Ryan Fox Again Excels in Links Golf

Ryan Fox – file photo Henry Peters

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox seems to thrive on links golf and he again proved that was the case with an opening round of 64 at the Old Course at St Andrews on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Fox trails South African Justin Walters by just one shot and shares second place with France’s Victor Perez, England’s Jordan Smith and Spain’s Adria Otaegui.

Four of the leading five scores on day one came from the Old Course, this event played over three courses (Kingsbarns and Carnoustie the other two) in the opening three rounds before the event returns to St Andrews for the final round on Sunday.

Several of Fox’s best finish on the European Tour have come on links layouts in events such as the Scottish Opens and he once again showed his liking for this style of golf with six birdies and an eagle including five birdies in his last six holes.

Fox also leads the Pro-Am event with cricketing great partner, Shane Warne, who added four nett birdies of his own for the team to open with a combined round of 12 under and a share of the lead in that contest.

“I played really solid and for the first time in a while,” said Fox. “I saw some putts go in and hit some great shots coming down the stretch. It was just nice to take advantage of those fairly benign conditions out there.

“It’s a cool format to get to play these three golf courses, and they look after us so well this week. I love Pro-Am formats, and I’ve played with Shane Warne the last couple years and we get along really well. We’ve had a lot of fun out there, become good friends because of this event.

“I feel like for me, he wants to do well here and I can kind of focus on trying to help him out, rather than focus on my score, which as professional golfers, I think we get stuck in a little bit too much.”

Fox will play Carnoustie in tomorrow’s second round.

Marcus Fraser is the leading Australian after his opening round of 66 at Kingsbarns to be in a share of 12th place. The Victorian has played on a limited basis in recent months and has missed the cut in the last six events he has played so this represents a significant turnaround for the tree time European Tour event winner.

New South Wales golfer, Callan O’Reilly and Dimi Papdatos are next best after their rounds of 68 at St Andrews while Lucas Herbert and Harrison Endycott are at 3 under 69 although given the low scoring they are tied for 53rd.

A massive 121 of the 168 players broke par on day one with pre tournament favourite off to a relatively slow start when he opened with 70 at Carnoustie.

Scores

 

 

 

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Golf Betting Thoughts for September 26th

Hideki Matsuyama appears a good hope in California

This week’s betting focus rests on the PGA Tour event in Napa in California, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland and the LPGA Tour event in Indianapolis.

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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – the Benefit of Innovation

Lucas Bjerregaard – defending champion courtesy of Getty

When the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was introduced to the European Tour in 2001, few would have imagined the great success the event would have experienced over the next eighteen years.

The concept of Europe’s leading professionals playing with celebrities from the sporting and entertainment world and those with business success stories provided plenty of early story-lines for the event but would the initial intrigue last, especially given its relatively late season date?

The then US$5 million purse was a factor in gaining some early momentum for the event, as was the opportunity to play three outstanding links layouts near the home of golf, two of them layouts on the rota of the Open Championship, but the subsequent longevity of the event has told the importance of a point of difference in tournament golf.

Certainly the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am in the US, the Bing Crosby Pro Am and a similar event in Las Vegas had set the tone for events of this format but that the Alfred Dunhill Links has lasted longer than many perhaps felt would be the case back in 2001 is a reflection on an event which provides both professionals and amateurs a unique opportunity.

Playing together in high end tournament conditions for the amateurs and the chance for many of the professionals to introduce friends and family to the inner cauldron of tournament golf has seen the event regularly attract some of Europe’s best.

Other events around the world have introduced a similar format, notably the New Zealand Open which was on a downward spiral and struggling for survival as a bona fide event on a world circuit before tournament organisers took the model they had created for the New Zealand PGA Championship two years earlier and introduced it, in 2014, to one of the world’s longest running events.

Again, the ingredients were the same. Sporting and business celebrities playing with professionals throughout the tournament week on two outstanding golfing facilities in an iconic location (Queenstown) proved an immediate success.

There were doubters early, too, in New Zealand. The purists felt that a national open championship might struggle in what appeared at the time to be a gimmicky format.

That the event has developed from its previous shaky existence into one of the most popular on the combined tours of Asia and Australasia tells the story of the importance of a point of difference in the week to week staging of regular 72-hole stroke-play events.

