Ryan Fox runner-up after dramatic Dutch Open finish

Ryan Fox – file photo PGA of America Montana Pritchard

Three ahead and with just two holes to play at the Dutch Open, at New Zealand’s Ryan Fox might have been forgiven for feeling that a third European Tour title and his second of 2022 was just twenty minutes away.

That was, until, he almost inexplicably found a way to double bogey his final hole to be just one ahead as he walked to the scorers hut. He still had that one shot cushion but it would not be for long as Victor Perez, playing twenty minutes behind him, birdied from 25 feet at the 17th and although Perez missed a very makeable birdie putt at the 72nd hole, he and Fox were headed for extra time.

Fox again had the inside running in all four of the playoff holes but Perez putted beautifully, both players producing birdies at the par 5 18th on two of the three occasions before the playoff switched to the 17th.

There, with Fox again inside Perez at the par 3, the 29-year-old Frenchman holed from across two levels and when Fox was unable to match his brilliance, Perez had won his second European Tour title.

It was a gut wrenching loss for Fox who, after beginning the final round one behind and in a share of 3rd place, appeared to take control of the tournament with a holed chip shot at the 10th and then an outrageous eagle putt from 80 feet or so at the 11th.

He extended his lead with a birdie at the 14th but four holes later he would open the door for Perez when he drove it into a penalty area at the last, missed the green with his 3rd and found an awkward lie before pitching it into a bunker and then failing to get up and down.

Fox, though, earns one of the three Open Championship berths available from this event and with his 3rd place at the recent Soudal Open and with this finish he is all but assured of a start at the US open courtesy of a cumulative points series over four events finishing at next week’s Porsche European Open.

Reason to smile despite the playoff loss

“It was one of my big goals to tick off this year,” said Fox referring to his ticket to St Andrews where in many ways his elevation in the game began. “I qualified there in 2015 and absolutely loved it, and to get back for The 150th this year is a dream come true and I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve played St Andrews a lot since that first year and it’s one of my favourite places in the world. I think the atmosphere this year for it being The 150th is just going to be immense.

“Ben Campbell is in, another Kiwi, so I’m looking forward to joining him in the field and hopefully I can keep enjoying playing links golf.”

Fox is in the form of his life having won earlier in the year in the UAE, finished 3rd at the Soudal Open, made the cut after earning a late call-up to the PGA Championship and now this runner-up finish.

Fox will move close to the top 60 in the world, his highest ever ranking and is now in 6th place in the DP World Tour rankings, his earnings today adding another €192,000 to those of this season.

Australian Scott Hend was also well placed through 54 holes for a big finish but fell away with a final round of 76 to finish in a share of 14th but after twelve consecutive missed cuts for the Queenslander, the week represented quite a turnaround.

SCORES

/by

Anthony Quayle and Brad Kennedy earn Open Championship berths


Close but no cigar for Quayle but an Open Championship start all the same – photo Japan Golf Tour

Gold Coast based Anthony Quayle and Brad Kennedy have earned starts at the Open Championship at St Andrews in July after both finished as one of the leading four players inside the top twelve at the completion of this week’s Mizuno Open in Japan.

Quayle so nearly added his first Japan Tour title having lost the chance to do so when losing a playoff to Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, a bogey at the second extra hole securing him his equal best Japan Tour finish but not the win he was hoping for.

Vincent birdied the final hole of regulation play in his round of 65 to set the mark for Quayle who had led by four heading into day four.

Quayle appeared still appeared the likely winner when he birdied the 12th to remain ahead of Vincent and Kennedy but two bogeys and a birdie over his closing holes and the strong finish by Vincent saw the pair head for a playoff before both parred the 18th the first time round and Quayle bogeyed at the second attempt.

“The 150th Open at St Andrews is probably about as exciting and historic as it gets and as good as it gets for your first major,” said Quayle. “I am pretty excited.

“To experience the atmosphere and vibe around the Championship, to see some of the players I have idolised my whole life will be really exciting.”

30-year-old Vincent won his third Japan Tour title and given he began the final round seven shots off the lead then it was a well-earned victory.

Kennedy was also still very much in the mix with a few holes to play but a bogey at the 16th and not able to birdie the last cost him in the final analysis.

Still, for Kennedy, the 3rd place follows a 4th place last week and now, with an Open Championship start it offers the 47 year old a chance to play in his 5th major championship and his 4th Open Championship.

