Golf Events from the Weekend 25th January 2015

Well it was another amazing weekend of golf on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup head to the USA Mainland for the first time in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and it was the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation and it was played on the PGA West (Palmer), La Quinta, California. It carried a huge prize purse of US $5,700,000 for the taking. Patrick Reed (USA) was the defending champion and was keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Bill Haas (USA) who scored rounds of 67-5, 63-9, 69-3 and a final round of 67-5 for a 72 hole total of 266-22 and he won by a single shot for his sixth USPGA  Tour win of his career to date so far. He earned US $1,026,000 for the win and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Money list standings with US $1,122,060 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. Jimmy Walker (USA) still leads that list with US $2,003,607 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 566 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far and he is 391 points behind the current leader of that list who is Jimmy Walker (USA) who has earned 957 points from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events Bill Haas (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish which came with the win this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 63-9 that was blemish free!!

 

Bill Haas (USA) tees off during the final round

Bill Haas (USA) played a brilliant final round of 67-5 under the circumstances of having a share of the 54 hole lead heading into the final round. It included a front nine of 33-3 with a brilliant eagle on the par five, sixth hole and birdies on the par four, fourth hole and par four, eighth hole and his lone bogey came on the par three, third hole and he made the turn at minus twenty and was leading by a single shot. Charley Hoffman (USA) went out in 34-2 and made the turn at minus fifteen and was five shots behind the leader. Sung Joon Park (South Korea) went out in 34-2 and made the turn at minus sixteen and was four shots behind the leader. Matt Kuchar (USA) went out in 33-3 and made the turn at minus nineteen and was one shot behind the leader. Brendan Steele (USA) went out in 32-4 and made the turn at minus seventeen and was three shots behind the leader. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) went out in 33-3 and made the turn at minus nineteen and was two shots behind the leader. 

Bill Haas (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par which included a birdie on the par five, eleventh hole and moved to minus twenty one and was still leading by a single stroke. Charley Hoffman (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in two under par and moved to minus seventeen and was now only four shots behind the leader. Sung Joon Park (South Korea) played holes ten to fourteen in an amazing four under par with having four straight birdies from holes eleven to fourteen and moved to minus twenty and now was only one shot behind the leader. Matt Kuchar (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par and moved to minus twenty and now was only one shot behind the leader. Brendan Steele (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in two under par and moved to minus nineteen and was now only two shots behind the leader. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in even par and remained at minus nineteen and now was two shots behind the leader. 

Bill Haas (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and that included holing a crucial birdie putt on the par four, sixteen hole and he moved to minus twenty two and was still leading by a single stroke heading to the par five, 72nd hole. Charley Hoffman (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in three under par which included making three birdies in a row and moved to minus twenty and he was now only two shots behind the leader with just the par five, 72nd hole to play. Sung Joon Park (South Korea) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par and remained at minus twenty and now was two shots behind the leader with just the par five, 72nd hole left to play. Matt Kuchar (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and he moved to minus twenty one heading to the par five, 72nd hole and was still one shot behind the leader. Brendan Steele (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and he moved to minus twenty and was still two shots behind the leader. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and moved to minus twenty and was still two shots behind the leader. 

Sung Joon Park (South Korea) who was playing a couple of groups ahead of the final group made a birdie on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes on minus twenty one to finish a single shot behind the winner. Charley Hoffman (USA) who was also playing in the group that was a couple of groups ahead of the final group made a birdie on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes on minus twenty one to finish a single shot behind the winner. Brendan Steele (USA) who was playing in the group in front of the final group made a birdie on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus twenty one and was a single shot behind the winner. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) who was playing in the group in front of the final group made a birdie on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus twenty one and was a single shot behind the winner. Matt Kuchar (USA) who was playing in the group in front of the final group hit a very good drive down the par five, 72nd hole and only left himself with a five iron for his second shot. But he hit a poor second shot that miss to the right of the green in the rough and he was unable to get up and down for his birdie four to force a playoff with Bill Haas (USA) and he had to settle for his par five and finished the 72 holes at minus twenty one and was a single shot behind the winner. 

 

Bill Haas (USA) plays his very difficult second shot on the par five, 72nd hole!!

Bill Haas (USA) stood on the par five, 72nd tee knowing that a par would be good enough to win the tournament. Because there was water all down the left hand side of the fairway he made sure his tee shot had a big fade on it but it faded too much and it looked like it would land in the right hand fairway bunker. But it managed to hang in the rough near the bunker meaning he would have to stand in the bunker with the ball well above his feet to strike the ball for his second shot which was a very difficult shot. After rehearsing many different ways to play the shot he finally choose a choke down eight iron and played it the best he could possibly of done under the circumstances and advanced it just over 100 yards down the fairway. He now was faced with an eight iron for his third shot and he played the perfect shot to land it twenty feet to the right of the pin on the green. He now knew if he could two putt the title was his and that is just what he did rolling the twenty footer for birdie down to within two feet of the cup and easily tapping in for his par five. He scored 34-2 on his back nine and finished the 72 holes on minus twenty two to win by a single shot!! He got a huge high five and huge from his caddie, Scott Gneiser. Then when interviewed by the golf channel reporter he told him “he was very pleased to win his sixth USPGA Tour event and pleased he was able to par the final hole after his lie on his second shot”. And he also told him “he was happy his injured wrist held up for the whole tournament” because he had four months off due to a broken wrist last year. He also said “He was going to ring his wife Julie who was back home with his son William Harlan Jr. in South Carolina where he resides pregnant with their second child”.

