Marc Leishman’s Weekend Magic Earns 3rd Place in California

Two weeks ago Marc Leishman was forced to withdraw from the recent Military Tribute at Greenbrier following an injury caused by a wayward shot from a pro-am partner but he has bounced back in style with a 3rd place finish at the Safeway Open in California.

Leishman’s final round of 65 at the Silverado Country Club was the equal best of the day and improved the Victorian golfer 19 places from his overnight standing to record his equal best finish of the 2019 season.

Leishman only just made the cut on Friday but he stormed through the field over the weekend with rounds of 67 and 65 to finish in outright 3rd place and three shots behind the winner Cameron Champ.

It was a good week overall for the Australians with Cameron Percy continuing his fine start to the season with a share of 7th place and Adam Scott fighting back after leading early then fading on Friday and Saturday before a final round of 68 saw him finish 17th.

For Cameron Percy he has now earned US$377,000 in three events since regaining his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

Aaron Baddeley and Rhein Gibson finished tied for 33rd.

For the winner, Champ, one of the game’s longest hitters, it was his second victory on the PGA Tour and comes 11 months after his win at the Sanderson Farms Championship which was his second start on the PGA Tour.

Champ birdied his final hole to win by one over Canadian Adam Hadwin, birdies at the final three holes by Hadwin forcing Champ to fight to the end after holding a commanding lead with just a few holes to play.

The 24-year old Californian’s victory was an emotional one as he juggled contention in his home state with the terminal illness of his grandfather.

“Not matter if I win one more tournament or ten more tournaments this will be the greatest win of my career,” said Champ reflecting on the timing of the victory and his close association with his grandfather.

 

 

 

 

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Improved Showing For Sarah Kemp In Indianapolis

Sarah Kemp – file photo LET

After a fast start to the 2019 season had re-established her status on the LPGA Tour, NSW’s golfer Sarah Kemp has struggled on the LPGA Tour since but a 15th place finish at this week’s Indy Women In Tech Championship in Indianapolis is her best finish since a 10th place finish at the Australian Women’s Open and will ensure her status for the 2020 season.

Kemp tied with fellow Australian Su Oh for that 15th placed finish and although the pair finished a massive 13 shots behind the runaway winner, M.J Hur, it was a solid week for both.

Victoria’s Oh has been in good form in the latter half of the season after missing six consecutive cuts earlier in the year and although yet to win on the LPGA Tour she has been twice runner-up and that breakthrough win appears not too far away.

Of the other Australians, Katherine Kirk was 5th and Hannah Green 65th while New Zealand’s Lydia Ko finished 31st.

The winner Hur led from her opening round of 63 and completed her second win of the season and her 4th on the LPGA Tour.

Hur won by four shots over Nanna Koerstz Madsen with Marina Alex another two back in third place.

 

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Perez’s Maiden Win Comes at Home of Golf

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Victor Perez claimed his maiden European Tour title, the Frenchman becoming the first rookie to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews Old Course, just 15 miles from the place he currently calls home, Dundee.

It was a tense battle throughout as the 27-year-old locked horns with his playing partner Matthew Southgate, having both shared a two-stroke lead heading into the final day. Perez was one stroke behind the Englishman heading into the back nine despite a flawless two under front nine.

A dropped shot at the par three 11th meant he dropped further off the pace but a birdie at the par five 14th for the 2018 European Challenge Tour graduate, and a bogey for Southgate, meant a two-shot swing had them level going down the stretch.

Southgate’s missed par putt at the 17th was decisive as Perez edged ahead and two pars at the famous final hole at the Home of Golf earned Perez – who lives in Dundee with his partner Abigail – a career-changing victory as he moved to 17th in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.

Southgate could console himself with an important outright second place finish which secures his European Tour card for 2020 season after a disappointing season up to this point.

Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, won the team prize in the unique Pro-Am event alongside partner Ogden Phipps II, pipping Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry to the title.

“It’s really hard to describe right now,” said Perez.

“I feel like the emotions were really high all day, and really cold, windy, long day out there. I felt like I was able to battle. Matt played amazing. I was expecting some of the guys to charge, and we were fortunate in a it was a one-on-one battle on the back nine and was able to make that birdie on 14 that really pulled me back, and then just held strong till the end. I was fortunate it was my time today.

