Mark Hensby an impressive 3rd at US Senior Open


Mark Hensby during today’s final round – photo USGA Steve Gibbons

Australian Mark Hensby has produced an outstanding week of golf to finish alone in third place at the US Senior Open at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Pennsylvania, the soon to be (Wednesday) 51-year-old finishing the event with two late birdies after a mid-round collapse threatened to derail an otherwise potentially career changing week.

Hensby, born in Victoria but raised in Tamworth before heading to the USA in the mid 1990’s where he would eventually play and win on the PGA Tour and make a Presidents Cup side, recorded his best finish in just four starts on the PGA Tour Champions.

His previous best was when 8th at the Senior PGA Championship last month and if he can find a way to gain full playing credentials on the PGA Tour Champions then this talented golfer might well have a resurgence of a career that has been plagued by injury and bad luck since his halcyon days of the mid 2000’s.

Hensby has won three events on the Korn Ferry Tour and in 2004 won the John Deere Classic before winning the Scandinavian Masters in 2005 and making the Presidents Cup side that same year.

But his promising career was thwarted by a car accident in early 2006, the aftermath of which plagued his immediate playing future and there have been other issues including a suspension by the PGA Tour for refusing to follow drug testing protocol.

He is, though, an extremely talented player and this week’s performance might just be the catalyst for ongoing success on the PGA Tour Champions provided he can and should he have the desire to gain access to status there.

Without status on the PGA Tour Champions, Hensby gained a start in this week’s US Senior Open courtesy of finishing runner-up at a qualifying venue in Texas and he made the most of the opportunity finishing behind only the winner, Padraig Harrington and the highly credentialed Steve Stricker.

“Tiring, it got really tiring towards the end,” said Hensby when asked to describe the week. “I think it’s difficult when you know you’re not going to have a chance to win, but you’re not making any — you know, play as aggressive as you can without being stupid.

“It (the course) is a test. For me it didn’t feel like it was a really long golf course, but as you’re well aware, as everybody’s watching, if you miss it in the wrong spot it’s just not good.

“The greens, I found, were really fast the second day. Third day, yesterday, not as fast. Today they were kind of firm and fast. Yeah, it’s just a tricky golf course.”

Typically enigmatic, Hensby added, when made aware that this finish will get him a start next year; “I’m not sure I’m going to play much golf after this year, so if I do, obviously it’s there. Yeah, we’ll see.”

Perhaps the US$267,000 he earned for finishing 3rd might help his decision making.

SCORES

The 2022 US Senior Open Champion Padraig Harrington – photo USGA

 

 

/by

Minjee Lee adds another US$718,000 after runner-up major finish


Lee – grinding today at the 7th hole – photo PGA of America

Minjee Lee came within just one one shot of a second major title in less than a month and her third overall when finishing tied for runner-up behind In Gee Chun at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at the Congressional Country Club near Washington D.C.

An approach to 2 feet at the last after three-putting the 17th put Lee right back in the picture as Chun and Lexi Thompson, playing in the final group of the day, began the feel the pinch in a final round where so much was on the line. Not only was a winning purse of US$1.35 million in the US$ 9 million event at stake but so too was one of the most significant titles in women’s golf.

Lee’s effort was made even more special given the fact that she bogeyed her opening two holes of the day.

Chun began the day with a three shot lead over Thompson and former Australian Amateur Champion Hye Jin Choi, but with an outward nine of 40 by Chun and 35 by Thompson the American was two ahead of both Chun and Choi as they headed to the 10th.

Thompson appeared on track for her first win in three years and her first major since her win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2014 when still two ahead through 13 holes but a missed par putt from less than 2 feet at the 14th seemed to unsettle Thompson and although she birdied the 15th she was unable to capitalise on the reachable par 16th and made bogey and when she three putted the 17th she fell one behind Chun who had birdied the 16th.

Both players parred the last but Lee, who has begun her final round twenty minutes ahead of the final group, had posted a round of 70 to lead in the clubhouse. Lee had three putted the 17th at a costly moment and although she hit a magnificent approach at the dangerous last it appeared her prospects were slim.

