Cameron Smith’s Gutsy Finish Keeps Hopes Alive

Cameron Smith – file photo

Queensland’s Cameron Smith heads into tomorrow’s final round of the 2020 Masters in a share of second position and although four shots behind the world number one, Dustin Johnson, the 27 year old is not yet without his chances of winning a first major championship.

After beginning the third round tied for the lead with Johnson, Abraham Ancer, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm, Smith was treading water for much of his round with 12 consecutive pars until a stretch of three birdies on the hop in the middle of his back nine swept him into final round contention.

The first of those came when holing from 10 feet at the par 5 13th after being forced to lay up from the trees, then came a 12 footer a beautifully played approach at the 14th and then came an up and down birdie from just off the back of the green at the 15th.

While the birdies were important for Smith’s chances tomorrow, perhaps equally as important were his brilliant par saves at the last three holes to keep him in touch.

At the 16th Smith missed the par 3 in what seemed and impossible position and initially it appeared a par would be a good result. He holed a nice 12 footer for par after a very good chip from a downhill lie in the rough but at the next it appeared his bogey free round was again under threat.

His wild drive at the 17th meant he would do well just to get himself back in play but he chose to hit a high hook over the trees from alongside the adjacent fairway, finished 80 yards or so from the flag, pitched to 14 feet and again made the par saving putt.

At the last and after a superb drive, Smith lost his approach into the right hand greenside bunker but once again his impressive short game came to the rescue. He blasted to four feet and converted to finish four shots behind the rampant Dustin Johnson whose play to date suggests a second major is just 18 holes away for the world number one.

Cameron Smith saving par from the bunker at the last – Getty Images

Smith has often shown a capacity to play big events well. Not only has he finished 5th in this event previously but it was at the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay where he perhaps boxed event further above his weight when hitting a second shot to the par 5 last to 3 feet to secure an eagle which would eventually play a key role in him securing a PGA Tour card.

We saw another shot like that from Smith on Friday when his 7 wood approach at the par 5 15th finished 2 feet from the hole, the resultant eagle setting off a run of three birdies to finish and sweeping him into the lead before darkness stopped play that day.

Smith shares second place with Sungjae Im and Abraham Ancer but while all three will be interested in the prospect of chasing down the game’s dominant player at present, Johnson, so too must they be aware of those behind as nine additional players are within four shots of second place.

“It’s what we dream about,” said Smith. “I can’t wait for tomorrow. I’ll obviously need a hot start and the back nine has been kind to me all week so hopefully it can be kind to me for one more day.”

Whatever happens tomorrow, for Smith this week is a further example of the relatively young PGA Tour player continuing to make his name at the highest level. He is very much a no fuss player who just gets on with the job and taking advantage of a game that is built around imagination and fine short game skills. Tomorrow he will need all of those and more.

Dustin  Johnson in action today – playing almost faultless golf – Getty Images

The leader, Johnson, has been in outstanding form of late and having finished inside the top ten in his last four starts including when runner-up last year, his chances appeared strong heading into the week and are now looking significantly stronger.

He has recorded just two bogeys in 54 holes to go with two eagles and 14 birdies and has looked very measured and calm in the manner in which he is going about his business.

Given Johnson’s domination of the first 54 holes it is hard to imagine he is going to make the sort of mistakes he will need to if his chasers have any chance of catching him.

This is, though, the Masters and there have been several examples, even in the modern era, of leads the equal of and greater than Johnson’s been lost over the closing 18 holes on a golf course that gives with one hand and takes with the other.

“I feel my game is very consistent now,” said Johnson today. “I have a lot of control of what I am doing in terms of distance, flight and shape of shots.”

“You have to hit it the right distance – it’s the biggest key around here especially on the par 3’s and I think I have done a pretty good job of that.

“It is easier to do with the conditions being soft but you have to be aggressive and attack the flags as long as you feel confident as to how far you are going to fly it.

“Going into tomorrow I have a good game plan and I am not going to change it. I am going to have to go out and play well. There are a lot of good players around me so I am going to have to play well if I want to win it.”

“There’s still a long way to go but to win it would mean a lot,” added Johnson when asked that very question. “I mean it’s the Masters, it’s a major, I grew up down the road so this one would be very special to me

“I’ve put myself in this situation a lot of times, I know what it takes and how I respond and I am very comfortable with the lead.”