 

Bill Haas (USA) acknowledges the gallery after holing the winning putt!!

Bill Haas (USA) has won six events on the USPGA Tour to date so far in his career and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2010 Bob Hope Classic, 2010 Viking Classic, 2011 Tour Championship, 2012 Northern Trust Open, 2013 AT&T National and the 2015 Humana Challenge. At the start of the 2010 season Bill Haas (USA) won his first USPGA Tour title at the Bob Hope Classic in La Quuinta, California. A week prior to the event, Bill Haas (USA) received advice from his father, Jay, and great-uncle Bob Goalby about his foot positioning during his swing. Bill Haas (USA) won the event by one shot over Matt Kuchar (USA), Tim Clark (USA) and Bubba Watson (USA). The win came at the start of his fifth year on the USPGA Tour. With his first win Bill Haas (USA) earned his first appearance in the Masters Tournament, where he finished in a tie for 26th. In the fall he won his second USPGA Tour title of 2010 and of his career, in October at the Viking Classic, winning by three strokes over Michael Allen (USA). The following week he finished runner-up at the McGladrey Classic to Heath Slocum (USA) by one stroke. This late-season surge elevated him to 20th place on the season's final money list. In addition, he finished 31st in the FedEx cup standings after narrowly missing out on a place in the Tour Championship by one position.

 

Former U.S. President, Bill Clinton on the left and Bill Haas (USA) on the right poses with the Humana Challenge trophy he won!!

In 2011 Bill Haas (USA) won the season-ending Tour Championship, defeating Hunter Mahan (USA) in a sudden death playoff at the third extra hole. At the second playoff hole, Bill Haas (USA) played an exceptional pitch from the bank of the water hazard to save par and extend the playoff. The victory propelled Bill Haas (USA) to 2011 FedEx Cup title and the $10 million prize. Bill Haas (USA) was ranked seventh on the final 2011 PGA Tour money list (the FedEx Cup money does not count toward that total). Bill Haas (USA) was one of U.S. team captain, Fred Couples (USA), two picks for the 2011 Presidents Cup team, along with Tiger Woods (USA). The USA went on to retain the cup, and Bill Haas (USA) contributed 1.5 points to the team, with an overall record of 1-3-1 for the week. Bill Haas (USA) won for the fourth time on the USPGA Tour in February 2012 at the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club. He came from two strokes back on the final day to hold the clubhouse lead and force both Phil Mickelson (USA) and Keegan Bradley (USA) to hole lengthy birdie putts on the last hole to ensure a playoff. All three players then parred the 18th, the first playoff hole, and continued to the driveable par-4 10th hole. Bill Haas (USA) squirted his drive out to the left to leave a tricky pitch, while Phil Mickelson (USA) found the rough and Keegan Bradley (USA) the bunker on the right. Bill Haas (USA) decided to pitch out to the middle of the green, as both Phil Mickelson (USA) and Keegan Bradley (USA) could not find the green on their second shots. Bill Haas (USA) then holed a 43-foot birdie putt, and when neither Phil Mickelson (USA) nor Keegan Bradley (USA) could match him, his victory was ensured. 

In June 2013 Bill Haas (USA) claimed his fifth PGA Tour title with a win at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club. He won by three strokes over Roberto Castro (USA) after shooting a closing 66, including six birdies and one bogey. He had begun the final round in a four-way tie for the lead. Bill Haas (USA) (At the time) is now one of four players who have won USPGA Tour events in each of the last four seasons, joining Dustin Johnson (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), and Justin Rose (England). In April 2014 Bill Haas (USA) led the Masters Tournament after an opening round of 68. However, he shot a second round six-over-par 78 to fall down the leader board. Over the weekend he finished with rounds of 74-70 to end tied for 20th. In January 2015, Bill Haas (USA) won for the sixth time on the USPGA Tour, at the Humana Challenge. He shot a final round 67 for a total of 22-under-par and one stroke victory over five other players. This was the second time that Bill Haas (USA) had won the Humana Challenge in his career, having previously won in 2010 (as the Bob Hope Classic). Bill Haas (USA) said afterwards that the victory came as a surprise to himself after only recently returning from a fractured wrist injury that hampered him throughout 2014. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form he displayed this week throughout the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps win his Maiden WGC - Event or even his maiden Major Championship. I wish him all the best for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for second position at 267-21 after 72 holes was Charley Hoffman (USA); he earned US $342,000 for his efforts and moved to fourth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,568,475 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 167 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to third position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 742 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week and also his win at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba last November. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 63-9 in the second round which was the equal low round of the day and his 64-8 in the final round which was blemish free. But he will be disappointed with his first round 71-1 which was average. Charley Hoffman (USA) played well in his rookie season on tour. He 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 Hoffman (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. Charley Hoffman (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2006 season. 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 missed the cut in his first USPGA Championship. He also finished tied for 7th 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 6th. 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 USPGA 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 2010 Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.  This victory helped Charley Hoffman (USA) to finish 25th on the money list, the first time he finished inside the top 30. Charley Hoffman (USA) came close to his third USPGA Tour win at the 2011 Valero Texas Open finishing tied for 2nd with Kevin Chappell (USA) behind tour rookie Brendan Steele (USA). Charley Hoffman (USA) best finish in 2012 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. And as I mentioned before his third win came last year. Let’s hope he can keep this fine form up for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.  

