Golf Events at the Weekend 9th November 2014

Well it was another brilliant weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup stayed in Asia for the second and final week of the Asian Swing and it was the final WGC event for 2014 and was co – sanctioned with the USPGA Tour, European Tour and many other tours from around the world and was the World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions and it was played on the Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China. It had a small elite field of Golfers that included the top 50 Golfers on the Official World Golf Rankings points list prior to this week and many of the top golfers from the smaller Professional Golf Tours from around the world. It carried a huge prize – purse of US $8,500,000 for the taking. Dustin Johnson (USA) was the defending champion but decided not to defend his title because he is on an extended leave of absence from the USPGA Tour. Michael Hendry (NZL) was the only New Zealand golfer that gained a start. And it was the golfer by the name of Bubba Watson (USA) who scored rounds of 71-1, 67-5, 69-3 and a final round of 70-2 which included an amazing eagle three on the par five, 72nd hole where he holed out from the left hand green side bunker in dramatic fashion!! His 72 hole total was 277-11 but he was tied on that scored by Tim Clark (RSA) who scored rounds of 69-3, 70-2, 69-3 and a final round of 69-3 for a 72 hole total of 277-11 also. So those two players headed back to the par five, 18th tee for the first playoff hole.

 

Bubba Watson (USA) in action during the final round

So to the first playoff hole. Bubba Watson (USA) picked the number one out of the USPGA Tour Officials hat and he had the honour of teeing off first. He struck one of his booming drives that landed right in the centre of the fairway leaving him only a mid iron for his second shot to the green. Tim Clark (RSA) teed off next and also found the middle of the fairway but he was much short than Bubba Watson (USA) and would have to lay up for his second. Tim Clark (RSA) played his second shot next and laid up and had a similar third to the one he fired close in regulation. Bubba Watson (USA) then played his mid iron for his second shot and landed it in that same bunker that he was in, in regulation play, surely lightning couldn’t strike twice? Tim Clark (RSA) played his third shot first and it almost took the route to the water Martin Kaymer's (Germany) took in regulation play, but it stayed dry and left him a twenty foot putt for his birdie four. Advantage now shifted towards Bubba Watson (USA). He played his third shot next from the same bunker but there was no kick off the first bounce like he had in regulation play, and he came up fifteen feet short. The question was now did either of these two have a big putt left in them?  Tim Clark (RSA) putted from twenty feet for his birdie four and he struck a good putt but it pulled up six inches short of the cup and he had to settle for his par five. Bubba Watson (USA) now knew if he could hole his fifteen foot birdie putt he would win the WGC – HSBC Champions. He calmed his nerve and struck a brilliant putt that was bang on line and fell straight in the middle of the cup for his birdie four and he was the Champion!! He gave his caddie, Ted Scott a huge high five!! Then he got a phone call from his wife, Angie to congratulate him on the win. Then he was interviewed by the television on course reporter and he said “He was so pleased to win this tournament after what happened to him on the 17th hole in the bunker where he made double bogey and then redeemed himself by holing his bunker shot for eagle on the 72nd hole.” He also said “He was very pleased to win his maiden WGC – Event of his career this week”. 

 

Bubba Watson (USA) displays delight after holing the winning birdie putt on the first playoff hole!!

Bubba Watson (USA) earned US $1,400,000 for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,400,000 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. Sang-Moon Bae (South Korea) is currently second on that list with US $1,346,000 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. Bubba Watson (USA) also earned 550 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to fourth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 550 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far and he is 100 points behind the current leader of that list who is Robert Streb (USA) who has earned 650 points from the four events he has played to date this season so far. From the one event Bubba Watson (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish which was the win this week. Bubba Watson (USA) will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par on a very difficult golf course especially his 67-5 in the second round which include five birdies in a row to finish his round!!

 

Ted Scott who is Bubba Watson's (USA) caddie on the left gives Bubba Watson (USA) on the right a high five to celebrate the win!!

Bubba Watson (USA) displayed some incredible intestinal fortitude to overcome the disappointment of making double bogey five on the par three, 17th hole where he took two shots to get out of the bunker and then was faced with a very difficult bunker shot on the par five, 72nd hole and played it to perfection by holing it out for an eagle three to get into the playoff.  Once in the playoff he was able to hole the fifteen foot birdie putt to claim the title!! His faith and trust in Jesus Christ would of given him the strength he need to believe he could still win after he double bogeyed the 17th hole!! Bubba Watson (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2006 season after getting his card by finishing in twenty first position on the then Nationwide Tour final money list for the 2005 season. Only the top twenty money earners on the final 2005 Nationwide Tour Money list got their 2006 USPGA Tour card but because Jason Gore (USA) had won three tournaments on the Nationwide Tour that season to gain a battlefield promotion and then gone on to win the 84th Lumber Classic in the same season on the USPGA Tour in 2005 and gain a two year exemption on the USPGA Tour for it. So it was decided that Bubba Watson (USA) would be granted the twentieth card for the 2006 USPGA Tour season. He has kept his card every year since and has achieved seven wins in that time to date which include the win this week and also his two Major Championship wins that came at the 2012 and 2014 Masters Tournament. Bubba Watson (USA) was nicknamed by his father after the former professional football player Bubba Smith. Bubba Watson (USA) is married to Angela P. "Angie" Watson, née Ball, a 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Canadian whom he met at Georgia while he was on the golf team and she was on the women’s basketball team. They were married in September 2004. In 2009, Angie was diagnosed with an enlarged pituitary gland, which accounts for her height. On their first date, Angie told Bubba that she would be unable to conceive a child. Various family issues, including the illness and death of Bubba Watson's (USA) father in 2010, kept them from attempting to adopt until the winter of 2011–12. In March 2012, one week after an adoption of an infant girl fell through at the last moment, Bubba Watson (USA) and his wife adopted a one-month old baby boy named Caleb. Bubba Watson's father, Gerry Lester Watson, Sr., died on October 15, 2010 of throat cancer. Bubba Watson's (USA) mother is Molly Marie Watson and he has a sister, Melinda Watson Conner. Bubba Watson (USA) is also a member of the "Golf Boys", a boy band consisting of Bubba Watson (USA), Ben Crane (USA), Rickie Fowler (USA), and Hunter Mahan (USA). Their hit song "Oh Oh Oh" is currently on YouTube. The video was produced by Farmers Insurance Group. Farmers donates $1000 to charity for every 100,000 views the video gets. In 2011, Bubba Watson (USA) made a humorous appearance in the song "Michael Jackson" by Christian hip hop artist Andy Mineo on the album Formerly Known. In addition to the "Golf Boys," viral success, Bubba Watson's (USA) prototype Golf Cart Hovercraft, the BW1, YouTube video has earned more than 8 million views. Bubba Watson (USA) is a committed Christian who speaks openly about Jesus and the importance of faith in his life and says that God is the most important thing in his life. Bubba Watson (USA) devotes much of his money and time to charity. Bubba Watson (USA) purchased the mansion in the Isleworth community of Windermere, Florida, that was previously owned by Tiger Woods (USA). In 2013, he was added to the list of Great Floridians by Governor Rick Scott. This win is a great way for him to start the season and I am sure he will have more wins this season as well and perhaps his third Major Championship?

