Gabi Ruffels Reaches Second US Amateur Final

Gabi Ruffels – in action today – photo courtesy of Chris Keane USGA

While much of Australian golfing attention is focused on the performances of Jason Day and Adam Scott on the other side of the USA, a 20 year old US based Australian, Gabriela Ruffels, has created further history by reaching the finals of the US Women’s Amateur Championship for the second consecutive year.

Already the first Australian to win the most coveted event in women’s amateur golf when successful 12 months ago, Ruffels reached tomorrow’s final by winning both her quarter final and semi-final matches at the Woodmont Golf Club in Rockville in Maryland today.

Ruffels fought back from a two hole deficit in her morning match against Emilia Migliaccio, holing a 12 foot birdie putt at the last to advance to her afternoon semi-final against Colombian Valery Plata.

The semi-final match was closely fought with no more than a hole between the pair until the 13th which Ruffels birdied to go 2-up. She would lose the next hole but extended her lead to two once again at the 16th and a par at the 17th was good enough to close out the match 2&1.

A feature of her semi-final match was that she birdied three of the four par 3’s on the Woodmont layout.

Tomorrow Ruffels will take on the 17th year old Rose Zhang, of Irvine in California who is currently ranked nine places higher in the world amateur rankings.

Zhang is still a high school student but she has a significant amateur career already behind her, especially in junior golf, so the task for Ruffels tomorrow to complete a remarkable double will be formidable.

“It’s awesome, said Ruffels after play on Friday. “Obviously I’ve done this before, and I don’t really feel the pressure or expectation or anything. It’s mostly coming from myself, to be honest. But I’m just trying to have as much fun as I can out here, and I am doing that, so it’s been awesome.

“Winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the second time would mean everything,” said Ruffels today. “I know the list of names that have won it twice and I’d love to join them. It’s the biggest tournament in women’s amateur golf and it would be an honor.”

She even indicated after her semi-final match today that she had not expected to get this far, but her victory last year and that she has been able to fight back from deficits in her matches to date this week suggest she has a real leaning for the match-play form of the game.

Zhang was full of compliments for her opponent tomorrow. “It’s surreal because I watched her win the Women’s Amateur last year, and it just makes me feel so honored to play with her since she’s such an amazing player and an amazing person. I’m just going to go out there and have fun tomorrow and try my best.”

If she is able to win tomorrow, Ruffels will take an even more special place in the history of Australian golf.

 

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Jason Day Loses PGA Lead But Remains Well Placed

Day hits his tee shot at the 9th – click to open – Photo courtesy of PGA of America

Jason Day might have lost his share of the lead at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park near San Francisco, but he is well placed heading into the weekend of the first major of the year.

Day’s second round of 69 has him two behind the leader, Haotong Li, and tied for second place with Tommy Fleetwood, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose and Mike Lorenzo Vera.

After three early birdies, Day had a share of the lead with Li, who had started his second round early, before a messy double bogey at the lengthy par 4 12th hole. He had chances to regain that lost ground in his closing holes but the putter deserted him.

He is, however, very well positioned with Li leading an event of this nature for the first time and the prospect of becoming China’s first male major championship winner, a huge task for the 25-year old.

Leader, Haotong Li – the weight of China’s expectations on his shoulders over the weekend.

“The course played a little bit — obviously a lot harder today for us in the afternoon,” said Day. “I know that the guys got a lot stronger wind yesterday. So to be able to walk off beating the golf course and shooting 69 today, I was pretty pleased with that.

“It’s a big golf course. It’s a big-boy golf course. The strange thing is when we have the southwesterly wind there’s a lot of side-wind golf shots, so you have to really control your ball flight.

“The greens, I think the last time we were here, they had a little bit more poa annua and they were a little more bumpy, but the green surfaces are playing tremendous. They are starting to get that little purple dry look to them, and with this wind, it’s definitely difficult.

