Can Australia Make it a US Amateur Double at Pinehurst

David Micheluzzi – the leading ranked Australasian

Six Australians and one New Zealander will tee it up in the 36-hole qualifying phase of the US Amateur Championship beginning at Pinehurst No 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina this evening Australian time.

Following on from the outstanding performance of Gabi Ruffels to win the US Women’s Amateur Championship in Mississippi last week, Australasian hopes have been raised as they search for their 4th win in the event with Nick Flanagan, Danny Lee and Curtis Luck previous winners from this part of the world.

Victoria’s David Micheluzzi leads the Australasians in terms of world standing, currently in 3rd place in the world amateur ranking followed by Blake Windred at # 11 and New Zealander Daniel Hillier at # 26.

That trio will be joined by Karl Vilips, Jordan Garner, Josh Armstrong and Jack Trent.

Micheluzzi was 3rd at the recent Amateur Championship at Portmarnock and is considered a special talent having finished 5th at last year’s Australian Open behind Abraham Ancer.

Windred was recently runner-up at the Pacific Coast Amateur in New Mexico and finished 3rd at the PGA Tour of Australasia’s 2018 NSW Open.

Hillier is a two-time NZ Amateur Champion and in June of this year played his way into the field for the US Open at Pebble Beach where, despite missing the cut, performed with distinction.

Pinehurst # 2 has proven a happy hunting ground for New Zealanders with both Danny Lee and Michael Campbell winning their respective US Amateur and US Open titles.

The stroke-play phase of the contest involves 312 players teeing it up over both the Pinehurst #2 and #4 layouts in the hope of securing a place in the leading 64 who will advance to the match-play.

Sunday’s 36 hole final is to be played over both courses.

Consider this however. Of those 312 who have made it this far they form part of an initial entry list of 7,191 with handicaps of 2.4 or better

Just to have made it into the field therefore is an achievement in itself, never mind making it beyond the stroke-play phase.

 

Pinehurst # 2 – the 16th hole courtesy of USGA

 

 

/by

Rhein Gibson and Tim Wilkinson return to PGA Tour

Rhein Gibson

Australian Rhein Gibson and New Zealander Tim Wilkinson will return to the PGA Tour next season following the completion of regular tour season events on the Korn Ferry Tour at this week’s Portland Open.

Gibson finished this week’s event in 11th place and as a result will complete his regular season in 10th place in the standings on the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour (previously the Web.Com Tour).

Gibson, from Lismore in Northern NSW, played the PGA Tour in 2017 before returning to the then Web.Com Tour in 2018 but is back to the big stage when the new season rolls around in two month’s time.

The leading 25 players will receive PGA Tour cards for next season and so while Gibson’s fate was already established prior to this week Wilkinson had an anxious wait after missing the cut in Portland to ride out the permutations of the final day and regain the PGA Tour status he has enjoyed previously.

He would eventually finish 24th in the rankings and is heading back to the PGA Tour which he played previously in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He has been back on the Korn Ferry Tour since so this provides another opportunity for the 41-year old.

Gibson and Wilkinson will be buoyed by their graduation to the PGA Tour but for Victorian, Brett Coletta, it was week which might have been.

Heading into the week, Coletta was in 25th place in the rankings and on the cusp of gaining his first PGA Tour card.

Unfortunately for Coletta he would bogey five of his last seven holes on Friday to miss the cut and, eventually, his PGA Tour card by two spots.

Coletta, along with fellow Victorian Cameron Percy, NSW’s Jamie Arnold and New Zealander Steve Alker will be required to compete in the three event Korn Ferry Finals in their quest to gain PGA Tour status.

If they can finish in the leading 25 players of that stand alone money list then they too would play the PGA Tour next season.

 

 

/by

Adam Scott improves to 5th at Northern Trust Open

Adam Scott file photo

Adam Scott’s final round of 65, the equal best of the day at the Northern Trust Open at Liberty National in New Jersey, has improved him from an overnight 17th to a 5th place finish in the opening event of the Fedex Cup playoffs.

Scott has also improved his Fedex Cup standing from 21st to 14th as the series heads to Chicago for next week’s BMW Championship.

Scott had won at Liberty National previously when successful in this event’s equivalent in 2013 and again displayed his liking for the layout with four rounds in the 60’s including his round of 6 under today.

Scott heads to the BMW Championship with his game in great shape with the chance to stake his claim for even higher honours in the FedEx Cup.

“I hit the ball well today. Much better than the first three days,” said Scott.

I worked on a couple things in the warm-up today and that worked out nicely. It was a good day to hit it well because the greens, the pins were a little tougher, and you didn’t want to have to be scrambling too much.

“I kind of took advantage of most of the good shots, but a couple on 14 and 15 that I might regret missing, but all in all, it was really good, and now I’m going to go into next week kind of knowing that I’m probably at East Lake and have a crack next week.”

