Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Golf Events from the Weekend 27th September 2015



Well it was another brilliant weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoff Series came to a climax with the final event of four and it headed to the State of Georgia for the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and it was played on the East Lake GC, Atlanta, Georgia. It carried a huge prize purse of US $8,250,000 for the taking. There was a new champion in both the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship by Coca – Cola as Billy Horschel (USA) finished in sixty sixtieth position on the final 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings after the third playoffs event which was the BMW Championship and failed to make it to Eastlake. Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealand golfer in the field and was looking for a high finish to top off his career season to date so far which he got. All the big names were there including Rory McILroy (NIR), Jordan Spieth (USA), Jason Day (Australia), Bubba Watson (USA) and Rickie Fowler (USA) to name a few. Only the top thirty players (which was now twenty nine due to Jim Furyk (USA) withdrawing due to a wrist injury) on the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings after the BMW Championship were eligible to compete. One of the top five seeds on the FedEx Cup Playoff Series Points list standings after the BMW Championship would win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup if they won the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola along with the US $10,000,000 bonus that went with it!! And it was the golfer by the name of Jordan Spieth (USA) who scored rounds of 68-2, 66-4, 68-2 and a final round of 69-1 for a seventy two hole total of 271-9 and he won the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola by four shots for his fifth win of the season and the sixth win of his USPGA Tour career to date so far and with this win he also gained the prestigious FedEx Cup for the 2014/15 season (And he was the only player in the field to score all four rounds in the 60s)!! Jordan Spieth (USA) won US $1,485,000 for the win and won the 2014/15 season final USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $12,030,465 earned from the twenty five events he played in this season (and that is the most money ever won in a single season). Jason Day (Australia) was second on that list with US $9,403,330 earned from the twenty events he played in this season. Jordan Spieth (USA) earned 2000 FedEx Cup Points for the win and won the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus that goes with it with 3,800 points earned from the twenty five events he played in and he won the 2014/15 FedEx Cup by 1,493 points over Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who earned 2,307 points from the sixteen events he played in. From the twenty five events Jordan Spieth (USA) played in this season he made twenty one cuts and achieved fifteen top ten finishes which includes the one this past week and also his wins at the Valspar Championship in March, Masters Tournament (Maiden Major Championship) in April, U. S. Open Championship (Second Major Championship) in June and John Deere Classic in July. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 66-4 which was blemish free and the low round of the day by two shots!! And also his final round 69-1 which he made some brilliant putts for birdies and great par saves!! And the win this week was the icing on the cake for an amazing season!! He can now tick winning the FedEx Cup off his bucket list. And he goes into the Presidents Cup in less than two weeks time with renewed confidence after showing mediocre form in the previous three FedEx Cup Playoff events. 
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) tees off on the first hole in the final round with the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup Tropies in view!!
Jordan Spieth (USA) played a brilliant final round after carrying a slim one shot lead into the final round. He scored 69-1 which included a front nine of 34-1 with birdies on the par three, second hole, par four, eighth hole and par five, ninth hole but he made poor bogeys on the par four, fifth hole and par three, sixth hole and he made the turn at minus nine and was leading by two shots. Danny Lee (NZL) went out in 31-4 and made the turn at minus four and was five shots behind the leader. Justin Rose (England) went out in 31-4 and made the turn at minus five and was four shots behind the leader. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) went out in 35 even par and made the turn at minus seven and was two shots behind the leader. 

Jordan Spieth (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in even par which included a birdie on the par three, eleventh hole and a bogey on the par four, tenth hole and he remained at minus nine and was still leading by two shots. Danny Lee (NZL) played holes ten to fourteen in even par and it included birding the par four, twelfth hole and par four, fourteenth hole but he bogeyed the par four, tenth hole and par four, thirteenth hole and he remained at minus four and was still five shots behind the leader. Justin Rose (England) played holes ten to fourteen in even par and that included making birdies on the par four, twelfth hole and par four, thirteenth hole but he suffered a shocking double bogey six on the par four, tenth hole where he hooked his tee shot out of bounds!! And he remained at minus five and was still four shots behind the leader. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played holes ten to fourteen in one over par and fell back to minus six which included a birdie on the par three, eleventh hole and bogeys on the par four, tenth hole and par four, twelfth hole and he was now three shots behind the leader. 
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) hits a drive during the final round
Jordan Spieth (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par and that included making critical par saves on the par five, fifteenth and par four, sixteenth holes and he remained at minus nine and now had a four shot lead heading to the difficult par three, seventy second hole. Danny Lee (NZL) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and that included birding the par five, fifteenth hole and he moved to minus five and was now only five shots behind the leader heading to the difficult par three, seventy second hole. Justin Rose (England) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par that included birding the par five, fifteenth hole and bogeying the par four, seventeenth hole and he remained at minus five heading to the difficult par three, seventy second hole. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played holes fifteen to seventeen in two over par and that included a terrible double bogey six he had on the par four, seventeenth hole where he shanked his second shot with his short iron and fell back to minus four heading to the difficult par three, seventy second hole.
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) on the right and Michael Greller, his caddie on the left prepare to play a shot during the final round
Danny Lee (NZL) who was playing in a few groups ahead of the final group made a solid par on the difficult par three, seventy second hole and finished the seventy two holes at minus five and finished four shots behind the winner. Justin Rose (England) who was playing two groups ahead of the final group made a solid par at the difficult par three, seventy hole and finished the seventy two holes at minus five and finished four shots behind the winner. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who was playing in the final group along with Jordan Spieth (USA) made an amazing birdie two on the difficult par three, seventy second hole where he holed a left to right breaking putt from forty feet and he finished the seventy two holes at minus five and finished four shots behind the winner. 
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) engages with the gallery as he walks up to the seventy second green
Jordan Spieth (USA) now stood on the par three, seventy second tee with a four shot lead and knew as long as his tee shot found dry land he would win both the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship by Coca – Cola. He slightly pulled his tee shot with his mid iron and it landed on the green pin high thirty five feet to the left of the pin. Walking up to the green he knew he could enjoy the walk because he now knew he had secured both the FedEx Cup and the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola. After studying the putt with his caddie, Michael Greller, he then put an aggressive stroke on it and it rolled ten feet past the cup. But just as he had been putting all day he made the return ten footer for par and he scored 35 even par on his back nine to finish the seventy two holes at minus nine and he won by four shots!! He pumped his fist in the air in celebration!! Then he got a huge high five and hug from his caddie, Michael Greller!! Then his younger sister, Ellie who suffers from Down syndrome came onto the seventy second green to give him a big hug as well!! Jordan Spieth (USA) has always said “that Ellie helps him to keep all the success he has had at golf in perspective and helps him enjoy life and the simple things it provides”. Then his Father, Shawn and Mother, Mary were there to give his a hug as well and also his Brother, Steven and his Girl Friend, Annie Verret gave him a hug to celebrate!! 
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) pumps his fist after holing the winning putt!!
Jordan Spieth (USA) then went to the prize – giving and the PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Jordan you played great all year, and you came in here and beat the best thirty players of the year and did it in great style and great fashion!! Congratulations on winning the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola!!” Then the PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem presented the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola trophy to Jordan Spieth (USA). Jordan Spieth (USA) then held it up in the air and displayed it to the gallery watching!! Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said “And of course Jordan you knew if you won that this next big cup would be coming your way and officially the FedEx Cup Champion for the 2014/15 Season presented by PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem to Jordan Spieth (USA)” Then PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Jordan, the FedEx Cup season is designed to reward the player who had a consistent, outstanding season all year long but also when it comes right down here to the Tour Championship plays his best in the brightest lights, you won five times this year, two Major Championships, took a run at the Grand Slam and you came in here and became the youngest player to win the FedEx Cup Trophy, Congratulations!!” Then PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem presented Jordan Spieth (USA) with the FedEx Cup and he looked at all the names on it and held it up in the air and displayed it to the gallery watching just as he had done a few minutes earlier with the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola Trophy!!
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) looks at all the names on the FedEx Cup he won with Johnny Miller (NBC Sports/Golf Channel experts man) on his left, Dan Hicks (NBC Sports/Golf Channel Anchorman) on his right and PGA Tour Commissioner, Tim Finchem on his far right looking on!!
Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said “Jordan, Tim was mentioning all the accolades it has been a special season and I know than you are only twenty two years old, but now that you have lifted the FedEx Cup had all those incredible Major Championships, Two of the Four and in contention in the other two we were talking before we came over here on the air, Johnnie (Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel experts man) and I, this goes down as one of the great season in PGA Tour history with what you have done with a fifth win today” Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “Thank you, this um, this is incredible, this is an event ah, we approach it like a Major Championship because we know that this is possible at the end of it and ah we didn’t have a great playoffs but we put a lot of hard work into this week, I was out here early Monday Morning, Ah we approached it as if it was a Major, and mentally we stayed in it, even when I didn’t have my best ball striking, and boy that putter sure paid off!!” Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said “You were a man of you word after you missed the cut in the first two playoff events, there was a week before the BMW Championship where you finished thirteenth and got things together, what happened pacifically in that time frame to full up the Jordan Spieth (USA) Bandwagon to get it here to Eastlake?” Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “I got frustrated, ah I missed two cuts in a row, I had never done that, I lost the number one ranking, I was watching Jason Day (Australia) just dominate golf, and it was frustrating so I got to work um put my head down a little bit more than I did right after the PGA Championship, knowing that we could still peak this week and that is what we did.”  Then Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel expert’s man, said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Well the bottom line is world number one at twenty two years old now with all these wonderful things that happened to you (pointing to the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship by Coca – Cola trophies he won) it is definitely a time to smile isn’t it, (And he taps Jordan on the shoulder) but I mean going back to the golf today, obviously you are going against Stenson (Henrik Stenson (Sweden)) who is playing terrific golf and a brilliant ball striker, and then you make the putt at eight, and then you make the putt at nine and the putt at eleven and it seemed like you took the air out his lungs so to speak, was that the key, was that key where going to take a look at some of these putts, was that the key to the win?” And Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “Yeah, I think ah this was the one at eleven here (looking at the TV Monitor) that and this time Henrik was in there tight and about to make a birdie and make a little charge and that one was unexpected but for that one to go in just takes the life out a little bit, Henrik is a great competitor and actually a good friend and a nice guy who came up and gave me a fist pump and then that moment that show a lot about his character and about how ah we are still root for each other but we are just hoping our best beats his best”. Then Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel expert’s man, said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “You know like every fifteen minutes it seems like when I am on the air I just have to remind myself that this guy is twenty two you know, I mean like come on now what a year ha?” Then Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “yeah, this is unreal, it real is this year is unreal, and I don’t know we are going to sit down and try and improve on it but we are going to try and do that, there is never a stop in our team, and ah this a phenomenal victory that we are going to enjoy”. Then Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel expert’s man, said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Well it just was a lot of fun for all of us, and keep up the words after your shots, I love the comments after your shots, it is pretty entertaining you could properly be an announcer, just on your own ball”. Then Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “Yeah, I don’t know (Smiling) I am glad you guys only have the microphones there right after the shot and don’t hear what I am saying as we walking down the fairways, I keep it PG right after the shots, But sometimes I get pretty frustrated so all in all hey I am glad I can provide some commentary for you Johnny”. Then Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel expert’s man, said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Outstanding year, what a year Ah Folks!!”  
 