“The format is awesome. I think it’s a chance for the amateurs to see from inside the ropes and connect with the players, which is something that they strive and they love to do and chat with us and ask what clubs we hit and why and all these kind of questions. I think it’s really cool that we can give back those people, as well.

“Obviously there’s nothing like a win. The confidence that you get from getting it done, it’s so difficult at this level to win. Being my first year, I’m obviously delighted.”

Ryan Fox was the only Australasian to make the cut but after a fine start to the week he eventually finished in 54th place.

The European Tour now moves to Madrid for this week’s Spanish Open.

SCORES

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Karl Vilips heads Australians at Asia Pacific Amateur

Karl Vilips – photo Justin Falconer Golf Australia

US based Perth golfer, Karl Vilips, has finished as the leading Australian at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship near Shanghai in China, the 18 year old recovering from a slow start to the event to finish in a share of 8th place in his first appearance in the prestigious event for the leading male amateurs in the Asia Pacific region.

Vilips moved past Australia’s long-time leading player this week, Blake Windred, who struggled to a final round of 76 after sharing the lead into the final day.

Windred was on the back foot early on day four, two bogeys early were followed by a brief fightback before a double bogey at the 9th. He would then drop shots at his last three holes to finish 13th.

Vilips, who later this year will head the International side in the Junior Presidents Cup, is scheduled to play collegiate golf at Stanford University in California in 2020 but he is already accumulating quite a record in amateur golf having won several significant junior events and in 2018 the Southern Amateur Championship.

Windred finished in 13th place while fellow Australians Nathan Barbieri and David Micheluzzi were 18th, Jack Thompson 21st and Kyle Michel 54th.

Harry Hillier was the best of the New Zealanders when he finished 18th.

The winner of the tournament was China’s Yuxin Lin who defeated the defending champion Takumi Kanaya at the second extra hole of a playoff to win the event for the second occasion having also won in 2017 in Wellington in New Zealand.

“It definitely means a lot to me, especially this week, winning at home is certainly huge for me and for China golf, as well. I’m just really honored to be alongside Hideki as a two-time winner,” said Lin, who turns 19 in two weeks.

The 18th hole had proven troublesome for Lin, who played the hole in four over par over his last three rounds.

“I was having a little trouble with the 18th three days in a row. We knew there were extra holes coming up and stepping on the 18th again wasn’t a great feeling for me. And especially that lie off the tee shot, in the first extra hole, definitely not what you wanted.

“But at least everything turned out pretty well, so pretty satisfied,” added the world No. 114, who clinched his first AAC title with an impressive birdie-eagle finish at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.

“I didn’t really think about the win. I was just trying to play some good golf out there. I made some mistakes throughout the round but stayed patient the whole time.

“It really matters a lot playing against the best amateur in the world right now, and especially to be able to get that win is definitely huge. Obviously, Takumi is a great player. It gives me a lot of confidence to be able to compete with the No. 1 player in the world in extra holes.”

Lin gets to play the Masters and the Open Championship in 2020 having also played those events in 2018 as a result of his win at the Royal Wellington Golf Club.

It was China’s fourth victory in the event which has been running since 2009.

The winner Yuxin Lin – photo courtesy of AAC Golf

 

 

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Brendan Jones Finishes 9th at Panasonic Open

The winner Toshi Muto – Asian Tour

Brendan Jones has finished in 9th place at the Panasonic Open near Osaka in Japan, a final round of 1 under par 70 giving the 44 year old Canberra golfer just his second top ten of the Japan Tour season although his other was a victory in the opening event of the domestic season.

Jones earned 4.2 million yen (A$57,000) for his finish and moves to 11th on the Japan Tour money list.

Jason Norris 34th, Brad Kennedy 37th and Andrew Dodt 50th were the other Australians to make the cut in the event jointly sanctioned between the Japan and Asian Tours.

The tournament was won in emphatic style by Toshinori Muto who won by four Shugo Imahira, Imahira recording his 10th top ten finish of the season.

Imahira finished alone in second place with another in form golfer, Ryo Ishikawa, one further back.

For Muto, it was his 7th Japan Tour win although his first since 2015. Consecutive weekend rounds of 64 saw him draw clear to win almost as he liked by an impressive margin over two quality players.

