Marc Leishman’s final round brilliance at Fortinet Championship

Marc Leishman – file photo

Australia’s Marc Leishman produced eight birdies in the first 14 holes of his final round of the Fortinet Championship in Napa in California and although he was unable to secure the extra birdie or two he needed to contend for the title over the closing holes at the Silverado Golf Club, his round of 65 would see him finish in a share of 4th place and four shots from the winner, Max Homa.

Leishman began the final day two hours ahead of the final group and with an outward nine of 32 he was challenging for the lead in the opening event of the new PGA Tour season. After further birdies at the 10th, 11th and 14th holes, the possibility of a huge come from behind victory, as he had done previously on the PGA Tour, was becoming a possibility.

The momentum slowed however and after missing makeable chances at the 16th and 17th his chance of victory was gone although it was an impressive day all the same.

Leishman had mixed emotions at the completion of his round. “A little disappointed with the last three holes, a few birdie opportunities there, could have really put some pressure on,” said the Victorian. “Yeah, definitely happy with the week and good start to the season.”

With so long to wait before the final few groups finished, it gave Leishman the chance to reflect on the year to date.

“Wherever I finish, to play golf like I have the last two days was really pleasing. Hasn’t been the greatest year I would say. There’s been patches of good stuff, third at the Travelers and top-5 at the Masters, I believe, but other than that it’s been pretty lame. So good to put some good scores together, get a sniff again. It’s nice to get in the hunt, get the juices flowing. I love that, that’s what we do, that’s why we do it.”

Leishman will play three more PGA Tour events before ending his 2021 campaign. Two of those events are in Las Vegas and one in Houston.

Aaron Baddeley played this event on invite as he now has very limited status on the PGA Tour and finished 36th while Cameron Percy was 64th.

The PGA Tour will now head to the Sanderson Farms Championship in two weeks’ time, the break necessary because of this coming week’s Ryder Cup.

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Su Oh finishes runner-up in Portland Oregon

Su Oh – a timely return to form – Steve Dykes Getty Images

Victorian Su Oh has equaled her best ever finish on the LPGA Tour when finishing runner-up at the Cambia Portland Classic in Oregon this weekend.

Oh finished tied for second with Jeongeun Lee and four shots behind the former world number one, Jin Young Ko, after a final round of 69 and pocketed a cheque for $US110,000 in the process.

Oh has battled for much of 2021 but on a windswept and rain effected layout, she produced her best LPGA Tour finish since finishing runner-up at the Meijer LPGA Classic in 2019, signalling a continuation of an improvement in recent starts.

The event had been reduced to 54 holes after stormy weather buffeted the new venue for this event on Saturday but Oh handled the delay in her stride.

“I mean it’s definitely different. But I think we’re all pretty used to playing golf, so it’s not going to be new out here. Maybe since it’s such a hike of a golf course maybe it was nice having a day off.

“I just came out to putt )on Saturday) because I didn’t really putt that well on Friday. But it was kind of nice in a way and a bit strange in a way. I guess everyone that doesn’t finish first wishes there’s “another day tomorrow, right?

But still second is not a bad finish, so best one for the year, so hopefully get some momentum going into the next few tournaments.”

Oh, a contemporary of Australia’s number one golfer, Minjee Lee, has played the LPGA Tour since 2016, her best year to date coming in 2019 when runner-up on two occasions. With just five events remaining prior to the Tour Championship, the return to form comes at a good time for the, still only, 25 year old.

Her finish this week improves her to 47th in the Race to the Globe standings from her 72nd position starting the week and increases the possibility of her making the 60 player field for the Tour Championship.

The winner, Ko, led into the final round and was never really threatened as she eased to a four shot victory, claiming her 9th LPGA Tour title and opening the possibility of a return to the number one spot in the female game she held for nearly two years before Nelly Korda took the mantle.

Other Australians to complete the event were Katherine Kirk 26th and former winner of the event Hannah Green who finished 57th.

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Su Oh finds form in Oregon

Su Oh – file photo – Henry Peters

Su Oh has not enjoyed the best of seasons on the LPGA Tour but her most recent form suggests things are getting better for the Victorian and today that improvement continued when finding herself in a share of 4th place and four shots from the leader and former world number one, Jin Young Ko.

Oh added a second round of 71 but a closing nine of 33 assisted her into a contending position heading into the weekend.

