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 headed to the east coast of America for the first time in the 2016
part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup and it was in the State of
Florida for the first of four events in what is known as the Florida Swing. The
first event was the Honda Classic and it was played on the Jack Nicklaus
designed PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. It
carried a huge prize purse of US $6,100,000 for the taking and attracted a high
quality field with Rickie Fowler (USA) and Rory McILroy (NIR) to name a few.
Padraig Harrington (Ireland) was the defending champion and was keen to defend
his title. It has a famous stretch of holes know as the “Bear Trap” which
starts at the par three, fifteenth hole and includes the par four, sixteenth
hole and finishes with the par three, seventeenth hole. All these three holes
have water hazards on them and these stretch of holes can destroy a players
round!! And it was the golfer by the name of Adam Scott (Australia) who scored
rounds of 70 even par, 65-5, 66-4 and a final round of 70 even par for a
seventy two hole total of 271-9 and he won by a single shot for his twelfth
USPGA Tour win of his career to date so far and his first in just over twenty
one month’s!! Adam Scott (Australia) won US $1,098,000 for the win and moved to
the top of the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US
$2,507,218 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so
far. Kevin Kisner (USA) is second on that list with US $2,362,171 earned from
the eight events he has played to date this season so far. Adam Scott
(Australia) also earned 500 FedEx Cup points for the win and moved to third
position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,058
points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far and
he is twenty five points behind the current leader of that list who is Brandt
Snedeker (USA) who has earned 1,083 points from the eight events he has played
to date this season so far. From the five events Adam Scott (Australia) has
played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved three top
ten finishes which includes the win this past week at the Honda Classic. He
will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par and under par
especially his second round 65-5 which was blemish free!! And also his third
round 66-4 which was the equal low round of the day and included eight birdies
and a horrific quadruple bogey seven on the par three, fifteenth hole!! He will
be content with his first and final rounds of 70 even par and they didn’t
prevent him from winning the tournament. And he was the first golfer in a long
time to win a USPGA Tour event with making a quadruple bogey!! This win will
give him the belief that he can get back to number one in the world like he was
in 2014.
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| Adam Scott (Australia) tees off on the seventeenth tee during the final round |
Adam Scott (Australia) played a great final round
under the circumstances of carrying the fifty four hole lead into it and he
scored 70 even par which included a front nine of 34-1 with birdies on the par
four, first hole and par three, fifth hole but he had a poor lone bogey on the
par four, ninth hole and made the turn at minus ten and was leading by a single
shot. Sergio Garcia (Spain) went out in 35 even par which included making nine
straight pars and made the turn at minus nine and was one shot behind the
leader.
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| Adam Scott (Australia) plays an iron shot during the final round |
Adam Scott (Australia) played holes ten to fourteen
in even par and that included a brilliant birdie on the par four, twelfth hole where
he put his short iron approach shot from the fairway bunker over the tree to
two feet from the flag stick. But he made a poor bogey on the par four, tenth
hole and he remained at minus ten and was still leading by a single shot. Sergio
Garcia (Spain) played holes ten to fourteen in even par which included a birdie
on the par four, fourteenth hole and a bogey on the difficult par four,
eleventh hole and he remained at minus nine and still one shot behind the
leader.
Adam Scott (Australia) played holes fifteen to
seventeen in one over par which included a three putt bogey on the par four,
sixteenth hole and he fell back to minus nine and was now leading by two shots
heading to the par five, seventy second tee. Sergio Garcia (Spain) played holes
fifteen to seventeen in two over par which included bogeys on the par four,
sixteenth hole and par three, seventeenth hole and he fell back to minus seven
and he was now two shots behind the leader heading to the par five, seventy
second tee.
Sergio Garcia (Spain) who was playing in the final
group with Adam Scott (Australia) knew he had to make an eagle if he was to
have any chance of forcing a playoff with Adam Scott (Australia). He hit a good
shot straight down the centre of the fairway on the par five, seventy second hole,
then he was left with 245 yards to carry the front right bunker where the pin
was situated just over it. He struck a poor shot with his fairway wood that
landed in the left rough pin high. But he managed to get up and down for his
birdie and finished minus eight for the seventy two holes and he was one shot
behind the winner. Adam Scott (Australia) who was playing in the final group
with Sergio Garcia (Spain) hit a brilliant tee shot down the par five, seventy
second hole that drew to the centre of the fairway. He choose to lay up to just
over 100 yards short of the green. Then he played a brilliant wedge shot in for
his third to fifteen feet left of the pin and easily too putted for the win. He
scored 36+1 on his back nine and finished the seventy two holes at minus nine
to win by a single shot!!
