Can Scott’s 23rd PGA Championship appearance be his best?


Adam Scott – in action during practice this week – image PGA of America Maddie Meyer

Adam Scott will play his 23rd PGA Championship when he tees it up at Oak Hill this week and while there have been only six top tens with a best of 3rd (twice) in those previous 22 starts, he enters this week’s event with his game in good enough shape to add another top ten and perhaps something better.

Adding to his chances is the fact that in 2013, when Scott last played the Oak Hill Country Club, he finished 5th behind Jason Dufner and while the layout has been restored to more of its 1920’s origins since, the Donald Ross designed examination might provide Scott with further cause for optimism.

Scott, Jason Day and Cameron Smith appear to hold Australia’s only chances of victory in the event and while it has taken several events for Scott’s game to peak in 2023, it now appears very close to it with top ten finishes in each of his last two starts. With a game built around the sort of demands the brute of a layout that Oak Hill will offer, the idea of a second major title for the Queenslander is not unrealistic.

Scott’s 5th place at the Wells Fargo Championship was particularly impressive on what was a very demanding Quail Hollow layout and after his 8th place finish last week in Dallas he gave an indication as to just where he is at with his game.

“I think you just move a little slower as you’re a bit older, but this is the time of year you want to be playing good. Ideally you kind of start playing really great in March, but it’s six or eight weeks later and there’s still a lot of big golf coming up with the PGA right in front of my mind.”

During the recent Wells Fargo Championship he also sent out signals that his game was coming around when interviewed after 54 holes there.

“Yeah, I feel like last year I really worked hard to kind of climb myself back into a good spot and this year has been slow to get going, calendar year-wise certainly. This is the best performance for three days of a tournament so far, so I’m looking for a really good back half of this season.

Scott, Smith and Day are Australia’s three male major championship winners over the last fifteen years and all three are some consideration in this week’s event but the manner in which Scott has been going about his business of late suggests he could well add a second major title to the one he so magnificently won at Augusta National ten years ago.

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Is there a 6th PGA Championship in line for Australia

A PGA Championship flagstick flag – Darren Carroll PGA of America

This week’s PGA Championship offers a great opportunity for the event to take the lead in regards to the number of different Australians to have one a major title, at this stage five individual Australians have won both the PGA Championship and the Open Championship but on current form there is genuine belief that Cameron Smith or Adam Scott could add to that number.

Throw in the prospect of Jason Day’s improved form of late adding his second win in the event then Australian chances appear good for a great week at the Oak Hill Country Club in the Rochester suburb of Pittsford, New York.

In all, nine Australasians make up a strong representation from this part of the world, Smith, Scott and Day being joined by Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert, David Micheluzzi and New Zealanders Ryan Fox and Steve Alker.

The Oak Hill Country Club has played host to numerous major tournaments including three PGA Championships, three US Opens and two US Amateur Championships, the last of those coming when  Jason Dufner defeated Jim Furyk by two shots in the 2013 PGA Championship.

Both Adam Scott and Jason Day were very much in the firing line in the 2013 Championship, Scott finishing tied for 5th and Day tied for 8th but the golf course has undergone significant changes since that event.

In 2015 the club hired architect Andre Green to restore many of the values and strategies original designer, Donald Ross, had created when first built in the mid 1920’s and the layout will provide a different look to that at the 2013 Championship.

Scott had been essentially treading water in events in the early part of this year but top tens in each of his last two starts suggest he is building towards a big week.

Day won this championship in 2015 a month or so ahead of becoming the world number one and his win last week and his lead up form over the past few months suggests he is heading back to that sort of level. Whether he is yet ready for this against a significantly stronger field than he faced last week is debatable but at his best he can at least contend.

Smith arrives off the back of close calls at the LIV Golf level but as was the case at the Masters where he had an overall disappointing week when 34th, his readiness for this week’s championship is under question. There is little doubting his capacity to contend and, yes, win major championships but despite losing a playoff to Dustin Johnson last week in Tulsa a win would be somewhat of a surprise, albeit a pleasant one.