 

Bubba Watson (USA) poses with the Old Tom Morris Trophy he won for winning the WGC - HSBC Champions!!

Coming in solo second position on 277-11 after 72 holes and losing on the first playoff hole was Tim Clark (RSA); he earned US $850,000 for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $899,435 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 315 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 366 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 four cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first, third and final rounds that were all 69-3s. Tim Clark (RSA) turned professional later in 1998, and initially played on the second tier U.S. Professional Tour, which was then known as the Nike Tour, where he won two tournaments in 2000 to gain membership of the main USPGA Tour for 2001. His 2001 campaign was cut short by a wrist injury after just three events. He made a comeback in 2002, and had the benefit of a major medical exemption which enabled him to enter enough events to comfortably regain full exemption for 2003. He captured his first USPGA Tour victory at the 2010 Players Championship, becoming only the second golfer to make the Players Championship his first Tour victory. He has had three European Tour victories. He finished sole second at the 2006 Masters Tournament and sole or tied third at the 2003 PGA Championship and the 2005 U.S. Open Championship. Tim Clark (RSA) was a member of the International Team, captained by fellow South African Gary Player (RSA) in two of three appearances, in the 2003, 2005 and 2009 Presidents Cup. Gary Player (RSA) dubbed him the team's "bull dog" in reference to his dogged determination and refusal to give in or let go. In 2005 he reached the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time. He won the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit in the 2001/02 season. He has played Gary Player's annual charity event in South Africa to help raise funds for needy children and personally paid for a little girl's cochlear ear implant so that she could hear after winning the event in 2005. In Australia for a three-tournament swing, he won the 2008 Australian Open in a playoff with Mathew Goggin (Australia) when they were both tied at 9-under-par. Neither player seemed to have a chance with four holes to play when David Smail (NZL) led at 12-under only to double-bogey the next two holes. In May 2009, Tim Clark (RSA) nearly had his first USPGA Tour victory in hand at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, but he bogeyed the 18th hole to force a playoff. On the first hole of that playoff, he missed a 7-footer which would have given him the victory. Then, on the second playoff hole, he and Steve Marino (USA) lost to Steve Stricker (USA). In May 2010, Tim Clark (USA) picked up his first USPGA Tour title in his 206th start, after eight runner-up finishes, at the 2010 Players Championship. Tim Clark (RSA) came from three behind with a final round 67 to win by a stroke over Robert Allenby (Australia). On 11 August 2013, in the final round of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, Tim Clark (RSA) made a hole-in-one on the 220 yard, par-3 11th hole. On 27 July 2014, Tim Clark (RSA) won the RBC Canadian Open, finishing one stroke ahead of Jim Furyk (USA). This was his second USPGA Tour title and first victory in more than four years. He birdied five out of the last eight holes to come from three strokes back in the final round. The win moved Tim Clark (RSA) back inside the world's top 100. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes during the 2014/15 USPGA Tour Season and perhaps even achieve his third win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season. 

