Golf Events from the Weekend 6th September 2015

Well it was another amazing weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup Playoff Series headed to the State of Massachusetts for the second event of four in the 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Series and it was Deutsche Bank Championship and it was played on the TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts and only the top 100 players on the FedEx Cup Playoff Series Points list standings after the first playoff event which was the Barclays were eligible to compete. It carried a huge prize purse of US $8,250,000 for the taking. Chris Kirk (USA) was the defending champion and was keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealand golfer in the field and was keen to have another top ten finish and increase his chances of winning the FedEx Cup!! Also many of the top players in the world were playing as well including Jordan Spieth (USA), Jason Day (Australia) and Rory McILroy (NIR) to name a few. And it was golfer by the name Rickie Fowler (USA) who scored rounds of 67-4, 67-4, 67-4 and a final round of 68-3 for a seventy two hole total of 269-15 to win by a single shot for his second win of the season and his third win of his USPGA Tour career to date so far. Rickie Fowler (USA) earned US $1,485,000 for the win and moved to fourth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $5,236,080 earned from the nineteen events he has played to date this season so far. Jordan Spieth (USA) still leads that list with US $10,399,715 earned from the twenty three events he has played to date this season so far. Rickie Fowler (USA) also earned 2000 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to third position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list with 3,498 points earned from the nineteen events he has played to date this season so far and he is 1,182 points behind the current leader of that list who is Jason Day (Australia) who has earned 4,680 points from the eighteen events he has played to date this season so far. From the nineteen events Rickie Fowler (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made fifteen cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the win this week 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 (and he was the only player in the field to achieve that) especially his 67-4s in the first and third rounds which were blemish free!! And the way he played the final fourteen holes in his final round three under par without dropping a shot to scored 68-3!! And he will be happy he hung in there in the final round and capitalised on Henrik Stenson’s (Sweden) big mistake on the par three, sixteenth hole. 

 

Rickie Fowler (USA) tees off during the final round

Rickie Fowler (USA) scored a very good final round of 68-3 under the circumstances of the final round pressure. It included a good front nine of 35-1 which included a brilliant eagle on the par five, second hole and a lone birdie on the par five, seventh hole but he had poor bogeys on the par three, third hole and par four, fourth hole and he made the turn at minus thirteen and was two shots behind the leader. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) when out in 34-2 and made the turn at minus fifteen and was leading by two shots. 

Rickie Fowler (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in two under par which included a brilliant birdie on the par three, eleventh hole and adding another one on the par four, fourteenth hole and he moved to minus fifteen and was now only a single shot behind the leader. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par which included birding the par four, tenth hole where his tee shot landed in a sand filled divot but he hit his second shot to fifteen feet and holed the putt and he also birdied the par four, twelfth hole but he made a poor bogey on the par three, eleventh hole where he missed the green to the right and failed to get up and down for his par and he moved to minus sixteen but now was only leading by a single shot. 

Rickie Fowler (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par with making three straight pars and he remained at minus fifteen and was now leading by a single shot heading to the par five, seventy second hole. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played holes fifteen to seventeen in two over par and that included making a shocking double bogey five and the par three, sixteenth hole where his tee shot was hit by the wind and landed short of the green on the bank above the hazard and bounced back into the hazard!! He was forced to take a drop in the drop zone and he hit his third shot into fifteen feet and failed to hole the putt and tapped in for double bogey five. He fell back to minus fourteen and was now one shot behind the leader. 

 

Rickie Fowler (USA) smiles after holing the winning putt!!