Lucas Herbert’s form this year has been all over the place and although he won a DP World Tour event in Japan three weeks ago, the standard of player he will face this week is chalk and cheese compared to that he faced in Ibaraki Prefecture.

At his very best, Herbert has shown a capacity to contend near the highest level and a 13th place in this event last year was impressive and if he could repeat that or better then it will have been a great week.

Min Woo Lee missed his last three cuts after a magnificent effort to finish 6th at the Players Championship against a field almost as strong as the one he faces this week. His current form is a concern however and if he can improve significantly on his missed cut in the event last year it will be a solid week for him.

Cam Davis was also 6th at the recent Players Championship and followed that up soon after with 7th place finish at Harbour Town. He keeps getting better and a good showing this week would not surprise.

David Micheluzzi plays his first major championship this week and gave an indication of what sort of game he has when making the cut at last week’s event in Dallas when on debut on the PGA Tour. There is little doubting the talent the Victorian possesses but this week will surely test him to the limit and perhaps provide further evidence of just what sort of future he appears set for.

The two New Zealanders in the field have certainly justified their inclusion through their exploits over the past twelve months or so.

Steve Alker earns the right to play this event courtesy of his win in the Senior PGA Championship last year (an event he will defend next week) and a continuation of that form since. He disappointed, by his standards at least, with a midfield finish at last week’s major event on the PGA Tour Champions, the Regions Traditions Championship.

It will be fascinating to see how the most dominant player on the PGA Tour Champions over the past two years performs against this stronger field and more demanding layout.

Ryan Fox is in the field courtesy of his world ranking of 41st and performed well when playing PGA Tour events by invitation a few weeks ago. He has troubled with pneumonia of late and returned to New Zealand for the birth of his second child so his preparation has been disrupted.

TEE TIMES

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Jason Day – why Chris Como?


Jason Day – file photo

Following his emotional and much anticipated return to the winner’s circle in Dallas on Sunday, Jason Day took time to talk to several of the Australian golfing media about a range of topics including, of course, his second AT&T Byron Nelson victory, but also his return to near the elite of the game once again.

I was part of that group and having witnessed Jason’s development from his amateur days in Queensland and being a long time admirer of him as a golfer and an individual, I was delighted to have him heading back in the right direction after a period wondering just where his future lay.

Ten months ago, Day had fallen outside the top 160 in the world but as a result of his win he is now 20th and while the relative merits or otherwise of the current world rankings could be brought into question, there is little doubt that his elevation in standing is totally justified.

His sharp progress since reaching a point where he was considering the possibility of even giving up the game has been remarkable and comes as a result of swing changes to overcome the significant injury issues that have plagued so much of his career, dedication to the cause and the assistance of a team of supporters including the role his relatively new coach Chris Como has played.

Como was mentored by the likes of David Leadbetter, Mac O’Grady and Hank Haney during his formative years as a coach but since establishing his own business he has achieved a huge profile through his involvement as a teacher of Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau  and now Jason Day.

It was through his friendship with Tiger Woods that Day would meet Como and the Dallas based coach has been a key player in Day’s return to somewhere near the level he was at five years ago and more significantly the form he displayed when winning the PGA Championship and reaching the world number one position in 2015.

I was keen to find out just what it was about Como that had appealed to Day. Day had been blessed with a long time coach, mentor and caddie in fellow Australian, Colin Swatton, since his school days in Queensland but that player caddie relationship ended in 2017 and in 2020 they parted ways as coach and player and Day had been considering options since.

“When Tiger was going through the chipping yips, he invited me out to his place just to go over chipping techniques and stuff like that,” said Day. “Chris had seen a ton of 3D Bio testing of my chipping and was keen to investigate what I thought about in regards to chipping.

“I remember coming out of that meeting with Tiger and Chris thinking there is something about Chris – he was very quiet and listened very intently. You could tell he knew a lot about the game and knew it on a deeper level especially in regards to his thoughts about what the club should be doing and how the body works.

“At the time he wasn’t really working with a lot of guys other than Tiger and a couple of other guys but there was just something about him that drew me to him and that when I talked to him about the golf swing he was very switched on.

