Golf Events from the Weekend 8th March 2015

Well it was another awesome weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup along with the European Tour and Race to Dubai and many of the other tours from around the world head to Miami, Florida for the first World Golf Championship Event for the 2015 season and it was the WGC – Cadillac Championship and it was played on the Trump National Doral, Miami, Florida. It carried a huge prize purse of US $9,250,000 for the taking and only the top fifty golfers on the Official World Golf rankings the week prior to the event were exempt to play in it as well as other golfers who have won the money list of the minor tours around the world like the Japan Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, etc. Also many other big tournament winners of various events on those tours I just mentioned got an invitation to play as well. Patrick Reed (USA) was the defending Champion and was keen to defend his title. All the big name players in the world were there as well including Rory McILroy (NIR), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Bubba Watson (USA), Jason Day (Australia) and Adam Scott (Australia) to name a few and it was the golfer by the name of Dustin Johnson (USA) who scored rounds of 68-4, 73+1, 69-3 and a final round of 69-3 for a 72 hole total of 279-9 and he won by a single shot for his ninth win on the USPGA Tour to date so far in his career and it also was his second WGC event he has won to date so far as well. Also it was his first win since his six months leave of absence from the USPGA Tour which began in August 2014 and he returned to the USPGA Tour in late January 2015. Dustin Johnson (USA) earned US $1,570,000 for the win and moved to second position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,440,667 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. Bubba Watson (USA) is the current leader of that list with US $2,680,950 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. Dustin Johnson (USA) also earned 550 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to third position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 910 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far and he is 240 points behind the current leader of that list who is Jimmy Walker (USA) who has earned 1,150 points from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events Dustin Johnson (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the win this week. He will be extremely happy with his first round 68-4, his third round 69-3 (Which he made a hole in one on the par three, fourth hole) and his final round 69-3 which he played the back nine in 34-2. But he will be a little disappointed with his second round 73+1 but he was still able to win!!

 

Dustin Johnson (USA) tees off in the early stages of the final round

Dustin Johnson (USA) played an excellent final round of 69-3 which included a front nine of 35-1 with birdies on the par three, four hole where he knocked it to within a foot of the hole and almost had his second hole in one in as many days and he also birdied the par five, eight hole. But he had a poor bogey on the par four, seventh hole and he made the turn at minus seven and was three shots behind the leader. J. B. Holmes (USA) went out in 39+3 and made the turn at minus eight and was two shots behind the leader. Bubba Watson (USA) went out in an amazing 32-4 and made the turn at minus ten and was leading by two shots. 

Dustin Johnson (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one under par and that included birding the par five, tenth hole and he moved to minus eight and now was in the lead by one shot. J. B. Holmes (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in one over par and fell back to minus seven and now was now one shot behind the leader. Bubba Watson (USA) played holes ten to fourteen in three over par and that included bogeying the  par four, eleventh hole, par five, twelfth hole and par four, fourteenth hole and he fell back to minus seven and was now one shot behind the leader. 

 

Another photo Dustin Johnson (USA) in action during the final round

Dustin Johnson (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and that included making a birdie two on the par three, fifteenth hole and he moved to minus nine and was still leading by one shot heading to the very difficult par four, 72nd hole. J. B. Holmes (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in one under par and that included birding the short par four, sixteenth hole where he drove the green and two putted for his birdie three and moved to minus eighth one shot behind the leader heading to the very difficult par four, 72nd hole. Bubba Watson (USA) played holes fifteen to seventeen in even par and remained at minus seven two shots behind the leader heading to the very difficult par four, 72nd hole. 

Bubba Watson (USA) who was playing in the group ahead of the final group made a solid par up the very difficult par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus seven and finished two shots behind the winner. J. B. Holmes (USA) who was playing in the final group with Dustin Johnson (USA) made a solid par at the very difficult par four, 72nd hole remained at minus eight and finished the 72 holes one shot behind the winner. Dustin Johnson (USA) who was also playing in the final group now stood on the very difficult par four, 72nd hole with a one shot lead. With water all down the left hand side and trees down the right hand side he knew a straight drive was the only option. He struck his drive very well and took an aggressive line and drove it right over the hazard that cuts into the fairway at the landing area and it landed in the middle of the fairway. Johnnie Miller (USA) who is NBC Sports/Golf Channels Golf Analyst said “The drive Dustin Johnson (USA) just hit was his best drive of the week for him”. He was now faced with a short iron from 165 yards and he played the percentage shot for his second shot to the back left pin placement that had a slight fade on it and landed pin high in the back right fringe leaving thirty five feet for his birdie putt. After J. B. Holmes (USA) missed his birdie putt and tapped in for his par, Dustin Johnson (USA) knew what he had to do and that was to get down in two shots from about thirty five feet. He choose his putter and after composing himself he put a brilliant roll on it and rolled it down three feet short of the cup. He then tapped that three foot putt in for the win!! He got a huge high five and hug from his caddie, Austin Johnson who is his younger brother!! He scored 34-2 on his back nine. He then was interviewed by NBC Sports/Golf Channel on course reporter, Steve Sands and told him “He was so happy with the way he struck the ball this week (which was very solid) and it is an honour for him to win this Championship”. He also said “It was great to get back in the winner’s circle after his time he had had away from the game recently”. He then got a huge hug and kiss from his fiancée, Paulina Gretzky while holding their seven week old son, Tatum.  

 

Dustin Johnson (USA) celebrates after holing the winning putt!!

Dustin Johnson (USA) has won nine USPGA Tour events to date so far in his career and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2008 Turning Stone Resort Championship; 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am; 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am; 2010 BMW Championship; 2011 The Barclays; 2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic; 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions; 2013 WGC – HSBC Champions and the 2015 WGC – Cadillac Championship. He has also recorded seven top ten finishes to date so far in Major Championships and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he won his maiden Major Championship in 2015. He also has achieved five top ten finishes to date so far in WGC – Events which includes winning the 2013 WGC – HSBC Championship and the 2015 WGC – Cadillac Championship. Dustin Johnson (USA) is an American Professional Golfer who currently plays on the USPGA Tour. He is one of the longest drivers on the USPGA Tour, having been third in the driving distance stats for three consecutive years (2009–11) and has ranked inside the top five in each of his five years on the USPGA Tour. He has been featured in the top five of the Official World Golf Rankings, reaching a high of fourth in 2011. Dustin Johnson was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and played collegiate golf at Coastal Carolina University. As an amateur, he won the Monroe Invitational and the Northeast Amateur in 2007 and played on the winning 2007 Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams. Dustin Johnson (USA) is the first player since Tiger Woods (USA) to win at least once in each of his eight seasons coming out of college. 