Rickie Fowler (USA) who was playing in the final group with Henrik Stenson (Sweden) hit a brilliant drive off the par five, seventy second tee that started down the left hand side and faded back to the middle of the fairway leaving less than 190 yards to the green. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) teed off next and he struck a very good three wood that ended up in the fairway and came to rest about 215 yards from the green. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played his second shot first with his mid iron and it was struck very well fading into to the front left pin placement but rolled down the slope at the back of the green leaving a very difficult up and down for his birdie four. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his second shot next with his short iron and he faded it in and it was nearly a very good shot but it too missed the green to the left leaving a very difficult up and down for his birdie four. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played his third shot chip next and the degree of difficulty was extreme. He had two options; he could either use his putter and putt it up the bank or use his high lofted wedge and land it just over the rise of the bank and hope it stopped quickly. He choose the latter option and played it to near perfection but it still rolled out fifteen fest past the pin. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his third shot next and he chose the putter which was the safer option and he struck a very good putt that rolled about eight feet past the cup. Now Henrik Stenson (Sweden) putted for his birdie four from fifteen feet and he knew it was a must make if he was going to have any chance of making it into a playoff with Rickie Fowler (USA). He struck a very good putt but it just broke to the right at the hole and he tapped in for his bogey five and knew that he now had no chance of winning and he finished the seventy two holes at minus fourteen a single shot behind the winner. Rickie Fowler (USA) now knew he had two putts to win the Deutsche Bank Championship. He calmed his nerve and rolled the eight footer at perfect speed and it nearly went in and he tapped in for his par five and finish the seventy two holes at minus fifteen to win by a single shot and he scored 33-2 on the back nine. He got a huge hug and high five from his caddie, Joe Skovron. Then Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who finished one shot behind him gave him a hug and high five to acknowledge his win!! 

 

Rickie Fowler (USA) on left embraces his caddie, Joe Skovron on the right after he holed the winning putt!!

He then was interviewed by NBC Sports/Golf Channel on course reporter, Steve Sands and Steve asked him “Rickie, that you were three strokes down with eight holes to play with Henrik (his fellow competitor) being right there with you in that final group what does it say about you and your game and that you grinded it out all the way right to the end and applied pressure right to him?” and Rickie replied “I felt like I did that the last couple of days too, um I was put in positions where I wasn’t maybe swinging the best and I was able to get the most of my round that day and I really just kind of hung in there today as well, um I put myself in a position, hit some good shots made a couple of good putts, which um kind of kept myself in it, you know Henrik (his fellow competitor) made a couple of mistakes, um but yeah no it is are pretty special to fight it out the way I did.” Steve then replied “Congratulations” and Rickie replied “Thanks, Steve”. 

Rickie Fowler (USA) will gain a lot of confidence out of this win and with two FedEx Cup Playoff Events left in the 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Series he must be one of the favourites to win the 2015 FedEx Cup now if he can maintain this form through the final two events. 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 (And he is currently fifth now after the victory this week). Born and raised in Murrieta, California, Rickie Fowler (USA) attended Murrieta Valley High School. For years, he played only on a driving range and is almost entirely self-taught. In his senior year in high school, Rickie Fowler (USA) won the SW League Final with a total score of 64-69=133, and led his team to the state final in 2007.

 

Rickie Fowler (USA) on the left is congratulated by his fellow competitor, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) on the right after he won!!

After high school he attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He posted his first collegiate victory at the Fighting Illini Invitational hosted by the University of Illinois on October 1, 2007, by shooting a 203 (70-63-70) to win the tournament by one stroke. In the summer of 2005, Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Western Junior and competed in the U.S. Amateur, where he was defeated by the eventual champion Richie Ramsay (Scotland). In 2006, Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a 137 for two rounds at the U.S. Junior Amateur and was knocked out in the second round of match play. The championship was won by Philip Francis (USA). Rickie Fowler (USA) represented the United States in its victory at the 2007 Walker Cup. His record was 2–0 in foursomes and 1–1 in singles making his overall record 3–1. Billy Horschel (USA) was his partner for both of their foursome victories. That year Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Sunnehanna Amateur in June and the Players Amateur in July. In 2008, Rickie Fowler (USA) repeated as Sunnehanna Amateur champion. In the first round of the U.S. Open Championship, Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a −1 (70) and was in a tie for seventh place. He was one of three amateurs to make the cut, along with Derek Fathauer (USA) and Michael Thompson (USA). He ended the tournament tied for sixtieth. In October 2008 Rickie Fowler (USA) played on the Eisenhower Trophy team that finished second. He was the leading individual player. In 2009, Rickie Fowler (USA) made his second and last appearance in the Walker Cup. He won all four matches in which he played as the U.S. team won by a seven-point margin. His partner in both foursomes’ matches was Bud Cauley (USA). He also finished third in the Sunnehanna Amateur in 2009. Rickie Fowler (USA) was given the 2008 Ben Hogan Award.