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| David Clark (Adam Scott's caddie) on the left and Adam Scott (Australia) on the right embrace after he holed the winning putt!! |
He got a huge hug from his caddie, David Clark, then
he was congratulated by Sergio Garcia (Spain) and his caddie!! Then he was interviewed by NBC Sports on
course reporter, Steve Sands and he said to Adam Scott (Australia) “We talked a
lot about what it was going to be like for you today, first time since January
first, after that anchoring the putter ban, everybody was talking about all
that, how do feel as if you reacted to the situation today on the greens?” Then
Adam Scott (Australia) replied “Well it was pretty good, I hit a lot of good
putts, not as many went in as yesterday, but this is a tough track, it hard to
get it close all the time, I played exceptional yesterday, so I had to kind of
reel in my expectations today, the pressure of Sunday, and I got off to a good
start, and made one on the first, and that definitely relaxed me, and you know
I hit a lot of good putts, some didn’t go in, fortunately it was enough in the
end” Then NBC Sports on course reporter said to Adam Scott (Australia) “How
quick of a start, getting that birdie at one, knowing it was pretty much you
and Sergio (Garcia) (Spain)) the entire day, what did that do to you to calm
yourself down a little bit?” And Adam Scott (Australia) replied “Well it is a
good feeling to just hit a putt and see it go in the hole, it is like any
round, but may be more so important at that point, and ah got off to really a
dream start to just kind of set the pace, and make sure it was me and Sergio
(Garcia) (Spain) for the whole day, and ask the question of anyone else, and ah
you know things got tough out there at times, but that is expected too, it is
such a tough track and the wind was slightly different today, but it was nice
to hit some good quality shots coming in and ah luckily for me it was just
enough”. Then NBC Sports on course
reporter Steve Stands said to Adam Scott (Australia) “We had a long
conversation in the Bahamas at the Hero World Challenge, about you being still
amongst the young guys but one of the older of the young guys, this is your
twelfth USPGA Tour victory, the most of anybody under the age of forty on the
USPGA Tour, what does this say about where you are right now with your game?”
and Adam Scott (Australia) replied “Well my game has come in to a real good
spot the back end of last year and now starting out this year, I’ve you know
been working hard to get it there, because it was slipping a little bit, it was
a bit lose last year, the consistency wasn’t there made some and ah made nice
progress in all areas, especially obviously noticeably on the greens and ah
paid of this week”.
Then NBC Sports on course reporter Steve Stands said to
Adam Scott (Australia) “Dan (Hicks) NBC Sports Golf Anchorman) was talking
about how difficult it is for you and other players to get married, have
children and balance working hard out here on the USPGA Tour, and also having a
family life at home, how has that transition taken place in the last few months
to enable you to get to this point right here to get that first victory in a
while?” Then Adam Scott (Australia) replied “Well it feels very good, Ah it has
only been a great transition, although certainly ah trying at times, trying to
balance everything on and off the golf course, and you know I have had a lot of
things changing over the past twelve months, that I think has really settled
down now, it is fantastic to feel like we have really got everything in the
family life under control and my wife and daughter very happy with everything
and we kind of have some idea what we are doing twelve months in now, I am sure
everyone knows how that feels and ah just looking forward to many now good
years there”. Then NBC Sports on course reporter Steve Stands said to Adam
Scott (Australia) “Caddie knows best, Daddy is also another winner on the USPGA
Tour”. And Adam Scott (Australia) replied “Steve (Sands) thanks so much
mate!!”.
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| Adam Scott (Australia) kisses the Honda Classic Trophy he won!! |
Adam Derek Scott
(Australia) (born 16 July 1980) is an Australian professional golfer who plays
mainly on the USPGA Tour. He was the World Number One ranked golfer, from
mid-May to August 2014. He has won twenty eight professional tournaments around
the world (three being unofficial money events), on many of golf's major tours.
His biggest win to date was the 2013 Masters Tournament, his first major
championship and the first Masters Tournament won by an Australian in its seventy
seven year history (At the time). Other significant wins include the 2004
Players Championship and the 2011 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He was the
runner-up in the 2012 Open Championship, leading by four strokes with four
holes to play before bogeying all of them to lose the title by a stroke to
Ernie Els (RSA).