 

 

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The 2020 Masters – Different Date, Same Anticipation

Adam Scott – perhaps underdone but still a chance

It might be seven months later than originally scheduled and it might be an event very much devoid of the on-course patronage it typically receives, but the 2020 Masters will be played with the same level of intrigue and anticipation that has become part of its folklore and it might be that there is even more.

It is a new look Masters in so many respects but perhaps Phil Mickelson summed it up best in his pre-event media conference on Tuesday when asked what he will miss most about the look and feel of an April Masters.

“Nothing,” said the three time champion. “In the sense that this is the Masters and it doesn’t matter if it rains or if it shines we gotta compete for a Green Jacket and as a player that is all we care about. I am just thankful we have the chance this year as it has been very challenging and a lot of extra work just to put the event on.”

Amongst the several who addressed the media early in the week, that sentiment was a common theme. World number one Dustin Johnson, who recorded his best finish in nine starts at the Masters when runner-up to Tiger Woods last year, would also describe his delight at just being able to play the event given the relative uncertainty of the year thus far and despite the enforced move to a November date.

“I’m happy to be here,” said the current FedEx Cup Champion. “I am happy we are playing the Masters – we are really fortunate and are very happy with you guys (Augusta National) for putting it on this late in the year.”

Five-time champion Tiger Woods has now held the Green Jacket for 19 months and while that has been a bonus of sorts it is not quite as he would have liked it.

“It’s been incredible to have around the house and to share with people but to have it this long its not the way I want to have it and wanted to try and earn it back in April.

“Having said that we have an opportunity to play this week whereas earlier in the year we didn’t think we would have this opportunity.

“This whole day (his last before handing the jacket back) was very special as I might never get the opportunity to take the jacket off property again.

“This whole year has been very different for all of us and for us to have the ability to play this year when earlier in the year we weren’t looking like having this is great and that we are having to play off two tees for the first time (a darkness factor) is irrelevant.”

Defending champion – Tiger Woods this week.

Adam Scott is one of five Australians in the field and the only Australian to have won the event. He returned to tournament golf last week with an encouraging week in Houston but acknowledged that this year’s absence of crowds will make a significant difference to the event.

“We’ll be missing one element but it is a huge element to the experience of playing the Masters.” said the 2013 champion. “I’ve played two major championships since returning from the Covid 19 schedule break and it couldn’t be more different playing major championship golf without the spectators and the crowds and the atmosphere.

“The thing that will be the same however is that it (the event) still means the same to us all.”

While acknowledging that he had yet to venture onto the golf course, Scott was aware that the different time of the year resulted in the different type of shots that might be required around the greens especially because of the different stages of the transition between bermuda and rye grasses.

“I haven’t been on the course yet. I’ve just been on the range. I can see just a little bit, the grass is, in some ways, a little more forgiving potentially. It’s a very fine grass, just pure overseed in April, and at times on particular shots when it’s quite thin and fine like that, it demands a lot of precision.

“But you know, I’ve also heard guys say that it is quite different on the course with a little bit of the bermuda still staying around, because it is quite warm, that you have to play some shots around the greens in a different fashion.

“I’ve got lots to learn in the next three days if that’s the case.”

Scott might be underdone as far as preparation is concerned given it is just his second event back after a lengthy break from an enforced quarantine due to a positive result for a Covid 19 test but there is little doubting his record at the Masters over the past few years.

He has not missed a cut in his last ten appearances, been runner-up once and of course the winner in 2013. His lack of play compared to those considered his main dangers will likely work against him but he is still a chance to at least contend.

Jason Day, too, has an excellent record at Augusta National. In nine appearances (he was forced to withdraw in another) he has not yet missed a cut and been inside the top five on three occasions and once 10th. His warm-up event when 7th at last week’s Houston Open was encouraging and provided there are no injury issues he can be expected to do well.

Cameron Smith, returns from a two week tournament break to recharge the batteries after finishing 4th at his last start in Las Vegas and 11th in his previous start in California.

Smith finished a very impressive 5th behind Patrick Reed at The Masters two years ago and has made the cut in his two other appearances. In his still relatively short PGA Tour career, the Queenslander is proving to be a big event player and so his performance this week will be of much interest to Australians.