Coming in tied for third position at 278-10 after 72 holes was Rickie Fowler (USA); he earned US $381,666.67 for his efforts and moved to tied for twentieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $381,667 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 152 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 152 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first and third rounds which were both 69-3s. Rickie Fowler (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2009 season and has kept his card for the next year every season since and his maiden win came in 2012 where Rickie Fowler won the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 6, 2012, on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. Replaying the 18th hole, he defeated Rory McILroy (NIR) and D.A. Points (USA) with a birdie to gain his first USPGA Tour win. Rickie Fowler (USA) shot a 69 (−3) in the final round to finish in a three-way tie after 72 holes at Quail Hollow. This win enabled Rickie Fowler (USA) to break the top-25 in the world, placing him at number 24. The following week at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Rickie Fowler (USA) played the final hole at −11 under par and had a birdie opportunity to bring him within one of leader and eventual winner Matt Kuchar (USA). Rickie Fowler (USA), however, pushed his putt to the right and finished in a tie for second, his fifth second-place finish of his career. Rickie Fowler (USA) had his best finish of 2014 at the U.S. Open championship at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Rickie Fowler (USA) finished T2 with Erik Compton (USA) at −1, Rickie Fowler's (USA) best finish at a major. Martin Kaymer (Germany) was the winner, shooting −9 for the tournament. Rickie Fowler (USA) received US $789,330 for his finish. Rickie Fowler (USA) followed that up with another runner-up finish at the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. He began the final round six strokes behind Rory McILroy (NIR) and finished the day tied for second with Sergio Garcia (Spain) at −15, losing to Rory McIlroy (NIR) by two strokes. Rickie Fowler (USA) had another very close call at a major, this time at the 2014 PGA Championship where he, Phil Mickelson (USA), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), and Rory McILroy (NIR) duelled on a rain soaked Valhalla Golf Club for the title. Rickie Fowler (USA) eventually finished in a tie for 3rd, despite holding the lead for a good portion of the day. Fowler 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. Fowler had 10 top-10 finishes during the 2013-14 PGA Tour season. His 8th place finish at The Tour Championship moved him to 10th place in the world golf rankings. Let’s hope he can achieve his second USPGA Tour win this season and perhaps it will be his maiden Major Championship? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for third position was Hiroshi Iwata (Japan); he too earned US $381,666.67 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list ranking. He also earned 152 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings 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 that came at this event. He will be happy with his middle two rounds this week that were 65-7 in the second round which was the low round of the day by two shots and his third round 68-4. But he will only be content with his first round 73+1 and his final round 72 even par. But on the whole he will be extremely pleased with this performance against a world class field. Hiroshi Iwata (Japan) has played on the Japan Golf Tour since 2004. His first win came at the 2014 Fujisankei Classic. He currently lies in fourth position on the Japan Golf Tour Money list with ￥74,822,599 earned from the 19 events he has played to date this season so far. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season.

The final player to tie for third position was Graeme McDowell (NIR); he too earned US $381,666.67 for his efforts and moved to tied for twentieth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $381,667 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 152 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty ninth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 152 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his first two rounds that were consecutive 67-5s and saw him have the 36 hole lead, but he will be disappointed with his third and fourth rounds that were 71-1 and 73+1. He surrendered an excellent chance at win his first World Golf Championship Event. He has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2010 season and has kept his card for the next year every season since. In that time he has achieved two wins with the first one coming at the 2010 U.S. Open Championship (Which was his maiden Major Championship win) at Pebble Beach Golf Links and his second one coming at the 2013 RBC Heritage. I sure his third win can’t be too far away and suspect it will happen in the 2014/15 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Rounding out the top eight in tied for sixth position at 280-8 after 72 holes was Ian Poulter (England); he earned US $213,666.67 for his efforts and moved to tied for 46th position on the current USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $213,667 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 96 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved tied for 59th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 96 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. 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 his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his second round 67-5. 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. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in 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. 

Also tied for sixth position was Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark); he too earned US $213,666.67 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings ranking. He also earned 96 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings 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 that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par and under par especially his 68-4 in the second round. Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) plays the European Tour fulltime and has already won twice on that tour with his most recent win coming last month at the ISPS Handa Perth International. He is a rising star being only twenty four years old and has a very bright future in the game. I wish him all the best for the remaining events he plays in the 2014 season. 

The final player to tie for sixth position was Martin Kaymer (Germany); he too earned US $213,666.67 for his efforts and tied for 46th position on the current USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $213,667 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 96 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved tied for 59th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 96 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. 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 his first and third rounds that were 69-3 and his 66-6 in the third round was the lowest score of the day by two shots. But he will be disappointed with his second round that was 72 even par and his final round that was 73+1. Martin Kaymer (Germany) has been exempt on the USPGA Tour since his win at the PGA Championship in 2010 which was his maiden USPGA win of his career and his second win came at the 2014 Players Championship in May and his third win came at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship in June. He mainly plays the European Tour fulltime and he has achieved eleven wins on that tour to date with his most recent being the 2014 U.S. Open Championship. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Michael Hendry (NZL) was the only New Zealander in the field and he scored rounds of 76+4 in the first round which was terrible. Then a  poor second round of 75+3, and a good third round of 73+1 and a terrible final round of 76+4 for a 72 hole total of 300+12 and he finished in tied for 64th position. He earned US $42,500 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list or FedEx Cup Points list standings ranking. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be disappointed with his four rounds this week on the whole because they were all over par. But he will gain a lot of experience having rubbed shoulders with some of the best players in the world and will be a better player for it in the long run. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season in the remaining events he plays on the Japan and Australasian Tours.  

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup is in Mexico for the OHL Classic at Mayakoba which is the final event in the 2014 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and it is played on the El Camaleon, Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It carries a large prize purse of US $6,100,000 for the taking. Harris English (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) are likely to gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 13th November. 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 fifteenth  week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 54th week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his third place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf three weeks ago and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship five weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team six weeks ago and eight weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and nine weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and ten weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and eleven weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and 13 weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and 14 weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also 16 weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.54 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for 12th position at the WGC – HSBC Champions this past week and three weeks ago tied for 38th position in the Japan Open and he tied for ninth position eight weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and nine weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and ten weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and eleven weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and 13 weeks ago tied for 15th position at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.26 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Bubba Watson (USA) who is fresh off winning the WGC - HSBC Champions this past week with 7.94 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Sergio Garcia (Spain) who is fresh off his tied for twenty eighth position at the WGC – HSBC Champions this past week and one week ago he tied for second position at the CIMB Classic and six weeks ago he was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team and eight weeks ago tied for ninth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and nine weeks ago he tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship and eleven weeks ago tied for 57th position at The Barclays and 13 weeks ago tied for 36th position at the 96th PGA Championship and he also finished solo second position 14 weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 16 weeks ago he tied for second position at the 143rd Open  Championship with 7.24 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Jim Furyk (USA) who is fresh off his fourth place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf three weeks ago and six weeks ago being a part of the losing USA Ryder Cup Team and eight weeks ago he tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola with 7.22 Official Golf World Ranking Points. Danny Lee (NZL) is in his second week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for 51st position at the Sanderson Farm Championship this past week on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips four places and falls to 256th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.73 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember to have a good round of golf it is important to concentrate from the first tee shot to the final putt!!

