Golf Events from the Weekend 31st January 2016

Well it was another excellent weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup remained in the State of California for the Farmers Insurance Open (which is the second of five events in the west coast swing) and it was played on the Torrey Pines GC (South), San Diego, California. It carried a huge prize purse of US $6,500,000 for the taking. Jason Day (Australia) was the defending champion and was keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) were the two New Zealand Golfers in the field. And it was the golfer by the name of Brandt Snedeker (USA) who scored rounds of 73+1, 70-2, 70-2 and a brilliant final round of 69-3 in the horrendously difficult conditions with extremely high winds and driving rain for a seventy two hole total of 282-6 and he won by a single shot for his eighth USPGA Tour win of his career to date so far. He won US $1,170,000 for the win and moved to second position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,250,733 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. Kevin Kisner (USA) still leads that list with US $2,350,032 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. Brandt Snedeker (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to second position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,013 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far and he is sixty points behind the current leader of that list who is Kevin Kisner (USA) who has earned 1,073 points from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events Brandt Snedeker (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the win this week and also his playoff loss at the Sony Open in Hawaii to Fabian Gomez (Argentina) two weeks ago and he also finished third at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions three weeks ago so he is having an awesome start to the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour events!! He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all under par especially his awesome final round 69-3 in the brutally tough conditions that included winds gusting to fifty Mph and driving rain and he was the only golfer in the field to score under par in the final round and his back nine 32-4 was just amazing!! But he will be a little disappointed with his first round 73+1 but it didn’t stop him from winning the title.  

 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) tees off during the final round

Brandt Snedeker (USA) played a brilliant final round of 69-3 when the final round scoring average was in the high 70s!! It included a front nine of 37+1 with a lone poor bogey on the par four, first hole and he made the turn at minus two and was five shots behind the leaders.   K.J. Choi (South Korea) went out in 38+2 and made the turn at minus seven and was tied for the lead. 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in an amazing four under par and it included birdies on the par four, tenth hole, par four, twelfth hole, par five, thirteenth hole and par four, fourteenth hole and he moved to minus six and now was leading by one shot. K.J. Choi (South Korea) played holes ten to fourteen in two over par and it included poor bogeys and the par four, tenth hole and par four, fourteenth hole and he fell back to minus five and now was one shot behind the leader. 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) played hole fifteen to seventeen even par with making three straight pars and remained at minus six and was still leading by one shot heading to the par five, seventy second hole.  K.J. Choi (South Korea) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par which included making three straight pars and he remain at minus five and was still one shot behind the leader heading to the par five, seventy second hole.

 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) reacts to a missed putt at the par five, seventy second hole!!

Brandt Snedeker (USA) hit a brilliant drive off the par five, seventy second tee that landed in the middle of the fairway. He then struck a three wood that was always going to be hard to hold the green because it was down wind and it landed over the green in the rough. He was now faced with a relatively easy chip shot to the difficult front left pin placement with the water hazard at the front of the green not really in play. He struck a rather aggressive chip shot that he landed on the green a little farther than he wanted to and ran through the green into the front fringe. He choose a putter from the fringe and put a good stroke on it and it just missed on the left hand side from about twenty feet and he easily tapped in the two footer for his par five and finished the seventy two holes at minus six. He now had to wait and see if that score was good enough to hold up and win or to get in a playoff? He had teed off two hours ahead of the final group and because the final round tournament play was suspended late Sunday Afternoon due to bad weather and he would have to wait to Monday to find out. He scored an amazing back nine of 32-4!! 

