Golf Events from the Weekend 7th December 2014

Well is was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour has its first event of the unofficial season and it was the Hero World Challenge and it was played on the Isleworth Golf & CC, Windermere, Florida. It is known as “Tiger Woods” tournament because all proceeds raised goes to his foundation. And he was making his come back from major back surgery. It carried a healthy prize purse of US $3,500,000 for the taking. There was only a small field of 18 golfers. Zach Johnson (USA) was the defending Champion and was keen to defend his title. And it was the golfer by the name of Jordan Spieth (USA) who scored rounds of 66-6, 67-5, 63-9 and a very good final round of 66-6 for a 72 hole total of 262-26 and he won by an amazing ten shots for the third victory of his professional career to date so far and it was his second win in as many weeks having won the Emirates Australian Open the week before. It was also his first wire to wire win as a professional. He won US $1,000,000 for the win but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be extremely pleased with his four rounds this week that were all in the mid 60s and his third round was an amazing 63-9 which was blemish free. 

 

Jordan Spieth (USA) tees off during the final round

Jordan Spieth (USA) played a brilliant final round under the circumstances of taking a seven shot lead into the final round. He played an awesome front nine of 31-5 which included birdies on the par four, first hole, par five, third hole, par four, four hole and an amazing eagle on the par five, seventh hole to make the turn at minus twenty five and he was leading by eleven shots. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) went out in 35-1 and made the turn at minus fourteen and was eleven shots behind the leader. Keegan Bradley (USA) went out in 35-1 and made the turn at minus fourteen and was eleven shots behind the leader. Patrick Reed (USA) went out in 33-3 and made the turn at minus fourteen and was eleven shots behind the leader. 

Jordan Speith (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one over par including his only blemish of the round which was a double bogey six on the short par four, fourteen hole where he over shot the green for his second shot with his short wedge and took four more shots to get the ball in the hole, he fell back to minus twenty four and was now only leading by nine shots. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par and moved to minus 15 and was now only nine shots behind the leader. Keegan Bradley (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one over par and fell back to minus thirteen and still was eleven shots behind the leader. Patrick Reed (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in even par and remained at minus fourteen but now was only ten shots behind the leader. 

Jordan Spieth (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in two under par, bouncing straight back from his double bogey he made on fourteen hole and moved to minus twenty six and now was leading by ten shots heading to the par four, 72nd hole. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) played holes 15 to 17 in one under par and moved to minus 16 and now was only ten shots behind the leader heading to the par four, 72nd hole. Keegan Bradley (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in two under par and moved to minus 15 and now was eleven shots behind the leader with just the par four, 72nd hole to play. Patrick Reed (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in even par and remained at minus fourteen and now was 12 shots behind the leader with just the par four, 72nd hole to play.

Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group made a solid par at the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 16 and was ten shots behind the winner. Patrick Reed (USA) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group made a fine birdie three up the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus fifteen and was eleven shots behind the winner. Keegan Bradley (USA) who was playing in the final group made a solid par up the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus fifteen and was eleven shots behind the winner. 

Jordan Spieth (USA) now stood on the par four, 72nd tee with an amazing ten shot lead and knew the title was already his just as he had the week before at the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney. He went through his routine just as a seasoned professional would. He struck a brilliant tee shot that landed right in the centre of the fairway. Then he struck his middle iron second shot and it landed on the green about twenty five feet below the cup. He got a standing ovation from the large gallery that was surrounding the 72nd green. He struck a perfect pace putt for his birdie and it came to rest inches from the cup and he easily tapped in for his par four and finished the 72 holes at minus twenty six to win by ten shots!! He got a huge hug and high five from his caddie, Michael Greller to celebrate the win!! Then he was interviewed by Steve Stands from the NBC Sports/Golf Channel and he told him “His form at the moment is top notch with winning the last two weeks in a row and he contributes some of it towards his new Driver he put in his bag a month ago that he is hitting very well at the moment”. He also said “He hopes that these wins can help him moving forward to the 2015 season especially when the Major Championships roll around.” 

 

Jordan Spieth (USA) tips his cap to the crowd after holing the winning putt!!

Jordan Spieth (USA) has been in amazing form over the last two weeks which includes two rounds of 63 in consecutive tournaments and both of them were blemish free. He will be also happy at winning his maiden Hero World Challenge this week as Tiger Woods (USA) has always been one of his golfing idols. His other professional wins came on the USPGA Tour in 2013 season when he won the John Deere Classic and the 2014 Emirates Australian Open last week. Jordan Spieth (USA) in 2014 made his debut at the Masters Tournament and shared the 54 hole lead with Bubba Watson (USA). During the final round, Jordan Spieth (USA) at one point was the standalone leader by two strokes and, had he held on, would have become the youngest Masters Tournament champion in history (Tiger Woods (USA) holds the record at 21 years of age), but Bubba Watson (USA)  retook the lead heading into the back nine and never relinquished it. Jordan Spieth (USA) finished in a tie for second with Jonas Blixt (Sweden). Jordan Spieth (USA) thus became the youngest runner-up in Masters Tournament history and subsequently moved into the world's top ten. Jordan Spieth (USA) also ended the tournament having shot no worse than an even-par (72) in any of his rounds. And as I mentioned above Jordan Spieth (USA) won his third tournament as a professional at the Hero World Challenge this past week. Still at the tender age of twenty one years old his future looks very bright and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he wins his maiden Major Championship in the next few years. He now is taking a six week break that includes the Christmas and New Year period and will start his 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season probably in mid January. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

 

Jordan Spieth (USA) poses with the Hero World Challenge Trophy he won!!