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

Golf Events from the Weekend 2nd November 2014

Well it was another exciting weekend on the Major Professional Golf Tours from around the world and this week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the first leg of two tournaments in the Asia Swing and it was the CIMB Classic and was played on the Kuala Lumpur Golf & CC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It carried a huge prize purse of US $7,000,000 for the taking. Ryan Moore (USA) was the defending champion and was keen to defend his title. Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Danny Lee (NZL) gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Ryan Moore (USA) who scored rounds of 68-4, 69-3, 67-5 and a final round of 67-5 for a 72 hole total of 271-17 and he won by three shots to defend his title and it also was his fourth win on the USPGA Tour to date so far. He won US $1,260,000 for the win and moved to second position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,260,000 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) is the current leader of that list with US $1,346,000 earned from three events he has played to date this season so far. Ryan Moore (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to fourth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 500 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far and he is 105 points behind the current leader of that list who is Sang-Moon Bae (South Korea) who has earned 605 points from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events Ryan Moore (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came with the win this week. Ryan Moore (USA) will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final two rounds which were both 67-5s. 

 

Ryan Moore (USA) tees off during the final round

Ryan Moore (USA) played a brilliant final round of 67-5 which included a front nine of 33-3 where he birdied the par four, second hole, par five, fifth hole, par four, seventh hole and par four, ninth hole. But he made a poor bogey on the par four, sixth hole and he made the turn at minus 15 and was one shot behind the leader. Sergio Garcia (Spain) went out in 33-3 and made the turn at minus 14 and was two shots behind the leader. Kevin Na (South Korea) went out in a brilliant 32-4 and made the turn at minus 16 and was leading by one shot. Gary Woodland (USA) went out in 33-3 and made the turn at minus 12 and was four shots behind the leader. 

Ryan Moore (USA) played holes ten to 14 in one under par and moved to minus 16 and now was leading by one shot. Sergio Garcia (Spain) played holes ten to 14 in even par and remained at minus 14 and was now two shots behind the leader. Kevin Na (South Korea) played holes ten to 14 in one over par and fell back to minus 15 and was now one shot behind the leader. Gary Woodland (USA) played holes ten to 14 in two under par and moved to minus 14 and was now two shots behind the leader. 

Ryan Moore (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in one under par and moved to minus 17 and was now leading by three shots. Sergio Garcia (Spain) played holes 15 to 17 in even par and remained at minus 14 and was three shots behind the leader. Kevin Na (South Korea) played holes 15 to 17 in two over par and that included making a double bogey on the par four, 17th hole when he lost his ball and he fell back to minus 13 and was now four shots behind the leader. Gary Woodland (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in one under par and moved to minus 15 and was now only two shots behind the leader. 

 

Ryan Moore (USA) pumps his fist in the air after holing the winning putt!!

Gary Woodland (USA) who was playing a couple of groups ahead of the final group made a poor bogey six at the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 14 and finished three shots behind the winner. Kevin Na (South Korea) made a birdie four on the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes on minus 14 and was three shots behind the winner. Sergio Garcia (Spain) made a solid par at the par five, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 14 and was three shots behind the winner. Ryan Moore (USA) stood on the par five, 72nd tee with a three shot lead. After a poor drive he found himself with a third shot from over 200 yards. He struck it pin high to the left in the rough. He now knew as he walked up to the green that barring a disaster the title was his and he would defend his title he won last year. He choose to hit a bump and run shot for his fourth shot and it rolled out to within ten feet of the cup. He now knew he could three putt and still win by one shot!! But he only needed one and he made his par five and finished the 72 holes at minus 17 to win by three shots!! He scored 34-2 on his back nine. He got a huge high five and hug from his caddie. And when he was interviewed by the Golf Channel reporter, he said “He was so happy with the way he played this week and it was great he was able to defend his title”. 

 

Ryan Moore (USA) poses with the CIMB Classic Trophy he won for the second straight year!!