K.J. Choi (South Korea) stood on the par five, seventy second tee one shot behind the leader knowing a birdie was a must to force a playoff with Brandt Snedeker (USA) and he hit a good tee shot straight down the centre of the fairway. The wind had switched around from yesterday and the hole was now playing straight into the wind. That meant there was no chance of getting there in two shots. He laid up to about 120 yards from the green for his second shot. He was now faced with a third shot to a front left pin placement which he had to carry the water hazard at the front known as Devlin's Billabong (Which was named after Australian golfer, Bruce Devlin (Australia) who had trouble clearing it many years ago). K.J. Choi (South Korea) played an okay shot with his eight iron but the wind caught it and it landed to the right of the pin on the green about forty feet from the pin. Sir Nick Faldo (England) who commentates for CBS Sports/Golf Channel commented “It is so hard to control the ball hitting into very strong winds”. K.J. Choi (South Korea) putted for his birdie from forty feet and it had to go in to force a playoff, but it missed on the left hand side and he tapped in for his par five and finished the seventy two holes at minus five to finish one shot behind the winner. 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) who was on the practise putting green hitting warm up putts in case a playoff was required found out he had just won the tournament and he ran and high fived and hugged his caddie, Scott Vail to celebrate!! Then his wife Mandy came running to give him a hug and kiss to celebrate win with him!! And his two children, Lily and Austin were also there to celebrate the moment with him. Then he was interviewed by CBS Sports on course reporter, Dottie Pepper and she asked him “Brandt, you said you didn’t sleep last night, what were the range of emotions that you went from when you finished at eighteen, play was suspended and then you came out here to warm up this morning?” and Brandt Snedeker (USA) replied “You would not imagine what was going through my head, I mean just cause of the weather conditions, what was forecasted for the day, whether I got a good break or a bad break, I get done last night or whatever it is and um I can’t tell you how I am excited I am to be back the champion here again, how unbelievable the last forty eight hours have been and to be six shots back of the leaders on Sunday Morning starting the final round, and now to have a chance to be holding the trophy is unbelievable, everything worked out perfectly for me, you cannot make up the extreme of things that had to happen for me to have this chance and they all kind of fell in line perfectly!! It was just unbelievable you know, I can’t do that anymore, I hate watching this stuff (Other players on the golf course how had a chance to catch him like K.J. Choi (South Korea)) because I have no control!!” and then CBS Sports on course reporter, Dottie Pepper said “It was fun watching you go through all of that (Laughing)” and Brandt Snedeker (USA) replied “Yes” and then CBS Sports on course reporter, Dottie Pepper said “Talk about the success you’ve had here in the State of California early season, what is it that gets you rolling like this?” and Brandt Snedeker (USA) replied “I don’t know but I love seeing that 2021 US Open Championship on the board over there (Pointing to it) I don’t know what it is about California, I love the greens and I love being out here, this time of year has always been huge to me, my career started right here at Torrey Pines, finishing third in my rookie year (2007), and I am thrilled to be back, I couldn’t explain it, I wish we could play all year out here on the west coast, because I absolutely play fantastic, and I love being out here so it has been an unbelievable start to the year!!” and then CBS Sports on course reporter, Dottie Pepper said “Well we will see you in two weeks time at Pebble Beach (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro - Am), I think that will do alright for you” and Brandt Snedeker (USA) replied “Yeah, Exactly, it will be good!!”. 

 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) poses with the Surf Board he won!!