Jordan Spieth (USA) gets a big hug from his younger sister, Ellie as he walks off the seventy second green!!
Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Jordan, you are so often you so often you use the word we to describe this effort, you had your family out there today, we saw the nice hug with your sister Ellie, from Michael Greller, his caddie, on and on it is it is truly is a team effort even though you are the guy firing the shots out there”.  Then Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “Sure, there is so much work that goes in from manager, to coach to my trainer to Michael (His caddie) um to my family, it really is behind the scenes a team effort, and you know everyone does their job just to free me up, and that is what they did, they did we did an incredible job peaking with everything for the Major Championships and the Tour Championship this year, and ah this is one I cannot wait to celebrate with them, and now we will have a little bit of time off I think, Well I guess we have a week until the Presidents Cup and then be able to enjoy it even more”.  Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “You had some incredible putts all week long, some critical par saving putts, where going to show you a couple here, this the one at fifteen, do you just grind a little more when it’s for par?” And Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “Ha Ha, No I just didn’t have that many birdie putts, It just happened all week for par, ah”. Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “So there’s the one at fifteen, and then at sixteen, did you kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel?” And Jordan Spieth (USA) replied “When this one went in, when this one went in, but seventeen”. Then Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel expert’s man, said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “The tee shot”. Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman continued to interview Jordan Spieth (USA) an he replied “It is not a fun tee shot on seventeen, I just I told Michael (His Caddie), I said if we pump this into the people it is not a bad thing, that is not the worst thing, you on seventeen you just can’t be left, ah so you try and just kind of guide it out there and let the wind take it back, but on sixteen, um a three shot lead with two to play, you know you can pretty much go par, par and that’s it, ah but after the drive on seventeen is when I realised”. Then Dan Hicks who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel anchorman said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Alright, Jordan, thank you very much, Jordan Spieth (USA) your Tour Championship winner and FedEx Cup Champion!!” and Johnnie Miller, who is NBC Sports/Golf Channel expert’s man, said to Jordan Spieth (USA) “Hold that up (Mean the two trophies he had won!!)”. 
 
Another photo of Jordan Spieth (USA) posing with the FedEx Cup trophy on his right and the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola Trophy on his left that he won!!
Jordan Alexander Spieth (USA) (/ˈspiːθ/; SPEETH; born July 27, 1993) is an American professional golfer on the USPGA Tour, and world number one in the World Golf Ranking. He is a two-time major winner and the defending FedEx Cup champion. Jordan Spieth (USA) won his first major at the 2015 Masters Tournament 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 then won the 2015 U.S. Open Championship with a final score of 5-under-par. He is the youngest U.S. Open champion since Bobby Jones (USA) in 1923. He followed up with a win in the 2015 Tour Championship, which clinched the 2015 FedEx Cup. 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) won the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2009 and 2011, joining Tiger Woods (USA) as its only multiple winners. Before turning 18 in July 2011, he was No. 1 in the Polo Golf Rankings, which promotes the best junior golfers in the United States. He finished second in the 2008 and 2009 Junior PGA Championship. The American Junior Golf Association named him the Rolex Junior Player of the Year in 2009. Jordan Spieth (USA) accepted an exemption to play in the USPGA Tour's HP Byron Nelson Championship in 2010. It was the event's first amateur exemption since 1995. The tournament's previous exemptions had included Trip Kuehne (USA) in 1995, and Justin Leonard (USA) and Tiger Woods (USA) in 1993. He made the cut, becoming the sixth-youngest player to make the cut at a USPGA Tour event. Jordan Spieth (USA) was tied for seventh place after the third round, and finished the tournament in a tie for sixteenth place. He was offered another exemption into the tournament in 2011, when he again made the cut and finished in a tie for 32nd. Jordan Spieth (USA) played college golf for the Longhorns at the University of Texas. Jordan Spieth (USA) was a member of the 2011 Walker Cup team, and played in three of the four rounds, halving his foursomes match and winning both singles matches. In his freshman year at Texas, Jordan Spieth (USA) won three events and led the team in scoring average. He helped his team win the NCAA championship, was named to the All-Big 12 Team, Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year, and was a first-team All-American. Jordan Spieth (USA) earned a spot in the U.S. Open Championship in 2012 as an alternate after Brandt Snedeker (USA) withdrew; he tied for 21st and was the low amateur. He became the number one amateur in the World Amateur Golf Ranking after his performance in the U.S. Open and Patrick Cantlay's (USA) decision to turn professional. 

Midway through his sophomore year at Texas in 2012, the 19-year-old Jordan Spieth (USA) turned professional. He partnered with Under Armour for sponsorship in January 2013 and with BioSteel Sports Supplements in March. Jordan Spieth (USA) opened the 2013 season by missing the cut by two strokes at the Farmers 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 earned Special Temporary Member status in March, allowing him unlimited sponsor exemptions, whereas non-members are limited to seven per season. He notched another top-10 finish in April at the RBC Heritage, a tie for ninth. 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. Five weeks after his first victory, Jordan Spieth (USA) played the Wyndham Championship, where he lost in a playoff to Patrick Reed (USA). Jordan Spieth (USA) shot a final round 62 in the Deutsche Bank Championship, vaulting him into a tie for fourth. 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, he was named USPGA Tour Rookie of the Year. At the end of the 2013 season, he was ranked tenth on the USPGA Tour money list and twenty second in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

Jordan Spieth (USA) made his debut at 2014 The Masters 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 in position to become the youngest Masters champion in history; Tiger Woods (USA) holds the record at age 21. 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), becoming the youngest runner-up in Masters Tournament history. Jordan Spieth (USA) ended the tournament having shot no worse than an even-par (72) in any of his rounds. His finish moved him into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time. Following the PGA Championship, Jordan Spieth (USA) earned selection to the 2014 Ryder Cup team, becoming the youngest American to play in the matches for 85 years since Horton Smith (USA) in 1929. 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, he 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, he 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 30-foot birdie putt. The win moved him to sixth in the Official World Golf Ranking. A runner-up finish at the Valero Texas Open moved him to a career-high ranking of fourth in the world. The following week, Jordan Spieth (USA) lost in a sudden-death playoff at the Shell Houston Open, having held the 54-hole lead. He shot a final round 70, but had to hole an 8-footer on the last to force the playoff following low rounds by J. B. Holmes (USA) and Johnson Wagner (USA) that had pushed them to the top of the leaderboard. On the first playoff hole, Jordan Spieth (USA) put his drive into a bunker, then followed up with a poor shot, causing his elimination from the playoff, which was won by J. B. Holmes (USA).

