifth hole and par three, seventh hole and a good
back nine of 35-1 with birdies on the par four, eleventh hole and par four,
fourteenth hole and his lone bogey came on the par three, twelfth hole and an
average final round of 70-1 which included a shocking 37+2 with a lone birdie
on the par four, sixth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par five, second
hole, par four, fifth hole and par four, ninth hole and he scored a brilliant
back nine of 33-3 which included birdies on the par five, tenth hole, par four,
fourteenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par four, eighteenth hole but he
had a poor bogey on the par four, eleventh hole for a 72 hole total of 278-6 to
finish in tied for fiftieth position. He earned US $11,336 for his efforts and remained
in 198th position on the current 2014/15
USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $125,448 earned from the twenty three
events he has played to date this season so far. He earned nineteen FedEx Cup
points for his efforts and moved to 184th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx
Cup Points list standings with 139 points earned from the twenty three events
he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty three events he has
played to date this season so far he has made seven cuts and achieved no top
ten finishes. He will be pleased with his four rounds this week that were all
at par and under par especially his first round 68-3!! He can take some
confidence out of this week moving forward. In the last eighteen events he has
played on the USPGA Tour he has only made four cuts. Let’s hope he can make
some more cuts in the remaining part of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour
season and have some top ten finishes as well.
Next week there are
two tournaments on the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup with the first being the 144th
Open Championship which is the third Major Championship of the 2015 season.
This year it is being stage at the home of golf at the St. Andrews GC (Old
Course), Fife, Scotland. It carries a huge prize purse of £6,300,000
for the taking. All the top players in the world will be there including Jordan
Spieth (USA) who is looking for the third leg of the Calendar Grand Slam having
already won the Masters Tournament in April at Augusta National in Georgia and
the 115th U.S. Open Championship in June at Chambers Bay in Washington State as
well as Bubba Watson (USA), Dustin Johnson (USA), Adam Scott (Australia),
Rickie Fowler (USA), Zach Johnson (USA) and Ernie Els (RSA) to name a few. But
the defending champion and four time Major Winner, Rory McILroy (NIR) has had
to withdraw because of a severe ankle injury he suffered recently while playing
a friendly game of soccer with his mates so there will be a new Champion!! Ryan
Fox (NZL) who qualified through a sectional qualifier in Scotland and Danny Lee
(NZL) who qualified by winning the Greenbrier Classic last week on the USPGA
Tour will be the New Zealand golfers in the field. It starts on Thursday 16th
July. I will report back who won the Claret Jug next week. The other event is a
brand new event in the State of Alabama and is called Barbasol Championship and
is played on the RTJ Trail (Grand National), Auburn/Opelika, Alabama.
It carries a smaller prize purse of US $3,500,000 for the taking. It will be a
good chance for the lesser players on the USPGA Tour to shine because all the
star players will be playing the 144th Open Championship in Scotland. Steven
Alker (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) will likely gain starts as well. There will
be a new champion because this is a brand new event. It starts on Thursday 16th
July and I will report back who won the trophy next week.
So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this
week and coming in at Number One Position for the fortieth ninth week of his
fifth spell of his career and for the 89th week of his career in total is Rory
McILroy (NIR) fresh off his tied for ninth position at the 115th U.S. Open
Championship three weeks ago and his missed cut at the Dubai Duty Free Irish
Open Hosted by the Rory Foundation six weeks ago with 12.52 Official Golf World
Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off
his win at the John Deere Classic this past week and three weeks ago he won the
115th U.S. Open Championship with 11.29 Official World Ranking Points; coming
in at Number Three is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for
thirteenth position at the Greenbrier Classic one week ago and two weeks ago his
win at the Travelers Championship with 7.21 Official World Ranking Points; coming
in at Number Four is Dustin Johnson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for second
position at the 115th U.S. Open Championship three weeks ago and his withdrawal
at the FedEx. St Jude Classic during the first round four weeks ago with 6.66
Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official
Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Rickie Fowler (USA) who
is fresh off his win at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open this past
week and three weeks ago he missed the cut at the 115th U.S. Open Championship
with 6.44 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his
seventeenth week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer
in the world after his tied for third position this past week at the John Deere
Classic. This week he moves up nine places and rises to 69th position on the
Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.03 Official Golf
World Ranking Points.
Remember in very cold conditions take an extra
club!!
Source: Pgatour.com,
Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine,
europeantour.com, golfchannel.com
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