“He was really the only guy I reached out to in regards to the golf swing and I think I made the right call in that sense.”

Clearly having worked with essentially one guy since his early golfing days the importance for Day to engage someone with whom he had confidence and the very important player coach chemistry was crucial.

Day’s career has already been significant given his now 13 PGA Tour titles and more than US$56 million in PGA Tour earnings.

The milestones he achieved along the way in addition to the wins have also been a highlight of his career to date. He was runner-up at both the Masters and US Opens on debut, became the youngest player to win on either the then Nationwide or PGA Tours when he won an event on the Nationwide Tour in 2007 and one can only wonder where things might be now if it wasn’t for the injury and, at times, illness issues he has faced.

One can’t but help admire Day’s determination and preparedness to work so hard in order to return to his winning ways but the assistance of a fine team around him including Chris Como in achieving that rebound cannot be underestimated.

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Near miss for Minjee Lee in Founders Cup


Minjee Lee – agonising loss but sharp improvement all the same- photo Getty Images / LPGA

With just a few holes to play, Minjee Lee appeared on track to successfully defend the Cognizant Founders Cup title in New Jersey but a late bogey by her and a strong finishing round by Korean Jin Young Ko saw Ko come from four shots off the 54 hole pace to win at the first extra hole.

Lee three putted the first hole of the playoff and finished runner-up but considering her previous best in four LPGA Tour strokeplay starts in 2023 had been 41st, it was a significant improvement for the 26 year old.

Lee led into the final round by three, but a slow start to her round and a double bogey at the 6th hole had the field closing in on her and with Ko, a former world number one, having won this event on two previous occasions it became a dogfight for the title.

“I mean, apparently this is only my fifth start on tour this year, so it actually doesn’t feel like I’ve only played five events,” said Lee.

“It’s still pretty early I guess in my season and I have a lot more events coming up. So I feel like I could take a lot of positives into, you know, the next couple majors coming up and obviously Mizuho is my next event.

“I mean, yes obviously I would’ve liked to have won, but looking back at my whole year and just kind of assessing where I am — how I did this week, I think a lot more positives than negatives.

“Obviously I’m a little bit disappointed, but I think I can take more of the happy moments into my next — into the next stretch of events and the rest of the year.”

Grace Kim continued her good rookie season when she finished 10th despite a final round of 75, while Sarah Kemp was the next best of the Australians when she finished 13th.

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Cam Smith falls just short in Tulsa


Cam Smith reacts to a final hole birdie in his round of 62 today – image LIV Golf

Cam Smith has been defeated after a playoff against Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace at the LIV Golf Tulsa event, Smith’s final round of 61 just failing to give him the outright win but once again earning him a huge cheque, this time for US$1.81 million.

He shared second place with Grace after Johnson birdied the first extra hole. Johnson had overcome of a triple bogey at the 10th hole in the final round causing him to fall behind but rallied to birdie the last in regulation play and the first playoff hole

“It was obviously really good,” said Smith when asked to sum up his final round. “There was probably still a couple of shots that I left out there that in the end could have been the finishing — the decider.

“Yeah, I mean, it was really good stuff, but still just a little bit disappointing.”

For Johnson it was his second victory in the LIV Golf Series having also won in Boston last year.

For Johnson the victory comes ahead of him heading back east to New York for this week’s PGA Championship and he is pleased with his form ahead of the second major of the year.

Yeah, the game is in really good shape. I feel like I’m doing everything really well right now, so yeah, I’m really looking forward to next week, obviously get up there tonight and get out and get a little practice in tomorrow.

Of the other Australians in the field, Marc Matt Jones was 32nd, Marc Leishman 38th and Jed Morgan again struggling to finish 47th in the 48 man field.

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Powerful finish earns Jason Day his 13th PGA Tour title


Jason Day – Getty Images / PGA Tour

Jason Day has today won his first tournament since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship and his 13th PGA Tour title overall, emerging from a tense final round battle at the AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas.