“This is two years in a row that I have qualified now and The 150th Open will be my fourth time playing in the Championship,” said Kennedy.

“Playing The Open on the Old Course at St Andrews  is one of those golfing moments you always dream about. It’s going to be exciting, the crowd is going to be unbelievable.”

Quayle now moves to 10th on this year’s Japan Tour money list with A$140,000 (equiv) with Kennedy 11th with A$125,000.

New Zealand’s Michael Hendry finish in a share of  6th place, David Bransdon 32nd and Brendan Jones 36th.

SCORES

 

/by

Australians fail to advance at Bank of Hope Match Play

Minjee Lee in action this week – photo Sean Haffey Getty /LPGA

None of the three Australians in this week’s Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play Championship at the Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas have advanced to the knockout phase and for two of them, Minjee Lee and Hannah Green they will set their sights on next week’s US Women’s Open in Southern Pines in North Carolina.

Lee, Green and Oh all finished runner-up in their respective groups in the round robin stage but only one player from each group would advance to the round of 16.

Oh does not have a start at next week’s US Women’s Open but Lee and Green are considered chances to do well in the lucrative (US$10 million) event.

Group results

/by

Steve Alker contends again in Champions Tour major


Steve Alker in action today – photo PGA of America Montana Pritchard

New Zealander Steve Alker continues his amazing run on the PGA Tour Champions and at the halfway stage of the Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor in Michigan and at 6 under he finds himself just two shots off the lead held by Scott McCarron and Stephen Ames.

Alker, who stands atop the money PGA Tour Champions money list in 2022 with earnings of nearly US$1.2 million including two victories and two runner-up finishes, added a second round of 72 in trying conditions today to be nicely poised as the event heads into the weekend although he did enjoy a slightly better side of the draw.

“I didn’t do too much damage,” said Alker referring to his over par round. “I bogeyed my last hole. Just missed a couple of fairways today and got myself out of position a little bit on the greens, so it just seemed like I was putting over slopes and across mounds and all sorts of things today, so it was just — it was kind of a grinding day, yeah.

“It just seemed like I was playing a lot of defensive golf today, especially on the greens. Obviously I didn’t hit it as close as yesterday. The wind was a little different, and the rain, just holes played totally different. Couldn’t reach the par-5s. Yeah, it was just a different golf course.”

Alker was asked earlier in the week if he anticipated the level of success he might have at this level and he responded; “Yeah, was always kind of quietly confident, I guess. You know, you kind of look at the players that have come up, and I’ve played with some guys off the Korn Ferry Tour and played a lot of golf with and they were doing well and winning out here. So not so much I went off what they had done.

“I’m just happy to be out here playing, have a chance to play this competitive golf at 50, and it’s another — it’s a second career for me. It’s a second opportunity, and you know, make most of it. I’ve probably got 18 years of decent golf left, so I’m just having a lot of fun.

“I’ve never been a really aggressive player. I just think as well as I’m hitting the ball now, I’ve got a lot of good confidence in my golf swing. So that makes it so much easier, too, when you are striking your irons nicely, you’re hitting your targets, you can just — you can always be more conservative. I mean, Nick Price always said that. I talked to him about this and he said, “I’m hitting the ball so good that I don’t have to fire at flags.”

“Now I’m putting so well, I don’t have to fire at flags. I know exactly where it’s going and what’s going on.”

Alker might well add a first major on the PGA Tour Champions to his already amazing list of performances since turning 50 after finishing 3rd in the first major of the season in Alabama two weeks ago.

In cool, windy and at times damp conditions, Alker has again headed the Australasian challenge and is tied with his playing partner over the opening two rounds, Bernhard Langer, Brian Gay and Mike Weir in a share of third place.

Australian Rod Pampling added a second round of 68 to be just one behind Alker in a share of 7th place,  Michael Campbell is at 1 under and tied for 31st, Peter Fowler and Mark Hensby are 39th, Stephen Leaney and David McKenzie 62nd while John Senden, Stuart Appleby and Robert Allenby will miss the weekend.

Andre Stolz withdrew after an opening nine of 41 on Thursday.

 

SCORES

 

 

 

 

/by

Disappointing 7th for Australians at Queen Sirikit Cup

The Australian team – far right earlier in the week

The Australian women’s team has finished a disappointing 7th amongst the 13 teams competing at the Queen Sirikit Cup event at the Laguna National Golf Resort in Singapore, the three player team of Kirsten Rudgeley, Caitlin Peirce and Kelsey Bennett finishing a massive 21 shots behind the winners, Japan, in the 72 hole event.

