Golf Events from the Weekend 7th February 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 headed 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 was played on the TPC Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Arizona. It carried a huge prize of US $6,500,000 for the taking. Brooks Koepka (USA) was the defending champion and was keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL) was the only New Zealand Golfer in the field. 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 and this year it was just a hit as it always was!! And the crowd attendance was a USPGA Tour record that exceeded 600,000 for the four rounds!! And it was the golfer by the name of Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) who scored rounds of 65-6, 70-1, 68-3 and a final round of 67-4 for a seventy two hole total of 270-14 but he was tied on that score by Rickie Fowler (USA) who scored rounds of 65-6, 68-3, 70-1 and a final round of 67-4 for a seventy two hole total of 270-14 also. So those two players headed back to the par four, eighteenth hole for the first playoff hole.

 

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) tees off on the par three, sixteenth hole during the final round

So to the first playoff hole and both players were greeted on the par four, eighteenth hole by the USPGA Tour official and they choose a number from the tournament sponsor Waste Management CEOs hand and Rickie Fowler (USA) choose number one from the hand and teed off first. Rickie Fowler (USA) stuck a brilliant drive that landed in the middle right side of the fairway over 300 yards out. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) who choose number two from the hand and teed off second and he struck a very good drive as well that landed in the middle of fairway over 300 yards out and just behind Rickie Fowler’s (USA) ball. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) played his second shot first with his short wedge. He struck a very good shot with his short wedge that came to rest on the green left of the flag stick leaving a twenty foot putt for his birdie. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his second shot next with his short wedge and he caught it slightly heavy and it didn’t make the green and rolled down the slope at the front leaving him a tricky chip for his third to get up and down for his par. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his tricky chip shot for his third shot and he choose to bump and run it in to bank and it rolled out to near perfection coming to rest a foot from the pin and he tapped in for his par four. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) now knew he could win the tournament if he could hole his twenty foot birdie putt. He put a good stroke on it but it just missed to the right hand side and he tapped in for his par four. So those two players headed back to the par four, eighteenth hole for the second playoff hole. 

 

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) pumps his fist after holing the birdie putt on the 72nd hole to make the playoff!!

So to the second playoff hole which was the par four, eighteenth hole. Rickie Fowler (USA) teed off first and again struck a very good drive that landed right in the centre of the fairway over 300 yards out leaving a short wedge shot to the green. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) teed off second and again struck a very good drive that landed right in the centre of the fairway over 300 yards out just behind Rickie Fowler’s (USA) ball leaving just a short wedge shot to the green. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) played his short wedge shot for his second first and struck a good shot that went straight over the flag stick and came to rest eight feet past the pin leaving him a very good chance at birdie. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his second shot with his short wedge next and it landed pin high and spun on the second bounce to come to rest ten feet past the pin. Rickie Fowler (USA) putted for his birdie first and put a very good stroke on it and it rolled right into the centre of the cup for his birdie three and he put the pressure right back on Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) to hole his birdie putt to extend the playoff to a third hole. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) steadied himself and put a brilliant stroke on his eight foot birdie putt and it rolled right in the centre of the cup for his birdie and the playoff moved on to the third playoff hole!!

So to the third playoff hole which was the par four, tenth hole. Rickie Fowler (USA) teed off first and he struck a poor drive which he pulled down the left hand side into the rough but it sat up in a good lie. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) who teed off second struck a brilliant drive that started straight down the centre of the fairway with a slight fade and left him with just a short iron to the green. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his second shot first from the left rough and he caught it slightly thin and it landed over the green in the rough leaving a very difficult chip shot to get up and down. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) played his second shot next with his short iron and it landed on the green pin high to the back left pin placement and rolled out and came to rest about thirty feet past the pin for his birdie. Rickie Fowler (USA) played his difficult chip shot from the rough at the back of the green next for his third. He didn’t quite get the contact he liked and it came up ten feet short of the pin. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) now had his second chance to win the tournament with a birdie putt from thirty feet and he struck an aggressive putt that almost went in as it shaved the left hand edge of the cup but rolled on leaving a tricky five foot putt for his par. Ricky Fowler (USA) now stood over his ten foot putt for his par and put a brilliant stroke on it and it rolled right in the centre of the cup and now Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) knew he had to hole his five foot par putt to extend the playoff to a fourth hole. He calmed his nerves and put a very good stroke on it and it rolled right in the centre of the cup for his par four and the playoff was extended to a fourth hole. 