Chun and Thompson both parred the last and the title was Chun’s – her third major having won the 2015 US Women’s Open and the 2016 Evian Championship and her first LPGA Tour title in four years.

Lee and Thompson tied for second place with both earning a cheque for US$718,000 and Lee taking her season’s earnings to US$3.36 million and well clear in the Race to the Globe and money list rankings.

“It was hard, but it was super fun,” said Lee referring to her final day. “We play for these types of Sundays. It was just a whole lot of fun. Because the difficulty was that much harder and the wind was up, I think that’s what made it even better.

“So I think it was just kind of perfect because the first three days it was really quite soft, and today you kind of guessed a little bit on how much it was going to roll or if it was going to stop. I think that was an element of guessing there. I think it was just a really great setup.

“I pretty much had my eye on the leaderboard the whole day. I followed it pretty much every single hole when I could see it, so I knew exactly which position I was in. I knew coming down 18 maybe a birdie would get me close because I did bogey the 70. I gave it a good shot today.”

Former champion and fellow West Australian Hannah Green finished tied for 5th with four others and earns US$274,000 while rookie Stephanie Kyriacou from Sydney produced a very meritorious tie for 10th and earns by some way her biggest cheque in the game US$156,000.

SCORES

Hannah Green today – photo Montana Pritchard PGA of America


Stephanie Kyriacou – huge cheque for impressive finish

 

 

/by

Ryan Fox reaches highest world ranking with 3rd place at BMW

Ryan Fox – file photo courtesy of PGA of Australia

Ryan Fox has fallen just short of a playoff to decide the BMW International in Munich, the New Zealander finishing alone in 3rd position and just two shots from the extended battle between the eventual winner, Haotong Li of China, and Belgian, Thomas Pieters.

Fox will rise to his highest ever ranking of 56th or so when the revised world rankings are released later today and continues a season which has seen him in 7th place in the Race to Dubai following six to ten finishes in his last nine starts including his win earlier this year in the UAE.

Fox began his final round five shots adrift of Li who had led from his opening round of 62 but birdies at his opening two holes of round four followed four holes later by an eagle at the 6th had him within four after Li himself had birdied three of his first six holes.

Fox’s only mistake of the day came when he bogeyed the 8th to lose a little momentum in his pursuit of a 3rd European Tour title but he would birdie the 11th and 15th to get into a share of second place and just one behind Li.

Li bogeyed the 15th but he and Pieters would add to late birdies to drew clear and force a playoff and Fox who was unable to capitalise on the reachable par 5 last would fall two short.

Li went on to win at the first extra hole after missing the green and then holing a 40 foot birdie putt after making a mess of his pitch from alongside of the green.

Pieters then missed from shorter range and Li had won his third European Tour title but his first in more than four years and his emotions overflowed as he celebrated the victory, perhaps not allowing Pieters the courtesy of a calm moment for him to attempt to take the playoff into further holes.

Li’s immediate post round greenside interview was also a little over the top, letting the expletives flow as he recalled what had no doubt been a harrowing time since his last win and more especially 2021 when he failed to make the weekend in his first fourteen events.

“Hard work does pay off,” said Li when things had calmed down a little. “To be fair, there’s a little story behind today. Ten months ago I met my friend Zhi (Yang), who is my caddie now. That first week I said to him ‘Dude, I don’t want to play golf anymore’ I probably needed to do something else.

“It’s him always outside, always taking care of me. I give so much s*** to him, get so mad at him so often, struggling, he was with me through the dark times, all the time. Just so many guys I need to thank. My parents, my mom, my dad, my sister, family, my sponsors, you guys, the boys. I can’t say enough.

“Yesterday we finished late, so I thought I needed some practice. I couldn’t eat or sleep last night. I probably slept five hours max, but I dreamed about holding the trophy. Things have happened to me again. It’s just incredible.”