After the Walker Cup, Rickie Fowler (USA) turned professional and played the Albertsons Boise Open on the Nationwide Tour for his pro debut. In September 2009, it was announced that Rickie Fowler (USA) signed a multi-year equipment deal with Titleist. He has since signed a deal with Rolex. Rickie Fowler's (USA) first USPGA Tour event as a professional was the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open where he finished tied for seventh. His second USPGA Tour event was at the Frys.com Open played at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. He finished tied for second after losing to Troy Matteson (USA) in a three-way playoff that included Jamie Lovemark (USA). Rickie Fowler's (USA) score of 18 under par included a hole in one on the fifth hole in his final round. Rickie Fowler (USA) also notched an eagle in each of his four rounds. In December 2009, Rickie Fowler (USA) successfully gained his USPGA Tour card for 2010 through qualifying school, where he finished tied for fifteenth. 

In February 2010, Rickie Fowler (USA) finished second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open with a score of 15 under par at the TPC of Scottsdale course. In June, Rickie Fowler (USA) notched his third USPGA Tour runner-up finish at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Rickie Fowler (USA) entered the final round in the lead, but shot a 73 to finish behind Justin Rose (England), who recorded his first USPGA Tour victory. This performance took Rickie Fowler (USA) into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In September, he signed a clothing deal with Puma. In the same month, he was also chosen as a captain's pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. At age 21 years and 9 months when the matches began, Rickie Fowler (USA) became the youngest U.S. Ryder Cup player of all time, and only European Sergio García (Spain) was younger when he made his Ryder Cup debut in 1999. Rickie Fowler (USA) forfeited a hole during foursomes competition on the first match day because of a rules violation, by taking a permissible free drop from muddy conditions in an improper location, a mistake U.S. captain Corey Pavin (USA) attributed to Rickie Fowler's (USA) inexperience. On the final day of the competition in his singles match against Edoardo Molinari (Italy), Rickie Fowler (USA) birdied the last 4 holes to halve the match after having been 4 down after 12 holes. Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Rookie of the Year award, controversially claiming the award over Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (NIR).

 

Rickie Fowler (USA) poses with the Deutsche Bank Championship Trophy he won!!

In July 2011, Rickie Fowler (USA) tied the 54-hole lead at the AT&T National, but an early double bogey on Sunday derailed his opportunity for his first USPGA Tour win. Two weeks later Rickie Fowler (USA) recorded his most successful result to date in a major tournament by finishing tied for fifth in The Open Championship at Royal St George's. In August, Rickie Fowler (USA) finished in a tie for second at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational behind winner Adam Scott (Australia), lifting him to 28 in the world rankings. At the PGA Championship, Rickie Fowler (USA) carded 74-69-75-68 to finish with a six-over par total of 286, in a tie for 51st place. Early on the third day Rickie Fowler (USA) rocketed up the leader board with three birdies in the first five holes only to falter later in the round with two triple bogeys, effectively ending his hopes of a first major championship and USPGA Tour win. At the first FedEx Cup playoff event, Rickie Fowler (USA) finished tied for fifty second at The Barclays in the last week in August. The following week he again finished tied for fifty second at the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup playoff event, after carding a disappointing six over par final round 77. At that point Rickie Fowler (USA) was positioned 37 in the FedEx Cup points standings and required a strong performance at the BMW Championship to qualify in the top thirty for the Tour Championship; a performance which eluded him, finishing in 48th place. In finishing 43rd in the FedEx Cup, Rickie Fowler (USA) earned a US $132,000 bonus. In October, Rickie Fowler (USA) enjoyed his first professional win with victory in the OneAsia Tour's Kolon Korea Open, securing a six shot victory over Rory McIlroy (NIR). Rickie Fowler (USA) ended 2011 ranked 32nd in the world. In September, Rickie Fowler (USA), along with Graeme McDowell (NIR), was part of the USPGA Tour's These Guys are Good campaign.