On April 9, Jordan Spieth (USA) shot an opening round 64 to finish the day eight strokes under par with a three-shot lead in the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta, Georgia; Jordan Spieth (USA) set a record as the youngest player to lead the Masters after the first round. His score was only one shot behind the course record of 63 shared by Nick Price (Zimbabwe) and Greg Norman (Australia), with their rounds coming in 1986 and 1996 respectively. Jordan Spieth (USA) shot 66 the following day to break the 36-hole Masters scoring record by posting 14-under 130 through two rounds. The previous record, set by Raymond Floyd (USA) in 1976, was 13-under 131. He broke the 54-hole record at the Masters shooting a 16-under 200 through three rounds. During the final round Jordan Spieth (USA) briefly held a score of −19 but bogeyed the final hole resulting in him tying Tiger Woods' (USA) 1997 score record at 18-under. Jordan Spieth (USA) set the record for the most birdies during the Masters by making twenty eight and became the second-youngest person to win the Masters Tournament. His victory was the first wire-to-wire Masters Tournament win since Raymond Floyd's (USA) in 1976. The victory moved Jordan Spieth (USA) to Number two in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

On June 21, Jordan Spieth (USA) won the U.S. Open Championship to claim his second major championship. He carded a one-under 69 in the final round to finish with a total of 275 (-5) and win the tournament by one stroke over Dustin Johnson (USA) and Louis Oosthuizen (RSA). Jordan Spieth (USA) had begun the day in a four way tie for the lead and played in the penultimate group alongside Branden Grace (RSA). He opened his final round with a bogey to fall behind, but then a run 12 pars and two birdies in his next 14 holes moved him into a tie for the lead with Branden Grace (USA) at five under par. On the 16th hole, Branden Grace (RSA) hit his tee shot out of bounds that led to a double bogey and Jordan Spieth (USA) capitalized by rolling in a lengthy birdie putt to create a three shot swing, which gave Jordan Spieth (USA) a three shot lead with two to play. However, on the 17th tee, Jordan Spieth (USA) pushed his tee shot well right into the thick rough, which led to a double bogey and coupled with Dustin Johnson's (USA) birdie on the sixteenth, the two were tied for the lead briefly. Jordan Spieth (USA) then missed an eagle putt on the eighteenth to give him a two shot lead, but made birdie to become the leader in the clubhouse. Dustin Johnson (USA) then had an eagle putt to win the tournament outright on the 72nd hole, but three-putted from twelve feet to finish one stroke behind. Jordan Spieth (USA) became only the sixth player ever to win the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open 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 Craig Wood (USA), Ben Hogan (USA), Arnold Palmer (USA) and Jack Nicklaus (USA).  He became the fourth-youngest player to win multiple major championships and the youngest winner of the U.S. Open Championship since Bobby Jones (USA) in 1923.

The week before The Open Championship, Jordan Spieth (USA) chose to play at the John Deere Classic rather than the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, where many other top-ranked players were competing to prepare for the links style courses. Jordan Spieth (USA) shot the lowest round of his professional career to date, with a 61 in the third round. He eventually won the tournament in a playoff for his fourth victory of the year. Jordan Spieth's (USA) quest for the grand slam ended when he finished tied for fourth in The Open Championship with a final score of –14, one stroke out of a playoff. He had been tied for the lead but bogeyed the seventeenth hole to drop one stroke behind and could not make his birdie on the eighteenth to join the playoff. After finishing second behind Jason Day (Australia) at the 2015 PGA Championship, he became the world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is the eighteenth different golfer to earn the honour. He was number one for two weeks in August 2015 and one week in September. Jordan Spieth (USA) missed the cut in The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship, the first two events of the FedEx Cup playoffs. However, his tied for thirteenth finish at the BMW Championship kept him second overall in the standings. Only needing a victory to clinch the championship, Jordan Spieth (USA) won the 2015 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club by four strokes. With the win, his fifth of the year, Jordan Spieth (USA) became the ninth FedEx Cup champion and earned a US $10 million bonus for winning the Cup. Jordan Spieth won US $12,030,485 (not including the $10 million bonus) in 2015, a USPGA Tour record for a single year. He also regained the world number one ranking. 

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 Spieth (USA) is the son of Chris and Shawn Spieth, both natives of Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Donald Spieth, is a music teacher at Moravian College and Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he was a long-time conductor of the former Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra. The Spieths are of German descent. Jordan 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. Jordan Spieth (USA) is Catholic and attends USPGA Tour Bible study meetings with other players. Jordan Spieth (USA) is just coming off a history breaking season and now will lead Team USA at the Presidents Cup against Team International in less than two weeks time and a win for Team USA will cap off his History setting season. And let’s hope he can continue this excellent form to the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup season when he chooses to start his next season, I wish him every continuing success!!

Rounding out the top four in tied for second position at 275-5 after seventy two holes was the only New Zealand golfer in the field, Danny Lee (NZL) who was the first golfer from New Zealand ever to make it to the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola since the FedEx Cup began in 2007 and he scored rounds of 69-1 in the first round which was a good round and it included a good front nine of 34-1 with birdies on the par four, first hole and par four, eighth hole but had a poor lone bogey on the par four, third hole then he scored an average back nine of 35 even par which included a lone birdie on the par four, fourteenth hole and a lone bogey on the par three, eleventh hole. Then he scored a poor second round of 72+2 and it included a poor front nine of 36+1 which included a lone birdie on the par four, fourth hole and a shocking double bogey on the par four, eighth hole and then he scored a poor back nine of 36+1 with a lone birdie coming on the par four, tenth hole and  poor bogeys coming on the par five, fifteenth hole and par three, eighteenth hole and then a very good third round of 69-1 which included a very front nine of  34-1 with a lone poor bogey on the par four, third hole and birdies on the par four, first hole and par three, sixth hole then he scored a good back nine of 35 even par with a lone birdie coming on the par four, fourteen hole and a lone poor bogey coming on the par three, eighteenth hole and a brilliant final round of 65-5 which included a brilliant front nine of 31-4 with birdies coming on the par four, first hole, par three, second hole, par three, sixth hole and par four, eighth hole then he played a good back nine of 34-1 which included birdies on the par four, twelve hole, par four, fourteenth hole and par five, fifteenth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, tenth hole and par four, thirteenth hole for a 72 hole total of 275-5 and he finished in tied for second position. Danny Lee (NZL) earned US $618,750 for his efforts and finished in thirteenth position on the final 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,965,933 earned from the thirty six events he played in this season (And it is the first time in his USPGA Tour career he has surpassed the US $3,000,000 mark in single season earnings!!). Danny Lee (NZL) also earned 867 FedEx Cup playoff points for his efforts and finished in ninth position on the final 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list with 1,123 points earned from the thirty six events he played in this season and also won US $550,000 of the FedEx Cup Bonus Money. From the thirty six events Danny Lee (NZL) played in this season he made twenty four cuts and withdrew from one event and achieved eight top ten finishes which includes the one this week and the one seven weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and the eight weeks ago at the Quicken Loans National and mid July at the John Deere Classic and his maiden win in early July at the Greenbrier Classic and in May 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 first, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 65-5 in the final round which included a front nine 31-4!! But disappointed with his second round that was 72+2!! And it was good to see him have another top five finish to end out the season because in his last four starts his best finish had been tied for thirtieth. And with the finish this past week he now moves to a career high thirty sixth on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings and it will give him a huge boost of confidence heading into his maiden Presidents Cup in his native homeland of South Korea in less than two weeks. But over the past two odd months he has moved his golf career up a huge notch and I look for him to keep on improving and I look for him to have more top ten finishes in the events he plays on the USPGA Tour in the next few weeks and he has a very busy time in the next few weeks with the Presidents Cup less than two weeks away!! And his place in the 2015 International Presidents Cup Team that will play against Team USA for the Presidents Cup in South Korea in October was confirmed after the completion of the Deutsche Bank Championship where he finished in tenth position on the final Presidents Cup International points list standings with 2.43 points and he got the final automatic qualifying spot and will play in his maiden Presidents Cup in his birth country. 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 (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 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 so far and now he has got his maiden USPGA Tour victory at the Greenbrier Classic in July. 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 thirty sixth and he now gets guaranteed starts in the next years Major Championship (which is the 80th Masters Tournament in April 2016; 116th U.S. Championship in June 2016; 145th Open Championship in July 2016 and 98th PGA Championship in July 2016) and that is pending on if he can stay inside the top fifty at the end of 2015 on the Official World Golf Rankings. He will also represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 on his current form. He is also 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 80th Masters Tournament in April next year?). The future looks very bright for Danny Lee (NZL) moving forward. I wish him all the best for the for his Maiden appearance in the Presidents Cup for Team International against Team USA in less than two weeks time in his native country of South Korea and also to have a very strong start to the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Also tied for second position was Justin Rose (England); he too earned US $618,750 for his efforts and finished in sixth position on the final 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $5,462,677 earned from the twenty events he played in this season. He also earned 867 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points for his efforts and finished in eighth position on the final 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 1,235 points earned from the twenty events he played in this season and also won US $600,000 of the FedEx Cup Bonus Money. From the twenty events he played in this year he made fifteen cuts and achieved eight top ten finishes which includes the one this week and also his win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April. He will be happy with his second and final rounds this week that were both in the 60s especially his 66-4 in the final round!! But will be just content with his first round 70 even par and his third round 71+1. But I feel he will be happy with his season on the whole with one win which I mentioned above and top five finishes at the Masters Tournament and PGA Championship and a top sixth finish at the Open Championship. And I feel in the next few years he will win his second Major Championship. 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. 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 the 2014 Quicken Loans National (He has won every year since 2010). He has also achieved seven wins to date on the European Tour which his most recent being the 2014 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. He has also achieved eleven top ten finishes to date so far in Major Championships that includes his win at the 2013 U.S. Open Championship. He has also achieved ten top ten finishes in WGC – Events that includes his win at the 2012 WGC – Cadillac Championship. He has also represented Team Europe on three Ryder Cups Teams 2008, 2012 and 2014 which in the last two Team Europe won. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup season and win his eighth USPGA Tour event. I wish him all the best for the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