So to the fourth playoff hole which was the par four, seventeenth hole. Rickie Fowler (USA) teed off first and he choose three wood this time because in regulation play he hit what he thought was the perfect tee shot with his driver but he got a very hard bounce off his faded drive and it rolled right through the green into the water hazard at the back and he failed to get up and down for his par. But this time he hooked his three wood and it rolled into the hazard on the left just short of the green. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) now knew if he could just keep his ball dry he would have a great chance of making a birdie and winning the tournament. He struck a great three wood that had a slight fade on it and it came to rest just short of the green leaving him just a short chip for his second shot. Rickie Fowler (USA) after taking his drop from the hazard played his third shot chip, he hit a good chip under the circumstances which came to rest six feet short of the pin. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) now played his second shot chip next and hit an average chip shot that came up five feet short of the pin. Rickie Fowler (USA) now knew if he could hole his six foot par putt he could really put the pressure back on Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) who still had a five foot putt for his birdie. He put a good stroke on it but it missed on the right hand side and he marked it but knew he wouldn’t have to putt the bogey putt. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) now had two putts from five feet for the win and he put a very good stroke on it that just missed on the left hand side of the cup and it came to rest a foot from the cup and he easily tapped in for his par four to win his second USPGA Tour event of his career and his first Waste Management Phoenix Open!! He got a hand shake from Rickie Fowler (USA) and his caddie and then he got a hug and high five from his caddie!! Then he was interviewed by the NBC Sports/Golf Channel reporter through an interpreter because he doesn’t know much English. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) said to him “I am very happy and pleased to prevail and outlast Rickie Fowler (USA) in this playoff!!” 

 

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) on the left and Rickie Fowler (USA) on the right shake hands after Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) won on the fourth playoff hole!!

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) won US $1,170,000 for the win and moved to eight position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,523,333 earned from the five 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 seven events he has played to date this season so far. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to tenth position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 660 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far and he is 413 points behind the current leader of that list who is Kevin Kisner (USA) who has earned 1,073 points from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the win this past week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first round 65-6 which saw him tied for the lead and his final round 67-4 which was blemish free and got him into a playoff with Rickie Fowler (USA) and also how he played the four playoff holes at one under par and the par he made on the fourth playoff hole to secure the Waste Management Phoenix Open title!! He made twenty two birdies against seven bogeys in the seventy six holes he played this week!! 

 

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) lifts his arms in the air to acknowledge the crowd after outlasting Rickie Fowler (USA) in a four hole playoff!!

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) (松山 英樹 Matsuyama Hideki, born 25 February 1992) is a Japanese professional golfer, who at age eighteen won the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) was born in Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan. He has studied, since 2010, at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai. He won the 2010 Asian Amateur Championship with a score of 68-69-65-67=269. This gave him the chance to compete as an amateur in the 2011 Masters Tournament, becoming the first Japanese amateur to do so. At the Masters Tournament, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) was the leading amateur and won the Silver Cup, which is presented to the lowest scoring amateur. He was the only amateur to make the cut. A week after his victory, he finished in a tie for third at the Japan Open Golf Championship which is an event on the Japan Golf Tour.

In 2011, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) won the gold medal at the 2011 World University Games. He also led the Japan team to the gold medal in the team event. In October 2011, he successfully defended his title at the Asian Amateur Championship. In November, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) won the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour while still an amateur. In August 2012, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) reached number one in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) turned professional in April 2013 and won his second professional tournament, the 2013 Tsuruya Open on the Japan Golf Tour. Five weeks later, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) won his third title on the Japan Golf Tour at the Diamond Cup Golf tournament. Following a top ten finish at the 2013 U.S. Open, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) entered the top fifty of the Official World Golf Ranking. He won his fourth Japan Golf Tour event in September at the Fujisankei Classic. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) would win his fifth Japan Golf Tour event in December at the Casio World Open. The win also made Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) the first rookie to lead the Japan Tour's money list. 