In May 2012, Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. Replaying the 18th hole, he defeated Rory McIlroy (NIR) and D. A. Points (USA) with a birdie to gain his first USPGA Tour win. Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a 69 (−3) in the final round to finish in a three-way tie after 72 holes at Quail Hollow Club. This win enabled Rickie Fowler (USA) to break the top-25 in the world, placing him at number 24. The following week at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Rickie Fowler (USA) played the final hole at −11 under par and had a birdie opportunity to bring him within one of leader and eventual winner Matt Kuchar (USA). Rickie Fowler (USA), however, pushed his putt to the right and finished in a tie for second, his fifth second-place finish of his career. 

After a tie for fifth at the Masters in April, Rickie Fowler (USA) had his best finish of 2014 at the U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Rickie Fowler (USA) was runner-up with Erik Compton (USA) at −1, best finishes for both at a major, but they were eight stroke behind champion Martin Kaymer (Germany). Rickie Fowler (USA) had another second-place finish at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. He began the final round six strokes behind Rory McIlroy (NIR) and finished the day tied for second with Sergio García (Spain) at −15, two strokes behind Rory McIlroy (NIR). At the next major in August, the PGA Championship, Rickie Fowler (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), and Rory McIlroy (NIR) battled for the title on a rain-soaked Valhalla Golf Club, near Louisville. Despite holding the lead for a good portion of the day, Rickie Fowler (USA) tied for third. He is only the third player, along with Jack Nicklaus (USA), Jordan Spieth (USA) and Tiger Woods (USA), to have finished in the top five in all four majors in one calendar year, but the first not to win. Rickie Fowler (USA) had ten top-10 finishes during the USPGA 2013-14 season. His eight-place finish at The Tour Championship moved him to tenth in the world golf rankings. 

After a tied for twelfth finish at the Masters Tournament, Rickie Fowler (USA) earned his first win in over three years with a playoff victory at The Players Championship in May. Trailing Sergio García (Spain) midway through the final round by five shots, Rickie Fowler (USA) played the final six holes in 6-under par, including an eagle at the par-5 16th. After a birdie at the famous 17th hole, Rickie Fowler's (USA) final birdie of the round on eighteen left him at 12-under par. Both Sergio García (Spain) and Kevin Kisner (USA) had birdie attempts to win at the eighteenth in regulation, but both missed and the three men went to a three-hole aggregate playoff to decide a winner on holes sixteen to eighteen. Rickie Fowler (USA) and Kevin Kisner (USA) went par-birdie-par to tie at one under par while Sergio García's (Spain) three pars left him at even and he was eliminated. Thus Rickie Fowler (USA) and Kevin Kisner (USA) went to sudden death starting at the seventeenth, where Kevin Kisner's (USA) tee shot landed within about 12 feet (3.7 m) of the cup. Rickie Fowler (USA) answered with a shot inside of five feet, and when Kevin Kisner's (USA) birdie attempt slid by, Rickie Fowler (USA) responded by making his short birdie to claim the championship. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his final ten holes in eight under par. On July 12, he won the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on the European Tour, shooting a 12-under-par 268. On September 7, he won the Deutsche Bank Championship, the second FedEx Cup Playoffs event, by one stroke over Henrik Stenson (Sweden), for his third victory on the USPGA Tour (As I mentioned above).