Millbrook Resort – host venue for the 2020 NZ Open – Photosport

The AT&T, Alfred Dunhill Championship and the New Zealand Open are exactly that, 72 hole stroke-play events, but that they offer a dimension which has assisted them to sustain their popularity and longevity is testament to their innovative format.

This week’s event being played over the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns has attracted many of Europe’s best. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry, to name a few, highlight an event that continues to attract the game’s best.

It is not the prize-money now that is the attraction. After all and very surprisingly, the purse in 2019 is essentially the same it was in 2001, but that many of the game’s best want to be part of this event is a reflection on the enjoyment they get out of playing with friends and family and the very inclusive nature of the event in one of the game’s very special locations.

Plenty of Australasians get their chance this week as not only those who have the right to play European Tour events at this level through their European Tour status will tee it up but so too will a number of players who get their opportunity through invitation or via their efforts on money lists elsewhere.

Lucas Herbert, Jason Scrivener, Wade Ormsby and Jake McLeod are European Tour regulars but they will be joined by fellow Australians, Min Woo Lee, Dimi Papadatos, Marcus Fraser, Harrison Endycott, Jarryd Felton, Daniel Nisbet, Terry Pilkadaris, Callan O’Reilly and Simon Hawkes who will be joined by New Zealanders, Ryan Fox, Michael Campbell and Daniel Hillier.

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Hong Kong Riots Impact PGA Tour Series-China

Clearwater Bay – photo Bruce Young

Due to continued demonstrations, civil unrest and safety concerns in Hong Kong, PGA TOUR Series-China is canceling the 2019 Clearwater Bay Open scheduled for October 17-20 at Hong Kong’s Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club.

The 2019 PGA TOUR Series-China season will now conclude at the Macau Championship, October 10-13, at Caesars Golf Macau.

“The safety of our players, staff, fans, volunteers and everybody else associated with our tournaments is always at the forefront of anything we do,” said PGA TOUR Series-China Executive Director Greg Carlson. “We have analyzed this situation from every angle, and as a group we determined that canceling the 2019 Clearwater Bay Open is the best decision.

“We wanted to play a 14-tournament schedule, but it was extremely difficult to secure an alternative venue at such short notice. We looked at a variety of options but were unable to find a suitable site and situation,” Carlson continued.

“Macau is a vibrant part of Asia, and we had a tremendous experience there in 2018 on our first visit to Caesars Golf Macau. While we’re disappointed we can’t finish our season in Hong Kong, we are excited that Caesars Golf Macau will be where we end our year. Because of this late change, we have also increased the purse at the Macau Championship from RMB 1.6 million to 2.1 million.”

In 2018, New Zealand’s Nick Voke won the inaugural Macau Championship, defeating Sluman by two shots. It was the second of three titles Voke won a year ago.

PGA TOUR Series-China has played two official tournaments at Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club—in 2016 and 2018—and an unofficial event in 2017 and has every intent to return to the club in 2020 and beyond.

“The leaders and members at Clearwater Bay have been very accommodating through the years, and the club has been a great partner. We look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come,” said Carlson.

On Sunday, September 22, PGA TOUR Series-China concluded its 12th tournament of the 2019 season, with Motin Yeung winning the Zhuzhou Classic. American Max McGreevy continues to lead the Order of Merit, with four players—McGreevy, Trevor Sluman, David Kocher and Luke Kwon—still in the running for the money title and Player of the Year honors.

 

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Japan and Asian Tours together again in Japan

Brendan Jones – photo courtesy of Asian Tour

The Japan and Asian Tours again join forces this week when the ¥150,000,000 (A$2 million) Panasonic Open Golf Championship is played at the Higashi Hirono Golf Club in Hyogo near Osaka.

The event is being played for the 4th occasion although this it will be the first occasion it has been played at this particular venue.

As was the case last week in Korea, the combination of the two Tours allows for an increase in the Australasian representation and this week eleven will tee it up.

From the Japan Tour come Scott Hend, Andrew Dodt, Zach Murray, Travis Smyth, Jason Norris, Ben Campbell and Jake Higginbottom while those who are regulars on the Japan Tour include Brendan Jones, Brad Kennedy, Matthew Griffin and Won Joon Lee.