Coming in solo second position at 272-16 after 72 holes was Henrik Stenson (Sweden); he earned US $400,000 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be extremely pleased with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first round 67-5. And he was the only other player in the field to score all four rounds in the 60s along with Jordan Spieth (USA). He will be happy he has kept his good form up after his big win in DP World Tour Championship, Dubai two weeks ago. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) has been playing professional golf since 1999 and in that time he has won 17 professional events worldwide including nine on the European Tour and four on the USPGA Tour with the last one being the 2013 Tour Championship by Coca – Cola. He is also the only player to date so far to win the FedEx Cup on the USPGA Tour and the Race to Dubai title on the European Tour in the same year which was 2013. He has performed really well in the Major Championships since 2008 with achieving nine top ten finishes and I feel he will win his maiden Major Championship in the next few years. He has also represented Team Europe in three Ryder Cups (2006, 2008 and 2014) which he was in two winning teams. He has now further cemented his position as the world number two golfer and I look for him to have a huge 2015 season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

Coming in tied for third position at 273-15 after 72 holes was Keegan Bradley (USA); he earned US $212,500 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be happy with his second and third rounds that were both in the mid 60s especially his 65-7 in the third round. But he will only be content with his first and final round’s that were both low 70s. Keegan Bradley (USA) turned professional in 2008 and in 2010 he played the Web.com Tour and finished 14th on the final 2010 Web.com Tour Money list to earned his 2011 USPGA Tour card. He had an amazing rookie season on the USPGA Tour in 2011 with winning his maiden event at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in late May and his second win came at the PGA Championship which was his maiden Major Championship win in his very first time ever playing a Major Championship which he became only the third player to do so. He won the 2011 USPGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. He won his third event on the USPGA Tour in 2012 at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He hasn’t won an event the last two seasons but he has still continued to play very good golf and he tied for fourth at this year’s U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No 2. He has represented Team USA in two Ryder Cups (2012 & 2014) and one Presidents Cup (2013). I feel he will get back in the winner’s circle in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 season. 

The other player to tie for third position was Patrick Reed (USA); he too earned US $212,500 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 63-9 in the second round that was the low round of the day by one shot. But he will be disappointed with his first round 73+1 that put him behind the eight ball from the start. Patrick Reed (USA) turned professional in the 2011 season. He played in twelve events on the USPGA Tour in the 2012 season with getting six sponsor’s exemptions and through Monday qualifying (six times). He made seven cuts and earned over US $300,000. His best finish was tied for eleventh at the Frys.com Open. He finished tied for twenty second at the 2012 USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament to earn his USPGA Tour card for 2013. He had a very good rookie season on the USPGA Tour in 2013 with picking up his first top-10 finish at the 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am. On August 18, Patrick Reed (USA) became the 12th first-time USPGA Tour winner of the year with his victory at the Wyndham Championship in a playoff against Jordan Spieth (USA). His win at Sedgefield Country Club also marked his third consecutive top-10 finish. In 2014 he won two more events with his second USPGA Tour win coming at the Humana Challenge in mid January which his first three rounds were consecutive 63s. And it was the first time in USPGA Tour history that a player opened a tournament with three rounds of 63 or better. Just two months later he won his third USPGA Tour event at the WGC – Cadillac Championship which was by far the biggest win of his career to date and he became only the fifth golfer to earn three USPGA Tour wins before his 24th birthday since 1990, joining Tiger Woods (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Sergio Garcia (Spain). He is the youngest winner of a WGC event, and the victory also moved Patrick Reed (USA) to 20th in the Official World Golf Rankings. Patrick Reed (USA) was also the first USPGA Tour golfer to have three wins before playing in his first major which was the 2014 Masters Tournament. He also made his Ryder Cup debut for Team USA in Scotland later in the year where he excelled in a losing Team. I feel he is destined to win at least one Major Championship before his career is over and maybe it will happen in the next few years? I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Coming in solo fifth position at 274-14 after 72 holes was Jason Day (Australia); he earned US $150,000 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his final round 66-6 which was the equal low round of the day. Jason Day (Australia) has been a professional since 2006 and he played on the Web.com Tour in 2007 and won the Legend Financial Group Classic and finished fifth on the final 2007 Web.com Tour Money list to earn his 2008 USPGA Tour card. His rookie year on the USPGA Tour in 2008 was mediocre but he did manage to keep conditional status for the 2009 USPGA Tour season where he finished 69th on the final money list. He won his maiden USPGA Tour event at the 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship and he won his second USPGA Tour event at the 2014 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship after a thrilling final in which Victor Dubuisson (France) won the last two holes to tie, then twice scrambled halves after missing greens at the extra holes before Jason Day (Australia) finally secured victory. The win lifted Jason Day (Australia) to fourth in the world rankings. He has also performed very well in the Major Championships with already achieving seven top ten finishes which includes finishing tied for second at the 2011 Masters Tournament and also solo third at the 2013 Masters Tournament which Adam Scott (Australia) won. He also finished second in the 2011 U.S. Open Championship which Rory McIlroy (NIR) won and tied for second at the 2013 U.S. Open Championship and tied for fourth at this year’s U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2. He represented Team International at the 2011 and 2013 President’s Cup. Now he has got over his recent back and thumb injuries I feel he is set for a huge 2015 season and I feel he could win his maiden Major Championship. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for sixth position at 277-11 after 72 holes was Rickie Fowler (USA); he earned US $142,500 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be happy with his first and final rounds that were both in the mid 60s especially his 67-5 in the first round which had him only one shot off the lead. But he will only be content with his second and third rounds that were in the low 70s. Rickie Fowler (USA) turned professional in 2009 and Rickie Fowler's (USA) first USPGA Tour event as a professional was the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open where he finished tied for seventh. His second USPGA Tour event was at the Frys.com Open played at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. He finished tied for second after losing to Troy Matteson (USA) in a three-way playoff that included Jamie Lovemark (USA). Rickie Fowler's (USA) score of 18 under par included a hole in one on the fifth hole in his final round. Rickie Fowler (USA) also notched an eagle in each of his four rounds. In December 2009, Rickie Fowler (USA) successfully gained a 2010 USPGA Tour card through qualifying school, finishing tied for 15th.  In 2012 at the Wells Fargo Championship he won his maiden USPGA Tour event. In 2014 he had a great Major Championship season with having top five finishes in all four Major Championships. He finished in tied for fifth position at the Masters Tournament, then tied for second at both the U.S. Open Championship and Open Championship and finished in tied for third position at the PGA Championship. And he is only the third player behind Jack Nicklaus (USA) and Tiger Woods (USA) to have finished in the top 5 in all four majors in one calendar year, but the first not to win. He has also played in two Ryder Cups representing Team USA (2010 and 2014) which he performed very well. I feel he will win in the 2015 season and perhaps it could be his maiden Major Championship. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for sixth position was Justin Rose (England); He too earned US $142,500 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be extremely happy with his second round 64-8 which saw him record eleven birdies which included making two lots of four birdies in a row first on the front nine from holes six to nine and on the back nine from holes twelve to fifteen. But he will only be content with his first, third and final rounds that were all in the low 70s. Justin Rose (England) turned professional in July 1998 after he finished in tied for fourth position at the 1998 Open Championship as an Amateur. He had a rude awaking to professional golf when he missed his first twenty one straight cuts!! He has won 17 professional events worldwide with seven of them being on the European Tour with his last one coming this year at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open this year in July. He also has won six times on the USPGA Tour with his last win coming at the Quicken Loans Championship this year in June. And in June 2013 he won his maiden Major Championship at the 2013 U.S. Open Championship at Merion. He has also represented Team Europe three times in the Ryder Cup in 2008, 2012 and 2014. And the later two he played on the winning team both times. He has also achieved eight top ten finishes in Major Championships to date so far with winning the 2013 U.S. Open Championship as I mentioned before. And he has achieved nine top ten finishes in WGC Events and has won one at the 2012 WGC – Cadillac Championship. I’m sure he will have a great 2015 season as well and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins another Major Championship in the next few years. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 season. 