Day began the day two shots off a three-way tie for the 54 hole lead but after four birdies on the way to the turn he was locked in a six way share of the top spot and then edged clear of a very congested leaderboard with five birdies over the closing nine for a round of 62 and a one shot win over Si Woo Kim and Austin Eckroat.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” said Day. “I came into the week after missing last week’s cut, and I was kind of fed up with having to go over like a lot of technical thoughts with my swing. So I just decided I’m just going to go out and just try and play some golf.

“The first three days were great, and then I was really calm. I was saying earlier, I was really calm last night. I woke up, had a great sleep, and just things felt calm.

“For some reason, I just thought that I was going to win the tournament. It’s easy to say that now because I won it, but that’s just — for some reason I just had this sort of calmness about it. I had a really good warmup this morning and felt good.

“It’s weird because when you’re playing golf and you’re in the hunt or around the lead, sometimes there’s moments in your round that you think, oh, it’s kind of not my time.

“I really never had that thought at all this week, even in the last round. I was just kind of plodding along and got a couple early, which was nice, and just felt like you had to press, and funny enough, you have to shoot 9-under to try and win a tournament, which is kind of crazy because I do remember back in the day Charley Hoffman shot 9-under to beat me. It’s nice to be able to finally do that and win one.

“Today however I didn’t really think I about winning until I birdied the 14th and 15th as I knew there were so many guys in contention and so many opportunities remaining (for those behind).

For a range of reasons there was a lot of emotion attached to the victory. “I was in tears for a little bit there, and to think about what my mom went through from 2017 on to her passing last year and then to know that — it was very emotional to go through and to experience what she was going through, then I had injuries on top of all of that going on in my life.

“To be honest, I was very close to calling it quits. I never told my wife that, but I was okay with it, just because it was a very stressful part of my life.

“Ellie (wife), she never gave up on me trying to get back to the winner’s circle again. She just always was pushing me to try and get better.

“Yeah, I don’t know. It feels strange to be sitting here. I don’t know how else to explain it. To go through what I went through and then to be able to be a winner again and be in the winner’s circle is very pleasing, and I know that there’s been a lot of very hard work behind the scenes that a lot of people haven’t seen. But that’s just the competition part of the journey and trying to strive to get better. It’s nice to be able to get my 13th win.”

Day’s work with his coach over the past two or so years, Chris Como, has obviously been a key part of his rebound  and he explained how the relationship works.

“When it comes to coaching, it’s not so much about — yeah, it is about the technical aspect and trying to get your game better, but it’s more about a supportive role, knowing that you are doing the correct things and being able to not only visually see the flights that you want and especially on video see the swing change dramatically over the last couple years, for him to be more than just a coach, to be a friend, be someone that can support me in a way that is on a deeper level.

“We’re growing together in regards to like stuff off the golf course. He goes through things just like I go through things.

“We were just talking about this, how golf has led me down a path of trying to better my life off the golf course, whether that’s through the mental stuff that I’m trying to do, the physical stuff that I’m trying to do. It’s funny because when you do go down that journey of trying to better yourself in that sense, once you start to unravel things, it’s like an onion. You start peeling back things and then more things come up and you’ve got to try and connect the dots.”

Day will move close to the top 20 in the world as a result of the win, and while the world ranking does not carry the same significance as was the case prior to LIV Golf, the progress he has made since being outside the top 160 less than a year ago has been stunning.

The victory comes on top of five top ten finishes in nine starts this year on the PGA Tour, a stat further highlighting the consistency that has been building especially over the last eight months or so.

The win and the accompanying US$1.7 million takes his career earnings on the PGA Tour to beyond US$56 million.

After narrowly missing the cut at the Wells Fargo event last week, the bounce back further confirms the amazing amount of work Day and coach, Chris Como, have done in getting his game back somewhere near the level it was when he won his first major (PGA Championship) in 2015 and became World Number One soon after.

Adam Scott also had his chances of a second win the event but despite a near flawless final round of 63 he would finish in a share of 8th place and now he and Day head to next week’s PGA Championship in the sort of form that might well see another major title heading down under, especially with Cameron Smith also a consideration.