“Obviously 12 was a bit of a mess. Wish I could have at least bogeyed that instead of doubled it, but overall, I gave myself plenty of opportunities coming in and just didn’t capitalize on them like I did yesterday.

“So, shooting 69 today, moving in the right direction, which is nice, if I can do that over the weekend, maybe shoot a couple more over the Saturday and Sunday round, hopefully I’m there; Sunday in contention.

“But the game feels good. I’m excited to come out and play every single day. I’m just going to try to tidy up the driving a little bit on the range and try to hole some more putts tomorrow if I can.”

Adam Scott stayed in touch with a round of 70 after being unable to take full advantage of an early tee time on day two. He mentioned after his round that he never felt he was moving forward.

“It was a bit of a mixed bag,” said Scott. “I guess overall my iron play wasn’t very good today, and my scrambling was pretty good. But a round where I never really had the momentum.

“I drove it a lot better than yesterday, which I was happy about, but I just couldn’t get it in there close enough to have really good looks at birdie, and I missed a few extra greens from the fairway, which is kind of not really my style.

“It was a bit of a grind. I’m definitely going to have to find my rhythm with my irons over the weekend.”

In Scott’s defence, it was just his second competitive round in five months so he has importantly kept himself in the mix for a possible run over the final 36 holes on a golf course that appears as if it will become even more demanding.

Of the other Australians, Cameron Smith improved with a second round of 60 to be at even par and tied for 44th while Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert will have the weekend off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ruffels Remains Alive at US Women’s Am

Ruffels in action today – Chris Keane USGA

Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels hopes of a second consecutive US Women’s Amateur Championship title remain alive following success in her Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches at the Woodmont Golf Club in Maryland today.

Ruffels was behind early in both matches but fought back from a two hole deficit against China’s Lei Ye in her morning round to win 2 up and then overcame a one hole margin through 8 holes against Spain’s Teresa Toscano Borrero in their Round of 16 encounter to eventually win 4&2.

“I’ve been down in all of my matches, but No. 9 has been a big turning point for me,” said Ruffels, who has advanced farther than any defending champion since Danielle Kang in 2011. “If I can be close heading to the back nine, then I feel like I have an advantage.

“I’ve done this before so I don’t really feel the pressure or expectations. I’m just trying to have as much fun as I can out here, and I am doing that, so it’s been awesome.”

Tomorrow Ruffels tackles the well credentialed Emilia Migliaccio from North Carolina who attends Wake Forest University and is currently the 4th highest world ranked women’s in amateur golf. Miglaccio was forced into extra holes of her match this afternoon before winning at the 22nd hole.

The news was not so good for the other remaining Australian in the field Emily Mahar. Mahar suffered an agonising loss to South African Kaleigh Telfer at the 20th hole after holding a 3-up advantage through 14 holes.

Gabriela Ruffels Facts

  • No. 16 in Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking
  • Won the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss.
  • Playing in her fourth USGA championship (second U.S. Women’s Amateur)
  • Rising senior at the University of Southern California
  • Became the first woman ever to tee off in the Jacksonville Amateur this July
  • Won the 2019 North & South Women’s Amateur Championship in Pinehurst, N.C.
  • Competed in the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, S.C.
  • Played tennis at an international level for eight years before starting golf at age 15
  • Both of her parents, Ray Ruffels and Anna-Maria Fernandez, played tennis professionally
  • Her older brother, Ryan, currently competes as a professional golfer on various tours
  • Road to the Quarterfinals
    • Shot 72-71—143 in stroke play to earn the No. 6 seed
    • R64: Def. Kajal Mistry, 3 and 2
    • R32: Def. Lei Ye, 2 up
    • R16: Def. Teresa Toscano Borrero, 4 and 2

 

 

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Jason Day Shares PGA Championship Lead

Jason Day in action today – photo courtesy of  PGA of America

Australian Jason Day has opened with a round of 5 under par 65 at the PGA Championship at the TPC Harding near San Francisco and shares the lead with American Brendon Todd at the end of day one.