Dustin Johnson (USA) turned professional in late 2007 and earned his 2008 USPGA Tour card by finishing in a tie for fourteenth place at the 2007 qualifying school in December. Toward the end of his rookie season in October 2008, Dustin Johnson (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event, the Turning Stone Resort Championship in upstate New York. Four months later, he won his second event at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am, which was shortened to 54 holes when the final round was cancelled due to strong winds and heavy rain. Dustin Johnson (USA) won by four strokes over Mike Weir (Canada) and five strokes over second round leader Retief Goosen (RSA), who shot a third round 74. Dustin Johnson (USA) finished the 2009 season ranked fifteen on the USPGA Tour money list. On July 31, 2014, Dustin Johnson (USA) announced he was taking the rest of the season off to seek professional help for personal challenges. In February 2010, Dustin Johnson (USA) birdied the final hole to defeat former world number one David Duval (USA) and two-time USPGA Tour winner J.B. Holmes (USA) to successfully defend his AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am title. He continued his Pebble Beach success by shooting 71-70-66 to take a three-shot lead over Graeme McDowell (NIR) at the 2010 U.S. Open. In the last pairing on Sunday, Dustin Johnson (USA) had trouble early and never recovered; he shot a disappointing 82 and finished tied for eighth (Graeme McDowell (NIR) won the championship). In the final round of the 2010 PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson (USA) held a one-shot lead entering the final hole. He appeared to have bogeyed the hole, which would have tied him for first and entered him into a three-hole playoff with Bubba Watson (USA) and Martin Kaymer (Germany). However, he received a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker, thereby dropping him to a tie for fifth place. Martin Kaymer (Germany) eventually won the playoff. Dustin Johnson (USA) broke his streak of bad luck at the third FedEx Cup playoff event of the season, the BMW Championship at Cog Hill in September. It was Dustin Johnson's (USA) fourth career USPGA Tour victory, and his first in any FedEx Cup playoff event. He finished the 2010 season ranked fourth on the USPGA Tour money list.

Dustin Johnson (USA) took part in the Long Drive Contest for charity at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January, alongside Bubba Watson (USA) and Robert Garrigus (USA). In March 2011, Dustin Johnson (USA) entered the final round of the WGC – Cadillac Championship with a two stroke lead over the rest of the field. However he could only manage a final round one-under-par 71 to finish as runner-up behind Nick Watney (USA). Dustin Johnson (USA) earned his best finish in a Major Championship in July at the 2011 Open Championship in England. He finished in a tie for second place at Royal St George’s, alongside fellow American Phil Mickelson (USA), three strokes behind champion Darren Clarke (NIR). Dustin Johnson's (USA) first three rounds of 70-68-68 left him one stroke behind Darren Clarke (NIR) and for most of Sunday's round Dustin Johnson (USA) managed to keep up with him, at one stage being just one back. His final round charge was derailed at the par five fourteenth hole, when his second shot went out of bounds and led to a double bogey. This took Dustin Johnson (USA) out of contention as he slipped to four strokes behind Darren Clarke (NIR) with only four holes to play. One highlight of Dustin Johnson's (USA) week at Royal St George's came in the first round when he recorded a hole in one on the par three 16th hole. This result marked the third time that Dustin Johnson (USA) had been part of the final group on Sunday at a Major Championship and also occurring in three out of the four majors, the 2010 U.S. Open, the 2010 PGA Championship and the 2011 Open Championship. As a result of this second place finish, Dustin Johnson (USA) moved to his highest spot in the Official World Golf Ranking at the time, seventh, and became the third-ranked American behind Steve Stricker (USA) and Phil Mickelson (USA).

Dustin Johnson (USA) won his fifth USPGA Tour title at The Barclays in 2011. He beat Matt Kuchar (USA) by two strokes. This was his second 54-hole tournament victory of his career, after the 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The tournament was shortened due to the threat of Hurricane Irene. Dustin Johnson (USA) shot rounds of 66-63-65 to win at -19. This was Dustin Johnson's (USA) first victory of 2011 and it moved him from nineteenth to first in the FedEx Cup standings. It was also the second FedEx Cup playoff event win of his career after he won the BMW Championship in 2010. The win also took him to a career high of fourth in the world rankings, the second highest American, (behind Steve Stricker (USA)). Although he started the playoffs well and held the number one position for the first week, he was unable to continue his form at the three remaining playoff events and did not record a single top twenty in any of them and finished fourth in the final FedEx Cup standings.

Dustin Johnson incurred a back injury at home in March and missed over two months of the 2012 season, including the first major at The Masters Tournament. He returned to competition in late May at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, made the cut and finished tied for nineteenth. The following week he won his sixth tour event, the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tennessee at TPC Southwind. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open the week after, finishing at +9, one stroke outside the cut mark. Dustin Johnson (USA) began his 2013 season with a win at the season opening Hyundai Tournament of Championships, an event reserved for winners from the past season. Dustin Johnson (USA) won by four strokes over defending champion Steve Stricker (USA) in an event that was shortened to 54 holes due the bad weather, mainly due to a very strong wind that meant conditions were unplayable. The first three days of the tournament were wiped out, with the field having to complete 36 holes on the Monday and a final 18 on Tuesday. The event was Dustin Johnson's (USA) seventh PGA Tour win and his third in a 54-hole event; a 54-hole event is still considered an official win with full Official World Golf ranking points. The same week Dustin Johnson (USA) also was seen with Paulina Gretzky, daughter of Wayne Gretzky. The two announced their engagement on August 18.In November, Dustin Johnson (USA) won the WGC – HSBC Champions, part of the 2013–14 USPGA Tour season. On July 31, 2014, Dustin Johnson (USA) announced he was taking the rest of the season off to seek professional help for personal challenges. On August 1, conflicting reports surfaced regarding the circumstances of Dustin Johnson's (USA) announcement from the previous day. Golf Magazine reported that Dustin Johnson (USA) had been suspended from the USPGA Tour for six months after testing positive for cocaine. The magazine indicated that this was his third positive drug test, after a 2009 positive for marijuana and 2012 positive for cocaine.  However, USPGA Tour officials indicated that Dustin Johnson (USA) was taking a voluntary leave and was not under suspension. 
 

Dustin Johnson (USA) poses with the Gene Sarazen Cup Trophy he won!!