Scott summed up Day’s recent progress just a few minutes before the victory was confirmed.

“Well, I think the point he’s at in his career, it’s really all he’s trying to do,” said Scott.”He’s obviously set out and really worked hard on his golf swing the last couple years, and he’s stayed incredibly patient, I think, and chipped away at it and got it to a place where he may not say he’s not satisfied, but it’s looking pretty good.

“The validation of sticking with it, I think, is something at this point that he’ll take a lot out of, and when you’re as talented as Jason, the sky’s the limit, once the confidence comes through winning like that.”

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Sarah Kemp leads LPGA event in New Jersey


Sarah Kemp – image Getty / LPGA

NSW golfer Sarah Kemp has seemingly built off her performance as one of the Australian team which finished runner-up at the International Crown team last week, to share the lead at the halfway mark of the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, New Jersey.

Kemp, who has yet to win on the LPGA Tour and whose best finish to date on that was when runner-up at the 2019 Vic Open, might well have held the outright lead but for a bogey at the 16th hole but her round of 65 has she and former world number one Jin Young Ko ahead by one over Minjee Lee, Aditi Ashok and Hae Ran Ryu.

Kemp’s best finish in an LPGA Tour event in the US was when 4th at the Pure Silk Championship two years ago but she has been playing much better of late.

“I’m sure I’ll go to bed and think about it naturally, and I think I’ll be pretty excited for tomorrow,” said Kemp. “Maybe try and calm my excitement down. Being co-leader going into Saturday at an LPGA event is pretty cool, right?

“So if I can just play it down a little bit and just manage my excitement. Although that’s a really good thing and I think there would be something wrong if I wasn’t excited, but I think I can get a little bit too hyped.”

Kemp was asked if she allows herself to wonder if this or any week could be the week for the breakthrough.

“Yeah, I think about it every week. You know, is this going to be the week. But it’s such a small percent that you win, right? Everyone’s win percentage is real small.

“So, I think if I can just keep doing what I’m doing right now, maybe I’ll get close soon.”

The defending champion, Minjee Lee, would also bogey the 16th to cost herself a share of the lead but she is happy to have started the way she has after a relatively light schedule to date in 2023.

“I actually haven’t really been thinking too much about the defending champion bit, but I mean, I just wanted to have two good rounds to start the week, and I’m in a good position for the weekend. I’m just going to stick to my game plan, hit good drives, hit good shots into the greens, and hit good putts. That’s all that I can control.

“It’s definitely a ball striker’s golf course, so obviously fairways, greens, and the greens are getting a little firmer now, so a two-putt is good and one-putt is a bonus right now. Yeah, I just feel like I was pretty solid all day.

“I think I was rushing a little bit because we were on the clock the last couple of holes, but other than that, I feel pretty good.”

Karis Davidson and Grace Kim are the next best of the Australians, the pair in a share of 22nd place and five shots from the lead, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko 38th but for recent winner, Hannah Green, it was a missed cut.

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Australians begin well in Dallas

 

 

 

Adam Scott – a near faultless display – file photo Australian Golf Media

Australian golfers are well positioned after the opening day of the AT&T Byron Nelson event at the TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas.

Adam Scott is tied for second place and three shots from the lead held by Korea’s S.Y. Noh, Jason Day is another shot back in a share of 4th and PGA Tour debutante, David Micheluzzi is in a share of 10th and just two shots from those in second place.

The event or its equivalent has been good to Australians over the years with Bruce Devlin, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Steve Bowditch having won previously and this week could well see another in line for victory.

Not all of the events have been played at this venue with Craig Ranch only playing host for the last three years.

Scott played early on day one and continued on from where he left off at last week’s event at Quail Hollow with fine opening round including an outward nine of 30 and even though he failed to get up and down at the 15th and took bogey, he birdied his final two holes to finish three back of Noh who was round in 60 to lead by three.

“Yeah, all really good solid stuff, especially off the tee, “ said Scott. ”It’s probably the best I’ve driven it in forever. That was a nice way to start every hole.