The final player to tie for second position was Henrik Stenson (Sweden); he too earned US $618,750 for his efforts and finished in ninth position on the final 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $4,755,070 earned from the sixteen events he played in this season. He also earned 867 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points for his efforts and finished in second position on the final 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 2,307 points earned from the sixteen events he played in this season and also won US $3,000,000 of the FedEx Cup Bonus Money. From the sixteen events he played in this season he made sixteen cuts and achieved eight top ten finishes which included the one here. He will be happy with his first round 63-7 which saw him lead by two shots and his 68-2 in the second round which saw him lead by three shots after 36 holes. But he will be disappointed with his third and fourth rounds that were both 72+2s. And those final two rounds prevented him from winning the 2014/15 FedEx Cup. But he was one of the most consistent players during the playoffs with achieving three second place finishes and a tied for tenth!! And he must have been the most consistent player on the USPGA Tour in the 2014/15 season with making all sixteen cuts from the sixteen events he entered and he certainly deserved to win at least one tournament. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) (born 5 April 1976) is a Swedish professional golfer who plays both on the USPGA and European Tours. He has spent over 100 weeks ranked in the World top ten and his career high ranking of second is the best by any Swedish golfer. In July 2013, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) finished runner-up at the 2013 Open Championship. That year he also moved up to third in the Official World Golf Ranking, and he won the USPGA Tour's FedEx Cup and the European Tour's Race to Dubai, thus becoming the first player to win both, and to do so in the same season, a "historic double". Henrik Stenson (Sweden) described his feat as a "double-double" because in the process of winning these two seasonal points crowns, he also won the season finales of both tours.  Henrik Stenson (Sweden) married fellow Swede Emma Löfgren in Dubai ten years after meeting her at the University of South Carolina. In July 2007, his wife gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Lisa. In 2010, the couple had their second child, a son named Karl. They live in Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. In 2014, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) announced that he had invested in PGA Sweden National, his first venture in golf course ownership. He has won four events to date on the USPGA Tour so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2007 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, 2009 The PLAYERS Championship; 2013 Deutsche Bank Championship and 2013 Tour Championship. He has also won nine events on the European Tour with the most recent being the 2014 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. He has also achieved nine top ten finishes in Major Championships to date so far with his best finish coming at the 2013 Open Championship which was solo second and I feel he will become the first Swedish Golfer to win a Major Championship in the next few years!! He has achieved six top ten finishes in WGC – Events which includes his maiden win at the 2007 Cadillac Match Play Championship. Let’s hope he can keep this form up for the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup season!! I wish him all the best for the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup.

The USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoffs Series is now over for the 2014/15 season. The 2015/16 USPGA Tour Season and FedEx Cup starts in three weeks time in the State of California with the Frys.com Open and it is played on the Silverado CC (North), Napa, California. It carries a huge prize – purse of US $6,000,000 for the taking. Sang moon –Bae (South Korea) is the defending champion but won’t be defending his title as he has just commenced his two years of military service for the South Korean Army so there will be a new Champion. Danny Lee (NZL) will properly sit this tournament out because it is right after the Presidents Cup and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steven Alker (NZL) will be hoping to gain starts pending if they regain their 2015/16 USPGA Tour cards at the Web.com Tour Finals. It starts on Thursday 15th October and I will report back who won the trophy in three weeks time. 

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings this week and coming in at Number One Position for the fourth week of his Career is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off his win at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola this past week and also winning the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus and also his tied for thirteenth position at the BMW Championship one week ago with 12.83 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh off his tied for tenth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola this past week and also his win one week ago at the BMW Championship with 12.74 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Rory McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his tied for sixteenth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola this past week and his tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship one week ago with 11.52 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for fifth position at the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola this past week and also his tied for tenth position at the BMW Championship one week ago with 8.50 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official World Ranking Points list standings this week is Rickie Fowler (USA) who is fresh off his tied for twelfth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola this past week and also his tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship one week ago with 8.05 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his twentieth eighth week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola this past week. This week he gains seventeen places and rises to thirty sixth position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.86 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember when the greens are soft you can attack the pin!!

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

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Golf Events from the Weekend 20th September 2015



Well it was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoff Series headed to the State of Illinois for the third of four 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Series events which was the BMW Championship and was played at Conway Farms GC, Lake Forest, Illinois. Only the top seventy players on the 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Series points list standings after the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship were eligible to compete in it. Billy Horschel (USA) was the defending champion and was keen for back to back titles. It carried a huge prize purse of US $8,250,000 for the taking. All the leading players on the USPGA Tour were there including Rory McIlroy (NIR), Jordan Spieth (USA), Jason Day (Australia), Bubba Watson (USA) and Zach Johnson (USA) to name a few. Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealander golfer to make it and he was looking for another high finish. And it was the golfer by the name of Jason Day (Australia) who scored rounds of 61-10, 63-8, 69-2 and a final round of 69-2 for a seventy two hole total of 262-22 and he won by an amazing six shots for his fifth win of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season (which is the most of any player so far) and his seventh of his USPGA Tour career so far. He also ascended to Number One position on the Official World Golf Ranking points list standings for the very first time in his career. Jason Day (Australia) earned US $1,485,000 for the win and remained in second position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $9,174,805 earned from the nineteen events he has played to date this season so far. Jordan Spieth (USA) still leads that list with US $10,545,465 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. Jason Day (Australia) also earned 2000 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for the win and increased his lead at the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings with 6,680 points earned from the nineteen events he has played to date this season so far and he will take the number one seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 2000 points in the reset and his destiny is in his own hands that if he wins next week his wins the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus that goes with it!! and he leads Jordan Spieth (USA) who was 2,288 points behind Jason Day (Australia) with 4,392 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season to date so far and he takes the number two seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 1,800 points in the reset and his destiny is in his own hands that if he wins next week his wins the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 that goes with it!! From the nineteen events Jason Day (Australia) has played to date this season so far he has made seventeen cuts and achieved ten top ten finishes which includes the win this past week and also his win at the Barclays three weeks ago and his win at the PGA Championship (Maiden Major Championship) five weeks ago and his win at the RBC Canadian Open in late July and his win at the Farmers Insurance Open in early February. Jason Day (Australia) will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 61-10 (which was his lowest round on the USPGA Tour in his career to date so far and also the low round of the day and the tournament) in the first round which saw him hole out for eagle on the par four, first hole and he also made nine birdies!! And also his second round 63-8 which he eagled the par five, eighteenth hole by holing a forty foot putt and he also made seven birdies!! And with how he played on the weekend with the big lead he managed two consecutive 69-2s!! 
 