Also tied for second position was Sung Joon Park (South Korea); he also earned US $342,000 for his efforts and moved to 43rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $392,901 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 167 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to tied for 41st position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 219 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this very week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 65-7 in the final round which was blemish free. Sung Joon Park (South Korea) played on the Japan Golf Tour, where he got one win, the 2013 Vana H Cup KBC Augusta. He ended fifth in the money list that season. In 2014 he joined the Web.com Tour. He finished 44th in the Web.com Tour Finals to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. Sung Joon Park (South Korea) represented South Korea in the 2011 World Cup. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win this season as well. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for second position was Matt Kuchar (USA); he also earned US $342,000 for his efforts and moved to sixteen position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $832,693 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 167 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to twelfth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 458 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 64-8 in the second round. But he will be disappointed with his third round 71-1 which saw him drop three shots in the last four holes and ruined his chances of a comfortable win. Matt Kuchar (USA) has won seven times on the USPGA Tour in his career to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2002 Honda Classic; 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship; 2010 The Barclays; 2012 The Players Championship; 2013 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship; 2013 The Memorial Tournament and the 2014 RBC Heritage. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships with his best being tied for third at the 2012 Masters Tournament. Let’s hope he can achieve his maiden Major Championship win of his career in 2015? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for second position was Brendan Steele (USA); he also earned US $342,000 for his efforts and moved to 33rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $469,914 earned from the five events he has played to date this season. He also earned 167 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to twenty fifth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 287 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 64-8 which was blemish free. Branden Steele (USA) turned professional in 2005 and played on the Golden State Tour, winning four times. In 2006 and 2007, he played on the Canadian Tour, where his best finish was second at the 2006 Telus Edmonton Open. He began playing on the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com tour) in 2008. In 2010, he won the final event of the season, the Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island. This win moved him from 30th to 6th on the money list and therefore earned Brendan Steele (USA) a USPGA Tour card for the 2011 season. On April 17, 2011, Brendan Steele (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event, the Valero Texas Open, by one stroke over Kevin Chappell (USA) and Charley Hoffman (USA) when he holed a seven foot par putt on the 18th. Brendan Steele (USA) was the third USPGA Tour rookie to win in 2011, after Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) (Bob Hope Classic) and Charl Schwartzel (Masters Tournament). In addition to a $1.1 million payday and a Tour card until the end of 2013, Brendan Steele's (USA) victory earned invites to The Players Championship, Bridgestone Invitational, 2011 PGA Championship, and the 2012 Masters Tournament. The win also moved Brendan Steele (USA) from 115th to 19th in the FedEx Cup standings. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps win his second USPGA Tour event in 2015? I wish him all the best for the remaining events on the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for second position was Steve Wheatcroft (USA); he also earned US $342,000 for his efforts and moved to 42nd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $396,333 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 167 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 46th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 200 points earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this very week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first round 65-7. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) turned professional in 2001 and has played in several tours over the years. His first victory came at the Pennsylvania Open Championship in 2003. He is currently a member of the USPGA Tour. In his 2006 Nationwide Tour debut season, Steve Wheatcroft (USA) recorded only one top-10 and missed the cut 12 times. Despite his difficulties, he would perform well at the USPGA Tour Q-School. He finished 7th to earn his card for 2007. He would make only 10 cuts out of 25 attempts and post one top 25. Consequently, he lost his card. He returned to the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) in 2008 and had disappointing results until the summer of 2009. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) made some changes to his game. As a result, he recorded six top-10s and two top-25s before the end of the season. He launched up the money list to 20th and earned his card for the 2010 USPGA Tour. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) would play well at the Puerto Rico Open, finishing tied for 3rd, three strokes behind fellow Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) graduate, Derek Lamely (USA). He also qualified for the 2010 U.S. Open after winning a 4-way playoff at the Rockville, Maryland sectional qualifier. He led briefly midway through the second round. He returned to the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) for the 2011 season after finishing 166th on the USPGA Tour's money list. At the 2011 Melwood Prince George’s Country Open, Steve Wheatcroft (USA) won by a record-breaking 12 strokes. At the 72nd hole, he made an eagle putt to finish at 255 (-29); shattering the previous 72-hole scoring record by three strokes. He also set the record for largest 54-hole lead by eight strokes. Steve Wheatcroft's (USA) strong play would continue through the 2011 season, with three more top-10s and four top-25s. After finishing tied for 8th at the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship (Now Web.com Tour), he ended the year at 20th on the money list. Steve Wheatcroft (USA) returned to the USPGA Tour once again for 2012. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The best New Zealand golfer in the field was Steve Alker (NZL) and he scored rounds of 68-4 in the first round which was very good, and an excellent second round of 66-6, and a very good third round of 69-3 and a shocking final round of 75+3 (Which was the worst final round of all the players that made the cut) for a 72 hole total of 278-10 and he finished in tied for 59th position. He earned US $12,426 for his efforts and he currently lies in 163rd  position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $55,248 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned ten FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 143rd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 57 points earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has make three cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be very happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 66-6 but he will be extremely disappointed with his final round 75+3 which was the worst round of the day and had he of scored a round in the 60s he would of at least got a top twenty finish. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the next few events he plays in, in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and even achieve some top ten finishes.