Oh was battling when she reached the turn but three birdies, an eagle and a double bogey saw her move back into calculations for the final 36 holes.

Oh expressed her disappointment in a season which has seen her unable to get back to Australia as often as she normally would.

“I mean, it’s been very hard,” said Oh. “I think it’s just the fact that we can’t go home; my family can’t come out of Australia. I just had a flight and it’s just been cancelled.

“Yeah, it’s just very frustrating. I’m sure people back in Melbourne and Sydney right now are even more frustrated. They’ve been in lockdown, like all my friends.

“I just hope we can get our crap together.”

Katherine Kirk is 41st and former winner of the event albeit on another venue, Hannah Green, just made the cut in 70th place despite a quadruple bogey at her second hole today.

Gabi Ruffels and Sarah Jane Smith both missed the cut.

 

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Aaron Baddeley takes advantage of tournament invite

Aaron Baddeley – file photo – Bruce Young

Aaron Baddeley no longer has full status on the PGA Tour and in this week’s Fortinet Championship in Napa California the 40-year-old required a tournament invite to gain a start.

The two-time Australian Open Champion and four-time PGA Tour winner is tied for 24th after opening rounds of 71 and 68 to lead the three Australians to make the weekend in the opening event of the 2021 / 2022 PGA Tour schedule.

Baddeley trails the leader, Maverick McNealy by seven shots, the leader two ahead of rookie and three time Korn Ferry Tour winner, Mito Pereira and Beau Hossler.

Baddeley finished outside the top 125 on last season’s FedEx Cup table and, as a consequence, was required to enter the Korn Ferry Tour Finals in order to regain PGA Tour status.

He was unable to do so having a best finish of 22nd in his three attempts and must now rely on the generosity of sponsors and the occasional event where his very limited PGA Tour status might gain him a start in lesser events.

This has been an encouraging start at least as he looks to resurrect his PGA Tour career.

Cameron Percy and Marc Leishman were the only other Australasians to survive the cut, that pair in 38th place and just one behind Baddeley.

Lucas Herbert was playing his first PGA Tour event as a cardholder but missed the cut as did Brett Drewitt and New Zealander Danny Lee.

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Australasia’s increasing strength on PGA Tour Champions

Rod Pampling – file photo – Bruce Young

The PGA Tour Champions has seen an increase in the number of Australasian participants in recent times, the lucrative 50 and over playground for former PGA Tour players and others good enough to earn the right to play there proving a happy hunting ground for recently turned 50-year-olds.

In the early stages of the PGA Tour Champions players such as Peter Thomson, Bob Charles, Bruce Crampton, Graham Marsh, Stewart Ginn, Rodger Davis and more recently Peter Senior represented this part of the world well but there are now greater numbers involved.

At this week’s Sanford International in Sioux Falls in South Dakota, seven Australasians are doing battle with a field that includes at least 15 former major champions and several are doing well in the event’s early stages.

Queensland’s Rod Pampling, who is in his second year on the PGA Tour Champions, heads the down under brigade after the opening round of this week’s event, his recent breakthrough win at the Boeing Classic in Washington State providing the catalyst for even further improvement.

51 year old Pampling opened with a round of 64 today to be tied for 2nd place and just one behind the leader, K.J. Choi. A bogey at his final hole on day after a flyer from the rough one cost Pampling the chance to share the lead but he is nicely placed ahead of the final 36 holes in the 54-hole event.

Pampling is enjoying that he is now playing courses he has played previously now that he is in his second season on the PGA Tour Champions.

“It’s been nice because now they’re playing courses that I know now,” said the three-time PGA Tour winner. “So last year was not quite sure on some of the holes, but now sort of getting to the stage where I know the courses, so it’s a nice bit of familiarity there. We’re just going with that and so far it’s been working good.”

New Zealand’s Steve Alker, without status on the PGA Tour Champions, gained access to the Boeing Classic via Monday qualifying a few weeks ago and has already turned a few heads with his performances to date.

In just three events, Alker has won US$253,000, one of those finishes when 3rd at the Ally Championship in Michigan and in each start he has finished inside the top ten earning the right to play the following week’s event because of that.

The money Alker has accumulated in that short time has him currently in 65th place in the Schwab Cup money list and if he can finish inside the top 36 he gains full access to PGA Tour Champions events next year and if inside the top 54 he will likely gain starts at half the events in 2022.