Brandt Newell Snedeker (USA) (born December 8, 1980) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. He won the 2012 FedEx Cup with a victory in the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. After this victory, he moved into the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. In February 2013, after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he moved to a career high of number four in the world. Brandt Snedeker (USA) was born in Nashville, Tennessee to Larry and Candice Snedeker. He was introduced to golf by his maternal grandmother, who managed a golf course in Missouri. He attended Harding Academy, Montgomery Bell Academy and then Vanderbilt University, where he was initiated into Kappa Alpha Order by the Chi Chapter. He won the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2003 before turning professional in 2004. 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) played on the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) from 2004 until 2006, when he finished ninth on the tour money list after victories at the Showdown at Somerby and the Permian Basin Charity Golf Classic, thus earning a USPGA Tour spot for 2007. While on the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour), Brandt Snedeker (USA) recorded two wins, two runners-up, twelve tops 10s and earned US $549,564. Brandt Snedeker (USA) garnered immediate attention in January 2007 after shooting a course record equalling 61 in the first round of the Buick Invitational. He led the tournament by three strokes after 36 holes but due to a 74 in the third round he finished in third place. He made eight consecutive cuts starting at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January and ending at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. In that span he recorded three top-25 finishes. In four tournaments in April, he made two cuts including a finish of tied for sixteen at the Verizon Heritage. From May to early June, Brandt Snedeker (USA) made the cut in two of the four tournaments he entered, including a tied for twelfth finish at the prestigious Players Championship. Brandt Snedeker (USA) then went on a hot streak starting at the Stanford St. Jude Championship on June 10. He finished in a tie for fifth at that tournament and by doing so surpassed US $1 million in earnings on tour in 2007. He finished in a tie for twenty third at the U.S. Open Championship the following week. In early July he recorded two top ten finishes, including a tie for tenth at the Buick Open. This finish put Brandt Snedeker (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. Later in July, Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished in a tie for seventh at the Canadian Open. A fortnight later he played in the PGA Championship for the first time and finished in a tie for eighteenth place. Brandt Snedeker (USA) picked up his first USPGA Tour victory the next week at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina. This win propelled him to a world ranking of fifty fifth. The Wyndham Championship was the last regular season event before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Brandt Snedeker (USA) entered the playoffs in ninth place in the point standings. He played in all four playoff events, recording finishes of missed cut, tied for forty seventh, tied for fourteenth and tied for twenty ninth. Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished in twentieth place in the final points standings, which earned him a bonus check of US $225,000. Due to his fine debut performance on tour, Brandt Snedeker (USA) was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for 2007. He entered twenty nine USPGA Tour events in 2007, making twenty three cuts. He had one win, a third-place finish, six top-10 finishes and thirteenth top-25 finishes.  He earned US $2,836,643 which put him in seventeenth position on the final money list and he finished 2007 ranked forty seventh in the world rankings.

 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) poses with the Farmers Insurance Open Trophy he won!!

Brandt Snedeker (USA) began the 2008 USPGA Tour season with a tied for tenth finish at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. He finished tied for ninth at the FBR Open in February and tied for eighth at the PODS Championship in March. Brandt Snedeker (USA) recorded his first top ten in a Major Championship at the 2008 Masters Tournament, where he finished tied for third. He went into the final round in second place, two strokes behind eventual winner Trevor Immelman (RSA) but Brandt Snedeker (USA) shot a final round 77. Following his third-place finish at the 2008 Masters Tournament, Brandt Snedeker (USA) reached a new high of thirty second in the world rankings. Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished in the top ten for the second time in a Major Championship at the 2008 U.S. Open Championship where he finished tied for ninth. For the rest of the year Brandt Snedeker (USA) struggled to maintain his early season consistency and did not record another top ten finish for the season. Brandt Snedeker (USA) made nineteen of twenty six cuts on the year and recorded five top-ten finishes, seven top twenty five finishes and earned US $1,531,442 while finishing thirty fourth in the FedEx Cup standings. Brandt Snedeker (USA) struggled in 2009, making only fourteen of twenty six cuts and failing to make the cut in nine of his first twelfth tournaments. His play improved in the summer as he had two consecutive top five finishes, a tie for fifth place at the AT&T National, and a tie for second place at the John Deere Classic. These were followed by two more top five finishes at the RBC Canadian Open and the Wyndham Championship. Despite this mid season form he missed the cut in all four of the years Major Championships. One factor contributing to Brandt Snedeker's (USA) uneven play in 2009 was his health. He missed seven consecutive tournaments in the middle of the season due to a rib injury. Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished the season fifty fifth on the money list. Brandt Snedeker (USA) started the 2010 season well with a top ten finish at the Bob Hope Classic which he then followed up with a runner-up finish at the Farmers Insurance Open. Brandt Snedeker (USA) played consistently throughout the early season making eight consecutive cuts through to April. However he then missed five of his next seven cuts and did not record a single top twenty five finish until the U.S. Open Championship where Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished in a tie for eighth place at Pebble Beach Golf Links, his best ever finish in the U.S. Open Championship. For the rest of season he played steadily and recorded two more top ten finishes at the Wyndham Championship and the end of season playoff event the Deutsche Bank Championship. Brandt Snedeker (USA) ended the year forty eighth on the money list.