 

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) poses with the Waste Management Phoenix Open Trophy he won!!

For 2014, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) qualified for the USPGA Tour through non-member earnings. In just seven USPGA Tour-sanctioned events, Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) had six top-twenty five finishes, including a tied for sixth at the 2013 Open Championship. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) earned his first USPGA Tour win at the 2014 Memorial Tournament, beating Kevin Na (USA) in a playoff and moving to a career-high OWGR ranking of thirteenth. The win was the first for a Japanese player since Ryuji Imada (Japan) in 2008. Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) would win his sixth Japan Golf Tour event late in the 2014 season. In November, the victory came at the Dunlop Phoenix in a playoff over Hiroshi Iwata (Japan). Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) finished fifth at the 2015 Masters Tournament, the best major finish of his career. And as I mentioned above he won his second USPGA Tour event this past week at the 2016 Waste Management Phoenix Open outlasting Rickie Fowler (USA) on the fourth playoff with a par. He has also achieved three top ten finishes in Major Championships in the thirteen Major Championships he has played in his young career to date so far with his best being solo fifth at the 2015 Masters Tournament which I mentioned above. He has represented Team International against Team USA in the 2013 and 2015 Presidents Cups. Let’s hope he can win his third event in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and perhaps it will be a Major Championship and become the first ever Japanese player to do so. 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 270-14 after seventy two holes and losing on the fourth playoff hole was Rickie Fowler (USA); he earned US $702,000 for his efforts and moved to fifteenth position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,109,832 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 fourteenth position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 506 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events Rickie Fowler (USA) 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 this week that were all under par especially his first round 65-6 which saw him tied for the lead!! But he will be just content with his third round 70-1 and extremely disappointed with how he played the par four, seventeenth hole in the final round when he had a two shot lead at the time and he thought he hit a perfectly fade drive that would roll into the middle of the green and leave him two putts for his birdie and maintain his lead heading the par four, seventy second hole but instead it rolled through the back of the green into the water hazard and he made a disappointing bogey!! And very disappointed with how he played the par four, seventeenth hole which was the fourth playoff hole where he put his three wood in the water hazard on the left and failed to get up and down for his par to hand the tournament to Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)!! But even though he didn’t win he made one eagle, twenty birdies against eight bogeys in the seventy six holes he played this week. But he can take a lot of confidence out of this tournament and the form he displayed. Rick Yutaka Fowler (USA) (born December 13, 1988) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. He was the number one ranked amateur golfer in the world for 37 weeks in 2007 and 2008. On January 24, 2016 he reached a career high fourth in the Official World Golf Ranking following his victory in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. 

Born and raised in Murrieta, California, Rickie Fowler (USA) attended Murrieta Valley High School. For years, he played only on a driving range and is almost entirely self-taught. In his senior year in high school, Rickie Fowler (USA) won the SW League Final with a total score of 64-69=133, and led his team to the state final in 2007. After high school he attended Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. He posted his first collegiate victory at the Fighting Illini Invitational hosted by the University of Illinois on October 1, 2007, by shooting a 203 (70-63-70) to win the tournament by one stroke. In the summer of 2005, Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Western Junior and competed in the U.S. Amateur, where he was defeated by the eventual champion Richie Ramsay (Scotland). In 2006, Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a 137 for two rounds at the U.S. Junior Amateur and was knocked out in the second round of match play. The championship was won by Philip Francis (USA). Rickie Fowler (USA) represented the United States in its victory at the 2007 Walker Cup. His record was 2–0 in foursomes and 1–1 in singles making his overall record 3–1. Billy Horschel (USA) was his partner for both of their foursome victories. That year Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Sunnehanna Amateur in June and the Players Amateur in July. In 2008, Rickie Fowler (USA) repeated as Sunnehanna Amateur champion. In the first round of the U.S. Open Championship, Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a −1 (70) and was in a tie for seventh place. He was one of three amateurs to make the cut, along with Derek Fathauer (USA) and Michael Thompson (USA). He ended the tournament tied for sixtieth. In October 2008 Rickie Fowler (USA) played on the Eisenhower Trophy team that finished second. He was the leading individual player. In 2009, Rickie Fowler (USA) made his second and last appearance in the Walker Cup. He won all four matches in which he played as the U.S. won by a seven-point margin. His partner in both foursomes matches was Bud Cauley (USA). He also finished third in the Sunnehanna Amateur in 2009. Rickie Fowler (USA) was given the 2008 Ben Hogan Award. 