If he does not achieve those goals then he will be required to attend the cut throat Tour School qualifying process.

Alker opened this week’s event with another solid round of 65 to be tied for 7th and on track for another good week.

Melbourne born but Tamworth raised, Mark Hensby, a player good enough to have won on the PGA Tour and represented the Internationals in the Presidents Cup in his halcyon year of 2005, is playing in one of his first PGA Tour Champions events and is also tied for 7th along with Alker after his opening round of 65.

Hensby Monday qualified to gain access to the field and, like Alker, he could well make an immediate impact at this level despite a tough time in recent years battling to retain even Korn Ferry Tour status.

John Senden opened with a round of 67 today, David McKenzie 68, Stephen Leaney 69 and Robert Allenby 72.

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Australasians struggle at the Dutch Open

Ryan Fox – file photo

Australasians are yet to make any sort of impact at the halfway mark of the European Tour’s Dutch Open being played in Cromvoirt in the Netherlands.

New Zealander Ryan Fox and Queensland’s Maverick Antcliff are the only two to have made it to the weekend in the €1 million event, the pair tied in 39th place and eight shots from the lead held by Sweden’s Kristoffer Broberg.

Antcliffe was round in 67 today while Fox added a 68 to his opening round of 72, both players finishing strongly to ensure the chance to make progress over the final 36 holes.

Currently in 77th and 99th respectively in the Race to Dubai rankings, Antcliffe and Fox both have work to do over the remaining five events before the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai if they are to be inside the top 60 who will secure a place in that lucrative season ending event.

Currently Min Woo Lee leads the Australians in the Race to Dubai rankings in 10th place with Jason Scrivener (16th) and Lucas Herbert (19th) also currently inside the top 60.

Jake Mcleod, Josh Geary, Elvis Smylie and Deyen Lawson all failed to make the weekend but 19 year old Queenslander Smylie, who is playing on invitation, improved on his opening 77 with a round of 69 today.

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PGA Tour season begins in Napa with new Aussie recruits

Fortinet Championship logo – PGA Tour

Lucas Herbert gets to play his first event as a PGA Tour card holder this week when he tees it up at the opening event of the 2021/2022 season, the Fortinet Championship (previously the Safeway Open) at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa in Northern California.

Herbert earned his PGA Tour status via the recent Korn Ferry Tour Finals and although he has played several PGA Tour events previously this will be the first of what promises to be a lengthy and successful career as a cardholder.

Herbert has won two of the mores significant events on the European Tour in the last two years and now steps up to this higher level where many expect him to continue the progress he has made in his career to date.

Herbert will be joined in this week’s field by fellow Australians Marc Leishman, Cameron Percy, Aaron Baddeley and Brett Drewitt along with New Zealander Danny Lee

Leishman finished 3rd in this event two years ago when three shots behind the winner Cameron Champ after a superb weekend saw him make up a lot of ground.

This will be Leishman’s first event since finishing well back at the BMW Championship three weeks ago which ended his 2021 season.

Aaron Baddeley has lost his full PGA Tour status after failing to play well in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals but he has managed to secure a start here courtesy of the sponsors and will be keen to take advantage in an event in which he finished 4th three years ago when just one shot behind the winner, Kevin Tway.

Cameron Percy finished outside the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings in 2021 but he has sufficient status to earn a start here and will play the event for the 5th occasion with a best of 7th in 2019.

Percy struggled for much of 2021 on the PGA Tour but in recent weeks his form has improved and although he was unable to make the Fed Ex Cup Playoffs, he was performing well enough late in the season.

Brett Drewitt gets another chance on the PGA Tour having graduated through the regular season on the Korn Ferry Tour. The Inverell golfer’s persistence has to be admired having played himself onto the PGA Tour on two occasions now and if he was to begin the season well then few would begrudge him such success.

New Zealander Danny Lee has lost his full PGA Tour status after a poor year in 2021 but having had one or two solid finishes in this event in previous years, a start here might be enough to get things headed back in the right direction.

The favourite in the event will undoubtedly be the World Number One Jon Rahm whose appearance here is perhaps a surprise given the events’ proximity in time to the Ryder Cup in Wisconsin next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Horschel wins BMW PGA – European Ryder Cup team finalised

Billy Horschel- photo Getty Images

The completion of this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club west of London marked decision time for European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington, his task to add three players to the nine who had automatically made the team through various qualifying criteria.