Ryan Moore (USA) was the first player on the USPGA Tour to defend his title since Tiger Woods (USA) won back to back Arnold Palmer Invitational’s in 2012-13. Ryan Moore (USA) in 2005 played on sponsors' exemptions and earned a total of US $686,250 in just 14 official USPGA Tour events. This placed him the equivalent of 113th on the money list, making him the first player since Tiger Woods (USA) in 1996 to go from college to the USPGA Tour in the same season without going to Q-School. The only other players to do that since 1980 were Gary Hallberg (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA) and Justin Leonard (USA). As a non-member, Ryan Moore (USA) needed to collect more than the 125th place finisher on the 2005 money list in order to earn his card for the 2006 season. During 2005, Ryan Moore's world ranking improved from 718 to 142. On August 23, 2009 Ryan Moore (USA) won his maiden career USPGA Tour event at the Wyndham Championship, defeating Kevin Stadler (USA) and Jason Bohn (USA) in a sudden-death playoff, earning US $936,000. He finished the 2009 season at 31st on the USPGA Tour money list (US $2,222,871), 22nd in the FedEx Cup standings, and 51st in the world rankings. Ryan Moore (USA) had a steady year in 2010, with six top-10 finishes, including a second place finish at the AT&T National. He finished 32nd on the USPGA Tour's money list with US $2,374,823, 35th in the FedEx Cup Standings, and 45th in the world rankings. He appeared in all four of the golf majors for the first time. Ryan Moore (USA) also shot the course record of 61 at Tacoma Golf and Country Club. In October 2012, Ryan Moore (USA) won for the second time on the USPGA Tour at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, part of the 2012 USPGA Tour Fall Series. He converted a share of the 54-hole lead into a victory, one stroke ahead of runner-up Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe). Ryan Moore (USA) finished 2012 at 26th on the USPGA Tour's money list with US $2,858,944, 64th in the FedEx Cup Standings, and 40th in the world rankings. He won his third USPGA Tour event at the 2013 CIMB Classic and as I mentioned before he defended his title this past week for his fourth USPGA Tour win of his career to date so far. Ryan Moore (USA) had his best season to date on the USPGA Tour in the 2013/14 season where he earned US $3,098,263 and finished twenty first on the final money list rankings. I think he is ready now to take the next step in his career and win some WGC – Championship Events and Major Championships and perhaps it will happen in the 2014/15 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for second position at 274-14 after 72 holes was Sergio Garcia (Spain); he earned US $522,666.66 for his efforts and moved to tied for eighth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $522,667 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 208 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for tenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 208 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second and third rounds that were both 68-4s. And he was one of two players this week to score all his rounds in the 60s (The other player was Ryan Moore (USA)). Sergio Garcia (Spain) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since 1999 season and in that time he has won eight USPGA Tour events with his most recent win coming at the Wyndham Championship in August 2012. Sergio Garcia (Spain) has spent much of his career in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking (over 300 weeks between 2000 and 2009). He reached a career high ranking of second after winning the HSBC Champions tournament in November 2008, and has achieved post-tax career earnings of more than $28 million. As a player, he is particularly noted for his strong iron play and accuracy. One critical footnote of his career is that he still to date has not won any of golf's major championships, despite a number of near misses (He has achieved 19 top ten finishes in Major Championships in his career to date so far). He has finished a runner-up on four occasions, twice at The Open Championship and twice at the USPGA Championship, with a further six top five finishes without breaking through. Let’s hope in 2014/15 USPGA season he can win his maiden Major Championships he long deserves? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for second position was Kevin Na (South Korea); he also earned US $522,666.66 for his efforts and moved to tied for eighth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $522,667 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 208 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for tenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 208 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 one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his first three rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 67-5. But he will be disappointed with his final round 70-2 especially his 38+2 on the back nine that ruined his chances of winning. Kevin Na (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime on and off since the 2004 season. On October 1, 2011, Kevin Na (South Korea) apparently whiffed his tee shot on the par-4 15th hole in the third round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, missing high and to the outside of the ball. Tour officials, though, ruled Kevin Na (South Korea) was not intending to hit the ball and did not count the swing as a stroke, and Kevin Na (South Korea) finished with a 5-under 66 to remain tied for the tournament lead. The following day, Kevin Na (South Korea) earned his first USPGA Tour victory at the 211th attempt, having been on tour for eight years. He shot a final round 65 with birdies at 15, 16 and 17 to win by two strokes from Nick Watney (South Korea) and earn $792,000 in prize money. Kevin Na (South Korea) also broke the tournament scoring record of 21-under par when he finished the week at 23-under par. This victory earned Kevin Na (South Korea) a two year exemption on tour.  He ranked 30th in the final 2011 USPGA Tour season earnings. During the 2012 PGA Tour season, Kevin Na (South Korea) finished fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, fifth at the Phoenix Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, seventh at the Players Championship and 12th at Masters Tournament. A back injury limited Kevin Na (South Korea) to eight starts in early 2013. After rehabbing, he made a comeback in October in his first USPGA Tour start since April with a third place finish at the Frys.com Open. Kevin Na (South Korea) was given 18 starts on a medical extension, but needed only seven to remain on the USPGA Tour. In 2014 he finished second at the Memorial Tournament and Valspar Championship, third at the Frys.com Open, fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, ninth at The Barclays and 12th at the U.S. Open. He finished 20th in season earnings. Let’s hope he can achieve his second win this season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for second position was Gary Woodland (USA); he too earned US $522,666.66 for his efforts and moved to tied for eighth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $522,667 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 208 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for tenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 208 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his third and final rounds that were both in the mid 60s especially his third round 66-6 but will only be content with his first two rounds that were both in the low 70s. Gary Woodland (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2009 season. In March 2011, Gary Woodland (USA) won his first USPGA Tour title at the Transitions Championship by one stroke when fellow American Webb Simpson (USA) missed a par putt on the final hole. Just a few moments earlier Gary Woodland (USA) had scrambled a fantastic par from the same position as Webb Simpson (USA) on the last, after hitting his second shot over the back of the green. This win secured Gary Woodland (USA) a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament and also elevated him to a career high 53rd in the Official World Golf Rankings. He later earned an invitation into the U.S. Open Championship after moving into the Top 50. He left the tournament with an OWGR ranking of 39th. In November 2011, he won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup with Matt Kuchar (USA). He finished 2011 ranked 17th on the USPGA Tour money list and 51st in the OWGR. He had ended 2009 ranked 959th and 2010 ranked 588th. Gary Woodland's (USA) career-best OWGR rank is 36th after the 2011 Greenbrier Classic. He won his second USPGA Tour event at the 2013 Reno – Tahoe Open. I wouldn’t be surprised if he won his third USPGA Tour event in the 2014/15 Season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season. 