Li Haotong – photo Getty Images / DP World Tour

SCORES 

 

 

/by

Strong Australasian presence on KPMG leaderboard


Lydia Ko’s form continues and she is tied in second place – photo PGA of America

Australasia’s three leading female golfers, Minjee Lee, Lydia Ko and Hannah Green are all well in contention as the KPMG PGA Championship at the Congressional Country Club and despite the leader, In Gee Chun, breaking six shots clear of the second placed Ko and Jennifer Kupcho, the trio are well placed to gain at least a good hunk of the US$9 million purse.

Ko’s round of 67 improved her from 15th overnight to her share of second place, former champion, Hannah Green, added a round of 69 to be in a share of 4th and Lee put behind her a round of 73 on day one for a round of 68 today to be in 9th place.

Chun controls the tournament at this stage but with 36 holes remaining then there is a lot of golf to play and Ko, Green and Lee might yet work their way into winning contention by Sunday afternoon.

Ko has been in outstanding from of late reeling off four top fives in her last five starts and today she raced to the turn in 31 to put herself back into the tournament after a slow start yesterday, finishing with a round of 67.

“Yeah, yesterday I actually played pretty solid,” said Ko referring to the fact that he round of 72 yesterday was better then it appeared. “I think some of the pins were really hard to get to. And especially around a course like this, I don’t know how aggressive is playing smart, but I just tried to stick to my lines and just committed shots.

“Yesterday I thought it was a pretty decent start. Definitely a nice one today to kind of go into the weekend.

“I think the last couple of weeks it was a few silly mistakes, a few shots where I lost focus a little bit costing me a couple of shots from there. Other than that, I feel like the game is in a pretty solid place.

“At the same time, I think it is very difficult to win. The level of play on our TOUR is incredible. You can see just by the scores week in, week out.

“It is hard to win, but I’m just trying to put myself more in that kind of position, and I think when you keep knocking on the door, you hope that one day that door will open.”


Hannah Green today – photo PGA of America

Green won this event in 2019 and is happy with the way she has played to date this week.

“I feel like I played good,” said the West Australian. “I didn’t hit as many greens as I would have liked coming down the stretch, but really happy with 3-under par.

“Unfortunately, three-putted my last hole, so could have been possibly playing in the final group, but I’m still happy with where I am coming into the weekend.

“It’s going to be hard. As the course dries up, I think it will make it more difficult. I feel like today was still pretty soft, but the fairways were kind of releasing a little bit more. That was nice.

“Just going to just try and keep on shooting 3- or 4-under par each day, and hopefully that will be enough come Sunday.”

Lee is eight shots from the lead but only two shots out of second place and appears in line for yet another good finish in a major championship.

The leader In Gee Chun has already won two major titles and is in outstanding form as she looks to add this title to her US Open and Evian Championship titles.

SCORES


In Gee Chun – photo Darren Carroll PGA of America

 

/by

Steve Alker improves sharply at US Senior Open

Steve Alker in action today – photo USGA Chris Keane

Steve Alker has overcome yesterday’s slow start to the US Senior Open at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Pennsylvania and finds himself just three shots from the leader Padraig Harrington at the halfway mark of senior golf’s most significant event.

Alker was 3 over par early in his first round yesterday but fought his way back to a round of 1 over 72 and then, despite a double-bogey at his 9th hole today, he added enough birdies for a round of 67 and a share of 4th place.

“Yeah, the putter was working much better today,” said Alker. “I was a little bit scrappy in places, but the putter looked after me today.

“I had some nice iron shots on the front nine and just got some momentum early on, so it was good. Then lost
momentum during the round and then got it back again.

“It was a bit topsy turvy, but the putter, I was pleased with that.

“We had a little more wind today. It was kind of all over the place. I learned that the winds just kind of switch around.  We had wind on the back nine from all over the place, so that was tricky.”


Mark Hensby stays in touch – photo USGA Chris Keane

Mark Hensby was unable to maintain the pace of yesterday’s round of 67 but he remains well placed despite his round of 73 today, the US based Australian, who qualified to play in the event, in a share of 9th place and four from the lead.