Rounding out the top ten in tied for eighth position at 279-9 after 72 holes was Billy Horschel (USA); he earned US $126,666.66 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be very happy with his final two rounds that were consecutive 67-5s and they both included back nine’s of 31-5. But he will be unhappy with his first two rounds that were both in the low 70s. Billy Horschel (USA) turned professional in 2009 and gained his 2010 USPGA Tour card at the 2009 USPGA Tour Qualifying School. Billy Horschel (USA) won his maiden USPGA Tour event at the 2013 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April. Billy Horschel (USA) earned his second win at the 2014 BMW Championship and moved to 23rd in the world rankings. The next week, he won The Tour Championship and with it the 2014 FedEx Cup. The win also moved Billy Horschel (USA) to 14th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Two days after winning the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup, Billy Horschel (USA) became a father for the first time. I feel he can win his fourth event in 2015 and I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for eighth position was Zach Johnson (USA); he too earned US $126,666.66 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be very happy with his first and final rounds that were both in the 60s especially his first round 67-5 which saw him only one shot off the lead. But he will be disappointed with his second and third rounds that were both in the low 70s. Zach Johnson (USA) turned professional in 1998 and qualified for the USPGA Tour by topping the money list on the then Nationwide Tour in 2003 with record earnings of US $494,882, earning an automatic promotion to the USPGA Tour for the 2004 season. He has won eleven events on the USPGA Tour to date so far and his last one came at the 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. And he won his maiden Major Championship in 2007 at the Masters Tournament where he laid up on every par five and used his fine wedge play to make his birdies. He also was defending champion at Hero World Challenge having won it in 2013. He has played on three Presidents Cup Teams for Team USA in 2007, 2009 and 2013 being on the winning team every time. And he has played on four Ryder Cup Teams for Team USA in 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2014 which he played in the winning team every time. I feel his 2015 season will be another good one. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for eighth position was Matt Kuchar (USA); he too earned US $126,666.66 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be very happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first round 69-2 and in his final round of 70-2 he eagled the first hole by holing out his second shot with a wedge!! Matt Kuchar (USA) turned professional in 2000 and has won seven times on the USPGA Tour to date so far with his last win coming at the 2014 RBC Heritage in April. He biggest win to date came at the 2012 Players Championship. He has achieved six top ten finishes in Major Championships with his best being tied for third at the 2012 Masters Tournament. He has also achieved nine top ten finishes in WGC – Events with his best result winning at the 2013 Accenture Match Play Championship. He has played on the last three Ryder Cup Teams for Team USA in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Also he has played on the last two Presidents Cup Teams for Team USA which they won both of them in 2011 and 2013. I’m sure his 2015 season will be a great one as well and perhaps he can secure his maiden Major Championship. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Tiger Woods (USA) in his first tournament back since missing the cut at the PGA Championship in mid August scored a shocking first round of 77+5, then a better second round of 70-2, and a very good third round when he wasn’t feeling well of 69-3 and an average final round of 72 even par for a 72 hole total of 288 even par and he finished in tied for 17th position. He earned US $102,500 for his efforts but because it wasn’t an Official USPGA Tour event it doesn’t count towards the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings. There was also no FedEx Cup Points on offer this week. He will be happy with his middle two rounds that were both under par especially his third round 69-3 but he will be a little disappointed with his final round 72 even especially his triple bogey eight on the par five, thirteen hole. And he will be extremely disappointed with his first round 77+5. He had nine duffed chip shots in the 72 holes which shows he has to work on his short game more. But on a positive note he is swinging pain free now and releasing the club with a lot more freedom. I am sure he is really looking forward to the 2015 season which he will more than likely begin in late January for him. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Next week the PGA Tour of Australasia and the OneAsia Tour have a joint venture as they stage the final events of their 2014 seasons and it is the Australian PGA Championship and is played on the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast and carries a large prize purse of AU $ 1,000,000 for the taking. Adam Scott (Australia) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. Ryan Fox (NZL) will lead the New Zealand Challenge and will be looking for another high finish. It starts on Thursday 11th December. I will report back who won the Joe Kirkwood Cup next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the nineteenth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 58th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his tied for 15th position at the Emirates Australian Open one week ago and two weeks ago tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and seven weeks ago finished in third place at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship nine weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team ten weeks ago and 12 weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and thirteen weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and fourteen weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and fifteen weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and 17 weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and 18 weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also twenty weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.50 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his solo second finish this past week at the Hero World Challenge and two weeks ago won at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and three weeks ago finished in solo third finish at the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team ten weeks ago with 8.53 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open one week ago and two weeks ago tied for second position at the Bet Easy Masters and four weeks ago tied for 12th position at the WGC – HSBC Champions and seven weeks ago tied for 38th position in the Japan Open and he tied for ninth position twelve weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and thirteen weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and fourteen weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and fiftteen weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and 17 weeks ago tied for 15th position at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.07 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for eleventh position at the Hero World Challenge this past week and tied for  twenty fourth finish at the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour three weeks ago and winning the WGC - HSBC Champions four weeks ago with 7.70 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Justin Rose (England) who was fresh off his tied for sixth position at the Hero World Challenge this past week and two weeks ago finished tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai with 7.06 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his sixth week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for third position at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba three weeks ago on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips three places and falls to 220th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.84 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember to play good golf shots all the time visualisation is the key!!