Adam Scott (Australia) was born in Adelaide, South
Australia and moved with his family at the age of nine to the Sunshine Coast,
Queensland where he attended Matthew Flinders Anglican College. They then
settled on the Gold Coast, Queensland in 1993. Initially at The Southport
School, an Anglican boys' school on the Gold Coast, he completed his high
school education at The Kooralbyn International School, also on the Gold Coast,
where he undertook extra subjects in golf. He was a member of the Golf
Australia National Squad. He later attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
(UNLV), where he was initiated into the Sigma Chi fraternity. In April 2014, Adam
Scott (Australia) married Marie Kojzar, a Swedish architect, in a small
ceremony in the Bahamas. Adam Scott (Australia) and Kojzar had previously been
in a long-term relationship in the early to mid 2000s, before splitting up and
then reuniting in 2013. In February 2015 the couple announced the arrival of
their daughter, Bo Vera Scott, who was born at Pindara Private Hospital in
Queensland, Australia. He had previously been in a relationship with former
tennis World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic in 2010. They separated in September of that
year. The pair reunited in 2011, before splitting up one year later. Adam Scott
(Australia) is the touring professional at The Pines Golf Course Sanctuary
Cove, where he resides while in Australia, located on the Gold Coast,
Queensland. For tax purposes, Adam Scott (Australia) is resident in Switzerland.
Adam Scott (Australia) is also an avid surfer. Adam Scott (Australia) supports
the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League.
Adam Scott (Australia) won the Australian Boys'
Amateur in 1997 and 1998. He was a member of the Golf Australia National Squad.
Adam Scott (Australia) turned professional midway through the 2000 season after
some impressive performances early in the year on the European Tour. He earned
his card for the 2001 European Tour season in just eight starts as a
professional, his best result being a tie for sixth at the Linde German
Masters. Adam Scott (Australia) also made a handful of appearances on the USPGA
Tour but made only one cut in six events. Adam Scott's (Australia) playing
career took off in 2001, his first full year as a professional golfer, when he
won the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg, South
Africa for his very first professional title. This event was Adam Scott's (Australia)
first start of the year and was co-sanctioned by the European and Sunshine
Tours. He beat Justin Rose (England) to the title by one stroke. Adam Scott
(Australia) had three other top three finishes throughout the season and went
on to finish thirteenth in the Order of Merit in his first season. The
following year in 2002, Adam Scott (Australia) enjoyed a very successful
season, with two emphatic victories on the European Tour and a final position
of seventh on the Order of Merit. His first win of the year was a six-shot
victory at the Qatar Masters. Later in the year, Adam Scott (Australia) obliterated
the field in the Scottish PGA Championship, shooting a final round of 63 to win
by ten shots. This is still the biggest ever margin of victory he has achieved
in his career. In between these victories, Adam Scott (Australia) made his
debut at the Masters Tournament, where he finished a very respectable tied ninth.
In 2003, Adam Scott (Australia)
enjoyed a good run at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship where he went
all the way to the semi finals before losing to eventual champion Tiger Woods
(USA) on the nineteenth hole. He had previously beaten Bernhard Langer
(Germany), Rocco Mediate (USA), Kevin Sutherland (USA) and Jay Haas (USA) en
route to the semi's, before defeating fellow Australian Peter Lonard
(Australia) one up in the consolation match. In August 2003, Adam Scott (Australia)
won his fourth European Tour title at the Scandinavian Masters by two strokes
over Nick Dougherty (England). A month later he followed it up with his first
victory in the United States on the USPGA Tour at the inaugural Deutsche Bank
Championship. The win came in his thirty fourth career start on the USPGA Tour.
He shot a course record 62 in the second round to lead by two at the halfway
stage and went on to win by four from Rocco Mediate (USA). At the end of the
year he made his first appearance on the International team at the President's
Cup, contributing three points out of five, en route to a 17–17 tie.
Adam Scott (Australia)
had further success on the USPGA Tour in 2004 where he won the flagship event
of the tour, The Players Championship. Adam Scott (Australia) had held a two
stroke lead going down the eighteenth, but found the water hazard with his
approach to the green. However, he sealed the title with a forty yard up and
down, which included a ten footer for bogey to win by a shot from Pádraig
Harrington (Ireland). He became the youngest ever winner of The Players
Championship at twenty three years old. Three months later, Adam Scott
(Australia) collected this third USPGA Tour win, with victory at the Booz Allen
Classic. He equalled the tournament total record at twenty one under par to win
by four from Charles Howell III (USA).