Marc Leishman has done well at Augusta National previously but his current form is close to an all time low in his PGA Tour career and so it is hard to see him contending.

Australia’s other entrant is the Victorian amateur, Lukas Michel, who has jumped all sorts of hurdles to take his well-earned place this year. He won the US Mid-Amateur Championship in Colorado in 2019 and for him just to even be in the field is a herculean performance.

It is hard to go past the current world number one, Dustin Johnson, as the likely winner, however. Johnson has been inside the top ten in each of his last four starts at Augusta National including when runner-up last year and his current form is exemplary.

Whatever the outcome, by the time Sunday comes around at this year’s Masters there will be little talk of a missed April date but, rather, on the outcome of one of the world’s truly great sporting events.

Three of Australia’s five participants, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Adam Scott in practice today 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Australians Benefit From Masters Tune-up

Adam Scott – file photo Henry Peters

Both Adam Scott and Jason Day have finished off their competitive preparations for this coming week’s Masters with strong finishes to the Vivint Houston Open at the Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston Texas.

Day’s final round of 71 was disappointing overall, but he will be heartened as he looks ahead to Augusta National by a strong finishing burst in which he birdied three of his last six holes after dropping fours shots in his first 12 holes.

Day had entered the final round one behind the leader, Carlos Ortiz. A three-putt bogey from 15 feet on Saturday evening spoiled some of the momentum he might otherwise have carried into the final day and his shaky start today did not help matters.

He would, though, finish strongly to share 7th place and, importantly, he remains pain free as he plays the final major of the year with his recent injuries now seemingly manageable as he adjusts to swing alterations designed to accommodate his ongoing battle with back issues.

“I’ve got to look at it this way,” said Day earlier in the week. “I’ve just got to be very smart about certain shots that I want to try and hit because if I do it over and over again, sooner or later something goes wrong and that’s why you see a little bit of inconsistency there.

“I’ve just got to be patient with it and just try to work through it and hopefully I’ll get to where I want to see it, how I see it and how I want to hit it and the consistency will come back in the game.”

Jason Day – in action this week. Getty Images

Scott recovered from a third round of 74 with a final 68 spoiled only by a double bogey at the 12th and finding water, but saving par at the par 5 16th.

Scott tied for 32nd but there was enough to like about his form in just his first event back following a six-week break after contracting Covid 19 to consider him some hope at the Masters.

Greg Chalmers finished 50th, Matt Jones 63rd and Cameron Davis 68th after he had made a good start to the event on Thursday.

The tournament was won by the highly talented 29-year-old Mexican, Carlos Ortiz, who secured his first PGA Tour title although he had won three titles on the then Web.Com Tour. He won by two shots over Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama.

“I learned a lot,” he said referring to  his time in the minor leagues. “It looked really easy that first year for me on the Web.com. Winning three times, looked like winning was easy and as I learned, winning’s not easy, you have to put in a lot of hard work and I think I’ve matured tremendously during those six years.

“I’m doing a lot of work mentally. My game I feel is pretty solid, but mentally I still I have a long ways to go and I think I’m taking some good steps in the right direction.”

Ortiz will improve from his current 160th in the world ranking to just outside the top 60.

 

 

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Jason Day On Leader’s Heels in Houston

Jason Day a week to week proposition but when he is good he is very good – photo Henry Peters

Jason Day is tied for 2nd place and just two behind the leader, Sam Burns, through 36 holes at Vivint Houston Open being played at the Municipal Park Golf Course in the suburbs of Houston.

Day played early on day two and put together a solid two under par round of 68 on the demanding layout which he described as requiring patience.

“It’s one of these golf courses, you leave yourself on the wrong side — you know, I’ve watched Phil out there the last two days, he kind of left himself in some pretty tough positions and you’re just struggling the whole day. It’s one of those courses where you’ve just got to be patient and try to get your birdies when you can.”

The ongoing issue of Day’s health is constantly raised and today he explained the reason for a recent withdrawal at the Shadow Creek event while in contention.

The form’s been very inconsistent obviously because I’m trying to change my swing a little bit just to try and help the back out. I guess I’m stuck in between patterns right now, what I want to feel, my body just won’t handle it and sometimes it just compensates elsewhere. That’s why it happened to my neck at CJ.