Jason Day (Australia) plays an iron shot during the final round

Jason Day (Australia) will be extremely pleased with how he played the final round after taking a six shot lead into it after 54 holes and scored 69-2 which included a good front nine of 35 even par with a lone birdie on the par five, eighth hole and a poor bogey on the par five, ninth hole and he made the turn at minus twenty and was leading by six shots. Daniel Berger (USA) went out in 36+1 and made the turn at minus thirteen and was now seven shots behind the leader. Scott Piercy (USA) went out in 38+3 and made the turn at minus eleven and was now nine shots behind the leader. Rickie Fowler (USA) went out in 33-2 and made the turn at minus fourteen and was now only six shots behind the leader. 

Jason Day (Australia) played holes ten to fourteen in even par with making five straight pars and remained at minus twenty and was now only leading by four shots. Daniel Berger (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in three under par which included birding the par four, tenth hole, par four, thirteenth hole and par five, fourteenth hole and moved to minus sixteen and was now only four shots behind the leader. Scott Piercy (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par and that included birding the par five, fourteenth hole and he moved to minus twelve and was now only eight shots behind the leader. Rickie Fowler (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in even par and that included birding the par four, twelfth hole and bogeying the par four, thirteenth hole and he remained at minus fourteen and still was six shots behind the leader. 
 
Jason Day (Australia) plays a chip shot during the final round!!
Jason Day (Australia) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par which included birding the par four, sixteenth hole where he holed his putt from just off the green and he moved to minus twenty one and was now leading by five shots. Daniel Berger (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par where he made three straight pars in a row and he remained at minus sixteen and was now five shots behind the leader. Scott Piercy (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in two under par and that included birding the par four, fifteenth hole and par four, sixteenth hole and he moved to minus fourteen and now was only seven shots behind the leader. Rickie Fowler (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par which saw him make three pars in row and remained at minus fourteen and was now seven shots behind the leader. 

Rickie Fowler (USA) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group made a solid par at the par five, seventy second hole and finished the seventy two holes at minus fourteen and finished eight shots behind the winner. Daniel Berger (USA) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group along with Rickie Fowler (USA) made a good par on the par five, seventy second hole and finished the seventy two holes at minus sixteen and finished six shots behind the winner. Scott Piercy (USA) who was playing in the final group with Jason Day (Australia) made a very good birdie at the par five, seventy second hole and finished the seventy two holes at minus fifteen and finished seven shots behind the winner. 
 
Jason Day (Australia) pumps his fist and displays his emotions after holing the winning putt!!
Jason Day (USA) now stood on the par five, seventy second tee with a six shot lead and he was in the same position he was in when he won the Barclays three weeks ago and the PGA Championship five weeks ago in that he knew he had won barring a disaster on the last hole. But he stepped up and hit a booming drive down the centre of the fairway with a slight draw and it landed at least 300 yards out on the fairway. He went for the green in two with his fairway wood but the very strong wind from right to left forced the ball into the rough pin high left but it meant he could enjoy the long walk up to the green with his coach, mentor, best friend and father figure, Colin Swatton. He then played a very good chip shot for his third shot that rolled up to within three feet of the pin. He tapped in his three foot birdie putt and scored 34-2 on the back nine to finish at minus twenty two after seventy two holes and won by six shots!! He pumped his fist in the air in celebration!! Then he got a hug and high five from his caddie, Colin Swatton!! 
 
On the left, Colin Swatton who is Jason Day (Australia) caddie, coach and Mentor hugs his wife, Ellie who is heavily pregnant with their second child and on the right Jason Day (Australia) lifts up his three year old Son, Dash as they all celebrate his win and rise to Number One in the World!!

Then his young Son, Dash came on to the seventy second green and he gave him a huge hug!! Then his heavily pregnant wife, Ellie gave him a hug and kiss to celebrate with him!! Then he was interviewed by NBC Sports/Golf Channel reporter, Steve Sands and he asked him “Jason, they were just going through your resume you have now won four of your last six starts on the PGA Tour including a Major Championship (PGA Championship in August) and now your second playoff event, how would you describe this run for you?” And Jason Day (Australia) replied “Ah um, I mean it is tough to explain, um I have just been working so hard and um all I want to do is win, and that’s is kind of the mentality ever since the Open Championship something changed in my head, and I felt like it was my time to start winning tournaments, and um ever since then it has been an amazing run, I mean my whole team has been fantastic, from Col, to Bud to my wife, Ellie, to Cornel, who is my trainer, I mean our main goal has been to get to number one,  and we understood that you had to win consistently, and had to win to get to that Number One spot (Number One position on the Official Golf World Rankings points list standings) so I mean to just have the opportunity to get to Number One and win was just fantastic.” Then Steve Sands asked Jason “You have not been shy about the fact that ever since you were a little boy you have dreamed about becoming the Number One Player on the Official World rankings, you knew what was at stake this week, how much pressure did you put on yourself to perform to get it done here when you had that chance?” Then Jason replied “I felt a lot of pressure over the last few days, um especially today just knowing that I had a six shot lead, um things could happen, some guys could shoot a low score and I could shoot one, two or three over and all of sudden I am not winning, and I am not number one, and um this was properly yesterday and today was toughest round I have ever had to play in my entire life, um just knowing that I had the opportunity to get to Number One  and stepping up and playing the way I did today was, was great just to really understand what I put into my game to get it where it is today.” Then Steve said “You certainly stepped up, congratulations, Jason, see you next week (Mean at the FedEx Cup Playoffs Finale which is the Tour Championship)”. And Jason replied “Thanks Mate, Cheers”. 
 
Jason Day (Australia) acknowledges the crowd after his win!!
Jason Day (Australia) made twos eagle and twenty five birdies this week against seven bogeys which was similar to how he played three weeks ago when he won the Barclays and five weeks ago when he won his Maiden Major Championship at the PGA Championship. In his last six starts on the USPGA Tour he has won four times including two of his last three!! Jason Day (Australia) (born 12 November 1987) is an Australian professional golfer and USPGA Tour member. He won his first major tournament at the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, scoring a record 20 strokes under par. Jason Day (Australia) first broke into the world's top ten in June 2011, rising to world number nine after his runner-up finish at the U.S. Open Championship. In February 2014, Jason Day (Australia) won his first WGC title, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Jason Day (Australia) would go on to win his first major at the 2015 PGA Championship and rise to number three in the world rankings. By September 2015, Jason Day (Australia) was the number one golfer in the world. Jason Day (Australia) was born in Beaudesert, Queensland. His father, Alvin, was an Irish Australian and his mother Dening was born in the Philippines and moved to Australia in the early 1980s. He has two siblings, Yanna and Kim. His father took him to Beaudesert Golf Club and enrolled him as a junior member just past his sixth birthday. He was allowed to play six holes a day as a junior. At the age of eight his family moved to Rockhampton and during this period he began to win events in the surrounding districts. Alvin Day died of stomach cancer when Jason was twelve. Jason Day's (Australia) mother sent him to school at Kooralbyn, a 30-minute drive south of Beaudesert. Kooralbyn International School had a golf course attached. Later he went to Hills International College where they have a Golf Academy at the behest of his coach, Col Swatton, who had moved there when Kooralbyn school closed down. Jason Day (Australia) borrowed a book about Tiger Woods (USA) from his roommate and it inspired him to improve his golf by practising in the early morning, at lunch-time and in the evening. He used the book's reports of Woods' scores as his benchmark for improvement and as a reachable standard. His first big win was at the age of 13 in a 2000 Australian Masters junior event on the Gold Coast where he won with scores of 87, 78, 76 and 76.

As an amateur, Jason Day (Australia) was twice awarded the Australian Junior Order of Merit. He finished seventh and was the leading amateur at the Queensland Open. Jason Day (Australia) won the Australian Boys' Amateur in 2004. His amateur success extended to the United States where he won the Boys 15–17 division at the 2004 Callaway World Junior Championship and was runner-up in the 2005 Porter Cup. He was a member of the Golf Australia National Squad. His Amateur wins include: 2003 Adina Watches Junior Tournament, 2004 Queensland Amateur, Australian Boys' Amateur, New Zealand Under 19 Championship, Callaway World Junior Championship (Boys 15–17), Adina Watches Junior Tournament, 2006 Australian Amateur Stroke Play, Master of the Amateurs and the Queensland Amateur. 