Early in 2005 he won
the Nissan Open, but as the tournament was shortened to thirty six holes due to
heavy rain, it is not recognised as an official victory. Sharing the halfway
lead with Chad Campbell (USA), they played off to determine the winner, with
Adam Scott (Australia) winning on the first playoff hole. As a result, he
reached the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in
his career. He has since spent over 220 weeks in the top ten of the rankings.
Several months later, Adam Scott (Australia) won his fifth European Tour title
with victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Beijing, China. He shot a course
record 63 on the way to a three shot victory. Adam Scott (Australia) also won
the Singapore Open later in 2005 on the Asian Tour by seven strokes over Lee
Westwood (England). Adam Scott (Australia) played less frequently on the
European Tour from 2006 onwards, focusing more on the USPGA Tour. He had a
successful year, recording one victory alongside three runners up finishes and
three-third places. He finished tied third at the PGA Championship, which was
his best showing at a major championship. He then went on later in the year to
finish tied second at the WGC-American Express Championship, finishing eight
strokes behind Tiger Woods (USA). At the end of the year, Adam Scott
(Australia) won the season-ending Tour Championship by three strokes for his
fourth career USPGA Tour win and finished third on the USPGA Tour money list
for 2006. The 2007 season started for Adam Scott (Australia) with a second
place finish at the season opening Mercedes Benz Championship in Hawaii behind
Vijay Singh (Fiji). After this, Adam Scott (Australia) reached his career high
ranking of world number three. He then won for the fifth time on the USPGA
Tour, the week before the Masters Tournament, at the Shell Houston Open. After
hitting his tee shot into the water on the seventy second hole, he made a forty
eight foot par putt to seal a three stroke victory over Stuart Appleby
(Australia) and Bubba Watson (USA). He then played consistently for the rest of
the year, qualifying for all four FedEx Cup playoff events and finishing tenth
in the final standings.
In 2008 he played
enough events on the European Tour to qualify for playing on the Order of Merit
for the first time since 2005. Adam Scott (Australia) endured a somewhat
difficult season in 2008 with injury and illness, but he managed to win once on
each tour. In January 2008 he started off the year in fine style by winning his
sixth career title on the European Tour at the Qatar Masters. Adam Scott (USA)
carded a brilliant eleven under par final round of 61, which was both a course
record and personal best round. He started his final round three shots behind
the overnight leader and won the tournament by finishing three shots ahead of
Henrik Stenson (Sweden). In April 2008, Adam Scott (Australia) won the EDS
Byron Nelson Championship in a playoff against Ryan Moore (USA). Adam Scott
(Australia) holed a nine-foot putt to make the playoff on the seventy second
hole. The playoff started with Ryan Moore (USA) and Adam Scott (Australia)
making pars on the first two extra holes before Adam Scott (Australia) holed a
dramatic forty eight foot birdie putt at the third extra hole for the victory.
At the 2008 U.S. Open Championship, World Number One, Tiger Woods (USA), World Number
Two, Phil Mickelson (USA) and World Number Three, Adam Scott (Australia) were
all paired together in the first two rounds of the tournament. Tiger Woods (USA)
won in a playoff, Phil Mickelson (USA) finished in eighteenth, and Adam Scott
(Australia) finished in twenty sixth. He ended the year thirty ninth on the
money list. Adam Scott's (Australia) form dipped badly in 2009 as he dropped
out of the top fifty in the world rankings and finished the year outside of the
top 100 on the USPGA Tour money list. He finished 108th on the money list which
is his worst ever placing in his career. In nineteen events on the USPGA Tour,
he missed the cut ten times, with his only top ten finish coming at the Sony
Open in Hawaii in January. He did however win at the end of year in December at
his home championship, the Australian Open, for his first victory on home soil
in his career. Despite a quiet couple of years Adam Scott (Australia) won his
seventh career USPGA Tour title at the Valero Texas Open in May 2010,
prevailing in a thirty six hole long Sunday to finish one stroke ahead of Swede
Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden). It was Adam Scott's (Australia) first USPGA Tour
victory for two years. He qualified and played in all the FedEx Cup playoffs,
finishing twenty seventh at the Tour Championship. In November, Adam Scott (Australia)
won the Barclays Singapore Open for the third time in his career, having
previously triumphed in 2005 and 2006. It was also his seventh title on the
European Tour.