In 2009, Rickie Fowler (USA) had the first runner-up finish of his career on the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational losing in a playoff to Derek Lamely (USA). After the Walker Cup, Rickie Fowler (USA) turned professional and played the Albertsons Boise Open on the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) for his pro debut. In September 2009, it was announced that Rickie Fowler (USA) signed a multi-year equipment deal with Titleist. He has since signed a deal with Rolex. Rickie Fowler's (USA) first USPGA Tour event as a professional was the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open where he finished tied for seventh. His second USPGA Tour event was at the Frys.com Open played at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. He finished tied for second after losing to Troy Matteson (USA) in a three-way playoff that included Jamie Lovemark (USA). Rickie Fowler's (USA) score of eighteenth-under-par included a hole-in-one on the fifth hole in his final round. Rickie Fowler (USA) also notched an eagle in each of his four rounds. In November, he finished tied for second with D. A. Points (USA), two shots behind the winner Mark Brooks (USA) in the Pebble Beach Invitational an unofficial money event on the USPGA Tour. In December 2009, Rickie Fowler (USA) successfully gained his USPGA Tour card for 2010 through qualifying school, finishing tied for fifteenth. 

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

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

In May 2012, Rickie Fowler (USA) won the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. Replaying the eighteenth hole, he defeated Rory McIlroy (NIR) and D. A. Points (USA) with a birdie to gain his first USPGA Tour win. Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a 69 (−3) in the final round to finish in a three-way tie after seventy two holes at Quail Hollow Club. This win enabled Rickie Fowler (USA) to break the top-twenty five in the world, placing him at number twenty four. The following week at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Rickie Fowler (USA) played the final hole at eleven under par and had a birdie opportunity to bring him within one of leader and eventual winner Matt Kuchar (USA). Rickie Fowler (USA), however, pushed his putt to the right and finished in a tie for second, his fifth second-place finish of his career. In 2013 Rickie Fowler (USA) finished runner-up in the Australian PGA Championship. He finished tied for second with Cameron Percy (Australia) and Jack Wilson (Australia), four shots behind the tournament winner Adam Scott (Australia).

After a tie for fifth at the Masters Tournament in April, Rickie Fowler (USA) had his best finish of 2014 at the U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. Rickie Fowler (USA) was runner-up with Erik Compton (USA) at one under par, best finishes for both at a major championship, but they were eight strokes behind champion Martin Kaymer (Germany). Rickie Fowler (USA) had another second-place finish at the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. He began the final round six strokes behind Rory McIlroy (NIR) and finished the day tied for second with Sergio García (Spain) at −15, two strokes behind Rory McIlroy (NIR). At the next major in August, the PGA Championship, Rickie Fowler (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), and Rory McIlroy (NIR) battled for the title on a rain-soaked Valhalla Golf Club, near Louisville. Despite holding the lead for a good portion of the day, Rickie Fowler (USA) tied for third. He was only the third player, along with Jack Nicklaus (USA) and Tiger Woods (USA), to have finished in the top five in all four majors in one calendar year, but the first not to win (Jordan Spieth (USA) became the fourth player in 2015). Rickie Fowler (USA) had ten top-ten finishes during the 2013–14 USPGA season. His eighth-place finish at The Tour Championship moved him to tenth in the world golf rankings.