Jason Day (Australia) turned professional in July 2006 after winning the Green Jacket at the NEC Master of the Amateurs, signing with TaylorMade and Adidas and immediately began playing USPGA Tour events, principally through sponsors' exemptions. He made the cut in five of his first six USPGA Tour events as a pro with a best finish of eleventh at the Reno-Tahoe Open and with official winnings of over US $160,000. He entered USPGA Tour qualifying, or Q-School. Placed in the second of three rounds, he tied for first in his section of the second round, advancing to the Q-School finals. However, in the six-round finals he played poorly, shooting fifteen shots higher than the score needed to qualify. Accordingly, he failed to earn his 2007 USPGA Tour card but earned conditional status on the Nationwide Tour for 2007. Jason Day (Australia) won his first Nationwide Tour event in July 2007 at the Legend Financial Group Classic, becoming the youngest man to win on any of the USPGA Tour's three tours. The win jumped him to eighth on the Nationwide Tour's money list. He ended up finishing fifth on the money list to earn his USPGA Tour card for 2008. He had a mediocre season, but had conditional status for 2009. A second-place finish at the Puerto Rico Open helped Jason Day (Australia) retain his card for 2010 and he finished 69th in the money list.

In May 2010, he became the youngest Australian to win a USPGA Tour event, winning the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Jason Day (Australia) gained entry into his first ever major championship at the 2010 Open Championship after Greg Norman (Australia) withdrew.  Jason Day (Australia) went on to make the cut and finished in a tie for sixtieth place. In August 2010, Jason Day (Australia) made his first appearance at the PGA Championship where a 66 on Saturday helped him to finish seven-under-par for the tournament and earn his first top-10 in a major. This run of form continued during the FedEx Cup playoff season where Jason Day (Australia) enjoyed top-five finishes at the first two playoff events to qualify for the season ending Tour Championship. He would go on to finish tied for seventeenth at East Lake Golf Club and ended the 2010 season ranked twenty first on the USPGA Tour money list. At the 2011 Masters Tournament, Jason Day (Australia) birdied the last two holes, but came up two strokes short of eventual winner Charl Schwartzel (RSA). Jason Day (Australia) tied for second with Adam Scott (Australia) and at minus twelve set the Masters record for the lowest score by a first time participant. This was Jason Day's (Australia) best performance in a major championship and throughout the final round Jason Day (Australia) was tied for the lead on a number of occasions before eventually finishing in a tie for second after Charl Schwartzel (RSA) made four consecutive birdies to win the tournament.  
 
Jason Day (Australia) poses with the BMW Championship Trophy he won!!
In June 2011, Jason Day (Australia) participated at Congressional for the 2011 U.S. Open, his maiden appearance in a U.S Open Championship. Following his successful run at the Masters Tournament, Jason Day (Australia) achieved consecutive second-place finishes in the majors, this time finishing alone in second, some eight strokes behind runaway leader Rory McIlroy (NIR). He shot the equal lowest round of the week on Saturday, a 65, to jump up the leader board into a tie for third after round three. On Sunday, although he did not challenge for the lead, he was the best of the rest of the field as the Open was dominated by wire-to-wire winner Rory McIlroy (NIR). As a result of his major performances, Jason Day (Australia) moved into the Official World Golf Ranking top-10 for the first time in his career at ninth. Despite not winning a tournament during 2011, Jason Day (Australia) ended the season ranked ninth on the USPGA Tour money list. Jason Day (Australia) contended in a major once again at the 2013 Masters Tournament when he shot rounds of 70 and 68 to take a one shot lead over Fred Couples (USA) going to the weekend. In the third round, Jason Day (Australia) was tied for the lead through 16 holes but bogeyed the last two holes to shoot a 73 and finish two shots behind Brandt Snedeker (USA) and Ángel Cabrera (Argentina). During the final round, Jason Day (Australia) got off to a quick start by going birdie-eagle to take a one shot lead. Jason Day (Australia) would later go on to birdie 13, 14, and 15 to take a one shot lead with three holes to play. However, he bogeyed 16 and 17 and just missed a birdie putt at 18 that would have tied the lead. He shot a 70 and finished two shots back in third place behind Adam Scott (Australia), and Angel Cabrera (Argentina). Jason Day (Australia) finished as a runner-up for the third time in a major championship at the 2013 U.S. Open Championship at Merion Golf Club. He finished in a tie for second alongside Phil Mickelson (USA), two strokes behind Justin Rose (England). Jason Day (Australia) tied the lead with a birdie at the 10th but bogeys at 11, 14, and 18 would prevent him from winning his first major championship. It was the second time in his career, Jason Day (Australia) had finished as a runner-up at the 2011 U.S. Open Championship, and Jason Day (Australia) was also the only player in 2013 to hold a lead on the back nine Sunday at both majors. He also tied for the lowest cumulative score in all four majors in 2013, with fellow Aussie Adam Scott (Australia) at +2.

In February 2014, Jason Day (Australia) won his first World Golf Championship event, the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, after a final in which Victor Dubuisson (France) won the last two holes to tie, then twice scrambled halves after missing greens at the extra holes before Jason Day (Australia) finally secured victory. The win lifted Jason Day (Australia) to fourth in the world rankings. In February 2015, Jason Day (Australia) won his third USPGA Tour event and his seventh title as a pro, winning the Farmers Insurance Open with a score of 279 (−9) after prevailing in a four-way playoff over Harris English (USA), J.B. Holmes (USA) and Scott Stallings (USA). He won at the second hole with a par while J.B.Holmes (USA) made bogey, after Harris English (USA) and Scott Stallings (USA) were eliminated at the first hole. The victory lifted Jason Day (Australia) back to fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking. During the second round of the 2015 U.S. Open Championship, Jason Day (Australia) collapsed on his 18th hole, the ninth hole on the course, having started the day on the tenth. He was very slow to get back up and was shaking and wobbly. It was later revealed that this was due to vertigo, a diagnosis Jason Day (Australia) had received from his doctor a month prior. However, the very next day, when he wasn't even sure if he would play, Jason Day (Australia) ended the third round tied for the lead. He would finish the tournament tied for ninth. At the 2015 Open Championship at St Andrews, Jason Day (Australia) entered the final round as one of the 54-hole co-leaders and shot a bogey free 70 to finish at 14-under-par and one stroke outside of the playoff. He had a putt on the 72nd hole for birdie to join the playoff but could not convert. However the tie for fourth represented Jason Day's (Australia) best finish at the Open Championship to date and was the sixth time he had finished in the top five of a major without yet winning one. The following week at the RBC Canadian Open in Oakville, Canada, Jason Day (Australia) outlasted Bubba Watson (USA) and hometown favourite David Hearn (Canada) to win the tournament, his second tour victory of the season and fourth overall. He made birdies on the last three holes in the final round to take a one stroke victory. At the next major championship, and the final one of the season, the 2015 PGA Championship, Jason Day (Australia) went on to play a five-under-par final round and prevent Jordan Spieth (USA) from winning a third major championship that season.

Jason Day (USA) is the first player to finish at 20-under-par in a major. And as I mentioned above he won this past week for his seventh USPGA Tour Event of his career to date so far and he are all seven from his first to the most recent: 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship; 2014 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship; 2015 Farmers Insurance; 2015 RBC Canadian Open; 2015 PGA Championship (Maiden Major Championship), 2015 The Barclays and 2015 BMW Championship. He has also achieved ten top ten finishes in Major Championships to date so far with his best finish winning the 2015 PGA Championship. He has also achieved four top ten finishes in WGC – Events with his best finish to date so far winning the 2014 Cadillac Match Play Championship. He has also played in the 2011 and 2013 Presidents Cup representing Team International against Team USA and will be leading the 2015 Presidents Cup team against Team USA in South Korea in early October. He also won the 2013 World Cup for Australia with Adam Scott (Australia). Jason Day (Australia) married Ellie Harvey, born in Lucas, Ohio, in 2009. The couple live in Westerville, Ohio. The couple has one son, Dash, born in 2012. The couple are expecting their second child in late October 2015. In November 2013, eight of Jason Day's (Australia) relatives in the Philippines, including his grandmother, died during Typhoon Haiyan. Let’s hope Jason Day (Australia) can have more wins in the weeks ahead and maybe even win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus that goes with it!! And with this win at the BMW Championship this past week he is now on top of the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with one events remaining and takes the number one seeding heading into the Finale FedEx Cup Playoff event next week at the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola!! And with the win this week he overtakes Rory McILroy (NIR) as World Number One for the first time in his career and becomes the third Australian to do so after Greg Norman (Australia) and Adam Scott (Australia)!! And later this year he will hopefully lead Team International to their first win in the Presidents Cup over Team USA since 1998 when the 2015 event is played in South Korea in early October. I wish Jason Day (Australia) every continuing success for the remaining 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and final event of FedEx Cup Playoff Series. 