Rickie Fowler (USA) resides in Jupiter, Florida, relocating from Las Vegas following the 2010 season. Rickie Fowler's (USA) middle name, Yutaka, comes from his maternal grandfather, who is Japanese. His maternal grandmother is Navajo Native American. On the final day of a golf tournament Rickie Fowler (USA) wears orange in honor of Oklahoma State University. Rickie Fowler (USA) is one of four golfers in the "Golf Boys" group along with fellow USPGA Tour players Ben Crane (USA), Bubba Watson (USA) and Hunter Mahan (USA). The Golf Boys released a YouTube video of the song "Oh Oh Oh" on the eve of the 2011 U.S. Open. Farmers Insurance is donating US $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the video. The charitable proceeds will support both Farmers and Ben Crane (USA) charitable initiatives. In 2012, Rickie Fowler (USA) filmed a commercial for Crowne Plaza Hotels entitled "It's Good to be Rickie" with golf commentator Ian Baker Finch (Australia). He was featured in an ESPN "This is SportsCenter" commercial with sportscaster John Anderson in 2013. Rickie Fowler (USA) attends weekly Bible studies on tour.

He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships with his best being tied for second at both the 2014 U.S. Open Championship and 2014 Open Championship. And he must be the red hot favorite to win his maiden Major Championship in the 2016 Season? He has also achieved eight top ten finishes in WGC – Events with his best being tied for second at the 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He has also represented Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 Ryder Cups and in early October will represent Team USA in his maiden Presidents Cup verse Team International in South Korea. Let’s hope he can continue this form in the next few weeks and have a real run at the 2015 FedEx Cup. I wish him all the best for the remaining 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series. 

Coming in solo second position at 270-14 after 72 holes was Henrik Stenson (Sweden); he earned US $891,000 for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,930,070 earned from the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 1200 FedEx Cup Playoff Points for his efforts and moved to fourth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings with 3,352 points earned from the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far. From the fourteen events he has played to date this season so far he has made fourteen cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his last two finishes have been solo second positions in the first two FedEx Cup Playoff Series events!! He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all in the 60s especially his third round 65-6 which was blemish free!! But he will be disappointed with his final round 70-1 after carrying a one shot lead into the final round and going out in 34-2 and then birding the tenth hole he was leading by three shots with eight holes to play over Rickie Fowler (USA) but he ended up playing the back nine in 36+1 and his big mistake was a double bogey on the par three, sixteenth hole!!! This defeat will be a bitter lose to him but he can’t let it get him down with two FedEx Cup Playoff Events remaining in the next three weeks and he will be hoping to win the FedEx Cup in 2015 as he did in 2013.  He is well placed to achieve that!!  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 final two FedEx Cup Playoff Events in the next three weeks!! I wish him all the best for the remaining events in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series. 

Rounding out the top three in solo third position at 273-11 after 72 holes was Charley Hoffman (USA); he earned US $561,000 for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,873,669 earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 760 FedEx Cup Playoff Series Points for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Series Points list standings with 2,302 points earned from the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far. From the twenty six events he has played to date this season so far he has made nineteen cuts and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the one this week and his win at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in mid November last year. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 63-8 which was the low round of the day and the tournament!! But he will be extremely disappointed with his third round 76+5 which prevented him from winning and he play most of it with a sore back!! He must now be a threat to win the 2015 FedEx Cup if he can maintain this form in the final two FedEx Cup Playoff Series events? Charley Lindley Hoffman (USA) (born December 27, 1976) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. Charley Hoffman (USA) was born in San Diego, California. He won the California State High School Championship in 1994 and 1995, becoming the first two time winner. He qualified three times for the Buick Invitational as an amateur. In college, Charley Hoffman (USA) was a member of the 1998 NCAA Championship team at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was an honorable mention All-American in the same year. While at UNLV, his team-mates included Chris Riley (USA), Chad Campbell (USA), Bill Lunde (USA) and Adam Scott (Australia). He graduated in 2000 with a degree in Communications and turned pro that same year. Charley Hoffman (USA) struggled in his first year on the Nationwide Tour in 2000, only making four of 19 cuts. He had a better year in 2001, making 12 of 23 cuts including a top-10 finish. He only played in three events on tour in 2002, making one cut. He also played in three events on the European Tour where he finished tied for fifth at the Madeira Island Open and tied for twelfth at the Qatar Masters. Charley Hoffman (USA) did not play on tour in 2003 but returned in 2004 and won his first professional event at the Permian Basin Charity Golf Classic. In 2004 Charley Hoffman (USA) made 13 of 15 cuts and recorded two top-10 finishes and 10 top-25 finishes. 2005 was Charley Hoffman's (USA) breakthrough year on tour, making 18 of 26 cuts while recording a runner up finish, 8 top-10s and 12 top-25s. He earned US $212,322 on the year and finished 19th on the money list, earning him his USPGA Tour card for 2006. Charley Hoffman (USA) also won the 2005 Straight Down Fall Classic with Ed Cuff, Jr. (USA). 