Brandt Snedeker (USA) had an inconsistent start to the 2011 PGA Tour season missing his first cut at the Bob Hope Classic, but followed that up with two consecutive top ten finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. This was then followed by a further two missed cuts and a withdrawal from the Honda Classic to attend the birth of his first child. He returned to the tour with a fourth place finish at the Transitions Championship and then at the year's first major championship, the Masters Tournament finished in a tie for fifteenth. The following week Brandt Snedeker (USA) had a chance to win his second USPGA Tour title at the Valero Texas Open but made a number of mistakes on the back nine on Sunday which cost him victory, eventually finishing alone in fourth. Brandt Snedeker (USA) won his second USPGA Tour title at The Heritage, beating Luke Donald (England) in a sudden-death playoff at the third extra hole. Brandt Snedeker (USA) shot a seven-under-par round of 64 to recover from six shots back on the Sunday to tie Luke Donald (England). The first two extra holes were parred by both players, but when Luke Donald's (England) par chip missed on the third extra hole, Brandt Snedeker (USA) sealed the win. This victory took Brandt Snedeker (USA) to thirty eighth in the world rankings. In November 2011, Brandt Snedeker (USA) underwent elective surgery on his right hip in order to fix a degenerative issue. This sidelined him for six to eight weeks at the end of year; however Bradnt Snedeker (USA) confirmed he wished to have surgery at this stage in order to be fully fit for the 2012 season. Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished the season fourteenth on the money list.

Brandt Snedeker (USA) won his third USPGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He started the day seven shots behind the leader Kyle Stanley (USA), but after firing a final round 67 he was the leader in the clubhouse while the final group completed its rounds. Kyle Stanley (USA) had a three stroke lead coming to the final hole, but pitched his third shot into the water resulting in a triple bogey eight to take the tournament to a playoff. After both players made birdie on the first extra hole, Brandt Snedeker (USA) prevailed with an up-and-down for par on the second hole after Kyle Stanley (USA) missed his par putt. Brandt Snedeker (USA) entered the top twenty in the Official World Golf Ranking after his win. Brandt Snedeker (USA) had to withdraw from the 2012 U.S. Open Championship due to a rib injury. During a practice round for the 2012 Open Championship, Brandt Snedeker (USA) holed a driver from the tee on the sixteenth hole, a 336-yard par four. In the championship itself, he scored 66 and 64 in the first two rounds to equal the lowest 36 hole score in the tournament by Nick Faldo (England) in 1992. Brandt Snedeker (USA) finished with rounds of 73 and 74 to share third place with Tiger Woods (USA) at three under par, four shots behind the winner, Ernie Els (RSA). Brandt Snedeker (USA) won the 2012 FedEx Cup and the US $10 million prize after winning the Tour Championship.

Brandt Snedeker (USA) began his 2013 USPGA Tour season with three top-3 finishes in his first four tournaments: third at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open, and solo second at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He then won in his fifth start of the year, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and moved up to a career-high fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking. He pulled out of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship the following week, citing a rib injury. He was later diagnosed with "low bone turnover" and began taking daily injections to increase his bone mass. He had top ten finishes at the Masters Tournament (tied for sixth), the Players Championship (tied for eighth), and the AT&T National (tied for eighth), before winning his second tournament of the season at the RBC Canadian Open. Brandt Snedeker (USA) spent the entire 2013 USPGA Tour season inside the top ten of the World Golf Rankings.

Brandt Snedeker (USA) had only three top ten finishes on the tour in 2014, with a best finish of tied for fifth at the Wyndham Championship. He finished eighty sixth on the FedEx Cup points list and sixtieth on the money list. After a winless and disappointing 2014 including lots of missed cut and rare top-ten, Brandt Snedeker (USA) worked in the off-season with his coach Butch Harmon to find new sensation in his swing and especially new mental strength. This hard work finally paid off at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where Brandt Snedeker (USA) won for the second time in three years with the score of twenty two, three strokes ahead of Nick Watney (USA). This was the seventh USPGA Tour title for Brandt Snedeker (USA) and the victory lifted him back in the top fifty in the World Ranking. Brandt Snedeker (USA) was back to his consistent ways in the 2015 USPGA Tour season with frequent places in the top ten of events. Three ties for tenth occurred early in the season at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, WGC-HSBC Champions, and the Waste Management Phoenix Open. After missing the cut at both the 2015 Masters Tournament and The Players Championship, Brandt Snedeker (USA), finished tied for second at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, tied for sixth at the AT&T Byron Nelson and solo eighth at the U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay. Brandt Snedeker resides in Nashville with his wife Mandy and his children Lily and Austin who were born in 2011 and 2012. He currently works with instructor Butch Harmon. His brother, Hayes Snedeker, won The Big Break X: Michigan, and earned a shot at Q school and the USPGA Tour. 