Japan won by seven shots over New Zealand with Korea another three shots back in 3rd place.

Australia saved their best to last with a best of the day performance by its team but it was a case of being a little too late after a slow start to the event.

Rudgeley did, however, perform well as an individual when she recorded a best of the day final round of 67 to finish 6th in the individual standings.

/by

Open starts at stake in Japan this weekend for Australasians

Anthony Quayle – file photo

Queensland based Anthony Quayle has a share of the lead at the halfway mark of the Japan Tour’s Mizuno Open at the JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, Okayama, a second round of 70 leaving him in a share of the lead with Ryuichi Oiwa.

The leading pair are ahead by one over Japan’s Shotaro Wada and two ahead of Quayle’s fellow Gold Coast based, Brad Kennedy, who last week finished 4th in a Japan Tour event.

Importantly for those in this weekend’s field and not already exempt into this year’s Open Championship, the leading four players inside the top twelve at the completion of this week’s event and not already qualified to play the Open at St Andrews this week will earn a ticket to the field in July.

So Quayle, Kennedy, New Zealand’s Michael Hendry (11th this week), David Bransdon (22nd) and to a lesser extent Brendan Jones (42nd) have a chance to this week to be on the way to St Andrews for the historic 150th staging of the Open Championship.

/by

Seven Australasians make US$10 million US Women’s Open field


Lydia Ko – the highest ranked player amongst the seven Australasians – photo LPGA 

Seven Australasians will take their part in next week’s US Women’s Open at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines in North Carolina, the event beginning on June 2nd.

Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Gabriella Ruffels, Sarah Kemp and Grace Kim will be joined by New Zealanders Lydia Ko and Julianne Alvarez in the richest event in women’s golf (US$10 million)

Perth’s Minjee Lee is currently the 4th ranked player in the female game and will play her 9th US Women’s Open but despite her success and standing in the game has a previous best of only 11th, that coming in 2017 at the Trump National Golf Course.

Lee, though, is in fine form in with a win, two runner-up finishes and a third place in seven starts to date on the LPGA Tour in 2022.

Her chances of improving on her previous best and bettering it by some way appear very good.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is currently the 3rd ranked played in the female game and like Lee is having a fine season with a win and a 3rd place amongst her six top twenty finishes in 2022.

Ko will play her 11th US Women’s Open although, interestingly, has only one top ten in her previous ten attempts. Like Lee, she appears on track to add to improve that stat and perhaps even challenge for the title.

Perth’s Hannah Green has also had a very good year to date in 2022, winning twice in mixed gender events in Australia before beginning her LPGA Tour campaign.

With four top tens in seven starts on the LPGA Tour in 2022, including a recent runner-up finish, she appears to be warming to her task and has a proven capacity to compete in big events although her record in this particular event perhaps belies that comment.

In three US Open starts she has made all three cuts but has a best of 34th on debut in 2019.

NSW’s Sarah Kemp gained a start via Final Qualifying, always a significant achievement and she will play her 6th US Open although she has missed the cut in five of those.

Kemp has battled for much of the season to date on the LPGA Tour but she gets another chance in this significant event and if she can make it to the weekend then there will be a reasonable cheque for her.

Victorian Gabi Ruffels is another to have gained her place in the field via Final Qualifying. The former winner and runner-up at the US Amateur Championship will play her third US Open, her previous starts courtesy of her US Amateur placings.

In 2020 Ruffels, who currently plays on the LPGA’s feeder tour, the Epson Tour, finished a very respectable 13th and has also performed well in previous major attempts.

Her form in 2022 has been somewhat below expectations but she is in this elite field and has a chance to improve her standing.

Sydney’s Grace Kim recently won an event on the Epson Tour and gets into this field for her first attempt in a major championship via Final Qualifying.

Kim has shown in her first few months as a professional that she might well become one of Australian golf’s next stars and gets her chance this week to compete against the strongest field she will have faced and for the largest amount of prizemoney she has even played for.

New Zealander Julianne Alvarez was a star during her time at the University of Washington, playing a key role in that team’s NCAA Championship victory in 2016.

The former New Zealand Amateur Champion qualified through Final Qualifying and gets to play in her first US Women’s Open.