That pair is one shot ahead of a group of nine players at 4 under 66 but despite 47 players breaking par on the lakeside layout west of San Francisco, the golf course proved to be demanding with no player able to go really low.

Day played early (7.33 tee time) and was bogey free, recording one of his best opening rounds in championship golf following on from several good finishes in recent weeks on the PGA Tour.

“Today I drove it really nicely, and when I was out of position,” said the 32 year old. “I left myself on the right side of the fairways to be able to at least get somewhere around the greens, and if I did miss the greens I left it in the right spot.

“Yeah, pretty sound the whole way around. I hit a lot of good-quality iron shots coming into the greens. Wasn’t overly aggressive. And there was a couple of shots on 9 and 17 where I hit it pretty tight, but overall it was very solid.

“There was definitely a lot of momentum coming in off the previous finishes that I’ve had, three top 10s, which has been nice. The game feels like it’s coming around. I’m pleased with it.

“I’m not like excited — I shouldn’t say I’m not excited. I am excited to come out and play every day, but I know that I can improve, and mainly my putting can improve a little bit more.

“I feel like I’ve been working very hard in the off-weeks and especially when I come to a tournament to be able to get my putting back to where it is because it’s always been a strength of mine, and I feel like the game is slowly coming around, the confidence is coming around because I’m starting to see the results, which has been good.”

Adam Scott has not played a PGA Tour event since February but he did very well to record a round of 68 to be three from the lead, more especially given he was required to overcome a slow start to a round in which he bogeyed three holes on the way to the turn.

“I just hit it in the rough a lot on the front nine, said Scott who played in the afternoon field today.

“Took me four or five holes to kind of figure out my comfort lines on the tee. You know, I’ll give myself a break on having not played any competitive golf for a while, that it took me awhile to find my rhythm out there, but I worked hard and it didn’t slip away from me, which I was really happy with.

“I ground it out on the back nine, because the wind got strong as we got around to around 13, which that was challenging with it coming in hard off the left shoulder. So I’m very happy with that score today.”

Of the other Australians, Matt Jones and Marc Leishman recorded rounds of even par 70, Cameron Smith a 71 and Lucas Herbert a 3 over par 73 in his first appearance at the PGA Championship.

 

 

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Mahar and Ruffels Advance at US Women’s Amateur

Brisbane’s Emily Mahar in action during her win today – Chris Keane USGA

Australians Gabriela Ruffels and Emily Mahar have advanced to the second round of the US Women’s Amateur Championship in Rockville in Maryland.

The only other Australian in the event, Kirsty Hodgkins, was eliminated after losing to Malaysia’s Alyaa Abdulghany.

Ruffels, who is defending the title she won last year, drew clear in the closing stages of her match against South African, Kajal Mistry, but it was a hard fought contest early, the pair still tied through twelve holes before Ruffels birdied the 13th and 15th holes and eventually won 4&2.

“It was a little bit of a shaky start,” said Ruffels, 20. “It took me a while to kind of get into it, but I was really happy with the way I finished.

“I played a little later today, so the wind was up a lot more and kind of a different direction than the other days, so I did have to make a couple adjustments with what I hit off of tees.”

Brisbane’s, Mahar, who is currently playing collegiate golf while studying at Virginia Tech, is playing her second US Women’s Amateur Championship and emerged as the winner today after a tight battle against Alabama’s Michaela Williams.

Mahar was never behind in her match but it was a close fought affair with never more than two holes between the pair. Mahar held on to win 1 up at the last.

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Gabi Ruffels begins well in US Amateur Defence

Ruffels in action today – photo Chris Keane USGA

Victorian, Gabriela Ruffels, has made a promising start to the defence of her US Women’s Amateur Championship, the 20 year old daughter of tennis champions, Ray Ruffels and Anna-Maria Fernandez, and sister to celebrated young Australian professional, Ryan Ruffels, today finishing equal 5th in the stroke-play phase of the Championship at the Woodmont Golf Club in Rockville in Maryland.