Charley Hoffman (USA) made 21 of 29 cuts and recorded five top-10s and 10 top-25s. He finished tied for 46th at the 2006 U.S. Open Championship, his first major. His best finish came at the Frys.com Open where he finished tied for fifth. Charley Hoffmann (USA) earned US $1,115,193 and finished 82nd on the money list. Charley Hoffman (USA) won his first event of the 2007 season at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January. This victory lifted Charley Hoffman (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Charley Hoffman (USA) won his first USPGA tour event by defeating John Rollins (USA) after he birdied the first hole in a playoff. The rest of 2007 was mediocre for Charley Hoffman (USA) though, on the year he made 18 of 30 cuts and recorded two top-10s and 7 top-25s. He earned US $1,689,366 and finished 50th on the money list and the FedEx Cup standings. He finished tied for 35th in his first Open Championship and was cut from his first PGA Championship. He also finished tied for seventh at the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe on the European Tour. Charley Hoffman (USA) made 19 of 29 cuts in 2008 and recorded three top-10 finishes and 6 top-25 finishes. His best finish came at the Shell Houston Open where he finished tied for sixth. He had his least successful year on tour, earning US $945,702 and finishing 110th on the money list. The following year, Charley Hoffman (USA) almost picked up his second win on Tour at the FBR Open in 2009 but he lost in a playoff to Kenny Perry (USA). Charley Hoffman (USA) recorded four top-10s and 11 top-25s in the 2009 season and finished a career high 41st on the money list. 

Charley Hoffman (USA) won his second USPGA Tour event at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston. This victory helped Charley Hoffman (USA) to finish twenty fifth on the money list, the first time he finished inside the top 30. Charley Hoffman (USA) came close to his third PGA Tour win at the Valero Texas Open finishing tied for second with Kevin Chappell (USA) behind tour rookie Brendan Steele (USA). Charley Hoffman (USA) best finish was tied for second at the Travelers Championship, one stroke behind Marc Leishman (Australia). Charley Hoffman's (USA) best 2013 finish was a tied for third at the Valero Texas Open. Charley Hoffman (USA) captured his third career USPGA Tour win on November 16, 2014 at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. He shot rounds of 66-68-67-66 for a 17-under one-shot victory over Shawn Stefani (USA) and earned US $1.098 million. In January 2015 he was runner-up at the Humana Challenge. In the spring, he finished ninth at the Masters Tournament (Which was his best finish to date in a Major Championship to date so far). In May he finished tenth at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and was runner-up at the AT&T Byron Nelson, and in July he finished seventh at the RBC Canadian Open and this past week finished solo third at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Let’s hope he can continue this form for the final two FedEx Cup Series Playoff Events and I wish him all the best for the remaining 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup Playoff Series events. 