Coming in solo second position at 268-16 after seventy two holes was Daniel Berger (USA); he earned US $891,000 for his efforts and moved to twenty fifth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,832,551 earned from the thirty events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 1,200 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Points list standings with 2,320 points earned from the thirty events he has played to date this season so far and he will take the number nine seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 640 points in the reset. From the thirty events he has played to date this season so far he has made sixteen cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 64-7 in the second round!! But he will be just content with his third round 70-1 and however he played this week he would never have caught Jason Day (Australia) and he made the biggest move in the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with moving up thirty seven positions from forty sixth to ninth position!! Daniel Berger (USA) (born April 7, 1993) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. Daniel Berger (USA) was born in Plantation, Florida to Nadia and Jay Berger. His father is a former tennis pro, coach, and head of men's tennis for the United States Tennis Association. Daniel Berger (USA) lived in Miami for about ten years before moving with his family to Jupiter, Florida, where he began taking golf seriously. He graduated William T. Dwyer High School in 2011 and went on to play golf at Florida State University, where he tied for second at the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships. Daniel Berger (USA) turned pro after his sophomore season. In late 2013, Daniel Berger (USA) qualified for the Web.com Tour and played four events. The following year, he finished tied for second at the TPC Stonebrae Championship and ranked fifteenth in the season-long Web.com Tour standings, which earned him a promotion to the USPGA Tour for the 2014–15 season. On March 2, 2015, Daniel Berger (USA) shot a 6-under-par 64 in the final round of the Honda Classic to get into a sudden-death playoff, which he lost to Pádraig Harrington (Ireland). Had Daniel Berger (USA) won, it would have been the second-largest final round comeback in USPGA Tour history; he began the final round 9 strokes behind 54-hole leader Ian Poulter (England). During the third round of the 2015 Arnold Palmer Invitational, Daniel Berger (USA) made a double eagle at the par-5 sixth hole. He will be now odds on to win the Rookie of the Year title for 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and with another good finish at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week he should wrap up that title I feel. He is a player to keep an eye on for the future and I feel he will have his maiden USPGA Tour win in the next few seasons. I wish him every continuing success for the final event in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour Season and FedEx Cup Playoff series and perhaps with a win next week he could win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus that goes with it!!

Coming in solo third position at 269-15 after 72 holes was Scott Piercy (USA); he earned US $561,000 for his efforts and moved to thirty first position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with US $2,638,127 earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 760 FedEx Cup Playoffs Series Points for his efforts and moved to twentieth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list with 1,917 points earned from the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far and he will take the number twentieth seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 248 points in the reset. From the twenty seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made seventeen cuts and achieved five top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his win at the Barbasol Championship. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 65-6 in the second round that was blemish free!! But he will be just content with his final round 70-1 and angry with his front nine 38+3 but extremely happy with how he came back with 32-4 on the back nine with birding four of his last five holes!! He could be a dark horse to win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup next week if everything goes his way? Scott Piercy (USA) (born November 6, 1978) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Scott Piercy (USA) turned professional in 2001. He played on various mini-tours before becoming a Nationwide Tour member in 2008. After a poor start to the season he won two tournaments in August, and finished ninth on the money list to earn USPGA Tour playing rights for 2009. Scott Piercy (USA) made an encouraging start to his USPGA Tour career, recording five top-twenty finishes in his first six starts, and this run of form elevated Scott Piercy (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings in March 2009. He finished the season ranked ninetieth on the money list to retain his tour card. In 2010, Scott Piercy (USA) slipped and finished 136th, as a result losing some of his status for 2011. In 2011, Scott Piercy (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event at the Reno-Tahoe Open. He won his second USPGA Tour title in 2012 at the RBC Canadian Open by one stroke over Robert Garrigus (USA) and William McGirt (USA). As a result, he earned a place in the following week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and was therefore unable to defend his Reno-Tahoe Open title. The RBC Canadian Open win also allowed Scott Piercy (USA) entry into 2013 Masters Tournament, his first. Also in 2012, he was runner-up at the WGC-HSBC Champions in China. In 2013, he finished third at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, tied for fifth at the PGA Championship and Byron Nelson Championship, and reached round of 16 at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. In the 2014 USPGA Tour season, Scott Piercy (USA) had an arm injury and was out for five months. In his return, he had a best result of tied for twelfth at the Wyndham Championship. In the 2015 USPGA Tour season, he finished seventh at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, second at the Sony Open in Hawaii, tenth at the Shell Houston Open. In July, he won the inaugural Barbasol Championship, his first victory since 2012. Let’s hope his fourth USPGA win isn’t too far away and maybe it will happen next week at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola. I wish him all the best for the final event of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series. 

Rounding out the top six this week and coming in tied for fourth position at 270-14 after seventy two holes was Rickie Fowler (USA); he earned US $341,000 for his efforts and remained in fourth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $5,577,080 earned from the twenty events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 460 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points for his efforts and remained in third position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 3,958 points earned from the twenty events he has played to date this season so far and he will take the number three seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 1,600 points in the reset and his destiny is in his own hands that if he wins next week his wins the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus that goes with it!! From the twenty events he has played to date this season so far he has made sixteen cuts and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the one this past week and his win at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago and also his win at The PLAYERS Championship in May. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second and third rounds that were 66-5s!! And he now must be a huge favourite to win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup if he can win next week he will do just that!! This has been a breakout year for Rickie Fowler (USA) after coming so close in the Major Championships last year he has won twice and I feel a Major Championship will come for him in 2016 season. Rick Yutaka Fowler (USA) (born December 13, 1988) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. He was the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world for 37 weeks in 2007 and 2008. On July 13, 2015 he reached a career high fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking following his victory in the Scottish Open. He has won three times on the USPGA Tour to date so far in his career and here there are from the first to the most recent: 2012 Wells Fargo Championship; 2015 The PLAYERS Championship and the 2015 Deutsche Bank Championship. He has also won one European Tour event that came in the 2015 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and won One Asia Tour event at the 2011 Kolon Korea Open. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships with his best finishes being tied for second in the 2014 U.S. Championship and Open Championship. And he has achieved eight top ten finishes in WGC – Events with his best finishes being third in the 2014 Cadillac Match Play Championship. He has also represented Team USA on the 2010 and 2014 Ryder Cup Teams and is playing on the 2015 Team USA Presidents Cup team in South Korea in October. I wish him all the best for the remaining tournament of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs Series finale next week at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola. 

Also tied for fourth position was J.B Holmes (USA); he too earned US $341,000 for his efforts and moved to thirteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,781,680 earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 460 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points for his efforts and moved to seventeenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 2,076 points earned from the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far and he will take the number seventeenth seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 288 points in the reset. From the twenty four events he has played to date this season so far he has made nineteen cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his win at the Shell Houston Open in April. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 65-6 in the second round!! But he will be just content with his first round 70-1. He has had a very good season so far and a win at the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola next week will be the icing on the cake for him and he still has a chance at winning the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and US $10,000,000 bonus even if it is remote. John Bradley "J.B." Holmes (USA) (born April 26, 1982) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. He has won four times on the USPGA Tour to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2006 FBR Open; 2008 FBR Open; 2014 Wells Fargo Championship and 2015 Shell Houston Open. His form in the Major Championships has not been as good as he is yet to record a top ten finish with his best finish being tied for fourteenth at the 2010 Open Championship. And he has played on one Ryder Cup in 2008 for Team USA in which he was on winning side over Team Europe. I wish him to have a great finale to the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs Series at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week. 