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

Golf Events from the Weekend 30th November 2014

Well it was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the PGA Tour of Australasia and the One Asia Tour staged a joint venture and headed to Sydney for the Emirates Australian Open and it was played on the Australian Golf Club, Sydney, NSW. It carried a large prize purse of AU $1,125,000 for the taking. Rory McILroy (NIR) who is the current World Number One was the defending Champion and was keen for back to back wins. There was a few New Zealand Golfers entered as well including Ryan Fox (NZL). And it was the golfer by the name of Jordan Spieth (USA) who scored rounds of 67-4, 72+1, 69-2 and a brilliant final round of 63-8 which was blemish free for a 72 hole total of 271-13 and he won by six shots for his maiden Emirates Australian Open. He won AU $225,000 for the win but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia he doesn’t get a current Order of Merit ranking. Steven Jeffress (Australia) is the current leader of the Order of Merit with AU $ 213,651.86 earned from the 12 events he has played to date this season so far. From the one event Jordan Spieth (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish with came with the win this week. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his final round 63-8 which was an amazing effort and was blemish free and the low round of the day by four shots and also a course record. But he will only be content with his second round 72+1 but it didn’t really matter in the end. 

 

Jordan Spieth (USA) in action during the Australian Open

Jordan Spieth (USA) played an awesome final round of 63-8 which included a front nine of 31-4 with birdies on the par four, third hole, (Then had three birdies in a row) par five, fifth hole, par four, sixth hole and par four, seventh hole and made the turn at minus nine and was leading by three shots. Rod Pampling (Australia) went out in 37+2 and made the turn at minus two and was seven shots behind the leader. Brett Rumford (Australia) went out in 34-1 and made the turn at minus six and was three shots behind the leader. Greg Chalmers (Australia) went out in 35 even par and made the turn at minus five and was four shots behind the leader. 

Jordan Spieth (USA) played holes ten to 14 in one under par and moved to minus ten and was now leading by four shots. Rod Pampling (Australia) played holes ten to 14 in two under par and moved to four under par and now was only six shots behind the leader. Brett Rumford (Australia) played holes ten to 14 in even par and remained at minus six and was now four shots behind the leader. Greg Chalmers (Australia) played holes ten to 14 in even par and remained at minus five and now was five shots behind the leader.

Jordan Spieth (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in two under par which included holing long putts on both 15th and 17th holes for birdies and he headed to the par five, 72nd hole at minus 12 and was now leading by six shots. Rod Pampling (Australia) played holes 15 to 17 in two under par and moved to minus six and still was six shots behind the leader heading to the par five, 72nd hole. Brett Rumford (Australia) played holes 15 to 17 in one over par and fell back to minus five and now was seven shots behind the leader with just the par five, 72nd hole to play. Greg Chalmers (Australia) played holes 15 to 17 even par and remained at minus five and was now seven shots behind the leader with just the par five, 72nd hole to play. 