Adam Scott (Australia)
achieved his best finish at a major championship when he finished in a tie for
second place at the 2011 Masters Tournament alongside compatriot Jason Day
(Australia), two strokes behind the winner Charl Schwartzel (RSA). Adam Scott
(Australia) had held the sole lead of the tournament while playing the seventy
first hole, but four birdies in a row from Charl Schwartzel (RSA) meant Adam Scott
(Australia) fell short by two strokes. With Tiger Woods (USA) injured at the U.S.
Open Championship, and The Open Championship in 2011, Tiger Woods's (USA) caddy
Steve Williams caddied for Adam Scott (Australia). After Tiger Woods (USA)
fired Steve Williams on 20 July, Steve Williams became Adam Scott's (Australia)
permanent caddy. The two enjoyed their first win together on 7 August 2011 when
Adam Scott (Australia) triumphed at the 2011
WGC-Bridgestone Invitational,
earning him his first career World Golf Championship and eighth title overall
on both of the main tours. He beat Luke Donald (England) and Rickie Fowler (USA)
by four strokes after a bogey-free final round of 65, becoming the twentieth
different player to win a World Golf Championship event. Adam Scott (Australia)
returned to the world's top ten for the first time in over two years after his
win, re-entering at ninth. In attempting to become the first player to win a
major championship the week after winning a tour event since Tiger Woods (USA)
in 2007, Adam Scott (Australia) finished tied seventh at the PGA Championship. Adam
Scott (Australia) was one of six players to post two top ten finishes at major
championships in 2011. He then held the thirty six hole lead at the season
ending Tour Championship, before rounds of 74-68 led to a tied sixth finish. Adam
Scott (Australia) ended the year number sixteen in the standings. In November
2011, Adam Scott (Australia) was one of five Australians in the President's Cup
team that lost to the United States in Australia. Adam Scott (Australia) ended
with a 2–3–0 record.
In the final round, Adam Scott's (Australia) birdie on the fourteenth gave him a cushion of four shots with four holes to play. On the fifteenth, Adam Scott (Australia) made bogey after he pulled his approach shot into a greenside bunker. At the sixteenth he over hit his approach shot onto the back of the green to leave a lengthy putt for birdie. He missed the putt by about five feet and could not convert the short par putt. As Adam Scott (Australia) was playing the seventeenth, Ernie Els (RSA) had birdied the final hole to become the leader in the clubhouse at seven under, one shot behind Adam Scott (Australia). On the seventeenth, from the middle of the fairway, Scott over hit his approach shot and landed in some thick rough at the back of the green. He could only pitch out to twenty feet away and missed the resulting putt to record his third bogey and drop into a tie for the lead with Ernie Els (RSA). At the final hole, needing a birdie to win or a par to get into a playoff with Ernie Els (RSA), Adam Scott (Australia) found a bunker off the tee and his ball ended up tight underneath the lip. He was only able to pitch out sideways. For his third stroke he played a brilliant iron shot to leave himself with an eight-foot par putt to take the championship to a playoff. Adam Scott (Australia) narrowly missed the putt on the outside edge of the hole, resulting in another bogey to finish the round. Adam Scott (Australia) shot a final round of 75 to finish at six under, one stroke behind the champion Ernie Els (RSA). Adam Scott's (Australia) epic collapse down the home stretch was compared to many other famous golfing collapses down the years including fellow countryman Greg Norman (Australia) at the 1996 Masters. After the round Adam Scott (Australia) said that his finish was down to finding some bad positions on the course, rather than nerves. He also said "I'm very disappointed but I played so beautifully for most of the week I really shouldn't let this bring me down. I know I've let a really great chance slip through my fingers today, but somehow I'll look back and take the positives from it." Despite the finish, Adam Scott (Australia) equalled his second best ever performance at a major championship, alongside his tied second at the 2011 Masters Tournament and he returned to the world's top ten, at number six.