Despite a bogey at his final hole, Adam Scott is just four from the lead and tied for 9th after his round of 69. In his first event back from an enforced layoff after contracting the Covid 19 virus.

Clearly this is one last opportunity for Scott to have his game in shape ahead of next week’s Masters. While the golf courses are very different Scott sees this week’s test as great mental preparation for Augusta National.

“I think this course, because it is quite relentless as far as it’s long and it’s a bit of a brute, is testing the patience and the focus and that’s always tested at a major championship,” said Scott.

“There’s nothing much resembling Augusta National here, they’re very different kinds of golf courses, but that long day out on the course where you’re required to hit a lot of tough shots is similar and that’s testing the mental side of it very much.”

Like Day, Scott began his round early on day two and birdies at his 16th and 17th holes appeared to have him beautifully placed before finding the bunker at the last and dropping a shot.

The former winner of the event is, however, nicely placed, heading into the weekend, to challenge for this title and to hone his competitive game ahead of next week after a break of a six weeks some of that recovering from the world wide Covid virus.

Adam Scott in action this week – close enough if good enough – photo Getty Images

Greg Chalmers and Matt Jones are at 1 over while Cameron Davis was unable to capitalise on his fine start yesterday, adding a round of 76 to his opening 67 to be at 3 over and only just into the weekend field.

Burns has yet to win on the PGA Tour but the 24 year old has recorded several top tens. Like so many others he mentioned the demands of the layout in his post round press conference and was pleased with the manner in which he has handled it.

“I think that’s the challenging part of this golf course, it takes a lot of discipline around here. You get out of position, you just try to get it back to where you can get it up and down or get it in a section of the green where you can lag putt it. Fortunately early we got some good looks and was able to convert, so, solid.”

Burns also mentioned the benefit of his experience at the recent Safeway Open where he contended and outlined the experience he had learned from that.

“I think slowing down a little bit, really talking through the shot with Travis (caddie) and making sure we have a clear picture of what we’re trying to do, I think that was really helpful to learn that.”

 

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Minjee Lee Takes Dubai Moonlight Title

Minjee Lee – celebrates her first win in 18 months – photo Tristan Jones – LET

Australia’s leading world ranked female golfer, Minjee Lee, has holed a 20 foot birdie putt at the first extra hole of a playoff against Frenchwoman Celine Boutier to win the Ladies European Tour’s OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic and a cheque for (equiv) A$60,000.

Lee, currently ranked 9th in the Rolex World Ranking and the leading world ranked player in the field, recovered from a slow start to the event on Wednesday to record finishing rounds of 65 and 69 in the 54 hole event and joined Boutier in extra time before converting her birdie attempt after Boutier had failed to do so from 30 feet.

It was Lee’s second Ladies European Tour victory after winning the Vic Open in 2018 and adds to her five LPGA Tour titles along with one on the ALPGA Tour.

Lee has been below her best in recent starts, but this is seen as a confidence boost ahead of several events to finish the 2020 LPGA Tour season including the US Women’s Open in mid-December.

 

 

 

 

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Australians Start Well In Houston

Cameron Davis tied with Jason Day as the leading Australian – file photo Bruce Young

The five man Australian contingent have all started well at the Vivint Houston Open at the Memorial Park Golf Course in the inner suburbs of Houston, Cameron Davis and Jason Day the best of them after their opening rounds of 3 under par 67 shared 2nd place, two behind the leader Brandt Snedeker.

Adam Scott and Greg Chalmers are at 2 under 68 while former champion, Matt Jones, opened with a round of 69.

A homeward nine of 30 was just the tonic Day was looking for after a being forced to withdraw from the tournament at Shadow Creek two starts ago and a horror start to his round today when he reached the turn in 2 over 37.

Five birdies in his last seven holes saw him get within two of the lead and with just couple of groups remaining on the course after play was suspended due to darkness, he is well placed ahead of an early start on day two.

Day enjoyed the opportunity to have at least some fans back on the golf course today.

“It was actually really nice,” he said after his round referring to the maximum of 2500 fans allowed to spectate at this municipal golf course in the hear of Houston.