Coming in tied for fifth position at 276-12 after 72 holes was Sang-Moon Bae (South Korea); he earned US $266,000 for his efforts and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,346,000 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 105 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings list with 605 points 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 two top ten finishes which includes the one here and also his win at the Frys.com Open in the season opener. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his second and third rounds that were both 68-4s. But he will only be content with his first round 71-1. Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since 2012 after gaining his 2012 USPGA Tour card at the 2011 USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, where he finished tied for eleventh position to secure his playing rights for the 2012 USPGA Tour season. Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) started the season very strongly, making all of his first eight cuts on the USPGA Tour. He recorded his first top-10 finish of the year when he reached the quarter-finals at the 2012 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, knocking out Ian Poulter (England) and Charl Schwartzel (RSA) before losing to Rory McILroy (NIR). In March 2012, Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) lost in a four-man playoff at the Transitions Championship on the USPGA Tour. After finishing at −13 for the tournament, he lost the playoff when Luke Donald (England) holed a birdie putt on the first extra hole to defeat Sang Moon Bae (South Korea), Jim Furyk (USA) and Robert Garrigus (USA). He finished his debut season making 17 out of 25 cuts and ended up 71st in the FedEx Cup standings, one position outside of qualifying for the third playoff event. In May 2013, Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) won his first USPGA Tour event at the HP Bryon Nelson Championship, beating Keegan Bradley (USA) by two strokes. Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) entered the final round a single stroke behind Keegan Bradley (USA), but birdied four out of his first seven holes to move four ahead. However Sang - Moon Bae (South Korea) double-bogeyed the ninth after finding the water and bogeyed the 10th and 15th to drop back to a share of the lead. Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) then proceeded to birdie the 16th and when Keegan Bradley (USA) bogeyed the 17th, Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) had a comfortable two shot lead to come down the 18th and secure his maiden victory. He became just the fourth South Korean-born winner on the USPGA Tour, after K.J. Choi (South Korea), Y.E. Yang (South Korea), and Kevin Na (South Korea). This finish this week will give him a great boost of confidence after his win in the season opener at the Frys.com Open in early October and should give him the confidence continue to have a great 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for fifth position was Cameron Smith (Australia); he too earned US $266,000 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings ranking. He also earned 105 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings 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 that came this week. He will be extremely happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his final three rounds that were all in the 60s. He was only playing in the tournament this week because he was eligible because of his position on the current 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit standings which he currently lies in fourth position with US $ 427,476 earned from the nine events he has played in to date so far. Through this finish he now gets a start in next week’s Sanderson Farm Championship on the USPGA Tour because of his top ten finish at this tournament. At the tender age of twenty one years old and only in his second year as a professional he is really going places fast in the professional game. Let’s hope he can get some more top ten finishes on the USPGA Tour in the events he plays in the coming weeks. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season which ever tour he plays on. 

Coming in solo seventh position at 277-11 after 72 holes was John Senden (Australia); he earned US $234,500 for his efforts and moved to 19th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $302,514 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 90 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 139 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 week. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds which were all in the 60s especially his second and final rounds that were both 68-4s. But he will only be content with his first round 72 even par. In 2002, John Senden (Australia) joined the USPGA Tour in the United States, after coming through the qualifying school in 2001. During his first year on tour he successfully kept his playing status with eight top-25 finishes in 30 events. He claimed his first USPGA Tour title on 16 July 2006 at the John Deere Classic, a one-shot victory over American J.P. Hayes (USA). Later in 2006 he won his National Open (Australian Open) for the first time. In 2007, he was the leading Australian at the USPGA Championship which was won by Tiger Woods (USA) and reached the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In March 2014, John Senden (Australia) won his second USPGA Tour title (and first in eight years) at the Valspar Championship by one stroke over Kevin Na (USA). In the final round, he came from two strokes back to shoot a one-under 70 to seal victory. The win qualified John Senden (Australia) for the 2014 Masters Tournament where he finished tied for eighth. He is known as one of the best ball strikers on the USPGA Tour but can be a little shaky with the putter on occasions. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps win his third USPGA Tour event in the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.  