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

After finishing fifth in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, Rickie Fowler (USA) claimed his first victory of 2016 in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on the European Tour. He shot a final round of 69 to finish one clear of Belgium's Thomas Pieters (Belgium). Rickie Fowler (USA) resides in Jupiter, Florida, relocating from Las Vegas following the 2010 season. Rickie Fowler's (USA) middle name, Yutaka, comes from his maternal grandfather, who is Japanese. His maternal grandmother is Navajo Native American. On the final day of a golf tournament Rickie Fowler (USA) wears orange in honour of Oklahoma State University. Rickie Fowler (USA) is one of four golfers in the "Golf Boys" group along with fellow USPGA Tour players Ben Crane (USA), Bubba Watson (USA) and Hunter Mahan (USA). The Golf Boys released a YouTube video of the song "Oh Oh Oh" on the eve of the 2011 U.S. Open. Farmers Insurance is donating US $1,000 for every 100,000 views of the video. The charitable proceeds will support both Farmers and Ben Crane (USA) charitable initiatives. In 2012, Rickie Fowler (USA) filmed a commercial for Crowne Plaza Hotels entitled "It's Good to be Rickie" with golf commentator Ian Baker Finch. He was featured in an ESPN "This is SportsCenter" commercial with sportscaster John Anderson in 2013. On November 28, 2015, Rickie Fowler (USA) was the guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay. Rickie Fowler (USA) attends weekly Bible studies on tour. Rickie Fowler (USA) has two tattoos. One is a block "G" near his left elbow in honour of Georgia Veach, the daughter of a Seattle pastor and friend. Georgia was diagnosed with lissencephaly. Rickie Fowler (USA) got the tattoo just before the 2015 Presidents Cup. The second is from January 2016 and contains the name Yutaka Tanaka (Rickie's grandfather) in Japanese script on his left bicep. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships to date so far and his best finishes to date so far are tied for second at the 2014 U.S. Open and 2014 Open Championship. I feel this will be the year he wins his maiden Major Championship perhaps at the Masters Tournament in April. He has also achieved eight top ten finishes in WGC – Events to date so far with his best finish being tied for tied for second at the 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He has also represented Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 Ryder Cups against Team Europe. He also represented Team USA at the 2015 Presidents Cup against Team International which Team USA won. Let’s hope he can achieve his fourth win on the USPGA Tour in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup season. 

Coming in solo third position at 272-12 after seventy two holes was Harris English (USA); he earned US $442,000 for his efforts and moved to twenty ninth position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $629,199 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 twenty fifth position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 352 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 six cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his final round 66-5!! But he will be just content with his third round 71 even par. And he played some very good golf this week with achieving twenty birdies against eight bogeys. A few less mistakes and he could well have been holding the trophy. Harris English (England) (born July 23, 1989) is an American professional golfer and currently a member of the USPGA Tour. Born in Valdosta, Georgia, Harris English (USA) attended The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee for high school, graduating in 2007. While at Baylor, Harris English (USA) won a 2005 Tennessee individual state title and won four Tennessee team state titles from 2004-07. Committing as a high school junior to the University of Georgia in Athens, Harris English (USA) played on the Bulldog golf team and graduated in 2011 with a business degree. As an amateur, Harris English (USA) played in two Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour) events 2011: the Stadion 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 (English) 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 seventy fifith on the Nationwide Tour's (Now Web.com Tour) money list. In December, Harris English (USA) earned his USPGA Tour card for 2012 by finishing in a tie for thirteenth at the USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. 