Brandt Snedeker (USA) has also achieved seven top ten finishes in Major Championships with his equal best being tied for third in the 2008 Masters Tournament and tied for third in the 2012 Open Championship. He has also represented Team USA against Team Europe in the 2012 Ryder Cup and he has also represented Team USA against Team International in the 2013 Presidents Cup which Team USA won. Let’s hope he can win his ninth USPGA Tour Event in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and perhaps win his maiden Major Championship? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Coming in solo second position at 283-5 after seventy two holes was K.J. Choi (South Korea); he earned US $702,000 for his efforts and moved to nineteenth position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $739,089 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty second position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 347 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 first three rounds that were all at par and under par especially his first round 68-4 and his second round 67-5!! But he will be disappointed with his final round 76+4 even though it was two better than the scoring average for the day in the extremely tough scoring conditions. But he can take a lot of heart out of this performance at the age of forty five in the twilight years of his career. Choi Kyung-Jug (South Korea) (Korean: 최경주, pronounced [tɕʰwe ɡjʌŋdʑu]; born 19 May 1970), commonly known as K. J. Choi (South Korea), is a South Korean professional golfer who currently plays on the USPGA Tour. Since turning pro in 1994, he has won a total of twenty professional golf tournaments worldwide, including eight on the USPGA Tour, making him Asia's most successful golfer. His most notable victory came at the 2011 Players Championship, and he has spent forty weeks in the top ten of the world rankings. After establishing his career on the Asian Tour, where he picked up his first professional win at the 1996 Korean Open, and the Japan Golf Tour, where he won twice in 1999, K.J. Choi (South Korea) qualified for membership of the U.S.-based USPGA Tour by finishing tied thirty fifth at the 1999 qualifying tournament. He was the first Korean to earn a USPGA Tour card. In his rookie season in 2000 he finished 134th on the money list and had to requalify, but since 2001 he has been a consistent performer on the tour. In 2002 he became the first Korean to win on the USPGA Tour at the Compaq Classic of New Orleans, and followed it up with another victory at the Tampa Bay Classic later that year. In 2003 he won the Linde German Masters on the European Tour, his first and only win to date on the European Tour. K.J. Choi (South Korea) won Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament in 2007. He mentioned on CBS during the AT&T National that he read Jack Nicklaus's "Golf My Way" book early in his golf career, which assisted him in becoming the golfer he is today. K.J. Choi (South Korea) won the first AT&T National hosted by Tiger Woods (USA) at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. The trophy is a small replica of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC. He made a spectacular sand trap shot on the seventeenth hole for a birdie to clinch the win over Steve Stricker (USA) by three shots. K.J. Choi (South Korea) was a crowd favourite and threw his golf ball into the crowd after holing his sand shot on the seventeenth hole. In August 2007 he reached the top ten of the world rankings for the first time. In January 2008, K.J. Choi (South Korea) won the Sony Open in Hawaii and rose to world number seven. In March 2008, K.J. Choi (South Korea) reached fifth place in the rankings. After his seven USPGA Tour victory at the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii, K.J. Choi (South Korea) donated US $320,000 of his earnings to the victims' families of a warehouse fire in Seoul, South Korea, which killed over forty people. 