Rounding out the top ten in tied for eighth position on 278-10 after 72 holes was Bill Hurley III (USA); he earned US $189,000 for his efforts and moved to 39th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $189,000 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 75 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 60th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 75 points 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 one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be extremely happy with his first two rounds that were consecutive 67-5s and saw him leading after 36 holes. But he will be disappointed with his third and final rounds that were in the low 70s and cost him his chance of winning his maiden USPGA Tour event. Billy Hurley III (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour since the 2012 season. Bill Hurley III (USA) began the 2014 season with a tie for ninth place at the October 2013 Frys.com Open in San Martin, California. On March 2, 2014 Bill Hurley III (USA) recorded the fourth top-10 of his USPGA Tour career with a fifth-place finish at The Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, just one shot out of the four-man playoff won by Russell Henley (USA). He earned US $240,000, moving him to 65th on the 2014 money list with US $440,551. After a stretch of several mediocre tournaments and missed cuts, on May 18 he finished T-16 in the HP Byron Nelson Championship, earning US $100,050. He continued his strong play with a T-30 to earn US $37,200 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on May 25 followed by a T-37 to earn $25,420 at the Memorial Tournament on June 1. On the following day, June 2, Bill Hurley (USA) qualified to play in his first-ever U.S. Open (and first major) as he birdied three of his last four holes to finish in the top four of the 36-hole Monday qualifying tournament held in Rockville, Maryland. At the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, out of 156 golfers entered, Bill Hurley III (USA) was one of only 67 to make the cut and play through the weekend. He finished the tournament T-48. Bill Hurley III (USA) posted another top 10 on June 29, finishing T-8 at the Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club to earn US $188,500. On July 6, 2014, Bill Hurley (USA), on the strength of a second-round 63 and a third-round 67, took a two-shot lead into the final round of the Greenbrier Classic held at The Old White TPC course in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He shot a final-round 73 to finish T-4 and earn US $227,036, which put him over the $1 million mark in 2014 earnings at $1,105,659. The T-4 finish combined with his world ranking also qualified him to play in his second major, The Open Championship, July 17-20 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. At The Open, he again made the cut in a major and finished the tournament T-64. Taking three weeks off following The Open Championship, Bill Hurley (USA) missed the cut in his next two tournaments, then his 2014 season ended with a T-57 finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He finished the season with career-high winnings of US $1,145,299 with 17 cuts made in 26 starts. Billy Hurley III (USA) missed the cut by one shot in each of his first two tournaments of the 2014–15 USPGA Tour season. In his third tournament, he held a two-stroke lead after 36 holes in the CIMB Classic after consecutive rounds of five-under-par. He finished T-8 to win $189,000 (As I mentioned above). Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the come weeks and even achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win during the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for eighth position was Davis Love III (USA); he too earned US $189,000 for his efforts and moved to 35th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $208,600 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 75 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 38th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points standings list with 102 points 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 event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first and final rounds that were 68-4s. Davis Love III (USA) has been playing on the USPGA Tour since full time since 1986. He quickly established himself on the USPGA Tour, winning his first tour event in 1987 at the MCI Heritage Golf Classic, at Harbour Town Golf Links. He would later win this event four more times, setting a record for most victories in it. Davis Love III (USA) and Fred Couples (USA) won four straight times from 1992-1995 for the United States in the World Cup of Golf, a record for this event. In 1994, Davis Love III (USA) founded Love Golf Design, a golf course architecture company, with his younger brother and caddie, Mark Love. The company has been responsible for the design of several courses throughout the southeast United States. Completed in 1997, Ocean Creek is his first signature course and is located on Fripp Island, South Carolina. Davis Love III (USA) also designed the Dunes course at Diamante in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, which is ranked among Golf Magazine’s Top 100 courses in the world. In 1997, Davis Love III (USA) published the book Every Shot I Take, which honours his father's lessons on life and golf. The book received the 1997 United States Golf Association's International Book Award. His 1997 PGA Championship victory was the last major championship win achieved with a wooden-headed driver. That year, he developed and designed his own golf course in Harnett Country, North Carolina. The course, Anderson Creek Club, won an award for "Best New Course in North Carolina" in 2001. He and his wife Robin have two children. After failing to qualify for the 2014 FedEx Cup, Davis Love III (USA) made his Champions Tour debut at the Pacific Links Hawaii Championship. He has won twenty events to date in his USPGA Tour career so far with his last on coming at the 2008 Children’s Miracle Network Classic and that win gave him a lifetime exemption on the tour, at the age of 44. Now he is 50 I am sure he will play a schedule of events on the 2015 Champions Tour. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season in the limited events he plays in. 

Also tied for eight position was Prom Meesawat (Thailand); he too earned US $189,000 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings ranking. He also earned 75 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings 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 that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his first round 68-4. He was only playing in the tournament this week because he was eligible because of his position on the current 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit standings which he currently lies in third position with US $ 447,137 earned from the 12 events he has played in to date so far. Prom Meesawat (Thailand) turned professional in 2004 and joined the Asian Tour. In 2005 he had five top ten finishes on Asian Tour and won a professional event in Thai circuit. His first Asian Tour win came at the 2006 SK Telecom Open in South Korea. In 2012 a string of good results in Asian Tour events that were co-sanctioned with the European Tour earned Prom Meesawat (Thailand) full playing rights on the European Tour for 2013. Through this finish he now gets a start in next week’s Sanderson Farm Championship on the USPGA Tour because of his top ten finish at this tournament. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season whatever tour he plays on. 

Also tied for eight position was Angelo Que (Philippines); he too earned US $189,000 for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings ranking. He also earned 75 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts but because he isn’t a current member of 2014/15 USPGA Tour he doesn’t get a current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings 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 that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par and under par especially his first round 67-5. He was only playing in the tournament this week because he was eligible because of his position on the current 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit standings which he currently lies in fifth position with US $ 379,855 earned from the 13 events he has played to date this season so far. Through this finish he now gets a start in next week’s Sanderson Farm Championship on the USPGA Tour because of his top ten finish at this tournament. Angelo Que (Philippines) won the Philippine Amateur twice before turning professional in 2003. He has played on the Asian Tour since 2003 and has won three times and they are: the 2004 Carlsberg Masters Vietnam, the 2008 Philippine Open and the 2010 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014 season whatever tour he plays on. 