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54 Hole Cut Made at Alfred Dunhill Championship

Photo Victor Perez – Getty Images

The 54 hole cut has been made at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Scotland with England’s Matthew Southgate and Frenchman Victor Perez tied at the top of the leaderboard at 20 under par.

Each player in the field has thus far played one round at each of the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns and for those who survived the very low cut of 9 under par they will return to St Andrews for the final round on Sunday.

For both Perez and Southgate, tomorrow represents an opportunity for a breakthrough victory on the European Tour.

Both players missed the cut at their last European Tour starts so this performance represents a significant turnaround in fortunes although 13 players are within five shots heading into the final round and so they will need to keep pressing forward if that breakthrough victory is to eventuate.

The pair leads by two over England’s Paul Waring but lurking just another shot back is Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren and American Tony Finau.

Perez, who lives with his partner in nearby Dundee, will be vying for a first European Tour victory in his rookie season, having graduated from the European Challenge Tour last year. The 27-year-old carded an eight under 64 at Kingsbarns Golf Links which included a run of five successive birdies.

Southgate, meanwhile, is making his 140th appearance on Tour and the closest he has come was a share of second place at the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. The 30-year-old signed for a seven under 65 at the Old Course after finishing with a birdie at the ninth, his 18th.

“My swing feels very solid,” said Soutgate. “I feel very happy in my own head at the minute and playing with such a clear mind and just easy swing thoughts. The biggest job tomorrow is going to be keeping me in check rather than the golf swing. I’m hitting the ball fantastic the first three days, so there’s no reason why I can’t shoot another good score.

“Someone is going to post a good number, so it’s going to take a good score to get the win. I’m so passionate about winning tournaments and being here at the Home of Golf, tomorrow is going to be a difficult one to just keep myself in check and keep producing what I have done the first three days.”

“It was awesome,” said Perez. “Bit windier today. Out of all the courses, we got a bit fortunate to play here today, being a bit wider off the tee. Maybe the guys at Carnoustie would have been the tougher course today.

But it was probably Finau who summed up the week to date the best.

“It’s very cool to be at the Home of Golf. “The Old Course, there’s nothing like it. So, to be able to tee it up tomorrow and play and have a chance to win a golf tournament here is going to be something special.”

It has not been a good week for the large Australasian contingent in the field with only New Zealander Ryan Fox, of the 16 who started the event, surviving to play the final round.

Fox though has slowly lost ground after what had been an excellent start to the event when he opened with a round of 64 on Thursday. A third round of 73 cost him a lot of ground and he now finds himself in 32nd place and nine shots from the lead.

Australians Jason Scrivener and Wade Ormsby frustratingly missed the chance to advance by just one shot and Min Woo Lee by two.

Scrivener did, however, make it into the final day Pro-Am field of 20 teams when he and partner Andrew White combined for a third round of 61 at St Andrews.

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Adam Scott falls off pace at Safeway Open

Adam Scott was unable to maintain the pace of his opening round of 65 at the Safeway Open at the Silverado Golf Club in Napa in California, a second round of 73 leaving the 39-year old six shots off the pace of Bryson DeChambeau who leads by two over Nick Watney.

Scott had shared the opening round lead with Andrew Landry but, after a birdie at the first, he soon lost momentum and eventually finished one over for the day and 6 under for the tournament at the halfway stage.

Scott was not helped by poor tee shots at the 17th and 18th holes which led to a bogey and a missed birdie opportunity at the last and he now faces a big task over the weekend to reel in the leaders.

A resurgent and now injury free Cameron Percy is the next best Australian along with Aaron Baddeley, the pair just one shot behind Scott and tied for 22nd.

Marc Leishman and Rhein Gibson also made the cut but are well back.

DeChambeau is playing the event for the third occasion having finished 17th in his last visit two years ago and having missed the cut in his opening event of the new PGA Tour season in White Sulphur Springs last week this is a welcome return to form.

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Brendan Jones Four From Lead in Japan

Rahil Gangjee – Asian Tour

Defending champion Rahil Ganjee has the lead at the Japan Golf Tour’s Panasonic Open at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club near Osaka, the 40 year old Indian golfer one ahead of a group of four players including Japan sensation, Ryo Ishikawa.

Gangjee won this event by one shot last year when the event was played much earlier in the season and although he has had Japan Tour status since he has generally struggled although he has recorded good finishes in his last two events.