Dustin Johnson (USA) returned to the tour at the Farmers Insurance Open in February. He missed the cut by one stroke. In the next two events Dustin Johnson (USA) played, he recorded two top-five finishes: tied for fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am; and tied for second at the Northern Trust Open after losing at the third playoff hole to James Hahn (USA). Dustin Johnson (USA) missed a twelve footer for birdie on the third extra hole to extend the playoff. Those results led Dustin Johnson (USA) back inside the top-15 in the Official World Golf Rankings. As I mentioned earlier On March 8, Dustin Johnson (USA) beat J. B. Holmes (USA) by one stroke to win the WGC – Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida. His life and golfing career are back on track now because On September 23, 2014, his fiancée Paulina Gretzky announced that she was pregnant with the couple's first child, due in 2015 and on January 20, 2015, Dustin Johnson (USA) announced the birth of their first child, a son, Tatum. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Coming in solo second position at 278-8 after 72 holes was J.B. Holmes (USA); he earned US $930,000 for his efforts and moved to eight position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,754,520 earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 315 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to fourteen position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 733 points earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. From the nine events he has played to date this season so far he has made eight cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his first and third rounds that were both under par especially his first round 62-10 which set the new course record and was blemish free with one eagle and eight birdies!! It was also the low score of day and the tournament. And it saw him have a four shot lead after round one. And he will be happy with his third round 70-2 that saw him achieved a hole in one on the par three, fourth hole thirty minutes after Dustin Johnson (USA) got his. But he will be disappointed with his second round 73+1 and his final round 75+3 which included a front nine of 39+3 and saw him throw away his chance he had of winning!! He will be happy with the week in general but angry he wasn’t able to gain the victory when he took a five shot lead into the final round and let it slip through his fingers!! J. B. Holmes (USA) was medallist at the 2005 USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. He tied for tenth in his first USPGA Tour start at the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii and in February that year he won the FBR Open, making him the fastest golfer to reach US $1,000,000 in career earnings on the USPGA Tour. It was his fifth tournament as a professional and his fourth on the USPGA Tour. After this victory his form fell away, and this continued in 2007 when he made only two top ten finishes and ended the year in 118th place on the money list. On February 3, 2008, J. B. Holmes (USA) won the FBR Open for the second USPGA Tour win of his career and also captured the tournament title for the second time in three years. Starting the final round with a four shot lead, on the 18th tee he was one shot behind Phil Mickelson (USA). J. B. Holmes (USA) birdied the 18th to force a play-off and then defeated Mickelson on the first playoff hole (the 18th) by making a six-foot birdie putt after a 359 yard drive. This victory took J.B. Holmes (USA) to 62nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. In 2008, J. B. Holmes (USA) reached a career-high 42nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. After shooting an 80 in the first round, J. B. Holmes (USA) withdrew from the 2011 PGA Championship in August. He had been dealing with vertigo symptoms for several months and eventually was diagnosed with structural defects in the cerebellum known as Chiari malformations. He underwent brain surgery on September 1, 2011, and about a month later, doctors discovered later that J. B. Holmes (USA) was allergic to the adhesive used on the webbed titanium plate at the base of his skull. He was airlifted from his home in Kentucky to John Hopkins in Baltimore for another surgery. J. B. Holmes (USA) returned to the USPGA Tour in late January 2012 at the Farmers Insurance Open. After brain surgery, J. B. Holmes (USA) played in 26 events in 2012. Elbow and ankle injuries limited him to six USPGA Tour events in 2013 and did not play again until the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour. J. B. Holmes (USA) satisfied his medical extension through earnings at the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, finishing tied for eleventh. He would need a tied for 63rd finish at the Wells Fargo Championship to earn entry into the 2014 Players Championship via FedEx Cup points. J. B. Holmes (USA) would get his first win in six years, regained his USPGA Tour status through the 2015-2016 season, and moved from 242nd to 68th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The win also earned J. B. Holmes (USA) entry into the 2014 USPGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louiville, Kentucky. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form into his next few events he plays and perhaps achieve his fourth USPGA Tour win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo third position at 281-7 after 72 holes was Bubba Watson (USA); he earned US $540,000 for his efforts and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $2,680,950 earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 200 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 1,088 points earned from the five events he has played to date this season so far. From the five events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved four top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his win at the WGC – HSBC Championship last November. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par and he was the only player in the field to score all four rounds under par!! But he will be unhappy with his back nine 39+3 in the final round after going out in 32-4 and it cost him his chance of winning when he was leading by two shots at the turn. Bubba Watson (USA)  has won seven events to date on the USPGA Tour and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2010 Travelers Championship; 2011 Farmers Insurance Open; 2011 Zurich Classic of New Orleans; 2012 Masters Tournament (Maiden Major Championship); 2014 Northern Trust Open; 2014 Masters Tournament (Second Major Championship) and the 2014 WGC – HSBC Champions. Bubba Watson (USA) won the 2014 Masters Tournament by three shots, with a score of −8. He entered the final round tied for the lead with 20-year-old Masters rookie Jordan Spieth (USA). Playing together in the final pairing, Jordan Spieth (USA) birdied the seventh hole for a two-stroke lead over Bubba Watson (USA). However, the momentum turned on the par-5 eighth hole. Jordan Spieth (USA) had a birdie putt, but ended up three-putting for bogey while Bubba Watson (USA) birdied to pull into a first-place tie. Then, on the ninth hole, Bubba Watson (USA) birdied again while Jordan Spieth (USA) bogeyed, and the four-shot swing over two holes gave Bubba Watson (USA) a lead that he never relinquished in a win over Jordan Spieth (USA) and Jonas Blixt (Sweden). With the win, Bubba Watson (USA) became the seventeenth player to win the Masters Tournament two or more times. The win moved him again to number four in the Official World Golf Ranking and with the finish this past week he has remained at number two in the Official World Golf Ranking. I look for Bubba Watson (USA) to have a really strong 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps he will win his third Major Championship? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for fourth position at 284-4 after 72 holes Adam Scott (Australia); he earned US $365,000 for his efforts and moved to sixty eighth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $473,000 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 128 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 102nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 195 points 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 one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all under par especially his 68-4 in the second round which was the low round of the day. But he will be disappointed with his third round 75+3 which ruined any chance he had of winning. But he will be happy with how he putted with the short putter this week because he has made the change from the broom stick putter he won the 2013 Masters Tournament with the ban on Anchor putters coming into effect on January 1st 2016. Adam Scott (USA) has won eleven USPGA Tour events to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship; 2004 The Players Championship; 2004 Booz Allen Championship; 2005 Nissan Open (The 2005 Nissan Open was shortened to 36 holes due to rain. Adam Scott (Australia) defeated Chad Campbell (USA) on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Due to the event's length, this win is not officially recognized.); 2006 Tour Championship; 2007 Shell Houston Open; 2008 EDS Byron Nelson Championship; 2010 Valero Texas Open; 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational; 2013 Master Tournament (Maiden Major Championship); 2013 The Barclays and 2014 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. He has also achieved thirteen top ten finishes in Major Championships that includes his 2013 Masters Tournament win. He has also achieved thirteen top ten finishes in WGC Events that includes his win at the 2011 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational. He has played on the International Presidents Cup Team in the Presidents Cup for the last six events dating back to 2003 and he is a certainty to make the 2015 International team. In March 2014, Adam Scott (Australia) tied the course record at Bay Hill Club &  Lodge, when he shot a 10-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 #1 ranked golfer. Adam Scott (Australia) was the seventeenth golfer to be ranked number one since official rankings began. He is also the second Australian and the first since Greg Norman Australia) in 1998. A week after becoming world #1, Adam Scott (Australia) strengthened his ranking with a win at the Crown 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. Let’s hope he can win his second Major Championship in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for fourth position was Henrik Stenson (Sweden); he also earned US $365,000 for his efforts and moved to seventy seventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $438,500 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 128 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 115th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 173 points 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 one top ten finish that came this very week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par and under par especially his first round 69-3. But he will only be content with his third and final rounds that were both even par 72s. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) has won four USPGA Tour events to date so far in his career and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2007 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship; 2009 The Players Championship; 2013 Deutsche Bank Championship and the 2013 Tour Championship. As you can see they are all big championship wins. He has also won nine events on the European Tour which he is also a member of and his last one came at the 2014 DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. On 22 September 2013, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) won The Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup. He also tied his career best OWGR ranking of fourth at the time. He then moved up to a career best third in the OWGR ranking on 3 November 2013.He finished the 2013 season ranked first on the USPGA Tour in greens in regulation, first in ball striking, second among money leaders, third in total driving, fourth in scoring average, and seventh in driving accuracy percentage. On 17 November 2013, he won the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, thereby also winning the Race to Dubai which he was already leading. Having already won the FedEx Cup Series in September, he thus became the first player to win the FedEx Cup on the USPGA Tour and the European Tour's Race to Dubai, and to do so in the same season, a 'historic double'. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) described his feat as a 'double-double' because in the process of winning these two seasonal points crowns, he also won the season finales of both tours (the Tour Championship and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai).He was later named European Tour Golfer of the Year. In May 2014, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) reached a career high ranking of number two in the world, trailing only Adam Scott (Australia). Over the course of 2014, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) achieved career-best finishes at the Masters (Tied for fourteenth) and U.S. Open (tied for fourth) while tying a career-best finish at the PGA Championship (tied for third). Let’s hope he can keep this good form up in the weeks ahead and perhaps win his maiden Major Championship in 2015. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo sixth position at 285-3 after 72 holes was Louis Oosthuizen (RSA); he earned US $270,000 for his efforts and moved to ninety second position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $359,833 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 105 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to 125th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 161 points. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his first and third rounds that were both under par especially his third round 67-5. But he will be disappointed with his second and final rounds that were both over par. He has won one USPGA Tour event to date so far in his career and it came at the 2010 Open Championship (Which was his maiden Major Championship) at St Andrews, Scotland. He has also achieved two other top ten finishes in Major Championships with a second place in the 2012 Masters Tournament when he lost in a playoff to Bubba Watson (USA) on the second playoff hole. He also has achieved seven wins on the European Tour to date so far in his career which he is also a member of and his last win came at the 2014 Volvo Golf Champions. He has also achieved six top ten finishes in WGC Events with his best finish being solo fourth at the 2012 Bridgestone Invitational. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead on the USPGA Tour. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Rounding out the top eight in tied for seventh position at 286-2 after 72 holes was Bill Haas (USA); he earned US $215,000 for his efforts and moved to sixteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,425,386 earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 92 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to sixteenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 708 points earned from the seven events he has played to date this season so far. From the seven events he has played to date this season so far he has made six cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here and his win at the Humana Challenge in mid January. He will be extremely happy with his third round 65-7 which was the low round of the day by two shots!! But he will be disappointed with his first, second and final rounds that were all over par. Bill Haas (USA) has won six events on the USPGA Tour to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2010 Bob Hope Classic; 2010 Viking Classic; 2011 Tour Championship (Which won him the 2011 FedEx Cup); 2012 Northern Trust Open; 2013 AT&T National and the 2014 Humana Challenge. In the twenty one Major Championships he has played in he is yet to achieve a top ten finish. Maybe 2015 will be the year he wins one? He has also achieved five top ten finishes in WGC Events and his best finish to date so far is tied for sixth twice in the WGC – Cadillac Championship in 2010 and 2014. He also played on the 2011 and 2013 winning US Presidents Cup Teams and is a sure bet to be on the 2015 US Presidents Cup in South Korea later in the year. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for seventh position was Webb Simpson (USA); he also earned US $215,000 for his efforts and moved to fortieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $773,517 from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 92 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to forty second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points standings list standings with 376 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made five cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be happy with his second and third rounds that were both under par especially his 69-3 in the second round. But he will be disappointed with his first and final rounds that were both over par. Webb Simpson (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2009 season after gaining his card at the 2008 USPGA Tour Qualifying School where he finished in tied for seventh position. He has kept his card for the next year every season since. His best season to date so far came in the 2011 where he finished in second position on the Money List with US $ 6,347,353 earned from the twenty six events he played in and that included two wins. He has recorded four wins in his career so far and they are the 2011 Wyndham Championship, 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship, 2012 U.S. Open Championship (Maiden Major Championship) and 2013 Shriners Hospital for Children Open. I feel his fifth win will come in the 2014/15 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup has the third event of four in the Florida Swing and it is Valspar Championship and is played on the Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead), Palm Harbor, Florida. It carries a huge prize purse of US $5,900,000 for the taking. John Senden (Australia) is the defending champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Steve Alker (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) are likely to gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 12th March 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 thirtieth first week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 71st week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his tied for ninth position at the WGC – Cadillac Championship this past week and one week ago missed cut at the Honda Classic with 11.32 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his solo third position this past week at the WGC – Cadillac Championship and two weeks ago he tied for fourteen position at the Northern Trust Open with 7.74 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his tied for fourth position at the WGC – Cadillac Championship this past week and he tied for thirteenth position at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic five weeks ago with 7.27 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for fourth position at the WGC – Cadillac Championship this past week and he tied for second position at the Australian PGA Championship twelve weeks ago with 7.00 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top five on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh off his tied for thirty first position at the WGC – Cadillac Championship this past week and he tied for fourth position three weeks ago at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am with 6.72 Official World Ranking Points. Ryan Fox (NZL) this week is in his third week of his first spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for fifth position this past week at the Holden NZ PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia. This week he gains seven places and rises to 197th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.88 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember the old saying when playing in the wind “When it is breezy, swing easy!!”