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and 2019 Open Champion, Shane Lowry have been given the nod to complete the team to take on the USA at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin on September 24th

They join Jon Rahm, Victor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Tyrell Hatton, Paul Casey, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood, Tommy Fleetwood and Bernd Wiesberger in the 12 man European team who will be attempting to defend the title they won in France in 2018.

For Lowry, it will be his first appearance at the Ryder Cup with last year’s event postponed due to Covid issues and he will be joined by fellow rookies Wiesberger and Hovland.

The unlucky player in terms of the European Team was perhaps Justin Rose who despite a last round 65 to finish 6th this week will miss Ryder Cup team inclusion. Rose has played in five Ryder Cups, three of those winning sides but the decision between he and Shane Lowry went the way of the man from Ireland.

Harrington displays his final team – photo Getty Images

Perhaps ironically, the BMW PGA Championship title was won by an American who was unable to make the USA team, Billy Horschel. Horschel’s final round of 65 was enough to hold off a late bid by Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat who was attempting to overcome his third round of 74 after leading through 36 holes.

Aphibarnrat raced to 8 under for the day through 12 holes and when he birdied the 16th it appeared the comeback might well be complete.

He would, however, bogey the first of the two par fives to finish at Wentworth, opening the door for a final hole birdie by Horschel, playing an hour behind him, to take the title.

Wales Jamie Donaldson birdied his final two holes to finish in a share of 2nd place with Aphibarnrat and England’s Laurie Canter, the latter of whom was playing in the final group of the day and was unable to secure the one extra birdie he needed over the closing six holes to force a playoff.

Canter’s finish moves him inside the top 100 in the world from 179th and after missing his last three cuts it was a remarkable effort by a player yet to win on the European tour.

Horschel has now won two big events in 2021, the WGC Dell Match Play and now the European Tour’s flagship event and could be considered unlucky that his timing was sufficiently out to miss US Ryder Cup team selection.

“Man, I’m speechless, which is very, very rare,” said the normally talkative Horschel. “As I’ve said two years ago and as I said this week the crowds are absolutely unbelievable here and they supported me when I came over in 2019 and they supported me this year. Played really good today, really well. Obviously missed a few putts but to win this event means a lot.

“I didn’t realise I was the first American to win a Rolex event. Obviously, the Rolex Series has been around for a few years, and I know some of the other guys have played some of the other Rolex Series events. I didn’t realise that I was the first one to do it, and that’s pretty special.

“To add my name to Arnold Palmer, that’s legendary stuff. That guy, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have this modern era of golf to play in front of thousands of fans and big sponsors. Tiger Woods took it to another level but Arnie is the one who started it.

“So to have my name on that trophy next to his being the second American to win this event here at Wentworth is pretty special. As I said yesterday and as I said today, this event to me after I left here in 2019 was an event I wanted to win in my career before it ended and it rivals or it’s equal to me in the sense of THE PLAYERS. This event has historical preference. The winners of this event are legendary. You know, this is very equal to me in the sense of THE PLAYERS Championship on the PGA TOUR.”

As Horschel suggested, he becomes just the second American to win the event, following in the footsteps of Arnold Palmer who won at Royal St Georges in 1975.

Adam Scott was within two of the lead starting the final round but was unable to make any progress on a day of extremely low scoring and actually slipped to finish as the leading Australasian but in a share of 14th after a final round of 71.

Scott had talked on Saturday afternoon of the need to begin his final round faster than had been the case in rounds two and three but once again he was on the back foot early with bogeys at the 1st and 6th.

Wade Ormsby was 49th and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox 63rd.

 

 

 

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Scott two behind Aphibarnrat at BMW PGA

Kiradech Aphibarnrat today – photo Getty Images

Adam Scott finds himself just two shots from the lead held by Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat as the BMW PGA Championship field enters the weekend at Wentworth in Surrey, England.

Scott recovered from a roller-coaster opening nine holes, during which he recorded and eagle, one birdie, four pars, two bogeys and a double bogey, with a homeward nine of 4 under 33 to be knocking on the door in his first appearance in the European Tour’s flagship event since 2006.