Hensby struggled with the greens today after what appeared to him as a significant increase in speed.

“Obviously we played later yesterday and it was wet, but, yeah, I was shocked how fast they were. I just never got
my speed today.

“No, nothing really changed except for the speed of the greens. I mean, they were soft but they were fast. I mean, it felt like two, three feet faster.”

Richard Green is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 13th place and six from the lead, his performance made even more meritorious considering he recorded an early quadruple bogey on day one.

Harrington, a three time major winner in his regular career, produced a bogey free round of the day 65 to lead by one over Steve Stricker.

Harrington was pleasantly surprised at the test the Saucon Valley Country Club’s layout and set-up has provided to date.

“It’s a much stronger test than I expected. This is way, way tougher than our regular Champions Tour events. I knew this was a big advantage to me starting the week, both length-wise and being able to play from the rough if I am in the rough.

“Certainly this is a real strong test. This is a big golf course, well set up. I know it’s gotten a little soft, so the scoring is better because of that. Certainly I’m very impressed with the USGA.”

SCORES

/by

Cameron Davis shares second place at Travelers Championship

Cameron Davis and caddie Andrew Tschudin – file photo

US based Sydney golfer, Cameron Davis, is in a share of second place at the Travelers Championship near Hartford, adding a second round of 66 to his opening 65 and although five shots behind the tearaway leader, Xander Schauffele, the 27-year-old is well placed to produce a third top ten is his last six starts on the PGA Tour and perhaps even better.

Davis produced a homeward nine of 31 today including a birdie at the last (see video) to be amongst a group of five players tied for second.

Davis has played this event on two previous occasions missing the cut once and finishing 43rd in the other so this is quite a turnaround over the TPC River Highlands layout for him.

If he was to find a way to win this weekend and record a second PGA Tour title Davis would become the third Australian after Greg Norman and Marc Leishman to claim the title or its equivalent.

Leishman, Brett Drewitt and Jason Day were Australians to miss the cut while New Zealand’s Danny Lee withdrew halfway through round one.

SCORES

/by

Ryan Fox one behind at BMW International


Ryan Fox – photo PGA of Australia

Ryan Fox’s stellar 2022 season continues in Munich in Germany this week with the 35 year old New Zealander just one shot off the 36 hole pace held by a resurgent Li Haotong at the BMW International.

Fox’s second round of 64, which was the equal best of the day, included six birdies and an eagle as he chased his 6th top ten in his last nine starts on the DP World Tour and even a missed cut at the US Open at his last start could not dampen what has been a significant elevation in standing for the Aucklander.

Fox is currently 7th on the DP World Tour’s standings in 2022, improving his standing in the word ranking from 213th at the end of last year to his current 67th and has set himself up for a potential second win of the year after winning in the UAE earlier this season.

Fox’s round was disrupted by a weather delay but on his return he was able to finish off a brilliant round despite losing some of the shot quality he was producing before play was called off.

“I’m really happy,” said Fox. “I did everything right the last couple of days and my short game has been really tidy – that’s been a big positive. I don’t think I’ve ever gone bogey-free for 36 holes. I’m happy and in with a chance over the weekend again.

“(Li’s score) proved there was a low number out there. We had a really nice group, I really enjoyed playing with Billy (Horschel) and Tom (Pieters). We got it going for a while and fed off each other. It’s nice to be up there and shoot a decent score today and be there or thereabouts for tomorrow.

“I had a couple of really good shots just before the rain delay and I was really disappointed we stopped. Obviously we had no choice, it was pretty dark out there. It was a little scratchy the first couple of holes coming back, but I made a nice birdie on 11 and then a 35-footer on 14, then hit some good shots coming home after that.

“It took a little more to get the rhythm back, but I was happy that the half-scratchy shots I hit were still not that bad. That’s what golf’s about right? It’s not how good your good is, it’s how good your bad is, and my bad has been pretty good the last couple of days.”