Scott finished as the leading Australian by some margin this week, Matt Jones the next best when he finished 30th and Cameron Smith 59th.

Scott, along Jason Day and Marc Leishman, who both missed the cut this week, are the only three Australians who get to play the BMW Championship, Smith dropping to 84th and Jones 91st in the standings with only the top 70 heading to Chicago.

IFrame

/by

Gabriela Ruffels is the US Women’s Amateur Champion

US born Australian, Gabriela Ruffels, completed a remarkable week at the US Women’s Amateur in Mississippi, birdies at three of her last four holes under the most intense of pressure allowing the 19-year old Victorian to become Australia’s first US Women’s Amateur Champion.

Ruffel’s 36-hole final match against Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela was one of the closest fought in the history of the contest, the match tied at lunch after the opening 18 holes and only 1 hole between the pair over the final round.

The match was tied through 29 holes but when Valenzuela birdied the 30th she would take a 1 up lead into the final six holes.

Ruffels, though, would birdie the 33rd to square the match and then birdied the 35th to take a one-hole lead to the last.

Ruffels converted a downhill, right to left curling 14-foot birdie putt on the 36th green at Old Waverly Golf Club to clinch the title which she need to do as her opponent was facing only a six foot putt for birdie herself.

Ruffels is not only the first Australian to win this championship and is also is the 11th player from her country to win a USGA championship, joining the likes of Karrie Webb, Minjee Lee, Jan Stephenson and David Graham, Minwoo Lee and Geoff Ogilvy.

“I don’t really know yet, it’s been kind of a blur the last kind of 20 minutes,” said Ruffels of her mindset shortly after her victory. “But this is amazing. This is what you dream of as a kid when you start playing golf. This is the biggest championship in amateur golf. I’m still speechless.”

Ruffels has gone ahead in leaps and bounds since heading to the US to attend the University of Southern California where she has quickly settled into the collegiate system.

“I think I can credit that to my USC team actually,” added the winner when asked about the elevation in her game which has included a victory at the North and South Amateur Championship earlier this year.

“We just included last year Malia Nam as a sixth person, and five people travel, so there was a lot of competition between us at school. I think we’re all ranked maybe in the top 80 in WAGR, so there was definitely a lot of competition to go and travel, and we all push each other so much.

“And having that pressure to make the team, especially with all these great players around I think has pushed me to a new level and has made me try and work harder and harder, and I think I can credit that.”

For winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur, Ruffels receives a gold medal and custody of the Robert Cox Trophy for one year. Her name also will be on a plaque in the Hall of Champions at the USGA Golf Museum that will commemorate all of the USGA champions for 2019.

She also earns a 10-year exemption into the U.S. Women’s Amateur as well as an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas. She also earns an invitation to next April’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur as well as invitations to the ANA Inspiration, Women’s British Open and Evian championships, provided she is still an amateur.”

The finalists – Ruffels left and Valenzuela ahead of today’s match – courtesy of USGA Steve Gibbons

 

/by

Gabi Ruffels chasing Australian golfing history in US

Gabi Ruffels – courtesy of USGA Steve Gibbons
Later this evening Australian time, 19 year old Gabriela Ruffels will look to create history in Australian golf when she looks to become the first ever Australian woman to win the world of amateur golf’s most significant female US Amateur Championship, the US Women’s Amateur Championship.

Ruffels defeated the world’s second highest ranked female, Andrea Lee, in Saturday’s semi-final, bouncing back from an early deficit to be 3 up through 13 holes before Lee staged a fightback.

Birdies by Lee at the 14th and 17th (from 15 feet to keep the match going) saw the match head to the 18th hole with Ruffels ahead by just one hole but the University of Southern California University star managed to birdie the last to win 2 up.

Tomorrow Ruffels faces Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela in a 36-hole final.

Valenzuela, the 2017 Women’s Amateur runner-up, and Ruffels, the winner of last month’s North & South Women’s Amateur at Pinehurst, are each seeking to win their country’s first US Women’s Amateur title. Lindy Goggin (1981) and Anne-Marie Knight (1995) are the only Australians to previously advance to the title match.

I was actually kind of surprised early,” said Ruffels of Lee, a player she beat last October, 2 and 1, to secure the East Lake Cup for USC in the final against Stanford.

“I knew that she didn’t have her best stuff today, but I knew that she was clutch and that she was going to come in pretty strong. On 17, I knew she was going to make that putt. She does that stuff. I knew I just kind of had to keep calm, keep my head down, stay patient, and that’s what I did.”

On 18, after Ruffels knocked her 7-iron approach from 156 yards to 9 feet, Lee’s shot from the fairway landed 22 feet above the flagstick, leaving a tricky birdie attempt.