Scott is enjoying the opportunity to be back playing the event and the venue.

“I feel like my game is in good shape, and it’s kind of a bonus to be playing here for me, really,” said the 41-year-old Queenslander. “Once I was out of the FedEx Cup I was looking for events to play and what a great one to come back and play.

“I’m happy that it fell into my schedule. Brings back a lot of good memories from early on in my career. There has always been such a great atmosphere here at Wentworth, so happy to be in the mix.

“I mean, early in the week, the sun was shining and it was really glorious, and then getting paired with Justin the first two rounds, our careers have paralleled each other the whole way, and I’ve really enjoyed myself these two days.

“I’ve always enjoyed coming here and I moved myself over to America a bit, but now that I have the chance to come back, I hope I get many more chances in the future.”

Scott’s longtime friend and fellow Australian, Wade Ormsby, made a big move on day two when he produced a 6 under par round of 66 to move into a share of 25th after his opening round of 73 had him considering his options for the weekend.

Ryan Fox was the only other Australasian to make the cut when he finished his opening 36 holes in 62nd place and right on the cut-line of 2 under.

Aphibarnrat only last week regained his playing rights for the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals and that has clearly helped his mindset in terms of freeing him up.

The 42 year old leads by one over England’s Laurie Canter and Italy’s Francesco Laporta, Aphibarnrat a four time European Tour winner but he has slipped outside the top 500 in the world and has endured a tough year in 2021 before regaining his PGA Tour card with three solid finishes in the season ending Korn Ferry Tour events.

“To get my tour card back, I can play free and I love to hit right-to-left and left-to-right,” said the Thai. “Before I was a little tight, trying to hit everything straight and perfect position, which you can’t do. Now when I got the card back, look forward to next season. I feel like I want to play my own game and enjoy.

“I’m really proud the way I’m playing first two rounds. A lot of good stuff in there. I mean, everyone tried to get a low score but this golf course, you can hit a lot of birdies but it can hurt you if you’re out of position. I tried to play for more fairways, more greens. My putter was rolling well this week and really pleased.”

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Adam Scott starts well in first BMW PGA since 2006

Adam Scott in action during round one – photo European Tour

It has been 16 years since Adam Scott last played the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in Surrey but, on his return today, he displayed the game which has witnessed him developing into one of the world’s leading players during that period.

Scott opened the European Tour’s flagship event with a round of 7 under par 65, a glorious short iron to just a foot at the last after finding the rough from the tee and being forced to lay up, setting up his eighth birdie of the day.

Scott finds himself just one behind the lead held by Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and South Africa’s Christian Bezuidenhout and two clear of three players tied in 4th place at 5 under.

In just his 17th start of 2021, Scott’s year to date has been mediocre by his standards although a recent runner-up finish, a month ago at the Wyndham Championship, suggested things were improving. That finish allowed him into the first of the FedEx Cup Playoffs but that was as far as he could get in his quest for FedEx Cup riches after missing the cut at the Northern Trust Open.

The highlight of his round today came immediately after one of his lowlights. After thinking he had driven it out of bounds at the 15th, Scott found his ball and advanced it down the fairway and some 50 yards from the hole. From there he pitched in for birdie and, although he would bogey the next, it was a key moment in keeping the round going.

“I definitely thought the first ball was out-of-bounds but it must have clouded around in the trees and dropped down,” said Scott. “The second ball actually night not have been any better off the tee but found the first one and punched it up there. That was a good shot, hit it 50 yards and flicked it straight at the hole.

“Some days it’s your day out there, and it kind of felt like that a bit for me today. It was nice to make the most of it and shoot a good number.”

Scott is playing with his brother-in-law and coach Brad Malone on the bag this week and it is a case of so far so good for the combination.

“It worked good today, so we’ll see how the next three days go., added Scott. “But he’s caddied for me once before, and he likes getting in there and having a look and seeing what’s going on every once in a while on the course.

“It’s not been the easiest year on the course for me. I’ve struggled to get momentum going, unlike today. Maybe driver is the answer today.”

Of the other Australasians in the field, Ryan Fox and Wade Ormsby are at 1 over, Min Woo Lee at 3 over and Scott Hend at 6 over with the cut looking likely to fall around even par tomorrow.

Just a handful of players were stuck on the course when darkness stopped play and they will return tomorrow morning to complete round one.

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