As a USPGA Tour rookie in 2012, Harris English (USA) made twenty two of twenty seven cuts with three top ten finishes, and earned over US $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. Later in the year, Harris English (USA) won for the second time at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. A final round 65 taking him to a four stroke win over Brian Stuard (USA). In February 2015, Harris English (England) held the co-lead at the fifty four-hole stage of the Farmers Insurance Open, alongside J. B. Holmes (USA). In the final round, he made a birdie at the seventy second hole to join a four-man sudden-death playoff with J.B Holmes (USA), Jason Day (Australia) and Scott Stallings (USA). At the first playoff hole, Harris English (USA) played his lay-up into the thick rough and could only make par on the par-five eighteen hole, where he was eliminated alongside Scott Stallings (USA). His best result in a Major Championship is tied for fifteenth at the 2013 Open Championship. Let’s hope he can achieve his third win in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season. 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 fourth position at 273-11 after seventy two holes was Danny Lee (NZL) who was the only New Zealand Golfer in the field and he scored a very good first round of 67-4 which had him only two shots out of the lead and included a good front nine of 34-1 which included birdies on the par four, first hole and par four, sixth hole and a lone bogey on the par four, ninth hole and then he scored an excellent back nine of 33-3 with birdies coming on the par four, eleventh hole, par five, fifteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and then an excellent second round of 66-5 which saw him only one shot behind the thirty sixth hole leader and included a good front nine of 34-1 with birdies on the par five, third hole and par three, seventh hole and a poor lone bogey on the par four, fifth hole and a brilliant back nine of 32-4 with a birdies on the par four, eleventh hole, par five, thirteenth hole, par five, par five, fifteenth hole, par three, sixteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and a poor lone bogey on the par four, eighteenth hole and a very good third round of 67-4 which saw him take a three shot lead into the final round and saw him score an excellent front nine of 31-4 with a birdies on the par four, second hole, par five, third hole, par three, fourth hole and par four, eighth hole and then a good back nine of 36 even par with birdies on the par five, thirteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole but he had a poor bogeys on the par four, eleventh hole and par five, fifteenth hole and a terrible final round of 73+2 which he carried his first fifty four hole lead into it of his career to date so far. He scored a shocking front nine of 38+3 which included poor bogeys on the par four, second hole, par five, third hole and par three, seventh hole and then he scored a good back nine of 35-1 which included birdies on the par four, tenth hole, par five, fifteenth hole and par four, seventeenth hole and poor bogeys on the par three, twelfth hole and par four, fourteenth hole for a seventy two hole total of 273-11 and he finished in solo fourth position. He earned US $312,000 for his efforts and moved to thirty ninth position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $508,566 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 135 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to forty sixth position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 246 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 withdrawn from one event and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his first, second and third rounds that were all in the mid 60s and saw him take a three shot lead into the final round especially his second round 66-5!! But he will be mad with his final round that was a terrible 73+2 and also angry with his front nine in the final round which was 38+3 and extremely disappointing!! But he will be happy with his back nine 35-1 that ensured he achieved a top four finish and especially pleased with how he played his final four holes on the back nine two under par!! And his 73+2 in the final round was the highest score of all the players that finished inside the top ten. It was the first time in his USPGA Tour career he has taken the fifty four hole lead into the final round and he must of been feeling a little nervous early on in the final round. But he must move on now and he will be better for it next time he is in this position. He made twenty one birdies this week but he ten bogeys as well!! His next event will likely be at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro – Am 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.

 

