After a couple of good results last week with the victory by Paul Casey ($9) in Germany and the near misses by Matthias Schwab ($26) in Germany and Hiroshi Iwata ($41) in Japan we attempt to find further success this week at the PGA Tour’s opening event of the new season in White Sulphur Springs, the European Tour’s KLM Open in Amsterdam and the Women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Karl Vilips with one of his many trophies
Twenty-four players, 12 international and 12 from the United States, have qualified for the 2019 Junior Presidents Cup hosted by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and PGA TOUR, amongst them two Australians.
The event’s second edition will welcome players from 10 states, Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Korea and South Africa. South Africa will have the most representation on the International Team with five, while two Australians – Karl Vilips and Joshua Greer – will have the opportunity to compete on home soil. North Carolina and Texas will be represented by two players each on the U.S. Team.
U.S. Team qualification was determined by the Rolex AJGA Rankings, while International Team selection was based on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
Set to take place on the Melbourne Sandbelt at the famed Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the Junior Presidents Cup will kick off Presidents Cup week on Sunday and Monday, Dec. 8-9. All 24 players will compete in six Four-ball matches on Sunday morning followed by six Foursomes matches that afternoon. The Junior Presidents Cup will conclude with 12 Singles matches on Monday morning.
At No. 47 in the WAGR, Australia’s Karl Vilips qualified as the No. 1 player for the International Team. Originally from Perth, Australia, Vilips moved to Wesley Chapel, Florida, at 11 years old and has verbally committed to Stanford.
Vilips is a three-time Rolex Junior All-American and owns five AJGA titles. As a member of the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup team, Vilips recorded a 1-2 record, which included a Singles match win over Prescott Butler.
Adding to the Australian contingent at the Junior Presidents Cup is Connolly’s Josh Greer, who bookends the International Team as the last player to qualify at No. 12 in the standings.
Currently No. 408 in the WAGR, Greer won the 2019 Western Australia Amateur, finished T17 at the IMG Academy Junior World Championship and qualified for his first U.S. Junior Amateur Championship this year.
The PGA Tour’s new season begins this week when the Military Tribute at the Greenbrier gets underway at the Old White TPC at White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia.
The opening event of any PGA Tour season often carries more interest than any other event of similar standing as it offers hope for those looking to rebuild their careers or those who have gained the right to play the game’s most prestigious golf tour for the first time.
Amongst those are twelve Australasians, all of whom either have or have have had PGA Tour cards previously but no doubt keen to get their seasons off to a good start for a range of reasons.
The list is headed in terms of world ranking by Marc Leishman who has generally struggled in this event having missed three of his last four cuts at the Greenbrier and has a best of 16th in five starts.
Leishman comes off the back of a 20th place finish at the Tour Championship but just to have made it to that event suggests he is playing well enough to do well this week provided he can find a way to play this layout a little better than has been the case previously.
Cameron Smith will play this event for the first occasion and while his most recent form has hardly been spectacular it has not been bad either and he could do well.
Stuart Appleby achieved world fame when a final round of 59 saw him win this event in 2010 but he has missed all six cuts in the event since. Appleby does not enjoy PGA Tour status now but gets a start courtesy of the generosity of the sponsors as a previous winner.
Appleby has played only four events this year as a result of injury and three of those were on the Korn Ferry Tour. He is however a nine-time PGA Tour winner and so his return to the PGA Tour albeit briefly will be of interest.
New Zealand’s Danny Lee won his only PGA Tour title at the Greenbrier Classic in 2015 and was also 9th two years ago but he, too, is in the middle of a slump having a best of 81st in his last five starts. He will need to rely on some of the great memories he has of this layout to rekindle his form.
Matt Jones’ results at Greenbrier have been a roller coaster to say the least. In 2013 he finished runner-up to Jonas Blixt but that aside he has missed four of five other cuts in the event. His most recent results have been a bit of a lottery also having finished 4th at the Barbasol but missing four of five other recent cuts.
Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson, Cameron Percy and New Zealander Tim Wilkinson return to the PGA Tour courtesy of their efforts in Korn Ferry Tour events in 2019, only Wilkinson having played the event previously.
Davis and Gibson play the event for the first time, but Percy has has made four of six cuts in the event and has played well on occasions.
John Senden and Rod Pampling are both looking to resurrect their PGA Tour career, Senden fighting his way back after attending to family illness while for Pampling, having missed 16 of 19 cuts on the PGA Tour in 2019 it is a long way back for the 49 year old who is no doubt eying a career on the PGA Tour Champions if he can get there.
The final Australasian into the field in Victorian and former Australian Open winner, Steve Allan, who led the Monday qualifiers.
Allan, who was a regular on the PGA Tour for several seasons, has played just two events on the PGA Tour this season, Monday qualifying each time to get a start and he has managed to do so again.
The tournament carries a purse of US$7.5 million with a first prize of US$1.35 million.
Photo shows Stuart Appleby holing out for 59 to win in 2010
Paul Casey has survived a thrilling battle to win his second event of 2019 but his first European Tour title in five years by holding off strong final day challenges from Matthias Schwab, Robert MacIntyre and Bernd Ritthammer to win the Porsche European Open in Hamburg.