The second New Zealand Golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) and he scored rounds of 68-4 in the first round which was very good, then he scored a good second round of 69-3, then a good third round of 70-2 and an average final round of 72 even par for a 72 hole total of 279-9 and he finished in tied for 64th position. He earned US $ 11,856 for his efforts and he moved to 30th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $514,728 earned from the eight events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned five FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 32nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 256 points earned from the eight events he has played to date this season so far. From the eight events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved one top ten finish. He will be happy with his first two rounds that were both in 60s especially his first round 68-4, but he will be disappointed with his third and final rounds that were both in the low 70s. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. Danny has been playing the USPGA Tour on and off fulltime since the 2012 season. Danny Lee (NZL) entered the 2012 USPGA Tour season with USPGA Tour and European Tour cards. He said he was still keen to play a two-tour schedule, however his main focus would be on America. He made only 13 cuts in 26 events on the USPGA Tour and lost his tour card. He did not play on the European Tour. After striking up a successful partnership late in the Nationwide Tour season, Danny Lee (NZL) said he would have Australian, Graeme Courts, a former long-time caddy of Loren Roberts (USA), working for him on the USPGA Tour. K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced Danny Lee (NZL) to another Australian, Steve Bann, as a potential coach. "I am close with K.J. Choi (South Korea) and he said I was thinking too much about my swing," Danny Lee (NZL) said. "I was always working on something and I am too technical sometimes so K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced me to Steve. Steve is a simple guy who is teaching me how to practise with better routine and how to trust my own game and not think too much. Danny Lee (NZL) played on the Web.com Tour in 2013, finishing 15th on the regular season money list to regain his USPGA Tour card for 2014/15 Season. His best finish was second at the Rex Hospital Open. In 2014 on the back of six straight missed cuts, Danny Lee (USA) adopted a claw putting grip for the Puerto Rico Open in March. He credited the change of putting style for yielding him an instant result; a runner-up finish, two shots behind winner Chesson Hadley (USA). Let’s hope he can build on this fine form he displayed this week and maybe achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.  

The final New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored a poor first round of 71-1, then a shocking second round of 73+1, and an extremely shocking third round of 76+4 for a 54 hole total of 220+4 and missed the cut by a huge twelve shots. He moved to 152nd  position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with  US $66,029 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also moved to 140th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 61 points earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be content with his first round 71-1, but disappointed with his second round 73+1 and extremely disappointed with his third round 76+4 and shooting with all three rounds in the 70s he knew it had ruined any chance he had of making the cut. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and have some top ten finishes as well. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads to Scottsdale, Arizona for the Waste Management Phoenix Open and it is played on the TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona. It carries a huge prize purse of US $6,300,000 for the taking. Kevin Stadler (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. Tiger Woods (USA) is also making his 2014/15 USPGA Tour season debut which is sure to increase crowd numbers in the already near capacity crowd tournament which features the famous enclosed Stadium par three, 16th hole which is sure to intimidate the most experienced PGA Tour professionals. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) will likely gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 29th January and I report back who won the trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the twenty fifth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 65th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his solo second position at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship one week ago and he tied for 15th position at the Emirates Australian Open eight weeks ago and nine weeks ago tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 11.03 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his tied for 13th position at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters this past week and missing cut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship one week ago and he finished in solo second position seven weeks ago at the Hero World Challenge and nine weeks ago won at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 7.68 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for second position at the Australian PGA Championship six weeks ago and he finished in solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open eight weeks ago with 7.10 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his solo tenth position at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions two weeks ago and tied for twenty fifth position at the Thailand Golf Championship five weeks ago and tied for eleventh position at the Hero World Challenge seven weeks ago with 7.02 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Justin Rose (England) who is fresh off his tie for twelfth finish one week ago at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with 6.37 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his thirteenth week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for 64th position this past week at the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips two places and falls to 230th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.76 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

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

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

  