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

Golf Events from the Weekend 1st March 2015

It was another excellent weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to the State of Florida for the first of four straight events in the Florida Swing and it 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. Russell Henley (USA) was the defending Champion and was keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Padraig Harrington (Ireland) who scored rounds of 67-3, 66-4, 71+1 and a final round of 70 even par for a 72 hole total of 274-6 but he was tied on that score by Daniel Berger (USA) who scored rounds of 68-2, 71+1, 71+1 and an awesome final round of 64-6 which was the equal low round of the day and the tournament and he too was on 274-6 after 72 holes. So those two players headed back to the par five, eighteenth hole for the first playoff hole. 

 

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) plays an iron shot during the final round

Daniel Berger (USA) choose a piece of paper out of the USPGA Tour Officials hat and it read “Two” so that meant that Padraig Harrington (Ireland) teed off first. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) hit a good drive down the par five, eighteenth hole that had a slight fade on it and came to rest in the right centre of the fairway. Daniel Berger (USA) teed off next and he hit his drive with a slight fade on it as well and it was a bit longer than Padraig Harrington (Ireland) and it came to rest just in the first cut of rough on the right hand side. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) played his second shot first and laid up with his mid iron to about 100 yards from the green in the centre of the fairway leaving a good angle to attack the flag with his third shot to a green that was surrounded by water and bunkers. Daniel Berger (USA) after discussing it with his caddie decided to lay up as well. He was tempted to go for the green in two because in the final round a few hours earlier he got the green into two with his fairway wood. But the wind had increased and there was too much to lose if he wasn’t on the money with the shot. He laid up with a mid iron to about 110 yards from the pin in the fairway and had the same angle as Padraig Harrington (Ireland) for his third shot. Daniel Berger (USA) played his third shot first with his short wedge and landed it ten feet pin high to the left of the hole which put the pressure right back on Padraig Harrington (Ireland). Padraig Harrington (Ireland) put his third shot with his short wedge into within twenty feet of the flag stick on the left pin high. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) then putted for his birdie from twenty feet and it was a similar putt he had holed in regulation play to get into the playoff. This time it didn’t take the left to right break and it missed on the left hand side and rolled down to four feet past the cup. It meant Daniel Berger (USA) now stood over a putt to win the Honda Classic in only his twelfth start on the USPGA Tour in his rookie season. He calmed his nerve and then struck the ten footer for birdie and it just missed on the left hand side and came to rest three feet past the cup. They both tapped in their par putts and they were headed to the second playoff hole which was the par three, seventeenth hole. 

So to the second playoff hole and Padraig Harrington (Ireland) teed off first and he choose a five iron in the slight head wind. He played an awesome shot that had a slight fade on it and it sat down next to the pin as the saying goes “like a butterfly with sore toes” leaving him only four feet for his birdie. It really put the pressure back on Daniel Berger (USA). Daniel Berger (USA) then hit a poor shot with his mid iron that leaked to the right and splashed in the water just short of the green!! It must have really sent a bad feeling through his body as he knew he had just handed the tournament to Padraig Harrington (Ireland). Daniel Berger (USA) dropped his ball in the drop zone and hit his short wedge shot on the green about ten feet left of the pin. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) walked up to the green with the fans chanting “Ole, Ole, Ole” like they do in the Ryder Cup. Daniel Berger (USA) then putted for his bogey from ten feet and missed on the right hand side and tapped for double bogey!! Now it was just a formality for Padraig Harrington (Ireland) to claim his sixth USPGA Tour event and his first since 2008 PGA Championship. He calmed his nerve and dibbled the putt down and it missed on the right hand side which was understandable the circumstances of having three putts to win. He tapped in the six inch putt for the win!! Then he got a huge hug from his caddie, Ronan Flood to celebrate!! Then when interviewed by golf channel reporter Steve Sands he said “He knew if he ever got himself back in contention he had the game to pull off the big shots under pressure like the second playoff hole, and he is so pleased to be exempt for the next two season on the USPGA tour and back in the Masters Tournament”. And it was ironic that for the second week running that a player ranked 297th on the Official World Golf Rankings would win a USPGA Tour event (Last week James Hahn (USA) won the Northern Trust Open ranked 297th in the Official World Golf Rankings). 

 

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) on the right shakes Daniel Berger's (USA) hand on the left just after he holed the winning putt!!

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) won US $1,098,000 for the win and moved to seventeenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,132,282 earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far. Jimmy Walker (USA) currently leads that list with US $2,281,349 earned from the eight events he has played to date this season so far. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty first position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 515 points earned from the nine events he has played to date this season so far and he is 598 points behind the current leader of that list who is Jimmy Walker (USA) who has earned 1,113 points from the eight events he has played to date this season so far. From the nine events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved one top ten finish which came with the win this week. He will be happy with his first two rounds that were both in the mid 60s especially his second round 66-4 and he will also be happy with his back nine in his final round 70 even par which was 32-3 and included four straight birdies in a row from the eleventh to the fourteenth holes. He will be extremely happy with his tee shot into the second hole playoff hole to win as I mentioned earlier. But he will be just content with his third round 71+1. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) played a steady final round which had to be completed on Monday because of the storm that suspended play for most of Saturday. In the first part of his final round which he played on Sunday he was three over for seven holes with a bogey on the par four, fourth hole and a double bogey on the par four, sixth hole. Then when play resumed at 8am on Monday Morning he pared the par four, eighth and ninth holes to go out in 38+3. But he played an awesome back nine of 32-3 where he made five birdies that included making four birdies in a row as I mentioned above and birdied the par five, 72nd hole to make the play off. But he made a terrible double bogey five on the difficult par three, seventeenth hole. 

 

Ronan Flood who is Padraig Harrington's (Ireland) caddie on the left shakes and congratulates Padraig Harrington's (Ireland) hand after he just won the Honda Classic!!