Casey was playing his first stand alone European Tour event since finishing 7th in this same event twelve months ago and needed to be at his best to survive an intriguing final day.
He did so by producing a bogey free final round of 66 but it was a near thing as all three of the runners-up had their chances to at least force a playoff.
Casey dedicated the win to two-time European Open champion Gordon Brand Jnr, whose funeral will be held tomorrow after passing away last month at the age of 60.
“I’ll be dedicating this to Gordon Brand Jnr, without question,” he said in the post round media room.
“This is an incredibly prestigious trophy with a lot of history to it on the European Tour. I’m over the moon and so happy to be Porsche European Open champion.
“I volunteered at this event at Walton Heath in 1991 – as a standard bearer – walking around the golf course. Walton Heath is not far from where I grew up as a kid, I never thought I’d be sitting here with the trophy, which is very, very cool.
“I’ve been lucky to win at Wentworth, and to win this one feels very special. We had some great players in the field, and the young players pushed us older guys right to the end.
“I’d been away from the Tour for a few years, since then I’ve had a couple of wins in the US. The Ryder Cup last year is part of the highlight package.
“I feel good about that – age is just a number. I feel as fit at 42 as I’ve ever felt. I have an understanding of my golf game and a lot of enthusiasm. I love working hard for it and the quest of being as good as I can be.”
Lucas Herbert continued the improved form he displayed last week in Switzerland by leading the Australians when finishing 22nd, Scott Hend and Min Woo Lee were 36th, Dimi Papadatos and New Zealander Ryan Fox were 60th, Jake McLeod 63rd, Harrison Endycott 64th and Adam Bland 66th.
The European Tour now moves to Amsterdam in the Netherlands for the KLM Open.
Highlights from the bogey-free 66 that saw Paul Casey return to the winner’s circle. @Paul_Casey #PEO2019 pic.twitter.com/5ZYtkr0aMC
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 8, 2019
Photo Paul Casey – courtesy of Getty Images
New Zealand’s Josh Geary has finished runner-up in a European Challenge Tour event in France, the 34-year old producing one of his well-known low rounds (64) today to finish two shots behind the winner, Sebastian Heisele.
The finish moves Geary to 12th in the Race to Mallorca standings and inside the all-important top 15 who will earn the right to play the European Tour in 2020.
Geary was playing his 10th event of the season as he chases a return to the European Tour after losing his status there following an unsuccessful 2018 season.
The runner-up at this year’s New Zealand Open behind Zach Murray has also finished runner-up on one other occasion on the Challenge Tour this season but while brilliant on occasions it is his lack of consistency that prevents Geary from becoming the player many felt he would when turning professional 12 years ago.
He has however won events in China, Australia, New Zealand and in Canada during that time and is known for producing some very low rounds throughout his career.
Geary led the event through 36 holes but on the low scoring Golf Bluegreen de Pleneuf Val Andre in Pleneuf, a third round of 70 saw him begin the final round three behind Heisele.
Geary, playing two groups ahead of Heisele, briefly took the lead with an eagle on the 11th hole but the 31-year-old duly responded with birdies on the 10th, 11th and 13th and despite a dropped shot on the 14th hole he would stand on the 18th tee needing just a par to secure his first Challenge Tour victory.
He made no mistake, hitting his approach to within a foot of the cup to ensure a tap in was all that was required to be crowned the 2019 Open de Bretagne champion.
Ben Eccles was the only Australian in the field, the former NSW Open and Amateur Champion finishing 55th.
Seven events remain on the European Challenge Tour for this season, culminating with the Tour Championship in Mallorca in early November.
A day to remember for @SHeisele
Recap all the action from the final day of the #OpendeBretagne pic.twitter.com/0nJkiS7qHj
— Challenge Tour (@Challenge_Tour) September 8, 2019
Photo Josh Geary – file
Korea’s Sang Hyun Park has today won his second Japan Golf Tour title nearly three years after his first with a two-shot victory in this week’s Fujisankei Classic west of Tokyo.
Park came from four shots off the 54-hole pace set by his fellow Korean Ho Sung Choi and American Chan Kim, a bogey free final round of 65 seeing him home by two over Choi and Hiroshi Iwata, a former winner of the event.
Kim finished alone in 4th place, one shot ahead of Ryo Ishikawa who was looking to win this event for the third occasion.
The 36-year old, Park, has won another six titles on the Korean PGA Tour.
It was not a particularly good week for the Australasians in the field, rookie Dylan Perry doing the best when he finished tied for 24th. Perry recovered from his third round of 74 to finish with 69 and he moves to 59th on the money list for this season.
New Zealander Michael Hendry was 32nd, Brendan Jones 40th and Matthew Griffin and Won Joon Lee 50th.
The Japan Golf Tour will now play the ANA Open in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Photo Dylan Perry – file
Scotland’s impressive European Tour rookie, Robert MacIntyre, has taken the lead at the halfway stage of the Porsche European Open in Hamburg, the 23 year old’s round of 65 today moving him four shots clear of the field.