As was the case last week when South African, Jbe Kruger, won the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, the event opens the opportunity for the winner to gain access to the Japan Tour on a regular basis, so there is a lot at stake for those not yet owning status in Japan.

The tournament continues a now almost continuous run of events on the Japan Tour culminating with the Golf Nippon Series event in Tokyo in early December.

 

 

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Munoz adds to Els’ Presidents Cup Quandary

A good week for Cameron Percy

If the International Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els was concerned about just who he might include in his final picks for his side for Royal Melbourne in December prior to this week’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson in Mississippi, then his task became just that much harder with the victory by Colombian, Sebastian Munoz.

Not only did Munoz win his first PGA Tour title, but the second and third placed finishers in this week’s event, Sungjae Im and Ben An of Korea and  have also staked a claim for one of the four remaining positions in the International side to be selected in a few week’s time.

Munoz’s first hole playoff victory over Im will move him just outside the top 100 in the world but, given that the reason for the delay in final selection is to ensure the most in form golfers are included in the respective Presidents Cup sides, another good finish in the next few weeks could open to door for Munoz.

Munoz had also finished 7th at last week’s event in Greenbrier so he is finding form at just the right time after recently completing his first year on the PGA Tour.

Munoz holed an 18-footer for birdie at the last to force the playoff after Korea’s Im had reeled off a last round of 66 to take the clubhouse lead 20 minutes ahead of the final group.

An also birdied his final hole to move into outright third place, his finish ensuring that he too will be subject to Els scrutiny ahead of the final Presidents Cup selections.

Cameron Percy led the Australians this week, one of only two to make the cut in the early season PGA Tour event. Percy finished 11th after being very much in contention going into the final round.

His last day 71 cost him ground and money but it was his best PGA Tour finish in more than 12 months and his best finish anywhere since his 5th place finish at the Australian Open last year.

Cameron Davis, who, too, has only just regained his PGA Tour status, finished 28th.

 

 

 

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Danny Willett Edges Out Jon Rahm At BMW PGA

Danny Willett claimed his second Rolex Series title in successive seasons as the Englishman overcame Jon Rahm in stunning fashion to win the BMW PGA Championship title, his first victory on home soil.

The former Masters Tournament champion was locked in a tense battle with the determined Spaniard all weekend at Wentworth Club and there were turning points aplenty for the 21,962 fans in attendance – but none more so than at the 11th.

Having entered the final round tied for the lead, Willett had pulled two clear through ten holes courtesy of four birdies – to Rahm’s two – but found himself in some trouble with his second and third shots at the par four 11th, leaving himself with a monster putt for bogey.

He duly drained it for a five, though, with one of his many masterful escapes this week at the Surrey venue, and thereafter the wind was taken from Rahm’s sails – the 24-year-old bogeyed two of the following three holes with a birdie in between.

“I’ve watched this tournament for a lot of years. You know, through the Match Play and then obviously the BMW PGA Championship.

“It’s always nice to be able to compete on home soil. I’ve had a couple looks at The Open a couple of times but to be able to win finally on such an iconic golf course, with I think one of the best fields they have had.

“Any tournament win is amazing. That’s now my seventh win on Tour, and every single time I’ve won, they have been pretty stellar events against pretty stellar fields and The Ryder Cup stuff – it’s the first event of what, 40-odd (qualification events), whatever it’s going to be, for a year’s time when it’s back in America, Whistling Straits. It’s always nice.”

Willett, who won the final Rolex Series event of the 2018 season – the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai – closed out a deserved three-stroke victory with birdies at the two closing par fives for a five under 67 and a 20 under total. The Englishman moved to ninth in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.

Rahm had gone for broke on the final hole by going for the green with a second shot which ended up in the water, but he bravely got up and down and signed for a final round 70 and a 17 under total.

The Spaniard was clearly disappointed not to have won and was frustrated by the manner in which he played the closing few holes.

“I’m not going to lie. It hurts. It stings. I played good all week, and up until the 13th hole, I was incapable of hitting an iron close to the pin and made a couple stupid mistakes. I should have come closer than two shots on the last two holes. I had my chances.