Golf Events from the Weekend 18th January 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 stayed in Hawaii for the first regular season event of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 season and it was the Sony Open in Hawaii and was played on the Waialae CC, Honolulu, Hawaii. It carried a large prize purse of US $5,600,000 for the taking. Jimmy Walker (USA) was the defending champion and was keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) also gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Jimmy Walker (USA) who scored rounds 66-4, 66-4, 62-8 and a final round 63-7 for a 72 hole total of 257-23 and he won by a tournament record nine shots!! And it was the second time he had won this tournament having defended the title he won last year. Also he became just the fourth golfer to win the tournament in back to back years in its 50 year history!! It was his fourth USPGA Tour win of his career to date. He earned US $1,008,000 for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,003,607 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. Robert Streb (USA) is second on that list with US $1,572,408 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. Jimmy Walker (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 957 FedEx Cup Points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far and he is 143 points ahead of Robert Streb (USA) who has earned 814 points from the seven events he has played in. From the five events Jimmy Walker (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved three top ten finishes that includes the win this week. He will be extremely pleased with his four rounds this week that were all in the mid to low 60s especially his 62-8 in his third round which was the equal low round of the day and his 63-7 in the final round which was blemish free and also the equal low round of the day. 

 

Jimmy Walker (USA) tees off during the final round

Jimmy Walker (USA) played a flawless final round of 63-7 which included a front nine of 33-2 with birdies on the par four, eighth hole and par five, ninth hole and he made the turn at minus 18 and was leading by six shots. Scott Piercy (USA) went out in 33-2 and made the turn at minus twelve and was six shots behind the leader. Jimmy Walker (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in two under par with birdies on the par four, tenth and par four twelve holes and now had moved to minus twenty and was now leading by seven shots. Scott Piercy (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par and moved to minus thirteen and now was seventh shots behind the leader. 

Jimmy Walker (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in two under par and that included birding both the par four, fifteenth and par four, sixteenth holes and getting a fine bunker save on the par three, seventeenth hole and he moved to minus twenty two and was now leading by eight shots. Scott Piercy (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and moved to minus fourteen and now was eight shots behind the leader.  Scott Piercy (USA) who finished an hour ahead of the final pairing made a poor par on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes on minus fourteen and was nine shots behind the winner. 

Jimmy Walker (USA) now stood on the par five, 72nd tee with a whopping eight shot lead and he knew tournament was his to win now for sure. This hole is a 90 degree dog leg from right to left. Jimmy Walker (USA) hit a huge hook and it landed in the left hand rough and it appeared he would just have to chip back to the fairway for his second shot. But he must have been pumped up and very confident. He chose to hit his ball over the trees with a short iron and it cleared the trees with ease and landed just short of the green leaving a simple chip shot to get up and down for his birdie. He struck a brilliant chip for his third shot and it came to rest five feet from the pin. He now knew if he could hole his five foot birdie putt he would tie the lowest score in a stroke play event on the USPGA Tour. He calmed his nerve and just as he had down for the whole back nine he rolled it straight in the middle of the cup for his birdie four and finished the 72 holes on minus twenty three to win by nine shots!! He scored 30-5 on the back nine!! He got a huge high five and hug from his caddie, Andy Sanders!! Then his wife, Erin came onto the 72nd green to give him a hug and kiss as well to celebrate the win with him and his two boys Mclain and Beckett were there by his side as well!! When interviewed by the NBC Sports/Golf Channel reporter, Steve Sands he told him “the reason he won this week was because he was more aggressive when he was in the lead compared to when he was leading last week and lost in a playoff to Patrick Reed (USA)”. After he finished second last week he rang his coach, Butch Harmon and he said to Jimmy “When you are in the lead the best way to play is aggressive and don’t get defensive!!” So he took his advice and it worked very well!! Jimmy Walker (USA) displayed incredible intestinal fortitude this week bouncing back from the huge disappointing of losing last week to winning in such dramatic fashion this week. 

 

Jimmy Walker (USA) gets a hug from his wife, Erin as his two boys, Mclain and Beckett are by his side as well!!

Jimmy Walker (USA) won his maiden USPGA Tour event at the 2013 Frys.com Open, after nine years and 188 PGA Tour starts. He won by two strokes over Vijay Singh (Fiji) after shooting 62-66 over the weekend. The win gave him an exemption into the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and earned him his first trip to The Masters Tournament and a USPGA Tour card until the end of 2016. Jimmy Walker (USA) also entered the world's top 50 for the first time. Jimmy Walker (USA) opened up 2014 finishing tied for 21st at his first visit to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The following week in January 2014, he earned his second USPGA Tour win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He birdied four of the final six holes and shot a final round 63 to win by one stroke over Chris Kirk (USA). Five weeks later, in early February 2014, Jimmy Walker (USA) won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am by one stroke over Dustin Johnson (USA) and Jim Renner (USA). He had a six-stroke advantage going into the final round, but shot a two-over-par 74 on Sunday and needed to hole a five-foot par putt on the 18th for the victory. This was his third victory of the 2014 season in just eight starts, after previously going 187 events without a victory. With his win, Jimmy Walker (USA) became the leader on the 2014 money list, FedEx Cup standings, and Ryder Cup points standings. He also raised his Official World Golf Ranking to 24th. A tied for eighth finish at the 2014 Masters Tournament raised his ranking to 19th, and ensured him an invitation into the 2015 tournament. He went on to post top-ten finishes at two other majors, a tied for ninth at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, and a tied for seventh at the 2014 PGA Championship. His highly successful season earned him a spot on the 2014 Ryder Cup, another personal first. Jimmy Walker (USA) went as high as 17th in the Official World Golf ranking during the 2014 season and now is at a career high 13th after his win at the 2015 Sony Open in Hawaii. With three wins in 2014, Jimmy Walker (USA) is fully exempt until the 2017-2018 USPGA Tour season. Let’s hope he can now win some even bigger tournaments like the WGC – Events and even his maiden Major Championship in the 2015. I wish him every continuing success for the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Jimmy Walker (USA) poses with the Sony Open in Hawaii trophy he won for the second consecutive year running!!