Adam Scott's (Australia) first appearance after The Open Championship was at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he attempted to defend his title from the previous year. He ended the week in a tie for forty fifth place. The following week, Adam Scott (Australia) was again in the mix at the PGA Championship, entering the final round in the penultimate grouping, four shots behind the leader Rory McIlroy (NIR). In good conditions though, Adam Scott (Australia) shot an over par 73 to drop back into a final position of tied for eleventh. On 18 November, Adam Scott (Australia) fired a bogey-free final round at Kingston Heath in the Melbourne Sandbelt, to win the Australian Masters for the first time. He trailed defending champion Ian Poulter (England) by one going into the final round, but shot a 67, including a birdie on the last, to don the "Gold Jacket" for Masters champion. Adam Scott (Australia) opened the season later than most, with his first event coming at the Northern Trust Open, well into February of that year. He finished the event tied for tenth with three rounds under par. He then played the two World Golf Championships consecutively, losing at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in the opening round 2&1 to Tim Clark (RSA). In the following WGC-Cadillac Championship, Adam Scott (Australia) fired the low round of the week on the final day to jump from tied for nineteenth to tied for third behind Tiger Woods (USA) and Steve Stricker (USA). His last event before the Masters Tournament, was at the Tampa Bay Championship where he finished tied for thirtieth.
At the 2013 Masters Tournament, Adam Scott (Australia) emerged from the chasing pack on the final day to enter into a tie for the lead heading into the seventy second hole. Adam Scott (Australia) proceeded to birdie the eighteenth from a considerable distance, prompting wild celebrations as he looked to have won the title. However, former champion Ángel Cabrera (Argentina) produced an excellent approach and subsequently also birdied the seventy second hole to tie Adam Scott (Australia) for the lead at minus nine, leading to a sudden-death playoff. Both players parred the first hole (eighteenth) with Angel Cabrera (Argentina) inches away from birdie. On the second hole (tenth), Angel Cabrera (Argentina) once again missed his birdie putt by inches, leaving Adam Scott (Australia) a twelve foot birdie putt for the championship, which Adam Scott (Australia) holed. It was Adam Scott's (Australia) first major championship and marked the first time an Australian has won the Masters Tournament. It was also seen by many as redemption for his failure to win the previous year's Open Championship. Adam Scott's (Australia) victory at the Masters Tournament moved him to Number three in the Official World Golf Ranking, equalling his career high ranking. Adam Scott's (Australia) win received some controversy as he won using a belly putter, being the first winner of the Masters Tournament to do so. On 29 November 2012, it was announced by the USGA and R&A, golf's two governing bodies, that belly putters/anchor putters would be banned from competition effective on 1 January 2016. It was not against the rules for Adam Scott (Australia) to use the belly putter for the 2013 Masters Tournament, as he had until 1 January 2016 to halt use.
Adam Scott (Australia) had a disappointing U.S. Open Championship, finishing in a tie for forty fifth place. He then had another strong showing at the Open Championship, taking a one-stroke lead heading into the back nine on the final day before eventually finishing in a tie for third. The final major of 2013, the PGA Championship, saw Adam Scott (Australia) finish in a tie for fifth. At the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, The Barclays, Adam Scott (Australia) finished with a 66 (−5) final round to win over four players by one stroke and moved to number two in the World Ranking, a career high. In October, Adam Scott (Australia) won the 2013 PGA Grand Slam of Golf event in which the four major winners of that year compete. A month later Adam Scott (Australia) would win in his native Australia, when he won the Australian PGA Championship, his fourth career victory on the PGA Tour of Australasia. This was quickly followed by winning the Australian Masters on 16 November, at Royal Melbourne, finishing 14 shots under par. The following week Adam Scott (Australia) would garner victory in the team portion of ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf, with fellow Australian Jason Day (Australia). The team shot a combined seventeen under par. Jason Day (Australia) won the individual championship at ten under par. Adam Scott (Australia) was runner up to Rory McIlroy (NIR) in the Emirates Australian Open on 1 December 2013. He led by one stroke going into the final hole but a bogey by Adam Scott (Australia) and a birdie by Rory McIlroy (NIR) saw a two shot swing and victory to the Northern Irishman. Adam Scott (Australia) would finish 2013 as the World's Number Two ranked golfer.
