Jason Day – file photo courtesy of PGA of Australia

Jason Day has finished in a share of 3^rd place at the American Express Championship in La Quinta, his best finish in now four visits to the event but he had numerous chances over the closing round to put pressure on the eventual and impressive winner, Sepp Straka.

Day began the final round four shots behind Straka but despite an early birdie it took some time for his round to catch fire. He birdied holes 8, 9 and 11 to remain four back but with Straka seemingly incapable of making a mistake he would need something special over the closing few holes if he was to bridge the gap.

Unfortunately for Day he would bogey the 14^th and although he had his chances especially through holes 15, 16 and 17 he reached the last three behind and it was a case of the bridge being too far.

Day bogeyed the last hole to fall back into a share of 3^rd place with Justin Lower, three behind runner-up Justin Thomas and three from the winner.

Day’s play throughout the week however gave rise to some great holes over the next few weeks, especially given a return to next week’s venue at Torrey Pines where he has twice won the Farmers Insurance event and been once runner-up in addition to winning a World Junior event there as an amateur.

“I hit it very nice. A lot of the stuff that I was working on has definitely carried over, which is good, definitely, from Sentry, and just work out the putting. I feel like I gave myself a lot of opportunities out there, I’m a good putter, so I just didn’t capitalize on the opportunities.

“I could tell that something was off when the initial hit of the putts I could hear the putts jumping, so when you hear like kind of, it’s not like a skid, it’s like more of a (makes noise) like that, that’s when it’s difficult to control speed.

“When it’s jumping around a little bit, it’s difficult to get the correct speed, and then obviously when you don’t have the correct speed, then it’s hard to hole the putts. I could probably do a better job of painting a better picture before I hit the shot too, just being able to see the putt go in a little bit better.

“Overall, very happy with the week, yeah, good start to the year, so just moving to Torrey Pines.”

Day has had his family with him this week staying in their luxurious bus and Day enjoys having the family with him.

“It’s definitely nice to have them on the road. We’re very fortunate to be able to travel in a bus together, very fortunate to be able to home school, so that we can have them out there.

“Hat’s off to my wife, because she does all that work. It can get lonely out here, and that’s why I think if they were at home I probably wouldn’t play too long, you know, just because I wouldn’t be able to see my kids grow up, and then I just don’t like being on the road by myself, so I’m very fortunate to be able to have them on the road with me.”

Day earns a cheque for US$519,000.

Cam Davis raced into contention with an opening nine 30, but his closing nine of 39 included a double bogey at the last and he finished in a share of 18^th.

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Daniel Hillier – file photo courtesy of DP World Tour 

Despite dropping three shots in succession through the middle of his closing nine holes, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier leads the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club into tonight’s final round.

Hillier began round three one behind Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson but took the lead immediately when he birdied the first two holes and went further ahead when he birdied the 5^th.

Hillier bogeyed the 6^th but another birdie at the 10^th had him in front by four.

Tyrell Hatton eagled the 2^nd hole when he drove the green at the short par 4 and holed from 8 feet but he would struggle to the turn before a final nine rush saw him take a share of the lead at the 16^th before heading into round 4 just one behind Hillier.

Hillier recovered from his stumble through holes 13,14 and 15 with birdies at his final two holes to re-establish his lead over Hatton in the US$9 million event, a cheque of US$1.62 million awaiting if he is to hold on to his one-shot lead over Hatton and two over Ferguson.

Ryan Fox and England’s Laurie Canter at 9 under are just four from the lead and not without hope, in fact, nine players are within five of the lead and subject to the play of Hillier and Hatton all may feel they have a chance to win this significant event.

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Daniel Hillier – file photo courtesy of Photosport / NZ Open 

All seven of the Australasians who began the Hero Dubai Desert Classic have made the weekend. For three or four, their expectations for the final 36 holes of the US$9 million event are now considerably higher.

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier leads the way, the 26-year-old Wellingtonian just one shot off the pace held by Scotland’s Ewen Fergusson after rounds of 68 and 65.

Hillier is playing this event for the third occasion, but having missed the final day in 2003 and the weekend last year his start represents quite a turnaround in fortunes at the Emirates Golf Club.

Hillier, who is in his third season on the DP World Tour after graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2002, has already won a flagship event in Europe when successful at the 2023 British Masters and this offers a chance for a perhaps even more lucrative breakthrough

“Two very different days of golf,” said Hillier. “I think day one, striped it off the tee and gave myself a lot of chances. Just a solid round of golf. Today a few extra putts went in than I was expecting. Yeah, it’s nice to see those drop and hopefully they keep dropping.

“I feel I definitely had a good break. Had four and a half, five weeks at home. Sticks didn’t come out very often to be honest but I usually need it around that time of the year. It’s just nice to hang out with family and friends and get right for the season.”

Three shots further back but in a share of 3^rd place is West Australian Jason Scrivener who has played well here on occasions and likes the layout.