In winning the title in 2019, Ruffels became the first Australian to win the coveted championship and with rounds of 72 and 71 on the demanding Woodmont Golf Club layout this week, she is well placed to advance through the match play phases which begin on Thursday (US time).

Currently ranked 9th in the World Women’s Amateur rankings, Ruffels takes on  South Africa’s Kajal Mistry in the opening round.

Mistry survived a playoff to get into the field of 64 to contend the match play, bouncing back  from an opening round of 81 with a second round of 69 to scrape into the knockout field.

Ruffels, who currently attends the University of Southern California, will be joined in the early rounds of match play by fellow Australians Emily Mahar and Kirsty Hodgkins who finished in a share of 48th place and take their place in tomorrow’s field.

Australian Emily Mahar is also into match play

 

 

 

 

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Jason Day Shaping as Australia’s Hope at Harding Park

Can Day add another major to his 2015 PGA Championship? – photo PGA of America

Four months after it was meant to happen, the first major golf title of the year will be decided this week at the TPC Harding Park, just outside of San Francisco, where the USPGA Championship is up for grabs.

Amongst the six Australians to have made the field, the main hopes appear to rest with Jason Day and Mark Leishman. The country’s leading world ranked ranked player, Adam Scott, plays his first tournament since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and must surely need some time ‘in the middle,’ as the cricketing saying goes, if he is to be threatening at this level.

Day, therefore, especially given his encouraging play of late, shapes as Australia’s best prospect despite ongoing niggling back issues. He has been able to overcome his long term ailments with three consecutive top tens in his last three starts and, as a proven big event performer, his chances appear good to record his 16th top ten in major championship golf and, just perhaps, something significantly better.

Day has continued to make changes to his entourage with long-time friend, mentor and coach, Colin Swatton being let go as the now 32 year old pursues the formula that will allow him to return to the level which has seen him win one major and two World Golf Championship events amongst his 12 PGA Tour titles.

Make no mistake, Day has already produced a stellar career in the game, especially given the medical and injury issues he has had to overcome. His vertigo and back issues, amongst others, have held him back from winning even more titles and more money than the massive US$47 million he has already accumulated in on course PGA Tour prizemoney.

That US$47 million has him currently in 12th position on the all-time career money list on the PGA Tour and behind only Adam Scott’s US$55,000 amongst the Australians who have plied their trade on professional golf’s holy grail over the years.

His win at the PGA Championship in 2015 swept him to the elite of Australian golf and one is left to wonder just where an injury free Jason Day might sit amongst the all-time greats of Australian golf had he not been plagued by a body that regularly breaks down.

It should be remembered, however, that Day is but 32 years of age and if he can continue to play at the level he has been of late then another major title is perhaps not the remote possibility it might have been considered six months ago.

Scott has been preparing for his return to the PGA Tour at his home on the Sunshine Coast of Australia and in more recent weeks in the US, determined to let the dust settle before he exposed himself to the new look PGA Tour.

He would, therefore, appear to be a little underdone for a successful tilt at a second major title although he has shown previously that a limited schedule can work in his favour. Despite his undoubted class he would not appear ready for the heat of a major battle.

Adam Scott – one of his more recent wins but is he ready for a major?

Marc Leishman was runner-up in the last event Adam Scott played at Bay Hill but since his return to tournament golf he has finished no better then 40th in five starts and therefore his chances appear slim.

Cameron Smith has been even less impressive in the five events he has played of late and it would be a surprise if he contended.

Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert make up the balance of the Australians, Herbert with just one start since his runner-up finish at the New Zealand Open in early March. He performed with some credit at last week’s WGC event in Memphis but in what will be just his 4th major championship this will be a learning curve for the Victorian who is no doubt enjoying being away from his home state at present.

Jones played well enough in the Workday Charity event a few weeks ago but it would seem that the current Australian Open Champion might struggle this week.

So all roads point to Jason Day to head the Australians and although his injuries tend to make him a week to week proposition, he is all class and has thrown out signals of late that he is returning to his best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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