Danny Lee (NZL) looks on after he struck a putt during the final round

Danny Jin-Myung Lee (NZL) (이진명) (born 24 July 1990) is a New Zealand professional golfer. Danny Lee (NZL) was born in Incheon, South Korea, and immigrated to New Zealand at the age of eight. He became a naturalized New Zealander  on 2 September 2008 at Rotorua, where he attended Rotorua Boys' High School. In the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season, Danny Lee (NZL) finished third at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. In the spring, he finished seventh at the Valspar Championship and tenth at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He won his first USPGA Tour event in July at the Greenbrier Classic. The next week he finished fourth at the John Deere Classic. In August he finished fourth at the Quicken Loans National and sixth at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. With a runner-up finish at the Tour Championship, he finished ninth in the FedEx Cup standings. He has also won one event on the European Tour which came when he was still an Amateur at the 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic. His only win on the Web.com Tour came at the 2011 WNB Golf Classic. His best result in the four Major Championships he has played in to date so far is tied for forty third at the 2015 PGA Championship. He best result to date in a WGC – Event is tied for sixth at the 2015 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. And last year he represented Team International in the 2015 Presidents Cup against Team USA. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the coming weeks and perhaps win his second USPGA Tour event in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Rounding out the top five in solo fifth position at 274-10 after seventy two holes was Boo Weekley (USA); he earned US $260,000 for his efforts and moved to forty third position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $493,093 earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 110 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to forty eight position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 240 points earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. From the nine events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved two top ten finishes that includes the one this past week. And the amazing thing about this finish this past week is he had missed his previous three cuts!! He will be happy with his second and third rounds that were both in the 60s especially his third round 65-6!! But he will be just content with his first and final rounds that were both in the low 70s. But it was good to see him have a finish like this after missing his last three cuts!! Thomas Brent "Boo" Weekley (USA) (born July 23, 1973) is an American professional golfer who plays on the USPGA Tour. Born in Milton, Florida, Boo Weekley (USA) turned professional in 1997 and played on mini-tours until 2002, when he qualified for the USPGA Tour. He made the cut in only five of twenty four events that year, and lost his tour card. From 2003 through 2006, he played on the Nationwide Tour (Now Web.com Tour), finishing well enough in 2006 to again qualify for the USPGA Tour. His first victory came at the Verizon Heritage in April 2007. Boo Weekley's (USA) good form at the start of the 2007 season included two top ten finishes before his victory, after which he reached a new career high of fifty fifth in the Official World Golf Rankings. Later in 2007, he entered the top fifty of the rankings. He represented the United States at the 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup with Heath Slocum (USA) and finished in second place. In 2008, Boo Weekley (USA) successfully defended his title at the Verizon Heritage, and rose into the top twenty five of the rankings. Boo Weekley (USA) shot to prominence at the 2008 Ryder Cup, with a succession of virtuoso displays of superb golf including an emphatic 4&2 victory over Oliver Wilson (England) in final day Singles play. The final day was also notable however when Boo Weekley (USA) was filmed riding his driver "cowboy horse" style down the first fairway. Boo Weekley's (USA) nickname comes from Yogi Bear's sidekick, Boo Boo Bear. He failed out of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he studied turfgrass science. After only one year at Baldwin, where he played on the golf team, Boo Weekley (USA) returned home. He was hired as a hydroblaster at the Monsanto chemical plant in Pensacola, Florida where he would be lowered into large ammonia tanks to clean them. Boo Weekley (USA) began his professional career on the Developmental Players Tour (DP Tour) in Atlanta, Georgia a tour co-founded by Jack Slocum, father of fellow USPGA golfer and friend Heath Slocum (USA). Boo Weekley (USA) attended high school with Heath Slocum (USA) and they played together on the golf team. He lists Ben Hogan as his hero. In May 2013, Boo Weekley (USA) won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. Boo Weekley (USA) beat Matt Kuchar (USA) by one stroke to take his first win in five years. Boo Weekley (USA) has won three USPGA Tour events to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2007 Verizon Heritage; 2008 Verizon Heritage and 2013 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. His best finish to date in a Major Championship is tied for ninth at the 2007 PGA Championship. He only appearance to date for Team USA in the Ryder Cup against Team Europe was in 2008 and it was the last time Team USA beat Team Europe!! Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead on the USPGA Tour. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads back to the State of California for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro – Am (which is the fourth of five events in the West Coast Swing) and it is played on the Pebble Beach GL, Pebble Beach, California. It carries a huge prize purse of US $7,000,000 for the taking. Brandt Snedeker (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles and going for his third title in four years having won it in 2013 also. Danny Lee (NZL) will gain a start if he chooses to play and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) will be hopeful to gain a start. It is a different tournament where every professional plays with an amateur and some of the amateurs are famous sports stars from other sports, movie stars, big businessmen, etc. It starts on Thursday 11th February and I will report back 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 twentieth week of his career is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off  his solo second position at the SMBC Singapore Open one week ago and his tied for fifth position two weeks ago at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with 11.95 Official World Golf Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Rory McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his tied for sixth finish at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this past week and his tied for third position two weeks ago at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with 10.07 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 one week ago and his tied for tenth position four weeks ago at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions with 10.04 Official World Golf Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Rickie Fowler (USA) who is fresh off his solo second position this past week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and his missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open one week ago with 8.23 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official World Golf Ranking Points list standings this week is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his tied for sixth finish at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this past week and also his tied for third finish at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship two weeks ago with 7.32 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) this week is in his fortieth seventh week of another spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after finishing in solo fourth position at the Waste Management Phoenix Open this past week. This week he gains eleven places and rises to thirty sixth position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.83 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember when playing in the wind it is important to keep good tempo!!

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