 

Jordan Spieth (USA) blasts out of a bunker during the final round

Rod Pampling (Australia) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group hit two good shots that saw him just over the back in two shots on the par five, 72nd hole. He struck an awesome chip shot with his wedge for his third shot and it rolled out at perfect speed and almost went in the hole for an eagle three. It came to rest a foot from the hole and he easily tapped in for his birdie four and finished the 72 holes at minus seven and was six shots behind the winner. Greg Chalmers (Australia) who was playing in the final group hit his second shot with his fairway wood on the par five, 72nd hole well out to the left hand side of the green which was the safe option as there is water all down the right hand side. He hit a good chip shot for his third which came to rest about ten feet from the cup. But he missed his birdie putt and tapped in for his par five and finished the 72 holes at minus five and was eight shots behind the winner. 

Brett Rumford (Australia) who was also playing in the final group hit his second shot just over the back of the green on the par five, 72nd hole. He chipped up to within a couple of feet of the hole for his third and easily tapped in for his birdie four and finished the 72 holes at minus six and was seven shots behind the winner. Jordan Spieth (USA) now stood on the par five, 72nd tee with a six shot lead and knew that barring a disaster the win was his. He hit a good drive right down the centre of the fairway and chose to lay up his second shot to his perfect wedge distance. He finished in style by landing his third shot with his short wedge to about five feet short of the flag stick. Then he walked up to the 72nd green getting a huge standing ovation from the large gallery that surrounded the green. He calmed his nerve and rolled in the seven foot putt for his birdie four and finished the 72 holes at minus 13 to win by six shots!! He got a huge hug and high five from his caddie, Michael Greller to celebrate the win!! Then he was interviewed by the channel seven golf on course reporter, Pat Welsh and told him “He was so happy to win the Emirates Australian Open this week in his first attempt and the final round 63-8 he scored was the best round he has played in his career to date under the circumstances!!”. He scored 32-4 on his back nine. 

 

Jordan Spieth (USA) poses with the Stonehaven Cup he won!!

Jordan Speith (USA) was the first American to win the Australian Open since Brad Faxon (USA) won it twenty one years ago in 1993 at the Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne. Also it was ironic that Jordan Spieth (USA) scored 63-8 on the final day because earlier in the week Phil Hughes who was a Cricketer and played for the Australian Team lost his life after being hit in the head with a cricket ball while batting for his home state South Australia against NSW at the SCG Cricket ground that is not far from the Australian Golf Club in Sydney and when he was tragically struck in the head he was not out on 63 runs!! Also the Australian Open organisers left a Cricket Bat with a golf ball on top of the handle on the ninth tee in the final round because that was the 63rd hole of the Championship and for the last three rounds players wore black ribbons on their hats to also pay their respects to a young hero whose life was taken far too soon!! And it would have been Phil Hughes 26th Birthday on this day as well!! Jordan Speith (USA) will be very happy with this win as it was his first of the 2014 season. His other professional win came on the USPGA Tour in 2013 season when he won the John Deere Classic. Jordan Spieth (USA) in 2014 made his debut at the Masters Tournament and shared the 54 hole lead with Bubba Watson (USA). During the final round, Jordan Spieth (USA) at one point was the standalone leader by two strokes and, had he held on, would have become the youngest Masters Tournament champion in history (Tiger Woods (USA) holds the record at 21 years of age), but Bubba Watson (USA)  retook the lead heading into the back nine and never relinquished it. Jordan Spieth (USA) finished in a tie for second with Jonas Blixt (Sweden). Jordan Spieth (USA) thus became the youngest runner-up in Masters Tournament history and subsequently moved into the world's top ten. Jordan Spieth (USA) also ended the tournament having shot no worse than an even-par (72) in any of his rounds. And as I mentioned above Jordan Spieth (USA) won his second tournament as a professional at the Emirates Australian Open on the PGA Tour of Australasia, in the final round Jordan Spieth (USA) shot a course-record 63 to win the title by 6 strokes. Still at the tender age of twenty one years old his future looks very bright and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he wins his maiden Major Championship in the next few years. I wish him all the best for the remaining events for the 2014 season and to also have a great 2015 season. 

Coming in solo for second position at 277-7 after 72 holes was Rod Pampling (Australia); he earned AU $ 127,500.00 for his efforts and moved to seventh position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $ 127,500.00 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second round 67-4. But he will only be content with his first round which was 73+2. He will also be happy because this solo second finish qualified him entry into the 2015 Open Championship which is being played at the home of golf in St Andrews, Scotland in mid July next year. The Emirates Australian Open was a qualifying event for the 2015 Open Championship and the top three finishers in the field that weren’t already exempt for the 2015 Open Championship qualified. Rod Pampling (Australia) will gain a lot of confidence from this finish after struggling badly on the USPGA Tour in the last few seasons. He has been a professional Golfer for the last twenty years and has won twice on the USPGA Tour with his maiden winning coming at the 2004 The International and the second one came at the 2006 Bay Hill Invitational and he has also won twice on the PGA Tour of Australasia with his maiden win coming at the 1999 Canon Challenge and his second win coming at the 2008 Sportsbet Australian Masters. I wish him every continuing success for the remaining events in the 2014 season and to have a brilliant 2015 season in America. 