“I took advantage of that nicely, certainly out of the gates on some of the long par-4s, birdieing three of the first four holes on that side is a nice way to start. Was happy to keep it going all the way around.

“The game was feeling really good there last week, and getting a result is always good for the confidence, too. Coming here on a course that’s going to throw a lot of birdies out there, getting in that attack mindset was key, and take advantage of the good swings.”

Day whose first PGA Tour victory came in this event in 2010, began slowly with seven straight pars before he birdied seven of the last eleven holes to finish with 64.

“A lot of patience in the first seven holes,” said Day. “It’s kind of hard to be patient sometimes when you’re watching your playing partner shoot 6-under through 6, playing some pretty top-notch golf. It was interesting and sometimes you’ve just got to admire it. He’s been an impressive player since he’s got on TOUR, so it’s nice to be able to watch that.

“But it was good to get kind of a 4-under run in the middle part of my round. I think maybe 20-under or so will win this, so you’re thinking at least five a day would be good, and it was nice to get a couple more than that.

“I feel like I’ve just kind of learnt to just take it day by day, but obviously it would be great to have four more days like this. I know that I’m heading into a major next week, and it would be nice to carry some good momentum into the PGA, especially coming off a missed cut at Charlotte.”


David Micheluzzi – file photo Australian Golf Media

While the performance of Scott and Day was impressive perhaps even more so was the debut round of the PGA Tour of Victorian David Micheluzzi who is playing the event on invite.

Micheluzzi was 1 over par through seven holes before five birdies and an eagle saw him finish with 65 and a share of 10th place.

“Through seven holes it was not looking great,” said Micheluzzi. “But had a couple birdies, 17, 18, then holed a long putt on 2 and then holed a pitching wedge from 123 meters out, so that kind of all of a sudden I was 4-under when I was 1-over through 7 I think it was.

“Then just played solid on the way in. Like I made par on 9 just from a pretty bad drive, but I’m stoked. Anything under par I would have been happy, but 6-under is delightful.”

Micheluzzi was also asked if there were any first hole nerves given it was his first competitive round on the PGA Tour.

“Funny, on the tee it was fine, and then I got on the green and then it kind of kicked in a little bit. Kind of was a little bit nervy on some putts. I missed a few early and then got the feel for the greens and then yeah, just took off.”

When asked what he would takeaway from his first exposure to the PGA Tour, Micheluzzi added; “Yeah, it’s probably something I’ll never forget, and just the run I went on, as well, which I have been doing that of late in tournaments back home and then one in Korea, as well, where once I got running, like nothing could stop me, which was cool. But just got to work out all the little things like the little missed putts here and there. But yeah, I’m just excited.”

Greg Chalmers, Harrison Endycott, Cameron Percy and Min Woo Lee are the next best placed at 2 under and in 65th place in the low scoring event.

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David Micheluzzi’s career takes a big step forward


David Micheluzzi – file photo Golf NSW

26-year-old David Micheluzzi has made some significant career progress over the past twelve months and over the next few weeks he gets the chance to take things to an even greater level with a debut on the PGA Tour and his first start in major golf.

This week he has an invite to play the AT&T Byron Nelson event in Dallas followed by next week’s PGA Championship and, in early June, the Memorial.

All this comes on top of his being crowned the winner of the PGA Tour of Australasia which not only earns him a start at the Open Championship in July, but a DP World Tour card for the 2023/2024 season.

In a media conference today ahead of the AT&T, Micheluzzi outlined his immediate schedule and his excitement for what lies ahead.

“Yeah, first PGA TOUR event, which is very cool. Yeah, just fortunate enough that they gave me an invite. My manager Ben did such a good job, and I’ve also got Memorial coming up with a couple weeks’ time, and just found out I’m in the PGA next week, so first PGA TOUR event, first major in consecutive weeks. There’s a lot going on, but really looking forward to the next few weeks.”

A couple of weeks ago Micheluzzi’s schedule on this trip to the US for the Memorial and US Open qualifying was looking limited but things have fallen into place to ensure a busy few months.