“At the same time, Danny played amazing golf. He played really, really good. I believe that 11th hole was the key moment of the match. He had a long, long putt for bogey and I had a decent look for a birdie, and he makes a bomb for a bogey and I missed my putt right. That was at least a one-shot swing right there and if he doesn’t make it, I’m putting more relaxed without the whole crowd going crazy. That was a key moment of the match.”

Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa earned his best result in a Rolex Series event as he took outright third spot with a 16 under total, after closing out the week with a four under 68. American debutants at Wentworth, Billy Horschel and Patrick Reed, shared fourth spot while home hero Justin Rose took outright eighth spot and four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy shared ninth spot with Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.

No Australian was able to make it to the weekend in the high profile event, Lucas Herbert and Wade Ormsby doing best when they finished one shot from making it to the final 36 holes.

SCORES

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Matthew Griffin Finishes 7th in Korea

Australian Matthew Griffin has finished 7th in the Japan / Asian Tour’s Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, his best finish since becoming a first-time father in June.

36 year old, Griffin, finished 8 shots behind the eventual winner, Jbe Kruger, but it was an encouraging week for the Victorian who began the season extremely well before the obvious and understandable distractions caused by the arrival of his son Jack.

Griffin, who earned just on A$40,000 this week, will move to 15th on the Japan Tour money list with a touch over ¥29 million or A$400,000, continuing a commercially successful career in Japan despite not winning in his now five seasons there.

Griffin has, however, tasted success in Korea previously, having won three times in that country in addition to his victories at the New Zealand Victorian Opens.

Other Australians in this jointly sanctioned event were Travis Smyth (12th), his best finish since finishing 7th in this same event last year, New Zealand Open Champion, Zach Murray and Andrew Dodt (18th) and Won Joon Lee 32nd.

South African, Kruger won, just his second tournament on the Asian Tour, his last coming in 2012, and after missing his last three cuts in 2019 it was a welcome return to form.

For Kruger the victory opens to door to the Japan Tour as winning this co sanctioned event allows him to play in Japan and he is excited by the prospect.

“I’m a professional and this is what I do for a living, so I will probably go where the money is, go
there and play well,” said Kruger.

“I have been a big fan of playing in Japan, but you can’t really get into that Tour if you haven’t gone to Q school. But now, things have changed.

“This course is a Jack Nicklaus design golf course. It’s the same as my own course, so the first time I came here, it literally looks identical. It has the same lines, the same kind of grass.

“Everything is exactly the same and it almost feels like a home away from home. So, you know I’ve heard someone say “horses for courses” and that’s the truth, because you generally play well at the same courses all year long.”

Kruger won by two over the long hitting American Chan Kim who is a regular on the Japan Tour where he has won three times.

 

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Cameron Percy In Contention Again

Cameron Percy – file

Victorian golfer Cameron Percy has continued his recent resurgence by working his way into contention at the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson in Mississippi.

With the event halted for darkness on Friday evening, Percy finds himself in a share of 6th place and three from the lead of Korea’s Byeong Hun An through 11 holes of his second round as he looks to consolidate in his return to the PGA Tour which he accomplished via the recent Korn Ferry Tour finals.

Nearly half the field will be required to complete their rounds on Saturday morning US time but whatever the outcome of their efforts Percy is well enough placed as the events heads into the final 36 holes.

Percy started well at the opening event of the new PGA Tour season in last week’s Military Tribute at Greenbrier before finishing well back but he has started well again with a round of 65 yesterday and through 11 holes is 2 under for the day and 9 under for the tournament.

Percy was injured earlier in the year when fracturing his wrist while on holiday with the family and at that stage his career appeared potentially over. After two months away from the game he returned to the Korn Ferry Tour and in the Final Series of that tour he finished 11th on two occasions and regained his PGA Tour status.

After his opening round of 65 yesterday Percy expressed his delight in being back on the PGA Tour.

“Just really excited,” said Percy when asked his thoughts on being back at the elite level. “Almost felt my career was over halfway through the year. I’m like, Wow, this is going to be it. You just realize how privileged you are to be out here playing this TOUR.

“Then this week we turn up and they’ve got green eggs for us, coolers, shoes, pants. Then just the food and the way they treat us is just amazing. Sometimes you take it for granted, when then when you’re away from it and you think it’s gone, and you appreciate how good it is out here.