Coming in solo third position at 278-6 after 72 holes was Brett Rumford (Australia); he earned AU $84,375.00 for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $122,225.00 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his second and third rounds that were both 69-2s and he was the only player in the field to achieve that. He will also be happy because this solo third finish qualified him entry into the 2015 Open Championship which is being played at the home of golf in St Andrews, Scotland in mid July next year. The Emirates Australian Open was a qualifying event for the 2015 Open Championship and the top three finishers in the field that weren’t already exempt for the 2015 Open Championship qualified. Brett Rumford (Australia) turned professional in 2000 after an outstanding Amateur career where he won his maiden PGA Tour of Australasia event at the 1999 ANZ Players Championship while still an Amateur. He has been playing on the European Tour fulltime since the 2001 season and has won five events on the European Tour with his last one coming at the 2013 Volvo China Open and that was after winning his fourth event the week before at the 2013 Ballantine’s Championship. But he had a lacklustre season in 2014 finishing in 115th position on the final 2014 Race to Dubai Money list. I sure this finish will give him lots of confidence for the 2015 season in Europe and perhaps he could even win the Australian PGA Championship in two weeks time on the Golf Coast? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season.  

Coming in solo fourth position at 279-5 after 72 holes was Greg Chalmers (Australia); he earned AU $60,000.00 for his efforts and moved to 16th position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $74,525.00 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this very event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par or better especially his second round 66-5. He will also be happy because this solo fourth finish qualified him entry into the 2015 Open Championship which is being played at the home of golf in St Andrews, Scotland in mid July next year. The Emirates Australian Open was a qualifying event for the 2015 Open Championship and the top three finishers in the field that weren’t already exempt for the 2015 Open Championship qualified. Greg Chalmers (Australia) has been a professional golfer since 1995 in that time he has won four times on the PGA Tour of Australasia with winning the 1997 Australasian Players Championship, 1998 and 2011 Australian Open and 2011 Australian PGA Championship. He has also played the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2000 Season but is yet to achieve a win on that tour. But he has won two events on the Web.com Tour. His best finish in a Major Championship to date has been tied for fourth at the 2000 PGA Championship. Let’s hope he can carry on this fine form into the 2014 Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast in a few months time. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season and the 2015 season in America. 

Coming in solo fifth position at 280-4 after 72 holes was Adam Scott (Australia); he earned AU $ 50,000.00 for his efforts and moved to ninth position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $122,500.00 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here this week. He will be happy with his second and third rounds that were both in the 60s especially his second round that was 66-5. But he will be just content with his final round 71 even par and be disappointed with his first round 74+3 which really put him behind the 8 ball. Adam Scott (Australia) has been playing professional golf since 2000 and in that time he has won twenty seven events worldwide. Eleven of those wins have come on the USPGA Tour with his last being the 2014 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and he won his maiden Major Championship at the 2013 Masters Tournament. He has also won eleven times on the European Tour, and five times on the PGA Tour of Australasia which include the 2009 Australian Open, 2012 & 2013 Australian Masters and 2013 Australian PGA Championship. And he reached the number one ranking on the Official World Golf Rankings in May 2014. Let’s hope he can keep this form up for his defence of the Australian PGA Championship in two weeks time on the Gold Coast. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season and to have another huge season in America next year in 2015. 

Coming in solo sixth position at 281-3 after 72 holes was Jake Higginbottom (Australia); he earned AU $ 45,000.00 for his efforts and moved to fourth position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $158,875.23 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here this week. He will be happy with his second and final rounds that were both 69-2s. But he will be just content with his first round 71 even par and his third round 72+1. Jake Higginbottom (Australia) created some golf history in 2012 when he became the first amateur in more than half a century to win the BMW New Zealand Open. He turned professional two days later. In the 2013 season he played just three tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia choosing to focus his time competing on the Asian Tour where he retained his card. In the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia season he has played more events and very well in the big money tournaments. His future looks bright at the tender age of twenty one years old. I wish him all the best for the Australian PGA Championship in two weeks time on the Gold Coast and every continuing success for the 2015 season. 

Coming in tied for seventh position at 283-1 after 72 holes and also was the best of the New Zealand golfers in the field was Ryan Fox (NZL) who scored an okay first round of 72+1 and a okay second round of 72+1 and a very good third round of 69-2 and a very good final round of 70-1 for a 72 hole total of 283-1 and he tied for seventh position. He earned AU $38,125.00 for his efforts and moved to third position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $162,785.39 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. From the eleven events he has played to date this season so far he has made nine cuts and achieved six top ten finishes which includes the one here and his maiden win on the PGA Tour of Australasia which came at the WA Open Championship in mid October. He will be happy with his third and final rounds that were both under par especially his 69-2 in the third round which was in very strong winds. But he will just be content with his first and second rounds that were 72+1s. It was a great showing for him after missing the cut at the Easy Bet Masters the week before. Ryan Fox (NZL) has been playing professional golf since late 2011 and is now starting to show some real promise. I wish him all the best for the final two PGA Tour of Australasia events of the 2014 season and hope he can have top ten finishes and perhaps win one of them? If he can finish among the top three players on the final 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit he will gain starts in the 2015 Open Championship and the WGC – Events as well. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season and to continue his fine form into the 2015 season. 