The final player tied for eighth position was Rory Sabbatini (South Africa); he too earned US $189,000 for his efforts and moved to twenty ninth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $235,760 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 75 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 31st position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 120 points 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 event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all at par and under par especially his final round 66-6. Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 1999 season. During the first decade of the 2000s, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) had five PGA Tour wins; he finished 2006 placed 12th on the money list. In September 2007, he reached the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time, with a high of eighth. He spent over 20 weeks in the top-10 in 2007 and 2008. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) tied for second at the 2007 Masters Tournament and the 2007 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. He won the Par 3 Contest at the 2008 Masters Tournament. Rory Sabbatini (RSA) has represented South Africa in the World Cup five times and won the event with Trevor Immelman (RSA) in 2003. In his first Presidents Cup appearance in 2007, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) had a 0–3–1 record, as the International team was defeated by the United States team. In May 2009 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) captured his fifth USPGA Tour title by winning the HP Bryon Nelson Championship by two strokes over Brian Davis (England). He broke the tournament record for scoring with a score of 269 (−19), beating the previous record of 270 (−18). In March 2011 Rory Sabbatini (RSA) won his sixth USPGA Tour Title at The Honda Classic with a one stroke victory over South Korea's Y. E. Yang (South Korea). Rory Sabbatini (RSA) entered the final round with a five stroke lead over the rest of the field, helped by a course record-equaling 64 on day two. He started his final round in solid fashion with an early birdie at the 3rd hole, however as the round progressed he made bogeys at the 9th and 14th, meaning that Y. E.Yang (South Korea) was able to cut that lead to just one, with a spectacular tee shot on the par-three 15th that landed 18 inches past the pin. On the next hole though, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) holed a clutch birdie putt to tighten his grip on the title and played out the 17th and 18th in even-par to hold on for a one stroke victory. This win also secured him a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps win his seventh USPGA Tour event in the 2014/15 season. 

Danny Lee (NZL) was the best of the New Zealand Golfers in the field and he scored rounds of 69-3 in the first round which was very good, then he had a good second round of 69-3, then a poor third round of 73+1 and a brilliant final round of 68-4 which was blemish free for a 72 hole total of 279-9 and he finished in tied for 13th position which was his best finish of the season to date. He earned US $123,666.67 for his efforts and moved to 49th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $139,712 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 56 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 56th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 78 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 two cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds that were all in the 60s especially his final round 68-4 that was bogey free, but he will be disappointed with his third round 73+1 that robbed him a chance of achieving his first top ten of the season. Let’s hope he can build on this fine form he displayed this week and achieve some top ten finishes in the final two events of the 2014 part of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.  

The final New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored rounds of 68-4 in the first round which was very good, then a shocking second round of 79+7, then a good third round of 71-1, and a good final round of 71-1 for a 72 hole total of 289+1 and he finished in tied for 52nd position. He earned US $16,415 for his efforts and remained in 125th  position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $28,895 earned from the four events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 18 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 135th  position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 23 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 two cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first, third and final rounds that were all under par especially his first round 68-4, but disappointed with his second round that was a shocking 79+7 and ruined any chance of him having his first top ten finish of the season. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the coming weeks and have some top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. 

Next week there are two tournaments on the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup and the first one is the final WGC event for 2014 and it is the second leg of the Asian Swing and is co – sanctioned with the USPGA Tour, European Tour and many other tours from around the world and is the World Golf Championships - HSBC Champions and it is played on the Sheshan International GC, Shanghai, China. It has a small elite field of Golfers that includes the top 50 Golfers on the Official World Golf Rankings points list prior to this week and many of the top golfers from the smaller Professional Golf Tours from around the world. It carries a huge prize – purse of US $8,500,000 for the taking. Dustin Johnson (USA) is the defending champion but won’t be defending his title because he is on an extended leave of absence from the USPGA Tour. No New Zealand golfers are likely to gain starts. It starts on Thursday 6th November and I will report back who won the trophy next week. The second tournament is for players not eligible to play in China and is the Sanderson Farm Championship and it is played on the Country Club of Jackson, Jackson, Mississippi. It carries a smaller prize purse of US $4,000,000 for the taking. Woody Austin (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) are likely to gain starts. It starts on Thursday 6th November 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 fourteenth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 53rd week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his third place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf two weeks ago and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship four weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team five weeks ago and seven weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and eight weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and nine weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and ten weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and 12 weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and 13 weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also 15 weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.46 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for 38th position in the Japan Open two weeks ago and tied for ninth position seven weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and eight weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and nine weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and ten weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and 12 weeks ago tied for 15th position finish at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.23 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Sergio Garcia (Spain) who is fresh off his tied for second position this past week at the CIMB Classic and five weeks ago he was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team and seven weeks ago tied for ninth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and eight weeks ago he tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship and ten weeks ago tied for 57th position at The Barclays and 12 weeks ago tied for 36th position at the 96th PGA Championship and he also finished solo second position 13 weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 15 weeks ago he tied for second position at the 143rd Open  Championship with 7.44 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Jim Furyk (USA) who is fresh off his fourth place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf two weeks ago and five weeks ago being a part of the losing USA Ryder Cup Team and seven weeks ago he tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola with 7.33 Official Golf World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who was fresh off his runner up finish at the Volvo World Match Play Championship two weeks ago and five weeks ago being part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team and eight weeks ago he tied for twenty third position at the BMW Championship and nine weeks ago finished in tied for 26th position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and ten weeks ago he finished in 38th position at The Barclays and he finished in tied for fourth position at the 114th U.S. Open Championship twenty weeks ago and also finished tied for second at the BMW International Open 18 weeks ago and also finished in tied for 39th position at the 143rd Open Championship 15 weeks ago and 12 weeks ago finished in tied for third position at the 96th PGA Championship with 7.16 Official Golf World Ranking Points; Danny Lee (NZL) is in his first week of a new spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for 13th position at the CIMB Classic this past week on the USPGA Tour. This week he gains twenty five places and rises to 252nd position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.74 Official Golf World Ranking Points. 

Remember the most important thing in the golf is to make solid contact with the ball on every shot!!!

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