In March 2014, Adam Scott (Australia) tied the course record at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, when he shot a ten under par 62 during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He went on to finish third in the tournament behind the winner Matt Every (USA) and Keegan Bradley (USA) after a poor four-over-par 76 in the final round. On May 19, 2014, Adam Scott (Australia) took over as the World's Number One ranked golfer. Adam Scott (Australia) is the seventeenth golfer to be ranked number one since official rankings began. He is also the third Australian and the first since Greg Norman (Australia) in 1998, Jason Day (Australia) became the third Australian World Number Golfer in September 2015. A week after becoming world Number One, Adam Scott (Australia) strengthened his ranking with a win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, being the first person to win all four Texas-based USPGA Tour events. Adam Scott (Australia) held the number one ranking for eleven weeks until August 2014.
Adam Scott (Australia) started the season well with a runner-up finish at the CIMB Classic during the wrap-around 2016 season. He then followed this up during February 2016, with another runner-up placing at the Northern Trust Open, where despite a final hole chip-in birdie, he finished a shot behind winner Bubba Watson (USA). On 28 February 2016, Adam Scott (Australia) won his twelve USPGA Tour title with victory at The Honda Classic played at PGA National Golf Club (As I mentioned above). He won by a single stroke over Sergio García (Spain) to end a near two year winless drought. This was also Adam Scott's (Australia) first win with the short putter, following the long putter ban issued in 2016, in over five years since the 2010 Singapore Open. A notable footnote to Adam Scott's (Australia) victory was also that he became on the first player to make a quadruple bogey on the weekend and win the tournament, since Phil Mickelson (USA) at the 2009 Tour Championship. The win moved Adam Scott (Australia) back into the world's top ten, at number nine.
Adam Scott (Australia) has represented Australia in the World Cup in 2001, 2002 and 2013 and was a member of the International Team at the Presidents Cup in 2003 (Tie), 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015. Despite making six appearances on the International team, he has yet to play on a winning team. He has also won nine European Tour events to date so far with his most recent being the 2013 Masters Tournament. He also has won five PGA Tour of Australasia events to date so far in his career with his most recent being the 2013 Talisker Masters. Apart from his maiden Major Championship win at the 2013 Masters Tournament he has also achieved fourteen top ten finishes to date so far. Apart from his win at the 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational he has also achieved twelve top ten finishes to date so far in his career. Let’s hope Adam Scott (Australia) can carry this form into the next few events he plays in and perhaps win his thirteenth USPGA title and second major championship in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the2016 part of 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup.
Rounding out the top two this week in solo second position at 272-8 after seventy two holes was Sergio Garcia (Spain); he earned US $658,800 for his efforts and moved to twenty ninth position on the current 2015/16 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $826,567 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to thirtieth position on the current 2015/16 FedEx Cup points list standings with 410 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 three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 65-5 in the first round which saw him share the lead!! But he will be disappointed with his final round 71+1 especially his back nine 36+1 and how he had back to back bogeys on the sixteenth and seventeenth holes!! But he will be pleased he birdied the seventy second hole and at least made Adam Scott (Australia) have to hole his three footer for the win. He made one eagle and fourteen birdies this week against eight bogeys and a few less bogeys and he could be holding the trophy. Sergio García Fernández (Spain) (born 9 January 1980) is a professional golfer from Spain who plays on both the USPGA Tour and the European Tour. He has won over twenty international tournaments, including The Players Championship in 2008. Sergio García (Spain) has spent much of his career in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking (over 300 weeks between 2000 and 2009). He reached a career high ranking of second after winning the HSBC Champions tournament in November 2008, and has achieved post-tax career earnings of more than US $28 million. As a player, he is particularly noted for his strong iron play and accuracy. To date he has not won any of golf's major championships, despite a number of near misses. He has finished a runner-up on four occasions, twice at The Open Championship and twice at the PGA Championship, with a further six top five finishes without breaking through. Sergio García (Spain) began playing golf at the age of three and was taught by his father, Victor, who is a club professional in Madrid, Spain. He was a star player as a junior, winning his club championship at age twelve. Four years later, he set a record as the youngest player to make the cut at a European Tour event, the 1995 Turespaña Open Mediterranea. This record was broken by amateur Jason Hak in November 2008 at the UBS Hong Kong Open, beating Sergio García's (Spain) record by 107 days. In 1995, Sergio García (Spain) became the youngest player to win the European Amateur. He followed that with a win in the Boys Amateur Championship in 1997. He won a professional tournament, the 1997 Catalonian Open, on the European Challenge Tour, as an amateur. In 1998 he won The Amateur Championship, and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur.