Li Haotong is fighting his way back to the level of golf he produced three or four years ago when he reached close to the top 30 in the world and in 2022 he has turned around a from slump which saw him drop to 463rd in the world heading into this season.

“I’m feeling great,” said Li. “I think I’ve only missed two cuts this year. It’s been working, especially off the tee, I’ve improved a lot and it’s back to where I was. I just need to keep griding, keep improving and showing up.

Wade Ormsby, who is the only other Australasian to have made the cut, could not improve on his opening 68 and only just made the cut on the number, perhaps feeling the impact of the announcement of sanction decisions made on DP World Tour members such as him who played the first of the Liv Series earlier this month.

SCORES


Li Haotong – photo Getty / DP World Tour

 

/by

DP World Tour announces LIV Series player sanctions


Keith Pelley – File photo

The DP World Tour has been noticeably quiet on their stance regarding its members signing up to play the LIV Series with some even suggesting they might eventually form an alliance with the Liv Tour but today’s announcement by the DP World Tour appears to have put any such speculation well and truly to bed.

The announcement falls short of suspending such players from the DP World Tour at this stage although they are banned from participating at the Genesis Scottish Open, the Barbasol Championship and the Barracuda Championship, each of which form part of a new alliance between the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour and are jointly sanctioned by both tours.

The statement released today by the Tour reads as follows;

“The DP World Tour today confirmed the sanctions to be taken against members who breached Tour regulations and participated in a LIV Golf event at Centurion Club from June 9-11, despite not having received releases to allow them to do so.

Such actions contravened the conflicting event Regulation laid down in the Members’ General Regulations Handbook as well as the Code of Behaviour Regulation, of which the members have been reminded on a number of recent occasions, and has led the Tour to take the following steps, which have been notified to all members concerned.

  • They will be fined £100,000*
  • They have been advised that they are suspended from participating in the following DP World Tour tournaments – the Genesis Scottish Open and Barbasol Championship (July 7-10) and the Barracuda Championship (July 14-17) and have been removed from the entry lists of these events where applicable.

It is important to note that participation in a further conflicting tournament or tournaments without the required release may incur further sanctions.

*Money raised from the fines will be shared equally in two distinct ways; (i) it will be added to prize funds of upcoming tournaments on the DP World Tour, to the benefit of Members of the DP World Tour who have complied with the Release rules and (ii) it will be distributed through the Tour’s Golf for Good programme to deserving charitable causes in the communities that the DP World Tour plays.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “Every action anyone takes in life comes with a consequence and it is no different in professional sport, especially if a person chooses to break the rules. That is what has occurred here with several of our members.

“Many members I have spoken to in recent weeks expressed the viewpoint that those who have chosen this route have not only disrespected them and our Tour, but also the meritocratic ecosystem of professional golf that has been the bedrock of our game for the past half a century and which will also be the foundation upon which we build the next 50 years.

“Their actions are not fair to the majority of our membership and undermine the Tour, which is why we are taking the action we have announced today.”

/by

Hannah Green starts well but trails in wake of In Gee Chun

In Gee Chun and Australian caddie Dean Herden – in action today – photo Darren Carroll PGA of America

 Former KPMG Women’s PGA Champion, Hannah Green, might be in a share of 6th place at this year’s event at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda near Washington D.C but such was the dominant performance of South Korean In Gee Chun in today’s opening round that the West Australian is some seven shots off the lead.

Chun’s round of 64 has opened up a five shot lead over the nest female golfers in the game, former Australian Amateur Champion Hye-Jin Choi and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum, the former US Women’s Open champion returning to the form which saw her win not only the US Women’s Open in 2015 but the Evian Masters the following year.

Chun is taking on a new approach to her game trying to enjoy it more and focus on the process rather then the result.

“I think golf is all about the process, so after I had a couple of not good weeks before, so I felt really bad after that, but I’m trying to make the focus on the course for the process, not for the result.

“That helps a lot. I’m trying to enjoy to play golf more on the course, more talk with my caddie. I’m happy with the good round today.”