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) has now won six events on the USPGA Tour in his career to date so far and here they are from the first to the most recent: 2005 Honda Classic; 2005 Barclays Classic; 2007 Open Championship (Maiden Major Championship); 2008 Open Championship (Second Major Championship); 2008 PGA Championship (Third Major Championship) and the 2015 The Honda Classic and he has also won fourteen events on the European Tour and four events on the Asian Tour and one on the Japan Golf Tour. He has also achieved fifteen top ten finishes in Major Championships to date so far that includes his three wins. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) started his 2009 season with a tied-fifth finish in the Adu Dhabi Golf Championship on the European Tour. He then went through a tough period in his career, missing the cut at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro - Am, as well as the Northern Trust Open on the USPGA Tour. He finished tied eleventh at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in what would be one of his better results in the early part of 2009. He arrived at the 2009 Masters Tournament hoping to join Ben Hogan (USA) and Tiger Woods (USA) as the only players to win three consecutive professional majors. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) started with a three under-par first round, but eventually faded over the weekend, finishing tied for 35th place. His struggles continued in the succeeding months, as he missed the cut at five of his next six events, including The 3 Irish Open and the U. S. Open. It was during this period that he announced that he was working on swing changes with Coach Bob Torrance.

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) arrived at The Open Championship at Turnberry hoping to complete a hat-trick of Open wins, a feat that has only been achieved by Peter Thomson (Australia). He ended up finishing tied for 65th place. At the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational he was involved in a final day head-to-head between himself and World number one Tiger Woods (USA). Padraig Harrington (Ireland) led by one shot playing the 16th hole, but he racked up a triple-bogey to Tiger Woods' (USA) birdie and he finished in joint second place. The following week Padraig Harrington (Ireland), the defending champion, played the first two rounds with Tiger Woods (USA) at the PGA Championship. He shot a first round 68, ending one shot behind the leader Tiger Woods (USA). Rounds of 73 and 69 left him two shots behind Tiger Woods (USA). He was in contention in the final round, until he made an 8 at the par-3 8th hole. He ended in a tie for 10th. He finished in the top-10 in all four FedEx Cup playoff events, before further top-10s in Europe and the States before the end of the season. He ended the year winless on the European and PGA Tours for the first time since 1999. 

 

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) poses with the Honda Classic Trophy he won!!

Padraig Harrington (Ireland) missed the cut in three out of the four majors in 2010. In an inconsistent season, he had five top-10s on the USPGA Tour, but also missed six cuts. He was a controversial wild-card pick by European captain Colin Montgomerie (Scotland) for the 2010 Ryder Cup. He won two matches and lost two matches as Europe regained the Ryder Cup. It was his sixth Ryder Cup and fourth time being on the winning team. He won his first tournament in two years at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia on the Asian Tour. He finished the year ranked twenty fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) started his 2011 season with an opening round 65, for a first round lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on the European Tour. He was later disqualified before his second round commenced, after a spectator telephoned in and pointed out an incident of his ball moving an exceptionally small distance closer to the hole on the green, while he was replacing his ball marker, during the first round; it had been shown on television. (The incident led to a rules review, and if it were to occur again, would not be a penalty.) He missed the cut at the Masters Tournament and finished tied for 45th at the U.S Open Championship. In June 2011, he dropped outside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time since 1999. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) made his first start of the 2012 USPGA Tour season at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro - Am where he finished joint top of the Pro-Am leaderboard, alongside partner J.P. McManus, with Brian Harman (USA) and Greg Ontiveros. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) also enjoyed a good finish in the overall tournament with a tied for seventh finish. In March 2012, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) shot a 61 in the first round of the Transitions Championship to set a new course record at the Copperhead Course. This was also Padraig Harrington's (Ireland) lowest ever round on the USPGA Tour. He could not maintain his brilliant first day's play over the remaining three rounds though and finished in a tie for twentieth place.

In April 2012, at the first major of the year, The Masters Tournament, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) shot five under for the last six holes in his third round to close to within three shots of the lead. In the final round, he shot a level par round of 72 to finish tied for eighth. It was Padraig Harrington's (Ireland) first top ten finish in a major since the 2009 PGA Championship. At the 2012 U.S. Open Championship, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) was in contention to win a fourth major championship, when rounds of 74-70-71 on the first three days got him into contention on Sunday. After bogeying two of the first six holes, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) preceded to play the stretch from hole 7–17 in 5-under-par to find himself two behind the leader. Needing a birdie at the last to finish ahead of the clubhouse leader Michael Thompson (USA), Padraig Harrington (Ireland) took the pin on at the eighteenth and found a plugged lie in the greenside bunker, which resulted in a bogey finish at 3-over-par. Ultimately this did not cost him the championship as he finished two shots behind Webb Simpson (USA) on 1-over-par. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) later stated that he thought he had to birdie the last to get to 1-over-par as the reason for taking such an aggressive line on the eighteenth. He eventually finished in a tie for fourth place, which represented his best showing at a U.S. Open Championship. In October 2012, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf despite having not won a major championship during the year, having been a late replacement for Open champion, Ernie Els (RSA). Padraig Harrington (Ireland) endured difficult 2013 and 2014 seasons finishing outside of the top 60 on the European Tour, Race to Dubai in both years and outside of the top 130 on the USPGA Tour, FedEx Cup in both years. During this period his Official World Golf Ranking fell to an 18 year low of 385 as of 1 December 2014. In December 2014 he won the Bank BRI Indonesia Open on the Asian Tour for his first official win for 4 years. And as I mentioned before in March 2015, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) won his first USPGA Tour event since the 2008 PGA Championship at the Honda Classic. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) had started the 2014–15 season out of the past champion's category after finishing 188th in the FedEx Cup. Padraig Harrington (Ireland) was the second consecutive player ranked 297th in the world to win on the USPGA Tour, after James Hahn (USA) won the Northern Trust Open the week before. Let’s hope Padraig Harrington (Ireland) can have more good finishes in the weeks ahead and maybe achieve his seventh win on the USPGA Tour in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo second position at 274-6 and losing on the second playoff hole as I mentioned above was Daniel Berger (USA); he earned US $658,800 for his efforts and moved to sixteenth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,188,405 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to fifteenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 603 points 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 eight cuts and achieved three top ten finishes which includes the one this week. He will be extremely happy with his first and final rounds this week that were both in the 60s especially his first round 68-2 which was bogey free and his final round 64-6 which was the equal low round of the day and the tournament. But he will be just content with his second and third rounds that were both 71+1s and he will be disappointed he wasn’t able to convert his ten foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole for the win and also that he put his tee shot in the water on second playoff hole and handed the tournament to Padraig Harrington (Ireland). Daniel Berger (USA) was born in Plantation, Florida to Nadia and Jay Berger. His father is a former tennis pro, coach, and head of men's tennis for the United States Tennis Association. Daniel Berger (USA) lived in Miami for about ten years before moving with his family to Jupiter, Florida, where he began taking golf seriously. He graduated William T. Dwyer High School in 2011 and went on to play golf at Florida State University, where he tied for second at the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championships. Daniel Berger (USA) turned pro after his sophomore season. In late 2013, Daniel Berger (USA) qualified for the Web.com Tour and played four events. The following year, he finished tied for second at the TPC Stonebrae Championship and ranked fifteenth in the season-long Web.com Tour standings, which earned him a promotion to the USPGA Tour for the 2014–15 season. As I mentioned earlier on March 2, 2015 Daniel Berger (USA) shot a 6-under-par 64 in the final round of the Honda Classic and lost to Padraig Harrington (Ireland) in a playoff. Had Daniel Berger (USA) won, it would have been the second-largest final round comeback in USPGA Tour history: he began the final round nine strokes behind 54-hole leader Ian Poulter (England). He has made an awesome start to his rookie season on the USPGA Tour and he has already secured his card for next season. He can take a lot of confidence out of this week going forward and I am sure he will win his maiden USPGA Tour event in the next few years if it doesn’t come this year. Let’s hope he can have lots more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for third position at 275-5 after 72 holes was Paul Casey (England); he earned US $317,200 for his efforts and moved to twenty third position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $973,680 earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to twenty sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 462 points earned from the six events he has played to date this season so far. From the six events he has played to date this season so far he has made four cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par or under par especially his first, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s. But he would be slightly disappointed that he wasn’t able to have one shot less and make the playoff as he had done the week previous. Paul Casey (England) earned his first USPGA Tour win on 5 April 2009 by defeating J. B. Holmes (USA) in a one-hole playoff at the Shell Houston Open. This win took him to No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Paul Casey (England) won his milestone tenth event on the European Tour at the 2009 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey, where he won by one stroke over Wentworth resident and fellow Englishman Ross Fisher (England). This win vaulted Paul Casey (England) to a career high of third in the Official World Golf Ranking. He had been ranked at No. 41 at the beginning of 2009. Paul Casey (England) suffered a rib injury at the 2009 Open Championship, and it limited the amount of golf he could play in the second half of 2009.