Coming in solo second position at 266-14 after 72 holes was Scott Piercy (USA); he earned US $604,800 for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $962,008 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 489 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third and fourth rounds that were consecutive 66-4s. 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 90th 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. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form into the next few weeks and achieve his third win on the USPGA Tour in the 2014/15 season. 

Coming in tied for third position at 267-13 after 72 holes was Harris English (USA); he earned US $291,200 for his efforts and moved to 33rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $419,730 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 30th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 231 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 65-5. Harris English (USA) has won two events on the USPGA Tour in his career so far with his first being the 2013 FedEx St. Jude Classic and the second one came at the 2013 OHL Classic at Mayakoba. As an amateur, Harris English (USA) played in two Nationwide Tour events 2011: the Station Athens Classic at UGA in May and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in July, which he won. He was only the third amateur to win on the Tour, following Daniel Summerhays (USA) in 2007 and Russell Henley (USA) in 2011. The tournament was played at the Ohio State University Golf Club, Scarlet Course in Columbus. After playing in the Walker Cup in 2011 in Scotland, Harris English (USA) turned professional in September. His debut was at the Nationwide Tour's Soboba Golf Classic and he nearly won his second event at the WNB Golf Classic, but lost in a playoff to Danny Lee (NZL). The runner-up finish moved him to 75th on the Nationwide Tour's money list. In December, Harris English (USA) earned his USPGA Tour card for 2012 by finishing in a tie for 13th at the USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. As a USPGA Tour rookie in 2012, Harris English (USA) made 22 of 27 cuts with three top ten finishes, and earned over $1.18 million to keep his tour card. He secured his first victory in 2013, at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis in June. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps achieve his third win in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for third position was Matt Kuchar (USA); he too earned US $291,200 for his efforts and moved to twenty six position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $490,693 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to twenty first position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 291 points earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. From the four events he has played to date this season so far he has made fours cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 63-7 that was blemish free. But he will be disappointed with his final round 71+1 that consisted of seventeen pars and one bogey without a single birdie which is very strange for him. Matt Kuchar (USA) has won seven times on the USPGA Tour in his career to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2002 Honda Classic; 2009 Turning Stone Resort Championship; 2010 The Barclays; 2012 The Players Championship; 2013 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship; 2013 The Memorial Tournament and the 2014 RBC Heritage. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships with his best being tied for third at the 2012 Masters Tournament. Let’s hope he can achieve his maiden Major Championship win of his career in 2015? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for third position was Gary Woodland (USA); he too earned US $291,200 for his efforts and moved to thirteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $859,117 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to sixteenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 367 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second and third rounds that were consecutive 65-5s. But he will be disappointed with his first round 70 even par that put him behind the eight ball. Gary Woodland (USA) has achieved two wins on the USPGA Tour to date so far in his career and the first one came at the 2011 Transitions Championship and the second one was the 2014 Reno – Tahoe Open. In March 2011, Gary Woodland (USA) won his first USPGA Tour title at the Transitions Championships by one stroke when fellow American Webb Simpson (USA) missed a par putt on the final hole. Just a few moments earlier Gary Woodland (USA) had scrambled a fantastic par from the same position as Webb Simpson (USA) on the last, after hitting his second shot over the back of the green. This win secured Gary Woodland (USA) a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament and also elevated him to a career high 53rd in the Official World Golf Rankings. He later earned an invitation into the U.S. Open Championship after moving into the Top 50. He left the tournament with an Official World Golf ranking of 39th. In November 2011, he won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup of Golf with Matt Kuchar (USA). He finished 2011 ranked 17th on the USPGA Tour money list and 51st in the Official World Golf ranking. He had ended 2009 ranked 959th and 2010, 588th. Gary Woodland's (USA) career-best Official World Golf ranking is 36th after the 2011 Greenbrier Classic. Let’s hope he can continue having top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Rounding out the top ten in tied for sixth position at 268-12 after 72 holes was Zac Blair (USA); he earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 41st position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $374,617 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 31st position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 221 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his third round 64-6. But he will be disappointed with his first round 71+1 which put him way behind the eight ball. Zac Blair (USA) is an exciting prospect after gaining his 2014/15 USPGA Tour card by finishing in eleventh position on the final Web.com Tour Finals Priority Rankings. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Brian Davis (England); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 83rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $187,652 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 110th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup points list standings with 83 points earned from the six events he has played to date so far this season. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 65-5 in the third round. But he will be disappointed with his second round of 70 even par. Brian Davis (England) has been a professional golfer since 1994 and has been playing the USPGA Tour since the 2005 season after becoming the first Englishman to be medalist at the USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. In April 2010 Brian Davis (England) called a two-stroke penalty on himself on the first play-off hole on Sunday to hand Jim Furyk (USA) a victory at the Verizon Heritage. Brian Davis (England) later received much praise for his decision which cost him a potential first USPGA Tour victory. Brian Davis (England) finished second again later in 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, three shots behind Zach Johnson (USA). Brian Davis (England) has featured in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps even his maiden USPGA Tour win of his career in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Max Homa (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 63rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $236,314 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 53rd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 163 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round of 63-7. In October 2013, Max Homa (USA) turned professional and finished tied for ninth at the Frys.com Open, which was his first USPGA Tour event as a pro. In December 2013, he tied for sixth place in the Web.com Tour qualifying school. In May 2014, he earned his first professional win at the Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro – Am. He finished 32nd in the Web.com Tour Finals Priority Rankings to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Jerry Kelly (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to twenty seventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $484,472 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 253 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 62-8 in the second round but he will be angry with his 73+3 in the first round that put him way behind the eight ball. Jerry Kelly was born in Madison, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Hartford in 1989 and turned professional later that year, but didn't make it onto the USPGA Tour until 1996. This followed a successful 1995 season on the second tier then Nike Tour (Now Web.com Tour), when he won two tournaments. His best career year to date is 2002, when he finished fourth on the USPGA Tour money list and won the USPGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii and Advil Western Open. Jerry Kelly (USA) won the 2009 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with a two-foot par on the final hole, beating three players by one stroke (Charlie Wi (South Korea), Rory Sabbatini (RSA), and Charles Howell III (USA). It had been seven years since his last win. Jerry Kelly (USA) has been featured in the top 20 on the Official World Golf Ranking. Jerry Kelly (USA) must be eying up the Champions Tour for the 2017 season as he turns 50 in late November 2016. Let’s hope he can achieve some more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps even his four win in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Rory Sabbatini (RSA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 34th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $412,963 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 34th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 213 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 63-7 in the final round which was the equal low round of the day. But he will be angry with his third round 74+4. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) turned professional in 1998 and joined the USPGA Tour in 1999. He was the youngest member of the tour that year. During the first decade of the 2000s, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) had five PGA Tour wins; he finished 2006 placed 12th on the money list. In September 2007, he reached the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time, with a high of eighth. He spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 in 2007 and 2008. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) tied for second at the 2007 Masters Tournament and the 2007 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He won the Par 3 Contest at the 2008 Masters Tournament. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) has represented South Africa in the World Cup five times and won the event with Trevor Immelman (RSA) in 2003. In his first Presidents Cup appearance in 2007, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) had a 0–3–1 record, as the International team was defeated by the United States team. In May 2009 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) captured his fifth PGA Tour title by winning the HP Bryon Nelson Championship by two strokes over Brian Davis (England). He broke the tournament record for scoring with a score of 269 (−19), beating the previous record of 270 (−18). In March 2011 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) won his sixth PGA Tour Title at The Honda Classic with a one stroke victory over South Korea's Y. E. Yang. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) entered the final round with a five stroke lead over the rest of the field, helped by a course record-equalling 64 on day two. He started his final round in solid fashion with an early birdie at the 3rd hole, however as the round progressed he made bogeys at the 9th and 14th, meaning that Y. E. Yang (South Korea) was able to cut that lead to just one, with a spectacular tee shot on the par-three 15th that landed 18 inches past the pin. On the next hole though, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) holed a clutch birdie putt to tighten his grip on the title and played out the 17th and 18th in even-par to hold on for a one stroke victory. This win also secured him a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament. I am sure his seventh USPGA win is not too far off either and maybe it will happen in 2015? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Shawn Stefani (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $887,790 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to eleventh position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 449 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 65-5 in round three. Shawn Stefani (USA) turned professional in 2005 and played on mini-tours until 2012, when he joined the Web.com Tour and won twice. He got his first tour win at the Midwest Classic in August, and his second in October at the Miccosukee Championship. He finished sixth on the 2012 money list to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2013 season. During the final round of the U.S. Open Championship in 2013 at Merion, Shawn Stefani (USA) carded a hole-in-one on the 229-yard (209 m) 17th hole, the first ace ever recorded in 18 USGA championships held at Merion. His 4-iron tee shot bounced off the slope left of the green and rolled a considerable distance into the cup. Let’s hope he can continue on this fine form he displayed this past week in the  rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps gain his maiden USPGA Tour win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.