K.J. Choi (South Korea) won his fourth title on the Asian Tour in Malaysia in 2009 at the Iskandar Johor Open, which was reduced to three rounds due to inclement weather. In May 2011, K.J. Choi (South Korea) won The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in a playoff against David Toms (USA). K.J. Choi (South Korea) had a one shot lead going down the eighteenth hole in regulation time, but David Toms (USA) made birdie while K.J. Choi (South Korea) could only chip and putt for a par taking it to a sudden-death playoff. Both players found the green at the first extra hole, the par three, seventeenth, and then missed with their attempted birdie efforts. David Toms (USA) however also missed the return four footer for par leaving K.J. Choi (South Korea) with a three-foot par putt to seal victory. This to date is the South Korean's biggest USPGA Tour victory. Following his win, K.J. Choi (South Korea) donated US $200,000 to help victims of the tornados that ravaged the south-eastern United States in April. K.J. Choi (South Korea) represented South Korea in the WGC-World Cup in 2002, 2003, and 2005, and was a member of the International Team in the Presidents Cup in 2003, 2007, and 2011. K.J. Choi (South Korea) was born in Wando, South Korea. He currently resides in Southlake, Texas, near fellow South Korean PGA Tour player Yang Yong-eun. He is a devout Christian and member of the Korean United Methodist Church. He has donated much of his money to charity through the K.J. Choi Foundation. Before picking up golf K.J. Choi (South Korea) was a competitive power lifter, being able to squat 350 pounds (159 kg) as a 95-pound (43 kg) thirteen-year-old teenager, thus aptly nicknamed "Tank" by South Koreans. He has won eight USPGA Tour events to date so far with his most recent being the 2008 Players Championship. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships to date so far with his best finish being solo third at the 2004 Masters Tournament. He has also achieved three top ten finishes to date so far in WCG – Events with his best finishes being tied for sixth at the 2003 Cadillac Championship. Let’s hope he can achieve his ninth win in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. I wish him all the best for the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Rounding out the top three in solo third position at 284-4 after seventy two holes was Kevin Steelman (USA); he earned US $442,000 for his efforts and moved to twenty second position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $713,210 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 190 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to nineteenth position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 368 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 week. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all at par and under par especially his 69-3s in the first and second rounds!! And he will be sort of happy with how he played his final round 74+2 in the extremely difficult conditions especially his front nine 36 even par!! But disappointed with his back nine 38+2. But all in all he will be happy with his best finish on the USPGA Tour for the season to date!! And he will gain a lot of confidence out of this performance. Kevin Streelman (USA) (born November 4, 1978) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. Born in Winfield, Illinois, Kevin Streelman (USA) graduated from Wheaton Warrenville South High School in 1997 and Duke University in 2001, and is a member of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Kevin Streelman (USA) turned professional in 2001. He played college golf at Duke with fellow USPGA Tour member Leif Olson (USA). Kevin Streelman's (USA) first year on the USPGA Tour was 2008, after he finished fourteenth at the 2007 qualifying school. He has kept his place on Tour every year since then, through 2014. He tied for the lead after the first round of the U.S. Open Championship in 2008, and entered the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in March 2009. In his 153rd USPGA Tour start in March 2013, Kevin Streelman (USA) gained his first victory at the Tampa Bay Championship. He won his second in June 2014 at the Travelers Championship, one stroke ahead of runners-up K. J. Choi (South Korea) and Sergio García (Spain). Kevin Streelman (USA) set a USPGA Tour record by closing out his final round with seven consecutive birdies. His best finishes in a Major Championship are tied for twelfth at the 2013 PGA Championship and tied for twelfth at the 2015 Masters Tournament. He also represented Team USA at the 2013 World Cup of Golf in Melbourne, Australia when Team USA finished second; his playing partner was Matt Kuchar (USA). Let’s hope he can achieve his third USPGA Tour title in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup. 