In January 2011, Paul Casey (England) won the Volvo Golf Champions tournament in Bahrain, which was his first win for 20 months. Paul Casey (England) won the 2012 Telus World Skins Game in Canada, having defeated Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela) in a tiebreaker during the event in July. In June 2013, Paul Casey (England) won his 12th European Tour title at The Irish Open to end a two and half-year winless drought due to form and fitness problems. He captured the title with a final round 67 in changeable conditions, to win by three strokes over Joost Luiten (Netherlands) and Robert Rock (England). He had begun the day four shots behind the leader Joost Luiten (Netherlands), but a run of five birdies in six holes in the middle of the round opened up a three shot lead. It was reduced to one stroke, when Paul Casey (England) bogeyed the 15th and 16th, but a closing eagle on the par five 18th sealed the victory. In September 2014, Paul Casey (England) won his 13th European Tour title at the KLM Open in the Netherlands, his first victory of the 2014 season. He took victory after posting a final round 66, putting him one shot ahead of runner up, and fellow Englishman Simon Dyson (England). He started the final round four strokes off the lead of Romain Wattel (France). The victory was especially emotional and gratifying as Paul Casey's (England) wife Pollyanna had given birth to the couple's first child two week prior to the event. In 2014, Paul Casey (England) finished 95th in the FedEx Cup despite no top ten finishes in 16 starts playing out of the Past Champions category. For 2015, Paul Casey (England) chose to give up his European Tour exemption and focus solely on the USPGA Tour, citing a need to lessen his travel. Let’s hope he can keep this fine form up in the weeks to come and perhaps achieve his second USPGA Tour win in 2015. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

Also tied for third position was Russell Knox (Scotland) who lost in a playoff in this same tournament in 2014; he too earned US $317,200 for his efforts and moved to twentieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,017,175 earned from the ten events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to twenty second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 499 points 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 here this week. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his 68-2s in the second and final rounds. But he will just be content with his third round 70 even par and disappointed he couldn’t have been one shot lower to make the playoff. Russell Knox (Scotland) played on the NGA Hooters Tour from 2008 to 2010, picking up two victories in the process. He joined the Nationwide Tour in 2011 and picked up his first victory on tour in July at the Chiquita Classic. He eventually finished 12th on the Nationwide Tour money list and gained his full USPGA Tour card. His first USPGA Tour event was the 2011 Transitions Championship but he failed to make the cut. His first USPGA Tour event as a full member was the 2012 Sony Open in Hawaii where he missed the cut by a single stroke. He made only 12 cuts in 23 events in 2012 and finished in 143rd position on the money list to remain conditionally exempt on the USPGA Tour for 2013. He split time between the USPGA Tour and Web.com Tours in 2013. He played in the Web.com Tour Finals and finished 20th to earn his USPGA Tour card for 2014. On July 26, 2013, Russell Knox (Scotland) shot a 59 in the second round of the Albertsons Boise Open on the Web.com Tour. After an impressive start to his 2014 season, Russell Knox (Scotland) came close to winning his maiden USPGA Tour title at the Honda Classic, eventually losing to Russell Henley (USA) in a four-man playoff that also included Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Ryan Palmer (USA). This to date is his best career finish on the USPGA Tour. Let’s hope he can finish in the top ten in the next events he plays in and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2015 part of 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for third position was Ian Poulter (England); he too earned US $317,200 for his efforts and moved to forty sixth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $607,223 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 145 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to fifty fifth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points standings with 291 points earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. From the four events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one this past week. He will be extremely happy with his second round 64-6 which was the equal low round of the day and the tournament and his 66-4 in the third round which was the low third round!! But he will only be content with his first round 71+1 and will be bitterly disappointed with his final round 74+4 which saw him put five balls in the water and cost him his chance of winning!! Ian Poulter (England) has achieved two wins on the USPGA Tour to date so far and they both have come at WGC Events with the first one coming at the 2010 WCG- Accenture Match Play Championship and the second coming at the 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions in China. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and perhaps his third win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season. 