“I love it here,” said Scrivener. “I’ve had mixed results. Yeah, I think it’s a course that suits me. I’m generally a straight driver, and if I can roll a few putts in, really does suit me.”

Scrivener has struggled in Europe the last couple of years after one or two good seasons but indicated that things might be about to change in that regard.

“Last year I got sick a couple of times. Two kids probably changed life a little bit, as well.

“So it’s been nice to step away from the game a little bit. But now I’m kind of re-invented myself in a way and enthusiastic to improve and get back to where I was.”

Min Woo Lee is just one shot further back in a share of 7^th place, now with the services of Shane Lowry’s former caddy.

A double bogey at his final hole was a disappointing finish to an otherwise impressive round of 66 by Lee which included an outward nine of 6 under 31.

Ryan Fox and David Micheluzzi are at 6 under and six shots from the lead in a tie for 12^th, Micheluzzi unable to match the brilliance of his opening round of 65 which had given him a share of the lead after dropping four shots in four holes early in his back nine.

Adam Scott and Elvis Smylie are at 2 under and in a share of 44th place.

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Elvis Smylie – yielding the benefits from his impressive win in Brisbane

This week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai will feature a typically strong field involving the best of European golf.

Four-time winner Rory McIlory will be joined by Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Robert McIntyre, and the like, but there will be healthy representation from our part of the world, with Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Ryan Fox, Daniel Hillier, Jason Scrivener, Elvis Smylie, and David Micheluzzi to tee it up.

Previous winners of the event from Australasia are Richard Green and Lucas Herbert, but Adam Scott, who will play the event for just the fifth occasion, recording top-ten finishes in each of the past two years, appears to have a good chance of contending at some stage.

Scott finished 3^rd at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November and was 15^th two weeks ago at the Sentry Tournament at Kapalua in the first week of January in his only event since. He appears to be playing some very good golf at present and while he faces a particularly strong field, the event has proven to be a good starting point to his golfing year in recent times.

Min Woo Lee was perhaps disappointing during his Australian campaign but will play this event for the third time, a solid 13^th place finish two years ago suggesting this golf course holds no fears and a great place to kick off his 2025 ahead of a return to the PGA Tour.

Ryan Fox now has full status on the PGA Tour but has played this event on eight occasions. Although he has finished no better than 20^th in those appearances, he clearly sees this as a great way to start his year.

Daniel Hillier has missed the cut in each of his two appearances here and although he has been playing reasonably well in recent times (he has made his last eight cuts), he might struggle to improve his record at the venue.

Jason Scrivener played last week’s Australasian Tour event in Perth ahead of his return to the DP World Tour and will play this event for the ninth time. Scrivener has finished inside the top ten on two occasions at the Emirates Golf Club, but that aside, there has not been a lot to get excited about. He is a fine player however and could possibly contend at various stages during the week.

David Micheluzzi and Elvis Smylie will play the event for the first occasion, both only recently earning the right to play the lucrative (US$9 million) event.

Micheluzzi now has full DP World Tour status this season, courtesy of heading the 2022/2023 PGA Tour of Australasia Tour money list and Smylie’s win at the Australian PGA Championship earning him status in Europe.

Smylie finished 5^th at the Australian Open the week after his victory in Brisbane and 14^th in South Africa a week later, while Micheluzzi was 5^th at the Australian PGA Championship and midfield in two subsequent events.

Smylie is seen as a genuine future star Australian golf and his progress this week and indeed this year will be followed with interest.

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Jordan Doull records first Australasian Tour victory – image Australian Golf Media  

25-year-old Perth golfer, Jordan Doull, has emerged from a tough final-round battle to win his first 72-hole event on the PGA Tour of Australasia in a playoff at Royal Fremantle south of Perth.

The Mount Lawley Golf Club golfer secured his Australasian Tour card at the 2024 Australasian Tour School and, even before today’s win he was on track to retain his playing privileges for the coming season which starts midyear.

Doull played collegiate golf in the USA at the University of Columbus State University before returning to Perth in 2022.

Late in 2024, he finished runner-up at the WA PGA Championship in Kalgoorlie (again after a playoff) and heading into this week he was 20^th on the Order of Merit. This week’s win however will take him inside the top ten (9th) and with another eight events this season he could challenge for one of the DP World Tour cards handed out to the leading three players on the Order of Merit not otherwise qualified for a card in Europe.

Doull won after a three-hole playoff with his fellow West Australian Haydn Barron, who was also chasing a first PGA Tour of Australasia title, but, when Doull holed an 16 footer from just off the green at 3^rd extra hole, it was all over.

Barron has made the cut in only three of his last 22 starts worldwide so despite not winning this result may well see him turning the corner in his career. Barron

Kristen Rudgeley led the females in the joint event for both sexes when she tied for an impressive share of 3^rd with the in-form Anthony Quayle.

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