“It’s always difficult to defend because everyone is looking at you,” said Gangjee referring to the pressure he3 is under to repeat his 2018 success.

“I need to stay away from that. I try to stay away from that and don’t think about it. I just want to go and play golf. The whole of last year has been a big learning curve for me in Japan because all the courses I played were new to me.

“It’s also a different mindset because I am just trying to know about the courses and remembering the shots I hit out there. It has got nothing to do with score. Even though I don’t know the golf course well this week, that same mindset comes in and that matters to scoring and going deep.”

Ishikawa has again put himself fairly and squarely in the eyesight of Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els as a win this week could well make it near impossible for Els to ignore the two time Presidents Cup player’s chances of inclusion in the International side given his great from in Japan this season.

Brendan Jones leads the Australians at 5 under and just four from the lead in a share of 14th place, the Canberra golfer recovering from a slow start to his second round to birdie three of his last five holes for a round of 70.

Andrew Dodt is another two shots behind Jones in  27th place and Brad Kennedy 35th.

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Australia’s Blake Windred Leads Asia Pacific Amateur

Photo: Windred in action today courtesy of AAC

New South Wales golfer, Blake Windred, added a second round of 71 to his opening round of 63 to lead the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship into the weekend at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China.

Windred, who is currently Australia’s second highest ranked male amateur golfer and is the 11th ranked amateur in the world, could not match his brilliance of day one but his one under par round gives him a one-shot lead over Japan’s Ren Yonezawa and Korea’s Jun Min Lee.

Windred, who ranks No. 11 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), started from the 10th tee and was two-over par after his first 10 holes with three bogeys and one birdie. It was an incredible par save on the seventh hole that spurred him on for the grandstand finish.

“I was two over for a lot of that round, actually. I hit a lot of good putts out there that just didn’t want to drop. Obviously, I didn’t do as well as yesterday, but I’m so pleased with the way I stayed very patient,” said Windred, who smashed a six-iron from 175 yards out of a fairway bunker on the ninth to leave himself a 15-footer that eventually gave him the edge for the weekend.”

Windred said he was delighted with his position going into the weekend.

“The goal was basically shooting five under every round. So, I have a bit of work to do over the weekend, but so far, I’m on track,” said the Aussie who will retain his amateur status if he wins the AAC title in order to remain eligible to play in the 2020 Masters and The 149th Open at Royal St George’s.”

South Australian, Jack Thompson, is the next best of the Australians in a share of 10th place at 3 under and seven shots from his fellow countryman while US based West Australian, Karl Vilips, and NSW’s Nathan Barbieri are next best at 1 under and in a  share of 18th place.

The Asia Pacific Amateur Championship has grown in stature since its inception in 2009, its most notable champion in that time being the two time winner, Hideki Matsuyama, who has gone on to be one of the leading players in the game.

If Windred is able to go on and win the event he will become the third Australian to do so in the footsteps of Anthony Murdaca and Curtis Luck.

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Adam Scott Picks Up Where He Left Off

Adam Scott – file photo Henry Peters

It might be over a month since Adam Scott last played an event on the PGA Tour but if there was any residual rust in the system when he played his opening round of the Safeway Open in Napa in California today it was hardly evident.

Scott began the event with a round of 7 under 65 to share the lead with American Andrew Landry, the pair opening up a one-shot lead over Italy’s Francesco Molinari and American Matthew NeSmith.

Aaron Baddeley also began his new season on the PGA Tour with a solid opening round. Baddeley recorded a 3 under 69 to be in a share of 15th place, Cameron Percy was round in 70 to be tied for 29th along with Marc Leishman, while Rhein Gibson 74 and Cameron Davis 76 were further back.

Scott began the week feeling frustrated at not being able to win despite playing some fine golf for much of last season especially during the playoffs. In fact, Scott has not won anywhere in more than three years but his consistency has been a hallmark of his play this year.

“A couple of my finishes I felt I played better then where I finished,” said Scott in a pre-event media conference. “A couple of late bogeys was certainly the theme especially at the majors. I’m looking to get back in the winner’s circle but have to find that little edge to get me over the line.”

The highlight of Scott’s round was a putt from over 50 feet for eagle at the 5th hole (his 14th).

 

 

 

 

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