The final player to tie for sixth position was Justin Thomas (USA); he too earned US $163,600 for his efforts and moved to 36th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $392,786 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 81 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 38th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 196 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his first and second rounds that were both in the 60s especially his second round 61-11 which was blemish free and consisted of seven birdies and one eagle and was the low round of the day and the week!! But he will be disappointed with his third and final rounds that were both 70 even par rounds. Justin Thomas (USA) was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He played college golf at the University of Alabama where he won six times. He also played on the 2013 NCAA Division I Championship team. He won the Haskins Award in 2012 as the most outstanding collegiate golfer. As an amateur, Justin Thomas (USA) played in the 2009 Wyndham Championship on the USPGA Tour where he became the third youngest golfer to make the cut in a USPGA Tour event, aged 16 years, 3 months and 24 days. Justin Thomas (USA) turned professional in 2013 and earned his tour card on the Web.com Tour through qualifying school. He won his first professional event at the 2014 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. He has played several USPGA Tour events with his best finish a tied for fourth position at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship. Justin Thomas (USA) finished fifth in the Web.com Tour Finals Priority Rankings to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season which he is already making the most of. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in 2015? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.  

There were three New Zealand Golfers in the field and the equal best of them was Danny Lee (NZL) who was the best of the New Zealand Golfers in the field and he scored rounds of 68-2 in the first round which was very good, then he scored a poor second round of 71+1 for a 36 hole total of 139-1 to miss the cut by one shot. He moved to twenty fifth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $502,872 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He moved to twenty seventh  position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 251 points earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his 68-2 in the first round, but he will be disappointed with his poor second round of 71+1. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. Danny has been playing the USPGA Tour on and off fulltime since the 2012 season. Danny Lee (NZL) entered the 2012 USPGA Tour season with USPGA Tour and European Tour cards. He said he was still keen to play a two-tour schedule, however his main focus would be on America. He made only 13 cuts in 26 events on the USPGA Tour and lost his tour card. He did not play on the European Tour. After striking up a successful partnership late in the Nationwide Tour season, Danny Lee (NZL) said he would have Australian, Graeme Courts, a former long-time caddy of Loren Roberts (USA), working for him on the USPGA Tour. K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced Danny Lee (NZL) to another Australian, Steve Bann, as a potential coach. "I am close with K.J. Choi (South Korea) and he said I was thinking too much about my swing," Danny Lee (NZL) said. "I was always working on something and I am too technical sometimes so K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced me to Steve. Steve is a simple guy who is teaching me how to practise with better routine and how to trust my own game and not think too much. Danny Lee (NZL) played on the Web.com Tour in 2013, finishing 15th on the regular season money list to regain his USPGA Tour card for 2014/15 Season. His best finish was second at the Rex Hospital Open. In 2014 on the back of six straight missed cuts, Danny Lee (USA) adopted a claw putting grip for the Puerto Rico Open in March. He credited the change of putting style for yielding him an instant result; a runner-up finish, two shots behind winner Chesson Hadley (USA). Let’s hope he can build on this fine form he displayed this week and maybe achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.  

The second New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored a poor first round 71+1, then an good second round of 68-2 for a 36 hole total of 139-1 and missed the cut by one shot. He moved to 144th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with  US $66,029 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also moved to 131st position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 61 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his second round 68-2, but disappointed with his first round that was a poor 71+1 and ruined any chance he had of making the cut. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and have some top ten finishes as well. 

The final New Zealand golfer in the field was Steve Alker (NZL) and he scored rounds of 72+2 in the first round which was poor, and a very poor second round of 73+3 for a 36 hole total of 145+5 and he missed the cut seven shots. He currently lies in 168th  position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $42,822 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He is currently in tied for 147th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 47 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has make two cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be disappointed with his first round 72+2 which put him well off the pace and extremely disappointed with his second round 73+3 which was a poor round of golf. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the next few events he plays in, in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and even achieve some top ten finishes. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup head to the USA Mainland for the first time in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and it is the Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation and it is played on the PGA West (Palmer), La Quinta, California. It carries a huge prize purse of US $5,700,000 for the taking. Patrick Reed (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) will likely gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 22nd January. I will report back who won the trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the twenty fourth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 64th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his solo second position at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this past week and he tied for 15th position at the Emirates Australian Open seven weeks ago and eight weeks ago tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 11.19 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his missed cut at the  Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this past week and he finished in solo second position six weeks ago at the Hero World Challenge and eight weeks ago won at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 7.74 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for second position at the Australian PGA Championship five weeks ago and he finished in solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open seven weeks ago with 7.25 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his solo tenth position at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions one week ago and tied for twenty fifth position at the Thailand Golf Championship four weeks ago and tied for eleventh position at the Hero World Challenge six weeks ago with 7.11 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Justin Rose (England) who is fresh off his tie for twelfth finish this past week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with 6.41 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his twelfth week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his missed cut this past week at the Sony Open in Hawaii on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips seven places and falls to 228th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.77 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember the most important fundamental in the game of golf is to keep the head still!!

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