“It was something that I think a lot of us have been waiting for and hoping for and it was nice to be able to see. I mean, we only had like 2,500 I think in today, but it felt like a lot.

“Overall, very happy to be out playing in front of fans. Playing with Phil (Mickelson) is always a treat, and Viktor (Hovland) as well, but when you’re playing with Phil you usually get a few fans and seemed like we had a nice grouping today.”

Davis continues to improve in the relatively early stages of his PGA Tour career and after he too had struggled through the front nine he powered home with four birdies for a closing nine of 31 to be tied for 2nd at 3 under.

Davis later described the demands of this newly renovated layout.

“So I think it’s already quite long, but it’s more the firmness of the greens. If you’re not in the fairway, you can’t really hold them, so driving becomes very important. You go drive it down there a long way so you can spin it.

“It’s just the ability to get the ball near the hole, and the penalty for just missing on the wrong side becomes really big because the ball just rolls away.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played a course on Tour that’s really done that and it’s great, it reminds me a lot of back in Australia. So it does have a nice feel to it, but it just means that your ball-striking’s just got to be really on.

Scott an encouraging return after dealing with Covid 19 issues – file photo Getty

Scott, another former winner of the event, performed well following his enforced layoff after being diagnosed with Covid 19 virus three weeks ago.

“Obviously my golf preparations have taken a bit of a setback the last few weeks. Having not played since the U.S. Open, I was trying to get some golf in at ZOZO and here before the Masters, not only not getting ZOZO in, not getting any practice in for those 10 days either is a little setback, but I’ve actually come out swinging good this week and at least feel fresh. Hopefully that works in my favour.

“I was surprised (by the diagnosis). I had no symptoms at the time I tested positive, but I developed some symptoms about 12 hours after I tested positive and I had a slight fever for 24 hours and a headache and then that kind of passed.

“Then I continued to get better. Yeah, I had to isolate. I was in the hotel there in L.A. for six days. Once I was sure I was healthy and not kind of just feeling okay, I investigated finding a house by myself for the next four or five days to isolate just so I could go outside and get some fresh air. So I drove myself to a house. And again, didn’t have any contact with anyone until my 10 days of isolation was up.”

Chalmers recovered from an opening double bogey at the demanding first hole to turn in even par and was home in 33 for a round of 68 while Jones has only 15 players ahead of him after his opening 69.

 

 

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Covid 19 Claims Further Golfing Casualties

The Bonville Golf Resort in Coffs Harbour venue for the Australian Ladies Classic – Bruce Young

The Covid 19 virus has already decimated the summer of professional golf in Australasia and it has now claimed two further victims.

It was announced today by the CEO of NSW Golf, Stuart Fraser, that the 2021 editions of the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville and the Worrells Women’s NSW Open will be carried over to 2022 due to the travel restrictions surrounding COVID-19.

With Australia’s borders effectively closed until at least mid-2021, Golf NSW in conjunction with the Australian Ladies Professional Golf (ALPG) and the Ladies European Tour (LET) made the difficult decision to cancel the twin championships for next year.

Fraser said with international participation impossible the decision to cancel was inevitable.

“It is disappointing for all involved. We rely on international players for the success of both these tournaments, and with travel to our shores out of the question, we had no alternative.

“Regional NSW has played host to these two significant events in past years, and we will sorely miss the excitement they generate.

“When border restrictions ease, we will be working with the LET and ALPG to ensure the tournaments return in 2022,” Mr Fraser said.

ALPG CEO Karen Lunn echoed Mr Fraser’s comments.

“It’s extremely disappointing when we have worked so hard to build these events to the point that they have both found a regular slot on the ALPG and LET’s annual tournament schedules,” Ms Lunn said.

Having marked the beginning of the LET schedule for the past three years, the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic and the Worrells Women’s NSW Open were significant events for both local athletes and the visiting contingent of European stars.

Earlier this year, teen sensation Stephanie Kyriacou romped to an eight-shot victory in the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville. She immediately turned professional then embarked on a whirlwind run on Tour, making the cut in her first Major Championship at the AIG Women’s Open followed by top-five finishes in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and France.