The only New Zealand golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) who scored rounds of 70-1 in the first round which was a good round and it included a good front nine of 35-1 with birdies on the par four, first hole and par four, ninth hole but had a poor lone bogey on the par five, second hole then he scored an average back nine of 35 even par which included a lone birdie on the par four, seventeenth hole and a lone bogey on the par three, eleventh hole. Then he scored a brilliant second round of 66-5 and it included a very good front nine of 34-2 which included a birdies on the par four, fourth hole, par four, fifth hole, par five, seventh hole and par four, ninth hole but had a poor bogeys on the par four, first hole and par four, sixth hole and then he scored a brilliant back nine of 32-3 with birdies coming on the par four, tenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par five, eighteenth hole and a very good third round of 69-2 which included a good front nine of 35-1 with birdies coming on the par four, first hole, par five, second hole, par four, fourth hole and par four, fifth hole but he had a poor lone bogey on the par four, ninth hole and a shocking double bogey on the par five, seventh hole then he scored a good back nine of 34-1 with birdies coming on the par four, tenth hole, par three, eleventh hole and par four, fifteenth hole and poor bogeys coming on the par four, twelfth hole and par four, thirteenth hole and a terrible final round of 77+6 which included a poor front nine of 38+2 with poor bogeys coming on the par four, first hole, par three, third hole, par four, fifth hole, par five, seventh hole and par four, ninth hole and he birdied the par five, second hole, par four, fourth hole and par three, eighth hole then he played a shocking back nine of 39+4 which included a lone birdie on the par four, thirteenth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, twelfth hole, par four, fourteenth hole, par four, fifteenth hole and a shocking double bogey on the par three, sixteenth hole for a 72 hole total of 282-2 and he finished in tied for thirty third position. Danny Lee (NZL) earned US $43,587.50 for his efforts and moved to nineteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $3,323,918 earned from the thirty four events he has played to date this season so far (And it is the first time in his USPGA Tour career he has surpassed the US $3,000,000 mark in single season earnings!!). Danny Lee (NZL) also earned 142 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to fourteenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list with 1,851 points earned from the thirty four events he has played to date this season so far. From the thirty four events Danny Lee (NZL) has played to date this season so far he has made twenty two cuts and withdrawn from one event and achieved seven top ten finishes which includes the one four weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and the one five 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 second and third rounds this week that were both in the 60s especially his second round 66-5!! But he will be disappointed with his final round that was a shocking 77+6 and it was a real mixed bag with four birdies, eight bogeys and a double bogey!! And it prevented him from achieving another top ten finishes and dropped him four places in the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points standings list to fourteen from tenth!! But over the past nine weeks 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 two FedEx Cup Playoff events and he must be a dark horse to win the FedEx Cup now!! 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 fourth (which is a career high) 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 two FedEx Cup Playoff Series events. 

The most fortunate player this week was George McNeill (USA) and he was in seventieth position on the 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoffs Series Points list standings after the Deutsche Bank Championship which was the second event in the FedEx Cup Playoff Series with 863 points earned from the twenty six events he has played in to date so far this season and he will advance to BMW Championship in two weeks time which is the third event in the FedEx Cup Playoff Series and he was four points ahead of Alex Cejka (Germany) who was the least fortunate player this week who finished in seventy first position on the FedEx Cup Playoffs Points list standings after the Deutsche Bank Championship with 859 points earned from the thirty 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 has a week off but returns the following week to the State of Illinois for the third of four 2014/15 FedEx Cup Playoff Series events which is the BMW Championship and is 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 will be eligible to compete in it. Billy Horschel (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. It carries a huge prize purse of US $8,250,000 for the taking. All the leading players on the USPGA Tour will be 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) is the only New Zealander golfer to make it and he will be looking for another high finish. It starts on Thursday 17th September. I will report back who won the trophy 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 another spell and the third week of his career in total is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off his missed cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship  this past week and also one week ago missing the cut at the Barclays with 12.08 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Rory McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his tied for twenty ninth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship this past week and also his solo seventeenth position at the 97th PGA Championship three weeks ago with 11.93 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh off his tied for twelfth finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship this past week and also his win one week at the Barclays with 11.05 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for twenty ninth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship this past week and also his solo third position one week ago at the Barclays with 8.59 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 win this past week at the Deutsche Bank Championship and also one week ago his missed cut at the Barclays with 7.87 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his twentieth fifth week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for thirtieth third position at the Deutsche Bank Championship this past week. This week he falls one place and drops to fifty fourth position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.39 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember it is important to enjoy the game of golf!!

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