 

 

/by

Victoria’s Todd Sinnott earns US Open start


Todd Sinnott – on his way to the US open – photo Japan Golf Tour

Victorian Todd Sinnott, currently ranked 415 in the world, has earned a start at the 2022 US Open, after finishing as one of the three to qualify via Final Qualifying for the event in Japan.

34 players attempted to gain one of the three spots available over 36 holes and Sinnott gained his start after a playoff to determine his place at the Country Club at Brookline in Massachusetts, having finished in a share of third place with two others.

Sinnott joins fellow Australians Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee as the Australians currently  amongst the 79 players players already with a start in the event which begins on June 16th.

Further places in the field are available through Final Stage Qualifying in the US which takes place on June 6th.

Sinnott is currently playing the Asian Tour but was in Japan for a recent event co sanctioned between the Japan and Asian Tours which he led early. He took advantage of the opportunity while there to compete in qualifying for his first major championship start.

Sinnott won earlier in the year when successful in one of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s TPS events.

/by

Rookie Grace Kim wins on Epson Tour

Grace Kim – file photo WPGA

Sydney’s Grace Kim has made a strong claim for LPGA Tour honours in 2023, the 21 year old winning an event on the Epson Tour this morning, the feeder tour to the LPGA Tour.

Kim pockets US$30,000 for her victory in her first season as a professional, winning the event in Longwood in Florida by five shots over fellow Australian Sarah Jane Smith and Korean, Hyo Joo Jang, with yet another Australian Robyn Choi in 4th place.

Kim turned professional late last year and attended the LPGA Tour school where she missed out on an LPGA Tour status but gained access to this tour where the goal is to finish inside the top ten at season’s end and earn playing rights to the LPGA Tour the following year.

The Epson Tour season consists of 24 events and has in the past been a breeding ground for many of the female game’s best players including the likes of Lorena Ochoa, Inbee Park and Nelly Korda.

/by

Smith and Herbert share Australasian honours at PGA

 

Lucas Herbert recorded his best finish in a major with a share of 13th place – photo PGA of America

Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert have shared the honours as leading Australasian at this week’s PGA Championship in Tulsa in Oklahoma, the pair finishing in a tie for 13th after Herbert, in particular, had fought his way into contention earlier in his final round.

Herbert began the day in 10th place and eight shots from the lead of Miro Pereira but a brilliant start on the demanding Southern Hills layout had him closing within striking distance of the lead when he birdied the 1st and 4th holes.

Herbert reached the turn in 2 under 33 and at 3 under and with those behind him on the golf course battling, a strong finish may well have seen him vying for the title.

Unfortunately for the 26-year-old, he would bogey the 11th, 12th and 14th and when he double bogeyed the 16th he was battling to retain his standing as even the leading Australasian as by then Smith was already in the clubhouse at even par and two ahead of Herbert.

Herbert somehow managed to compose himself and birdie the 17th and 18th holes after quality irons to both and would complete his 4th PGA Championship in 13th position to record his best ever finish in a major championship.

Smith put together a solid final round of 69, a birdie at his 17th hole getting him back to even par and in a share of that 13th place.

Smith moves to his highest ever standing in the world, now in 3rd place in the world ranking.


Cameron Smith shared Australasian honours – photo PGA of America

The tournament was won by Justin Thomas who won his second major title, both of them PGA Championships having also won the 2017 version of the event.

Having led when he finished his second round of 67 on Friday before being overtaken that day by Will Zalatoris though 36 holes, Thomas fell seven shots from the 54 lead of Mito Pereira with a third round of 74.

Thomas actually fell further behind with two early bogeys today but on a day of high drama his fightback for a third 67 of the week saw him be part of a two man playoff against Zalatori.

Thomas gained the edge with a two putt birdie at the second extra hole after finding the green with his tee shot at the par 4 and would go on to win the shootout by one shot.

Justin Thomas in action during the final round – photo PGA of America

One could not help but feel for the Chilean Pereira who led for so much of the last 36 holes before a 72nd hole double-bogey saw him not only lose the one shot lead he had standing on that tee but a chance to be included in the playoff.

“Obviously sad to be here and not in the playoff, not make par, just straight win,” said Pereira. “On 18, I wasn’t even thinking about the water. I just wanted to put it in play, and I guess I aimed too far right. I just hit in the water.

“It’s not how I wanted to end up this week, but a really good result. Played really good. Today I was really nervous. I tried to handle it a little bit but it’s really tough. I thought I was going to win on 18, but it is what it is. We’ll have another one.”

SCORES

 

 

/by