The final player to tie for seventh position was Robert Allenby (Australia); he earned AU $38,125.00 for his efforts and moved to 17th position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $ 64,125.00 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here this week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all at par and under par especially his second round which was 69-2. But he will be disappointed with his third round 73+2. Robert Allenby (Australia) has been playing professional golf since 1992 and he had an amazing start to his professional career with topping the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in his first season and again in 1994. In 2005 he became the first golfer to win the "triple crown" of the Australian Masters, Australian PGA and Australian Open in the same year and won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit for the third time in his career. He has amassed twenty two professional wins in his career to date so far with 13 coming on the PGA Tour of Australasia that include winning the 1994 and 2005 Australian Open, 2000, 2001 and 2009 Australian PGA Championship and the 2003 and 2005 Australian Master Championship. He also won four times on the European Tour early in his career in the mid 90s and has won four times on the USPGA Tour with his last win coming in the 2001 Marconi Pennsylvania Classic. He has also achieved five top ten finishes to date in Major Championships with his best being tied for seventh at the 2004 U.S. Open Championship and 2008 Open Championship. And he has represented the International Team five times in his career at the Presidents Cup against Team USA and they were 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003 and 2009. But he has now not won a golf tournament on any tour since 2009. Let’s hope he can maintain this good form for the Australian PGA Championship in two weeks time. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season and the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo ninth position at 284 even par was Daniel Nisbet (Australia); he earned AU $ 33,750.00 for his efforts and moved to twenty fifth position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $51,190.64 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. From the eleven events he has played to date this season so far he has made six cuts and retired hurt at one and achieved one top ten finishes that came this week. He will be happy with his third and final rounds that were at par and under par especially his 67-4 which was the low round in the third round, but will be disappointed with his first and second rounds with were both in the 70s especially his first round 74+3. Daniel Nisbet (Australia) should take a lot of confidence out of this finish and let’s hope he can achieved two more top ten finishes in the remaining two events of the 2014 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season. 

Rounding out the top ten in tied for tenth position at 285+1 after 72 holes was Nathan Holman (Australia); he earned AU $25,500.00 for his efforts and moved to twenty eighth position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $46,871.67 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this very event. He will be really happy with his final round that was 67-4 and was the second best score of the day behind Jordan Spieth (USA). But he will only be content with his first three rounds that were all in the low 70s. Nathan Holman (Australia) turned professional in October 2013, and his first professional tournament was the Western Australia Goldfields PGA Championship at Kalgoorlie Golf Course from 3–6 October 2013. In only his fifth professional tournament, in November 2013, Nathan Holman (Australia) made the cut at the 2013 Talisker Masters played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club and significantly, was tied for the lead at the half-way mark. He went into the final round tied for second, having played the third round with Adam Scott (Australia), a player Nathan Holman (Australia) has described as an idol. Although Nathan Holman (Australia) faded in the final round with a 78, he did shoot three sub-par rounds to finish on -3 and in 15th place in a tournament field of 120 competitors. Nathan Holman (Australia) is a member of the 2013 Golf Australia National Squad. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form into the final two events of 2014 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season. 

Also tied for tenth position was Sung – Hoon Kang (South Korea); he too earned AU $25,500.00 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia he doesn’t get a current Order of Merit ranking. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish which came this week. He will be happy with both his second and final rounds that were both 70-1s. But will be just content with his first and third rounds that were both early 70s. Sung – Hoon Kang (South Korea) turned professional in 2007 and joined the Korean Tour in his home country. He first gained international prominence in 2009 when he finished runner-up at the Ballantine’s Championship, a tournament co-sanction by the Korean Tour and the European Tour. The following year, Sung – Hoon Kang (South Korea) won for the first time on the Korean Tour, at the Eugene Open, and ended the season by qualifying for the USPGA Tour via qualifying school. In May 2011, Sung – Hoon Kang (South Korea) lost a playoff for the BMW Charity Pro – Am on the Nationwide Tour. The following month, he qualified for the U.S. Open Championship, his first major, and finished in a tie for 39th. Sung – Hoon Kang (South Korea) retained his USPGA Tour card for 2011 with a tied for third at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic to finish 120th on the money list. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season.

Also tied for tenth position was Aaron Townsend (Australia); he too earned AU $25,500.00 for his efforts and moved to 35th position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $38,915.95 earned from the ten events he has played to date this season so far. From the ten events he has played to date this season so far he has made seven cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all at par and under par especially his second round 70-1. But he will only be content with his first round 73+2. Aaron Townsend (Australia) turned professional on January 1, 2003, and that year was second at the Queensland PGA Championship. Tot eind 2008 speelde hij alleen op de Australische Challenge Tour (Von Nida Tour). Until the end of 2008, he only played on the Australian Challenge Tour (Von Nida Tour). In 2009 speelde hij op de OneAsia Tour ;In 2009 he played on the OneAsia Tour; hij werd 16de bij het China Open en eindigde op de 46ste plaats van hun Order of Merit.he was 16th at the China Open and finished in 46th place of their Order of Merit. Op de Australaziatische Tour behaalde hij zijn eerste overwinning door het NSW PGA Kampioenschap te winnen.On the Australasian Tour he earned his first victory by winning the NSW PGA Championship. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form in the final two events on the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia in the next two weeks. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season. 