Chun’s caddie is veteran Australian Dean Herden who has an enviable record with Koreans in major championships. He was on the bag of So Yeo Ryu when she won the US Women’s Open in 2011 but has teamed with several other Koreans to win significant events on the LPGA and other tours including Jin Young Ko’s win at the Australian Women’s Open.

Hannah Green, however, began the event well and sits in a share of 6th place with eight others and one shot ahead of the next best Australasians Stephanie Kyriacou and Lydia Ko who recorded rounds of even par 72.

Green played in the wet conditions faced by the morning field and she did well to dig in after a slow start.

“I bogeyed my first hole, didn’t get a great shot, and then just tried to hold on as much as possible. On the front nine, I had a lot of long clubs in. Completely different to what I played in the practice round, which I’m sure every other player has experienced today.

“Luckily, our back nine we got some better weather. The rain stopped, and it was still hard, but, yeah, made a couple of soft bogeys, but super happy to birdie 16, 17 to get me under par.

“Even par is a great score out here today. Nasa (Hataoka) and I played really well, and it was just like we were kind of feeding off each other and trying to hang in there.

“I knew there were a couple of shorter holes on the back nine that I could kind of access, so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t putting too much pressure on myself, but I wanted to make sure I was putting myself in a position to have a birdie or have a low score.

“After the start I’m just glad that I held in there and stayed patient.”

Minjee Lee is another shot back at 1 over 73 along with Sarah Kemp amongst others, that pair tied for 30th.

SCORES

L-R Hannah Green, Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb at this week’s Champions dinner

/by

Mark Hensby shares lead at US Senior Open

Mark Hensby had every reason to smile today – photo USGA Steve Gibbons

Former Tamworth golfer, but long time US resident, Mark Hensby, has a share of the lead after day one of the US Senior Open at the Saucon Country Club in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, the 50 year old former Presidents Cup Team member and winner on both the PGA and European Tours, round in 67 today to be tied at the top with 68 year old Jay Haas.

The 50 year old Hensby’s great period in golf came in 2004 and 2005 when winning the John Deere Classic and the Scandinavian Masters before gaining a place in the Presidents Cup Team in 2005. He would also finish 5th at on the debut at the Masters and 3rd at the US Open that year and so he appeared on a roll before injuries in a car accident early in 2006 curtailed his further rise in the game.

He would never return to the sort of form he had during that halcyon period and in 2017 he was suspended for one by the PGA Tour for failing to comply with a drug testing procedure.

Hensby has, though, continued to play where starts became available via his very limited PGA Tour status and although he has not earned the right to play the PGA Tour Champions with any status as such he has managed to qualify for events on occasions.

He gained a start in the US Senior Open through the demanding qualifying process when finishing runner-up at his venue in Texas last month and he has taken an early advantage by putting together an impressive start to the most significant event in over-fifty golf.

Six birdies and two bogeys led to his impressive start and although joined later in the day by the impressive round of Haas, it is an encouraging start for Hensby given his lack of status on any tour at present and that he has missed the cut in three of four PGA Tour starts where he has been able to gain a start this season.

“I got off to a decent start, which always helps, especially in a tournament like this,” said Hensby after his round. “Yeah, just kind of played pretty solid. There’s a few tee shots towards the end, but hit it far enough to where I could still get it on the green somewhat.

Only just short of his 51st birthday, Hensby also started in this event last year but was forced to withdraw through medical reasons.

“I had some medical issues last year. I still do have kind of sleep issues, bad insomnia. Last year I was up for three or four days before that first round.

“It was unfortunate because I was actually playing pretty well then. This year I’ve got it under control somewhat. Yeah, it’s kind of funny how I had to withdraw and now I’m leading. Pretty cool.”

Richard Green also gained a start in the event via Final Qualifying and recovered from a disastrous quadruple bogey early in his round to add four birdies to be at even par towards the end of his round.

One of the pre-tournament favourites, Steve Alker who has taken the PGA Tour Champions by storm this year was 3 over early in his round but finished with a respectable round of 1 over 72.

SCORES

/by