Danny Lee (NZL) was the best New Zealand Golfer in the field and he scored a good first round of 71-1 which included a good front nine of 35-1 which included birdies on the par four, second hole and par four, fourth hole and a lone bogey on the par three, third hole and then he played an average back nine of 36 even par with birdies coming on the par four, tenth hole and par five, eighteenth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par three, twelfth hole and par four, sixteenth hole and then a good second round of 72 even par which included a very good front nine of 34-2 with birdies on the par four, first hole, par four, fourth hole and par four, seventh hole and a poor lone bogey on the par three, third hole and a poor back nine of  38+2 with a lone birdie on the par four, tenth hole and poor bogeys on the par five, thirteenth hole, par four, fifteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and a good third round of 72 even par  where he scored a good front nine of 35-1 with a birdies on the par four, fifth hole, par five, sixth hole and par three, eighth hole and poor bogeys on the par four, first hole and par five, ninth hole and then a poor back nine of 37+1 with birdies on the par four, seventeenth hole and par five, eighteenth hole but he had a poor lone bogey par four, fifteenth hole and a shocking double bogey on the par four, fourteenth hole and a terrible final round of 80+8 which was played in extremely windy and rainy conditions where the scoring average for the day was in the high 70s!! He scored a shocking front nine of 42+6 which included a lone birdie on the par five, ninth hole and bogeys on the par four, first hole and par four, seventh hole and shocking lone double bogey on the par three, third hole and a terrible triple bogey on the par four, fifth hole and then he scored a poor back nine of 38+2 which included and poor bogeys on the par four, twelfth hole and par five, eighteenth hole for a seventy two hole total of 295+7 and he finished in tied for fifty eighth position. He earned US $14,365 for his efforts and moved to ninety fifth position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $196,566 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned twelve FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for 108th position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 111 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 withdrawn from one event and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all at par and under par especially his first round 71-1!! But he will be mad with his final round that was a terrible 80+8 in shocking conditions and also angry with his front nine 42+6 in the final round which was extremely disappointing!!  His next event will likely be at the Waste Management Phoenix Open next week. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Tim Wilkinson (NZL) who recently regained his 2015/16 USPGA Tour card at the Web.com Tour Finals was the other New Zealand Golfer in the field and he scored a poor first round of 75+3 which included a poor front nine of 37+1 with birdies coming on the par five, first hole and par five, ninth hole and poor bogeys coming on the par four, second hole, par four, seventh hole and par four, eighth hole and a poor back nine of  38+2 with a lone birdie coming on the par four, eighteenth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par three, twelfth hole, par five, fourteenth hole and par four, sixteenth hole and a poor second round of 74+2 which included a poor front nine of 38+2 which included birdies on the par three, third hole and par five, sixth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, first hole and par four, fourth hole and a terrible double bogey six on the par four, seventh hole and then he scored a good back nine of 36 even par with birdies on the par four, tenth hole and par four, fourteenth hole but he had poor bogeys on the par four, twelfth hole and par four, seventeenth hole for a thirty six hole total of 149+5 and he missed the cut by six shots and the first time this season having made his first five cuts. He moved to 143rd position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $97,127 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He moved to 114th position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 104 points earned from the six events he has played in to date so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be disappointed with his two over par rounds this week especially his first round 75+3 which put him a long way off the pace and his second round 74+2 which included a front nine of 38+2!!. Let’s hope he can continue to make more cuts in the early 2016 part of 2015/16 USPGA Tour season. His next event will likely be the Waste Management Phoenix Open next week. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads to the State of Arizona for the one and only time this season for the Waste Management Phoenix Open (which is the third of five events in the West Coast Swing) and it is played on the TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona. It carries a huge prize of US $6,500,000 for the taking. Brooks Koepka (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL) will gain a start if he chooses to play and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) will be hopeful for a start. It also is famous for its par three, sixteenth hole which is fully enclosed by corporate boxes and the fans give the players some friendly banter and jeering!! It starts on Thursday 4th February and 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 coming in at Number One Position for the nineteenth week of his career is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off  his solo second position at the SMBC Singapore Open this past week and his tied for fifth position one week ago at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with 12.12 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Rory McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his tied for third position one week ago at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship and also his win ten weeks ago at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and the Race to Dubai title for a third time in his career with 10.32 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh off his missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open this past week and his tied for tenth position three weeks ago at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with 10.21 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Rickie Fowler (USA) who is fresh off his missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open this past week and his win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship one week ago with 7.74 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official World Ranking Points list standings this week is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for tenth position three weeks ago at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and also his tied for fifteenth position at the Thailand Golf Championship seven weeks ago with 7.49 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his fortieth sixth week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after finishing in tied for fifty eighth position at the Farmers Insurance Open this past week. This week he drops one place and falls to fortieth seventh position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.55 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember one of the keys to playing great golf is staying out of hazards and avoiding three putts!! 

Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com, golfchannel.com, ladieseuropeantour.com, asiantour.com, pgatourlive.co.nz