With only four events left to play in the 2020 LET season, Kyriacou currently sits in seventh place on the Race to Costa del Sol, and just one spot behind England’s Alice Hewson in the race for ‘Rookie of the Year’ spoils.

Another popular destination amongst the LET membership, the Worrells Women’s NSW Open has been a fixture on the LET for the past three years, with the 2020 edition at Dubbo Golf Club also yielding a teenage winner, Sweden’s Julia Engstrom.

The Swedish star has since gone on to snare even more silverware at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, where she recorded a hole-in-one in the process.

Despite the loss of the two events for 2021, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, Alexandra Armas said the organisations remained hopeful of seeing the tournaments back on the calendar in 2022.

The postponement follows on from the cancellation of this summer’s Australian Men’s and Women’s Opens, the Australian PGA Championship, the Vic Open and the New Zealand Open.

 

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Scott and Day’s final preparations for Augusta National

Adam Scott – returns from Covid 19 – photo Henry Peters

With just one week before the golfing world focuses its attention on the 2020 Masters, two of the five Australians who have earned their right to play at Augusta National next week will put the finishing touches on their preparations by playing this week’s Vivint Houston Open at the Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Adam Scott and Jason Day will tee it up, Scott returning from an enforced layoff after contracting Covid 19 two weeks ago while for Day his recent schedule has also been disrupted by health issues after a back injury forced him to withdraw from the C.J. Cup in Las Vegas two weeks ago before playing his most recent event at the Zozo Championship in California two weeks ago.

Scott was forced to withdraw from that same Zozo Championship and has therefore not played since his midfield finish at the US Open six weeks ago in just his 4th start of 2020 after remaining in Australia for much of the year as he sat out the suspended USPGA Tour.

Both players will, therefore, need to take advantage of these last minute preparations ahead of the final major of the year but it is a race against time to have their games in the sort of shape needed to continue their impressive records at Augusta National , Scott having won in 2013 and finished runner-up in 2011 with Day joint runner-up in 2011 and 3rd in 2013.

The event moves to a new venue in 2020, the Memorial Park Golf Course a municipal facility which had previously hosted the event on 14 occasions during the 1940’s 50’s and 60’s.

The course, originally opened in 1936, has, though, undergone a major renovation under the eye of two-time US Open champion, Brooks Koepka.

Australia’s three other entrants at the Masters, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and amateur Lukas Michel are not in this week’s field, Smith finishing 4th in his last event at the Zozo Championship before the decision to take a two week break after feeling exhausted by his most recent schedule.

Leishman has been struggling of late and is clearly reserving his energy for The Masters where he has performed with distinction in the past while Michel earned his right for Augusta through winning the US Mid-Amateur Championship last year.

2014 Houston Open Champion, Matt Jones, Cameron Davis and Greg Chalmers are the three other Australians to take their place in this week’s field.

 

 

 

 

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Jones and Scrivener record good finishes in Bermuda and Cyprus

Matt Jones – file photo

Two of Australia’s ‘on the fringe’ players, Matt Jones and Jason Scrivener, recorded their best seasons of 2020 at their respective events on the PGA and European Tours this morning.

Jones finished 4th at the PGA Tour’s Bermuda Championship, while just a few hours earlier Scrivener produced a final round of 64 to share 6th place at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open on the European Tour.

Despite the impact of the Covid 19 crisis, both players have played relatively busy schedules in 2020, Jones playing his 21st event of the year this week while for Scrivener it was his 17th.

Scrivener recovered from a comparatively slow start to the week with a strong finishing burst, birdies at his final two holes further assisting his cause as he closed out the event just three from the playoff between eventual winner, England’s Callum Shinkwin, and Finland golfer, Kalle Samooja.

It was the third top ten of the season for Scrivener but with inconsistency being the keynote of much of the season including missed cuts in his previous three events, he is currently in 107th position in the Race to Dubai.

Scrivener is likely to play the final three events of the season in his birth country of South Africa but will need something special if he is to gain a place in the field of 60 to play the season ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Jason Scrivener – file photo

Jones, too, has recorded a roller coaster season to date after winning his second Australian Open late last year. This was just his second top ten on the PGA Tour after a 5th place at Pebble Beach much earlier in the year.

Jones will play this week’s Houston Open, an event he won in 2014, earning a start at the Masters the following week. He will need a similar effort if he is again to grace the fairways of Augusta National next week.