| Sergio García (Spain) turned professional in 1999 after shooting the lowest amateur score in the 1999 Masters Tournament. His first title on the European Tour came in his sixth start as a professional, in July 1999 at the Irish Open. He first achieved worldwide prominence with a duel against Tiger Woods (USA) in the 1999 PGA Championship, where he eventually finished second. Late in the final round, Sergio García (Spain) hit his most famous shot: with his ball up against a tree trunk in the right rough on the sixteenth hole, and the green hidden from view, he swung hard with his eyes shut and hit a low curving fade that ran up onto the green. As the shot traveled, he sprinted madly into the fairway and then scissor-kick jumped to see the result. Shortly afterwards he became the youngest player ever to compete in the Ryder Cup. When Sergio García (Spain) first turned professional, he had an unorthodox swing with a circular loop and long large lag, and this method drew comparisons to Ben Hogan (USA), one of the best players of all time. But during the 2003 season, he worked towards making his swing more conventional, but has largely kept his original method. In his early years, he repeatedly gripped, released, and regripped his hands on the club handle before finally taking a shot. This "waggle" habit created a stir, especially at the 2002 U.S. Open Championship when some spectators shouted out, "Hit the ball, Sergio!", and some people audibly counted the number of regrips into the twenties. Since then he has eliminated the habit. Responding to criticism of his swing, he said, "My swing works for me, so why should I change it? I prefer to have a natural swing and play well rather than a perfect swing and not be able to play good." He has won eight USPGA Tour Events to date so far is his career and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2001 MasterCard Colonial; 2001 Buick Classic; 2002 Mercedes Championship; 2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship; 2004 Buick Classic; 2005 Booz Allen Classic; 2008 The Players Championship and 2012 Wyndham Championship. He has also won eleven European Tour events to date so far with his most recent being the 2014 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. He has achieved twenty top ten finishes in major championships to date so far with his equal best being solo second at the 1999 PGA Championship and solo second at the 2007 Open Championship. He has also achieved fifteen top ten finishes in WGC – Events with his best finish being second at the 2014 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He has also represented Team Europe in the Ryder Cup against Team USA in: 1999, 2002 (winners), 2004 (winners), 2006 (winners), 2008, 2012 (winners), 2014 (winners). Let’s hope he can carry this form on to the next events he plays and perhaps win his nine USPGA Tour event and maybe his maiden major championship in the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2016 part of the 2015/16 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. |
Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup stays in the State of Florida for the second event of four in the Florida Swing and it is the first WGC – Event of the 2016 season and is co – sanctioned by the European Tour and many of the other Major Professional golf tours from around the world and it is the WGC – Cadillac Championship and is played on the Trump National Doral, Miami, Florida. It carries a huge prize purse of US $9,500,000 for the taking. Dustin Johnson (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. All the best players in the world will be there including Jordan Spieth (USA), Jason Day (Australia), Rory McIlroy (NIR), Rickie Fowler (USA) to name a few. Danny Lee (NZL) will be the only New Zealander golf in the field due to his win at the Greenbrier Classic last year. It starts on Thursday 3rd March. 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 twentieth third
week of his career is Jordan Spieth (USA) who is fresh off his missed cut at the
Northern Trust Open one week ago and his tied for twenty first position at the
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro – Am two weeks ago with 11.48 Official World Golf
Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh
off his tied for eleventh position at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro – Am two
weeks ago and his missed cut at the Farmers Insurance Open four weeks ago with
9.69 Official World Golf Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Rory
McILroy (NIR) who is fresh off his missed cut this past week at The Honda
Classic and his tied for twentieth position at the Northern Trust Open one week
ago with 9.49 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is
Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his win one week ago at the Northern Trust
Open and his tied for seventieth position at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro – Am
two weeks ago with 8.17 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five
on the Official World Golf Ranking Points list standings this week is Rickie
Fowler (USA) who is fresh off his tied for sixth position at the Honda Classic
this past week and his solo second position three weeks ago at the Waste
Management Phoenix Open with 8.08 Official World Ranking Points. Danny Lee
(NZL) this week is in his fiftieth week of another spell of being the highest
ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after missing the cut at the Northern
Trust Open one week ago. This week he remains in thirty fifth position on the
Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 2.76 Official Golf
World Ranking Points.
Remember short and straight is better than long and
wild!!
Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org,
Google search engine, europeantour.com, golfchannel.com,
ladieseuropeantour.com, asiantour.com, pgatourlive.co.nz
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