“I’m pretty sure back in the past, the Order of Merit winners usually get Memorial, so that was always kind of on the cards. Then the Byron Nelson was just a — it was just very fortunate enough to get it instead of just coming out just for one, maybe potentially two, because I’m doing a U.S. Open pre-Q, as well. Now I can actually make a trip out of it, and now I’m definitely going to make a trip out of it, which is really cool.

“I think I was in a pretty fortunate boat where I’ve been with my manager just before I turned pro, and he’s based in the States. He works with Sport Five, who managed Jon Rahm and Tom Kim and all these boys.

“I think having the success, he can now say, look, he’s done this over here. Let’s get him some starts. Where I think if I didn’t have a manager, I don’t know of this would be happening. I think I’d just potentially playing a PGA and potentially playing an Open, and that’s it.”

Melbourne’s Micheluzzi is aware that he will face a very different playing environment than he has been used to of late but is happy with his form and is looking forward to the challenge of playing different style of golf to that he has faced of late.

“Yeah, I think my game is feeling great. It’s felt pretty much very similar to how I was playing in Australia a few months back. Courses are very different to back home. It’s all carry and softer greens and all that kind of stuff. But I’m just looking forward to competing with these guys and seeing how I go, really.”

Micheluzzi is also looking forward to the chance to play practice rounds with some of the more established Australians on the PGA Tour.

“Yeah, now it’s like — yeah, next week is going to be very cool. Oak Hill is iconic. It’s such a great golf course. Hopefully we can tee up a couple games with — I’m not too sure, but hopefully a couple Aussie boys.

“I played with Min Woo today. It’s been a while. We played amateur golf together, and it was good to kind of just — really cool.  We played amateur golf together, we played Interstate Series together, we played Eisenhowers together, now we’re playing on the same event on the PGA TOUR and next week playing the same event in a PGA Championship. That was a real cool moment.”

Next week’s debut in a major is shaping as one of the biggest moments in his golfing career to date.

“I was speaking to Min Woo yesterday. He said majors are just crazy if you have a lot of people around, and to be honest, I want to treat my first major as — obviously I want it to be special, I want to have a lot of family members and all that around, but at the end of the day it’s a golf tournament, and I feel like I do well when there’s not many people around, like around me, like off course and all that.

“I just want to go in, just me and my caddie, my manager, and just go straight ahead and just play like it’s another tournament, like I say, like the National PGA. Just go out and just cruise.

“I don’t know if my parents are going to surprise me and fly over. I’d highly doubt it because they’ve got a massive trip in Europe later in the year, so I don’t think they’ll be coming. But if they do, it would be pretty cool, but yeah, I just want to keep it as low key as possible and just focus on the golf, and that’s it.”

Micheluzzi will be joined in this week’s field at the TPC Craig Ranch in Dallas by fellow Australians Adam Scott, Jason Day, Aaron Baddeley, Min Woo Lee, Geoff Ogilvy, Greg Chalmers, Cameron Percy and Harrison Endycott.

TEE  TIMES AT&T BYRON NELSON

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Australians make International Crown Final but lose to Thailand


Stephanie Kyriacou – one of the stars of the week for the Australians image Getty / LPGA

The Australian team of Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Stephanie Kyriacou and Sarah Kemp have been soundly beaten in the final of the Hanwha Life Plus International Crown teams event at the TPC Harding Park near San Francisco but that they made the final was an achievement in itself.

The Australians graduated from the round robin stage to the semis where they faced the top qualifiers in the alternate group Sweden in Sunday morning’s match-up.

They emerged as the winners and faced the Thailand team of Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tanatavakit and Atthaya Thitikul but it was pretty much one way traffic in the final, with the Thais wining the two singles and one foursome match.

The Australians clean swept the Swedes in the morning before the final but against the Thais it was a different story with Hannah Green and Stephanie Kyriacou losing their singles matches and Sarah Kemp and Minjee Lee losing the one and only foursome match.

Kyriacou was up early in her singles match but was eventually overpowered by Atthaya Thitikul.

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