The finish however does move him inside the top 100 in the world, the former Sydneysider now 98th in the world ranking after starting the year in 99th place.

The other notable performance by an Australian this week was the 10th place finish of Scrivener’s fellow West Australian, Stephen Leaney, at the TimberTech Championship on the PGA Tour Champions in Florida.

For Leaney, it was his first top ten on the PGA Tour Champions since three consecutive top tens in February and moves him to 34th in the Charles Schwab money list.

Leaney will need a solid week in the closing two events of the season if he is to retain the full PGA Tour Champions playing privileges he regained late last year.

 

 

 

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Covid 19 Claims 2021 New Zealand Open

The magnificent NZ Open set-up surrounding the 18th at Millbrook

The news today that the 2021 New Zealand Open Presented by Sky Sport would be yet another golf event to fall victim of the Covid 19 pandemic was inevitable but disappointing.

The event, scheduled to be held in the last week of February in 2021, has developed into arguably the most popular amongst players on the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule and tournament organisers, John Hart and Michael Glading, along with the event’s underwriter, Millbrook Resort, have held off making the tough decision for as long as possible.

With such a significant commitment both logistically and financially on the line if a decision had been made to push forward with the event, however, the volatility and uncertainty still remaining with the issues surrounding Covid 19 have resulted in it being called off in 2021 and having it back on the schedule in late February of 2022.

Held in the stunning adventure capital region of New Zealand, Queenstown, and played over both the Millbrook Resort and the Hills Golf Clubs near Arrowtown 20 minutes outside of Queenstown, the event has grown from strength to strength since a decision was made in 2014 to adopt a pro-am format and bring it to one of world tournament golf’s most scenic venues.

In the years leading into 2014, the event was under pressure for survival as a Tier One PGA Tour of Australasia event and while the decision to adopt this new format proved controversial at first, it has been the making of one of world golf’s oldest running championships.

Each and every year since its inception in this format, the New Zealand Open has attracted not only a diverse field of Australasian and Asian professionals but has also proven a significant success in attracting a field of amateurs who get to play in a national open championship with those same professionals, some in the heat of the battle in the event’s final round.

The event has established strong ties with both the Asian and Japan Tours, ensuring a growing audience for its televised coverage and increasing the depth in its field.

Tournament Chairman John Hart- photo Photosport

Tournament chairman Hart, along with his colleague and Tournament Director, Glading, have been the driving forces in the tournament’s establishment and growth over the past seven years. Hart was disappointed as any in a decision which eventually became a no-brainer.

“We are extremely disappointed to have had to come to this decision,” said Hart today. “But the effects of the pandemic, borders being closed, and the financial risk associated with a potential later cancellation due to any further Covid-19 outbreaks means we have no other alternative other than to cancel this event now.”

“With up to 300 international participants coming from offshore (including professional players, amateur players, caddies, and officials of our Tour partners (the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour), we need absolute certainty now in terms of accessibility to New Zealand and this is clearly not possible” said Hart.

“We would like to thank Millbrook Resort (the tournament underwriter), The Hills, Government, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, and our many commercial partners, both domestic and international, led by our presenting sponsor Sky Sport for their support and understanding. Further thanks go to our Tour partners, New Zealand Golf, our professional players, our sold-out amateur field, and our amazing volunteer force.”

“This is not a decision we have made lightly, and we are particularly disappointed for the Queenstown region who have suffered many setbacks during this Covid-19 era.”

“We are very proud of what we have created with the New Zealand Open becoming one of New Zealand’s most recognised and applauded international sporting events.”

“We remain very committed to once again showcasing the very best of Queenstown and New Zealand in February 2022 at a time when hopefully we will all be operating in a more certain and safer environment.”

Australian Brad Kennedy is the current New Zealand Open champion and will now reign for two years having won the 2020 version in March of this year when defeating rising Australian star Lucas Herbert by two shots at the Millbrook Resort.

The news comes on top of recent cancellations of major golf events in Australia including the Australian Men’s and Women’s Opens, The Australian PGA Championship and the Vic Open, leaving a huge gap in professional tournament golf in this region this summer.

The 10th hole at The Hills – spectacular everywhere you look

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