The final player to tie for fourth position was Rory McIlroy (NIR); he too earned US $341,000 for his efforts and moved to seventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $4,691,712 earned from the eleventh events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 460 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 2,189 points earned from the eleventh events he has played to date this season so far and he will take the number eleventh seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 384 points in the reset. From the eleven events he has played to date this season so far he has made ten cuts and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his wins at the WGC – Cadillac Match Play Championship early May and at the Wells Fargo Championship two weeks later. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 65-6 which was blemish free!! But he will be just content with his final round 70-1. He has come back from his ankle injury he suffered in early July well after having almost two months out of the game and will be hoping to win the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week and maybe win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup and the US $10,000,000 bonus if a lot things go his way and that is one trophy he hasn’t won yet. Rory McIlroy (NIR), MBE (born 4 May 1989) is a Northern Irish professional golfer from Holywood in County Down who is a member of both the European and USPGA Tours. He was world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking for 95 weeks. He is a four-time major champion, winning the 2011 U.S Open with a tournament record lowest score under par (−16), 2012 PGA Championship with a tournament record eight strokes victory margin, 2014 Open Championship, and 2014 PGA Championship. He is the first European to win three different majors, and with Jack Nicklaus (USA) and Tiger Woods (USA) is one of three to win three majors by the age of 25. He had a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week as a 17-year-old in 2007. Later that year he turned professional and soon established himself on the European Tour. He had his first win on the European Tour in 2009, and on the USPGA Tour in 2010. In 2011 at the age of twenty two, he became the youngest player ever to reach €10 million in career earnings on the European Tour. In 2012, he became the youngest player to reach US $10 million in career earnings on the USPGA Tour. Rory McILroy (USA) has represented Europe, Great Britain & Ireland, and Ireland as both an amateur and a professional. At the Ryder Cup, he played for Europe against the United States in 2010, 2012 and 2014, with Europe winning all three matches. For his individual and team achievements he has twice been named RTÉ Sports Person of the Year, in 2011 and 2014. He has won eleven events on the USPGA Tour to date so far and that includes four Major Championships and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2010 Quail Hollow Championship; 2011 U.S. Open Championship (Maiden Major Championship); 2012 The Honda Classic; 2012 PGA Championship (Second Major Championship); 2012 Deutsche Bank Championship; 2012 BMW Championship; 2014 Open Championship (Third Major Championship); 2014 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational; 2014 PGA Championship (Fourth Major Championship); 2015 WGC – Cadillac Match Play Championship and 2015 Wells Fargo Championship. He has also won eleven European Tour events to date so far with his last one coming at the 2015 WGC – Cadillac Match Play Championship. And he won the Emirates Australian Open in 2013. He has also achieved twelve top ten finishes in Major Championships that includes his four wins I mentioned above. He also has a brilliant record in WGC – Events with achieving fifteen top ten finishes that includes wins at the 2014 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 2015 WGC – Cadillac Match Play Championship. I wish him all the best for the final event of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoffs Finale which is the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola. 

The only New Zealand golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) who scored rounds of 67-4 in the first round which was very good round and it included a good front nine of 35 even par with birdies on the par four, first hole and par four, ninth hole but had poor bogeys on the par three, second hole and par three, sixth hole then he scored a excellent back nine of  32-4 which included a birdies on the par three, eleventh hole, par five, fourteenth hole, par four, fifteenth hole and par five, eighteenth hole. Then he scored a good second round of 70-1 and it included a good front nine of 35 even par which included  a lone birdie on the par four, seventh hole and a lone poor bogey on the par three, sixth hole and then he scored a good back nine of 35-1 with birdies coming on the par four, twelfth hole and par five, eighteenth hole and a lone bogey coming on the par four, tenth hole and a poor third round of 73+2 which included a shocking front nine of  38+3 with poor bogeys on the par three, second hole, par four, fourth hole and par four, seventh hole then he scored a good back nine of 35-1 with birdies coming on the par four, tenth hole, par five, fourteenth hole and par four, fifteenth hole but he suffered a terrible double bogey seven on the par five, eighteenth hole and an average final round of 71 even par which included a average front nine of 35 even par with poor bogeys coming on the par four, fifth hole and par four, ninth hole and he birdied the par three, second hole and par four, fifth hole then he played an average back nine of 36 even par which included birdies on the par four, thirteenth hole and par four, sixteenth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, twelfth hole and par five, eighteenth hole for a 72 hole total of 281-3 and he finished in tied for forty seventh position. Danny Lee (NZL) earned US $23,265 for his efforts and moved to twentieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,347,183 earned from the thirty five 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 $3,000,000 mark in single season earnings!!). Danny Lee (NZL) also earned 94 FedEx Cup playoff points for his efforts and moved to nineteenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list with 1,945 points earned from the thirty five events he has played to date this season so far and he takes the nineteenth seeding into the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola next week which is the finale to the FedEx Cup Playoff Series events with 256 points. From the thirty five events Danny Lee (NZL) has played to date this season so far he has made twenty three cuts and withdrawn from one event and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the one six weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and the one seven weeks ago at the Quicken Loans National and mid July at the John Deere Classic and his maiden win in early July at the Greenbrier Classic and in May 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 first round 67-4!! But just content with his second and final rounds that were 70-1 and 71 even par and disappointed with his third round 73+2!! And it prevented him from achieving another top ten finishes and dropped him five places in the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list to fourteen from nineteenth!! But over the past two odd months he has moved his golf career up a huge notch and I look for him to keep on improving and I look for him to have more top ten finishes in the events he plays on the USPGA Tour in the next few weeks and he has a very busy time in the next few weeks with the final FedEx Cup Playoff event which is the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola and he must be a dark horse to win the FedEx Cup now if a lot of things go his way!! And his place in the 2015 International Presidents Cup Team that will play against Team USA for the Presidents Cup in South Korea in October was confirmed after the completion of the Deutsche Bank Championship where he finished in tenth position on the final Presidents Cup International points list standings with 2.43 points and he got the final automatic qualifying spot and will play in his maiden Presidents Cup in his birth country. 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 so far and now he has got his maiden USPGA Tour victory at the Greenbrier Classic in July. 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 fifty third and he now gets guaranteed starts in the next Major Championship (which is the 80th Masters Tournament in April 2016) and if he can reach the top fifty at the end of 2015 on the Official World Golf Rankings he will be exempt for the other three Major Championships in 2016 as well. He will also represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 on his current form. He is also 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 80th Masters Tournament in April next year?). 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 and the remaining FedEx Cup Playoff Series event next week at the Tour Championship by Coca - Cola. 

The most fortunate player this week was Harris English (USA) and he was in thirtieth position on the 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Series Points list standings after the BMW Championship which was the third event in the FedEx Cup Playoff Series with 1,503 points earned from the twenty eight events he has played in to date so far this season and he will advance to Tour Championship by Coca - Cola in next week which is the final event in the FedEx Cup Playoff Series and he gains the thirtieth seed with 168 points in the points reset and he was two points ahead of Daniel Summerhays (USA) who was the least fortunate player this week who finished in thirty first position on the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings after the BMW Championship with 1,501 points earned from the twenty nine events he played in this season and his 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Series season is now over!! But his 2015/16 USPGA Tour card is secure.  

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoff Series comes to a climax with the final event of four and it heads to the State of Georgia for the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and it is played on the East Lake GC, Atlanta, Georgia. It carries a huge prize purse of US $8,250,000 for the taking. There will be a new champion in both the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship by Coca – Cola as Billy Horschel (USA) finished in sixty sixtieth position on the final 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings after the third playoffs event which was the BMW Championship and failed to make it to Eastlake. Danny Lee (NZL) is the only New Zealand golfer in the field and will be looking for a high finish to top off his career season to date so far. All the big names with be there including Rory McILroy (NIR), Jordan Spieth (USA), Jason Day (Australia), Bubba Watson (USA) and Rickie Fowler (USA) to name a few. Only the top thirty players (which is now twenty nine due to Jim Furyk (USA) with drawing due to a wrist injury) on the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings after the BMW Championship are eligible to compete. One of the top five seeds on the FedEx Cup Playoff Series Points list standings after the BMW Championship will win the 2014/15 FedEx Cup if they win the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola along with the US $10,000,000 bonus that goes with it!! It starts on Thursday 24th September. I will report back who won the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and the prestigious FedEx Cup next week. 

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings this week and coming in at Number One Position for the very first time of his Career and the third Australian Golfer ever to reach the Number One Ranking is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh off his win this past week at the BMW Championship and also his tied for twelfth finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago with 12.64 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Rory McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship this past week and also tied for twenty ninth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago with 11.89 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off his tied for thirteenth position at the BMW Championship this past week and also his missed cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago with 11.86 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for tenth position at the BMW Championship this past week and also his tied for twenty ninth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago with 8.55 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official World Ranking Points list standings this week is Rickie Fowler (USA) who is fresh off his tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship this past week and also his win two weeks ago at the Deutsche Bank Championship with 8.02 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his twentieth seventh week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for forty seventh position at the BMW Championship this past week. This week he drops two places and falls to fifty third position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.40 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember the most important shot in golf is the shot you are about to play!! 

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