McIntyre has yet to win on the European Tour but he has been twice runner-up this year and gained a lot of further admirers for his 6th place finish at the Open Championship six weeks ago.
Four shots behind is Germany’s Bernd Ritthammer, who delighted the home crowds with a six under par round of 66 to reach a seven under par total. He is two strokes ahead of the trio of first round leader, Paul Casey, Guido Migliozzi and Matthias Schwab.
It’s probably the best I’ve driven the ball this year,” said MacIntyre. “It’s not just going straight, it’s going miles. I don’t know what I’m doing but it’s working, and I’ll try and continue to do it.
“I’ve changed quite a few things over the season to improve. Dave, my coach, is on the bag this week, he’s doing a great job off the course when I’m at home and doing the right things. It’s great to see the reward.
“It’s going to be tough, especially when it’s the first time that I’ve got such a lead – whether on the Challenge Tour or here on the European Tour – I’ll have to learn from this experience. I’m doing the right things on the course and the right things off the course, I’m nice and relaxed. Everything at home has been brilliant, so I’m in the right mindset for going out this weekend.”
Casey may yet be the man to beat, however, recovering from a slow start to his day to be round in 73 and although six behind the leader is well enough placed to better his 7th place in the event last year.
The Australians are led by tournament invite, Harrison Endycott, who has been playing in South America for much of this year. The Sydney golfer double-bogeyed his final hole today but he is in a share of 20th place at 1 under and ten shots from McIntyre’s lead.
Lucas Herbert and Scott Hend are at even par, Minwoo Lee at 1 over, Jake McLeod and Dimi Papdatos at 2 over and Adam Bland and New Zealander Ryan Fox just making the weekend field at 3 over.
Harrison Endycott – file – courtesy of Golf NSW
Top photo Robert McIntyre – Getty Images
Dylan Perry heads the Australians through 36 holes of the Fujisankei Classic at the Fujizakura Golf Club west of Tokyo, the Japan Tour rookie in a share of 13th place although nine shots behind the joint leaders, Ho Sung Choi of Korea and American Chan Kim.
24 year old, Perry, originally from the Hunter Valley of NSW but these days based at Sanctuary Cove in Queensland, turned professional last November but had status on both the Australasian and Japan Tours within just a few weeks.
Perry is currently in 60th place on the Japan Tour money list so his focus over the next few weeks will be to retain his status on the Japan Tour for 2020 and he has made a very good start this week to do just that.
Perry finished 8th in the opening event of the season in Japan but has missed the cut in his last three starts so this is an important week in which to take advantage of a good start.
New Zealander Michael Hendry is tied for 19th one shot behind Perry, Brendan Jones in 30th place another shot behind while Won Joon Lee and Mathew Griffin just made the cut on the number.
The leaders Choi and Kim lead by four over Gunn Charoenkul, who is, in turn, three shots ahead of the trio in 4th place.
Photo Getty Images
Despite his tremendous success internationally, England’s Paul Casey has not won on the European Tour for nearly five years but playing in this week’s Porsche European Open he has taken a significant step to changing that.
Casey’s opening round of 66 in the event being played in Hamburg, has given the 42 year old a one shot lead over the in form Matthias Schwab on a cold breezy day in the north of Germany.
Casey played late in the day on day one and, after a relatively slow start, his closing nine of 5 under 33 gave him the lead although Schwab, who has been recorded top ten finishes in his last two events, had his chances to take a share of the lead over the closing nine holes.
Casey who finished 3rd at the recent Tour Championship in the US has focused much of his attention in the US in recent years but he is a prolific winner of titles in Europe, the last of those coming when winning the KLM Open in The Netherlands in 2014.
Casey, who finished 7th in this event last year, was delighted with the round and described it as one of his best this year.
“It was a really good round of golf,” said Casey. “There were a couple of putts that slipped by, but that is such a difficult golf course. I was happy with the patience I was showing and the quality of strike, considering I hadn’t played well in the Pro-Am.
“Now I stand here happier. The score doesn’t really do it justice – that’s one of the finest rounds of golf I’ve played this year.”
220 yards ➡️ 4ft@Paul_Casey ties the lead 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/8crWt1r9zZ
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) September 5, 2019
Australian, Lucas Herbert, picked up from where he left off in his final round of 66 in Switzerland last week to open with a round of 69 today and is tied for 6th and three from the lead.
Herbert is currently in 110th place in the Race to Dubai standings and needs to retain or better that position in order to hold on to his European Tour playing rights for next season.
He has, it would appear, found something in his game as, after a series of indifferent months of tournament play, he is putting together some good golf.
He leads the Australians, South Australian Adam Bland the next best after his round of 71 while Jake McLeod and tournament invite, Harrison Endycott, are 23rd after their rounds of even par 72.
Lucas Herbert
It is a relatively quiet week in the world of tournament golf this week with just two events available on most betting agencies. We focus on the European Tour’s Porsche European Open in Hamburg and the Fujisankei Classic in Japan.
Photo shows two time winner of the Fujisankei Classic Ryo Ishikawa