Rounding out the top six in solo six position at 276-4 after 72 holes was Jamie Donaldson (Wales); he earned US $219,600 for his efforts and moved to seventy ninth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour money list standing with US $387,114 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 100 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to eighty fifth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points standings list with 218 points earned for 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 four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this past week. He will be happy with his first and final rounds that were both in the 60s especially his 66-4 in the final round. But he will just be content with his second and third rounds which were consecutive 71+1s. Jamie Donaldson (Wales) is yet to win on the USPGA Tour but he does have three wins on the European Tour to his name with the most recent being the 2014 D+D Real Czech Masters. In his second start of the 2013 season and thirteen events after his maiden victory, Jamie Donaldson (Wales) won his second European Tour title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Starting the final round two back of Justin Rose (England), Jamie Donaldson (Wales) made five birdies in seventeen holes to move two clear of the field, but a late bogey at the par five 18th hole meant a nervous wait to watch the final group come home. First Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark), then Justin Rose (England) had putts to force a playoff but both missed narrowly to see Jamie Donaldson (Wales) to victory by one stroke. With the win, Jamie Donaldson (Wales) became only the seventh Welshman to win multiple titles on the European Tour and it moved him inside the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. On 11 April, he became the fifth man in history to record a hole-in-one on the 6th hole at Augusta National Golf Club during the 2013 Masters Tournament. He finished the 2013 season ranked fifth on the Race to Dubai. Jamie Donaldson (Wales) played well enough on the 2014 USPGA Tour as a non-member to earn a USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season which he took his membership up and is playing a full schedule. Jamie Donaldson (Wales) secured the winning point for Europe in the 2014 Ryder Cup, with a wedge shot onto the fifteenth green, beating Keegan Bradley (USA) 4 & 3. Let’s hope he can continue this fine form in the weeks to come and achieve more top ten finishes and perhaps his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The best New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored an average first round of 73+3 in the very windy conditions, then a good second round of 71+1, and a brilliant third round of 68-2 and a poor final round of 74+4 for a 72 hole total of 286+6 and he finished in tied for fifty first position. He earned US $14,274 for his efforts and currently lies in 170th  position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $80,303 earned from the eleven events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 17 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and is currently in 162nd  position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 78 points 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 four cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be very happy with his third round 68-2 in very tough conditions but just content with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the mid to low 70s. At least this week he managed to make the cut after missing his previous five straight cuts. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and have some top ten finishes as well. 

The next best New Zealand Golfer in the field was Danny Lee (NZL) and he scored rounds of 72+2 in the first round which was good in the very strong winds, then he scored a poor second round of 75+5 for a 36 hole total of 147+7 and he missed the cut by three shots. He moved to fifty first position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $560,818 earned from the thirteen events he has played to date this season so far. He also moved to fifty fourth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 293 points earned from the thirteen events he has played to date this season so far. From the thirteen events he has played to date this season so far he has made seven cuts and achieved one top ten finish. He will be disappointed with his first and second rounds that were both in the low to mid 70s especially his second round 75+5. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the coming weeks and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. Danny has been playing the USPGA Tour on and off fulltime since the 2012 season. Danny Lee (NZL) entered the 2012 USPGA Tour season with USPGA Tour and European Tour cards. He said he was still keen to play a two-tour schedule, however his main focus would be on America. He made only 13 cuts in 26 events on the USPGA Tour and lost his tour card. He did not play on the European Tour. After striking up a successful partnership late in the Nationwide Tour season, Danny Lee (NZL) said he would have Australian, Graeme Courts, a former long-time caddy of Loren Roberts (USA), working for him on the USPGA Tour. K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced Danny Lee (NZL) to another Australian, Steve Bann, as a potential coach. "I am close with K.J. Choi (South Korea) and he said I was thinking too much about my swing," Danny Lee (NZL) said. "I was always working on something and I am too technical sometimes so K.J. Choi (South Korea) introduced me to Steve. Steve is a simple guy who is teaching me how to practise with better routine and how to trust my own game and not think too much. Danny Lee (NZL) played on the Web.com Tour in 2013, finishing 15th on the regular season money list to regain his USPGA Tour card for 2014/15 Season. His best finish was second at the Rex Hospital Open. In 2014 on the back of six straight missed cuts, Danny Lee (USA) adopted a claw putting grip for the Puerto Rico Open in March. He credited the change of putting style for yielding him an instant result; a runner-up finish, two shots behind winner Chesson Hadley (USA). Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the weeks ahead and maybe achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2015 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup along with the European Tour and Race to Dubai and many of the other tours from around the world head to Miami, Florida for the first World Golf Championship Event for the 2015 season and it is the WGC – Cadillac Championship and it is played on the Trump National Doral, Miami, Florida. It carries a huge prize purse of US $9,250,000 for the taking and only the top fifty golfers on the Official World Golf rankings the week prior to the event will be exempt to play in it as well as other golfers who have won the money list of the minor tours around the world like the Japan Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, etc. Also many other big tournament winners of various events on those tours I just mentioned with get an invitation to play as well. Patrick Reed (USA) is the defending Champion and will be keen to defend his title. All the big name players in the world with be there as well including Rory McILroy (NIR), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Bubba Watson (USA), Jason Day (Australia) and Adam Scott (Australia) to name a few. It starts on Thursday 5th March. I will report back who won the trophy next week. The other event on the USPGA Tour and part of the FedEx Cup next week is for the players who aren’t eligible to play in the WGC – Cadillac Championship. It is the Puerto Rico Open and it is played on the Trump International GC (PR), Rio Grande, Puerto. It carries a smaller prize purse of US $3,000,000 for the taking. Chesson Hadley (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (NZL) will be looking to go one better this year and win after finishing solo second last year. Steve Alker (NZL) and Tim Wilkinson (NZL) will also have a good chance to earn a good pay cheque. It starts on Thursday 5th March 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 thirtieth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 70th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his missed cut at the Honda Classic this past week and four weeks ago he had his tenth win on the European Tour at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic with 11.27 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off his tied for fourteen position one week ago at the Northern Trust Open and his tied for second position at the Waste Management Phoenix Open four weeks ago with 7.21 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who is fresh off his tied for thirteenth position at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic four weeks ago and also he tied for 13th position at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters five weeks ago with 7.05 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Jason Day (Australia) who is fresh off his tied for fourth finish two weeks ago at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am and three weeks ago he won the Farmers Insurance Open with 6.75 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for second position at the Australian PGA Championship eleven weeks ago and he also finished in solo fifth position at the Emirates Australian Open thirteen weeks ago with 6.65 Official World Ranking Points. Ryan Fox (NZL) this week is in his second week of his first spell of being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his win at the Coca – Cola QLD PGA Championship one week ago on the PGA Tour of Australasia. This week he slips one place and falls to 204th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.85 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

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

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