Also tied for tenth position was Josh Younger (Australia); he too earned AU $25,500.00 for his efforts and moved to eighth position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $ 123,262.67 earned from the ten events he has played to date this season so far. From the ten events he has played to date this season so far he has made eight cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his first and third rounds that were all at par and under par especially his 70-1 in the third round. But he will be just content with his second and final rounds that were each 72+1s. Josh Younger (Australia) has had a very good season to date so far on the 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he won one of the two events to end the season. I wish him all the best for rest of the 2014 season. 

The final player to tie for tenth position was Aron Price (Australia); he too earned AU $25,500.00 for his efforts and moved to twenty first position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $59,750.00 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his first and third rounds which were both in the 60s especially his 68-3 in the first round. But he will be disappointed with his second round 75+4 and his final round 73+2. Aron Price (Australia) was born in Sydney, Australia. He played college golf at Georgia Southern University and turned professional in 2005. Aron Price (Australia) was a member of the Nationwide Tour from 2006 to 2008. In 2008 he finished 18th on the money list and earned his USPGA Tour card for 2009. He won his maiden and only PGA Tour of Australasia tournament at the 2013 Gloria Jean’s New South Wales Open. Let’s hope he can achieved some more top ten finishes in the two remaining events and perhaps achieve his second PGA Tour of Australasia win. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season. 

Next best New Zealand golfer in the field was Josh Geary (NZL) who scored a poor first round of 73+2, then a brilliant second round of 68-3, then a shocking third round of 76+5 and a very good final round of 71 even par for a 72 hole total of 288+4 and he tied for twenty eight position. He earned AU $ 9,500.00 for his efforts and moved to 43rd position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $ 30,975.87 earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. 

Next best New Zealand golfer was Brad Shilton (NZL) who scored a poor first round of 74+3, then a good second round of 72+1, then a good third round of 72+1 which included birding the final three holes and a poor final round of 74+3 for a 72 hole total of 292+8 and he tied for 46th position. He earned AU $ 4,250.00 for his efforts and moved to 89th position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $12,293.77 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far.

Next best New Zealand golfer was Michael Hendry (NZL) who scored a good first round of 70-1, then a poor second round of 74+3, then a poor third round of 75+4 and an average final round of 73+2 for a 72 hole total of 292+8 and he tied for 46th position. He earned AU $ 4,250.00 for his efforts and moved to 46th position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $ 28,302.73 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far.

Next best New Zealand golfer was Michael Long (NZL) who scored a poor first round of 75+4, then a great second round of 71 even par, then a shocking third round of 79+7 and a very good final round of 70-1 for a 72 hole total of 295+11 and he tied for 62nd position. He earned AU $2,612.50 for his efforts and moved to 68th position on the current 2014 PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit with AU $18,634.61 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. 

Of the New Zealand Golfers who missed the 36 hole cut that fell at 146+4 were Tae Koh (NZL) (AM) who is the reigning Australian Amateur Champion who scored a great first round of 71 even par but had a second round 76+5 for a 36 hole total of 147+5 to miss by a single stroke. Mahal Pearce (NZL) scored a good first round of 72+1 but then scored a disappointing second round of 75+4 for a 36 hole total of 147+5 also to miss by a single stroke. Mark Brown (NZL) scored an okay first round of 73+2 and a shocking second round of 76+5 for a 36 hole total of 149+7 to miss the 36 hole cut by three shots. Nick Gillespie (NZL) scored a shocking first round of 76+5 and a shocking second round of 75+4 for a 36 hole total of 151+9 to miss the 36 hole cut by five shots. David Klein (NZL) scored a good first round of 73+2 and a shocking second round of 78+7 for a 36 hole total of 151+9 to miss the 36 hole cut by five shots. Gareth Paddison (NZL) scored a good first round of 73+2 and a shocking second round of 78+7 for a 36 hole total of 151+9 to miss the 36 hole cut by five shots also. Richard Lee (NZL) scored a poor first round of 77+6 and withdrew from the tournament. 

Next week the USPGA Tour has its first event of the unofficial season and it is the Hero World Challenge and it is played on the Isleworth Golf & CC, Windermere, Florida. It is known as “Tiger Woods” tournament because all proceeds raised goes to his foundation. And he is making his come back from major back surgery. It carries a healthy prize purse of US $3,500,000 for the taking. There is only a small field of 18 golfers. Zach Johnson (USA) is the defending Champion and will be keen to defend his title. It starts on Thursday 4th December and I will report back who won the trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the eighteenth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 57th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his tied for 15th position at the Emirates Australian Open this past week  and one week ago tied for second position at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and six weeks ago finished in third place at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship eight weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team nine weeks ago and eleven weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and twelve weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and thirteen weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and fourteen weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and 16 weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and 17 weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also 19 weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.64 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his win one week ago at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai  and two weeks ago finished in solo third finish at the Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team ninth weeks ago with 8.13 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open this past week and one week ago tied for second position at the Bet Easy Masters and three weeks ago tied for 12th position at the WGC – HSBC Champions and six weeks ago tied for 38th position in the Japan Open and he tied for ninth position eleven weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and twelve weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and thirteen weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and fourteen weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and 16 weeks ago tied for 15th position at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.03 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for twenty fourth finish at the Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters on the Japan Golf Tour two weeks ago and winning the WGC - HSBC Champions three weeks ago with 7.68 Official World Ranking Points; and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Jim Furyk who was part of the losing USA Ryder Cup Team nine weeks ago and tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and eleven weeks ago with 7.08 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his fifth week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for third position at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba two weeks ago on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips four places and falls to 216th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.85 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember the more you practise, the luckier you get you get!!

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