“It’s just pretty cool with what we get to do and you just don’t realize how lucky you are.”

Percy is still suffering ongoing pain with the wrist injury but it appears it is manageable.

Of the other Australians in the field Cameron Davis still has holes to play but is currently in 32nd place through 10 holes, while Cameron Smith rebounded from horror opening round of 76 with a round of 66 today but is still one outside the current cutline.

Rhein Gibson, Robert Allenby, John Senden and Matt Jones (who withdrew from the event) all appear as if they will have a holiday this weekend.

The leader, An, could go a long way to cementing a Presidents Cup berth if he was to go on with things this week. He currently is in the mix with the likes of Jason Day, Ryo Ishikawa, Joaquim Niemann., Justin Harding, Sungjae Im and others for one of the four Captain’s picks for the International Side.

An may well have been divided on whether he would play this week’s event, the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour which he has won previously. Thus far it appears he has pulled the right rein.

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Australia’s Lukas Michel Wins US Mid Amateur

photo courtesy of USGA / Chris Keane – click to open

The Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy is headed overseas. Lukas Michel, 25, of Australia, became the first international golfer to win the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, rallying twice from 3-down deficits to defeat Joseph Deraney, 36, of Tupelo, Miss., 2 and 1, in the 36-hole final Thursday at Colorado Golf Club.

By winning the 39th playing of this national championship for players 25 years of age and older, Michel earns an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., scheduled for June 18-21.

He’s also the second Australian to claim a USGA title in 2019, joining U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gabriela Ruffels, and the 12th overall from his country to win a USGA championship.

“Being the first international to win, I mean, it’s a massive thing,” said Michel. “Being the first of anything to win something is always great, a great feeling.

“[Saying I’m a USGA champion] sounds unbelievable. It sounds almost too good to be true. Yeah, I guess it will sink in in the coming hours or days. But, yeah, I mean, I’m looking forward to what comes with it in the future for my golf.”

Over the 35 holes, Michel shot the equivalent of 4 under par, with the usual match-play concessions, and Deraney was 3 under. Since the 12th hole of the morning round, the two competitors only tied six holes.

Had it not been for a change in the World Amateur Golf Ranking™ exemption – from anyone in the top 400 to the first 30 age-eligible players in the WAGR – Michel likely would not have made the 20-plus-hour trans-Pacific flight from Melbourne to Denver.

Traveling that far for an 18-hole qualifier with limited spots didn’t make much sense, especially since Michel, currently No. 287 in the WAGR, had already been to the U.S. earlier this summer to play in the Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur and North & South Amateur. After failing to qualify for the U.S. Amateur in July, he flew home, about a month before qualifying began for the U.S. Mid-Amateur.

“American golf is the best golf in the world, there’s no question about it,” said Michel. “So coming over and playing great golf and beating a really strong field of mostly America’s best mid-amateurs. I mean, that’s everything. And the world’s best mid-amateurs now because of that new exemption criteria.

“Obviously, it makes the field stronger and harder to win and all that, but I’m obviously happy that exemption category was added. I think it makes the event stronger and I think that’s got to be a positive thing.”

“I tried to explain this yesterday and I kind of struggled,” said Michel. “I don’t know. I can’t explain it. Just all week I’ve been feeling really relaxed. It’s just felt easy, especially on the greens.

My putting has been great. So I guess when I got closer to the hole the more confident I got. It just kind of happened. But I guess it probably has something to do with the [host] family I’m staying with, looking after me really well. Just having a good night’s sleep and relaxing and enjoying it with my caddie, Will Davenport, who [did] a great job.”

Michel can rest now. A long flight back to Australia awaits, along with plenty of congratulatory text messages and voicemails. But the title is his, along with some major history.

What the Champion Receives

Lukas Michel earned the following for winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur:

  • A gold medal
  • Custody of the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy for one year
  • An exemption into the 2020 U.S. Open Championship at Winged Foot Golf Club
  • Exemptions into the next two U.S. Amateur Championships: 2020 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort and 2021 at Oakmont Country Club
  • A 10-year exemption into the U.S. Mid-Amateur: the next three sites are Kinloch Golf Club (2020), Sankaty Head Golf Club (2021) and Erin Hills (2022)
  • A likely invitation into the 2020 Masters Tournament

 

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