She took plenty of time studying the line, getting assistance from dad/caddie James before sending the putt 6 feet by the hole. Ruffels carefully trundled her attempt to 3 feet, and when Lee couldn’t make the comebacker for par, she conceded the match.

“I’ve never played a 36-hole final but starting the week this is where you want to be,” said Ruffels, whose victory over fellow Australian Doey Choi in the North & South final was over 18 holes. “No complaints. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”

Ruffels’ University of Southern California coach, Justin Silverstein, is serving as Ruffels’ caddie.

 

/by

Ruffels into semi finals at US Women’s AM

Ruffels with mother Anna Maria after today’s win – courtesy of USGA / Steve Gibbons

Victorian, Gabriela Ruffels, has advanced to the semi-finals of the US Women’s Amateur Championship, reeling off a powerful finishing burst to defeat American Kenzie Wright in her quarter-final match today.

The 19-year old was facing defeat when losing a 1-hole lead at the turn to go 1 down through 14 holes but birdies at her final three holes saw her take the match 2&1.

Ruffels reached the shortened par-5 15th hole (450 yards) in two and deftly rolled her 40-foot birdie putt to a foot for a conceded birdie to tie the match.

Then on 16, she stuffed her 6-iron approach to a couple feet for another conceded birdie and a 1-up lead and completed the run by hitting her tee shot on the par-3 17th to 18 feet to set up another birdie.

“I was just telling myself, this is good for you to be in a pressure situation,” said Ruffels, who had not gone past the 15th hole in any of her three previous matches. “It’s good to see how you handle it. I didn’t want to shy away from it; I just kind of took it head on and did pretty well.”

Ruffels will now face American, Andrea Lee, who is the number two world-ranked female amateur, is a two-time Curtis Cup team member and is about to enter her senior year at Stanford University.

Lee easily accounted for her Curtis Cup teammate, 16 year old Lucy Li in her quarter-final match and having reached the semis of the US Amateur three years ago she brings both credential and experience to the looming semi-final encounter.

Ruffels, though, is in the middle of a purple patch of form of late having won the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst recently, ensuring tomorrow’s encounter shapes as an intriguing battle.

It won’t be the first time Ruffels and Lee have squared off in a match. Ruffels beat Lee in last year’s East Lake Cup in Atlanta. “It was a great match. I mean, I know she’s one of the best players in amateur golf right now, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun,” said Ruffels.

/by

Gabriela Ruffels impresses at US Women’s Am

Gabriela Ruffels – courtesy of USGA

Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels has blasted her way into the quarter-finals of the US Women’s Amateur at the Old Waverly Golf Club in Mississippi following impressive wins in her Round of 32 and Round of 16 matches today.

Ruffels, who finished 6th in the stroke-play qualifying earlier in the week, easily accounted for American, Haylin Harris, in her morning encounter and her afternoon match was an even more comfortable affair, winning over well-credentialed, Californian Brooke Seay, by a massive 6&4 margin.

19-year old Ruffels had won her opening round match yesterday with an easy 5&4 victory and in tomorrow’s quarter-finals she will play Korean Min A Yoon.

Other Australians to have made the match-play phase of women amateur golf’s most significant championship, Doey Choi and Stephanie Kyriacou, were bundled out in round one.

An Australian has yet to win the US Women’s Amateur Championship, Tasmania’s, Lindy Goggin, and South Australian, Anne Marie Knight, having finished runner-up in earlier years.

Ruffles, the daughter of former Australian tennis star Ray, is also the brother of another young golfing talent Ryan.

Both of her parents, Ray Ruffels and Anna-Maria Fernandez, played tennis professionally. Ray was a mixed doubles finalist in the 1978 US Open and Wimbledon with Hall of Famer Billie Jean King, and was a three-time singles semifinalist at the Australian Open.

/by

Tiger Asks Joe And Vice Versa

Really nice relaxed banter here between Tiger Woods and caddie, Joe LaCava, for GolfTV ahead of this week’s Northern Trust Open.

Seemingly great rapport between the two.

Enjoy

Visit GOLFTV to learn more about PGA TOUR programming and exclusive content from Tiger Woods.

 

 

/by

Golf Betting for events beginning August 8th

This week three events come under scrutiny from a betting perspective, the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust Open, the LPGA Tour’s Ladies Scottish Open and the Korn Ferry Tour’s Portland Open.

I take a look at the events and give my thoughts on some of the chances and explain why they have caught my eye.

Click below

/by

Gabriela Ruffels heads Australians at US Women’s Am

Three Australians have advanced to the match-play phase of the US Women’s Amateur Championship at the Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point in Mississippi, Victorian, Gabriela Ruffels, heading the way after she finished in a share of 5th place.

Ruffels will be joined by NSW’s golfers Doey Choi (21st) and Stephanie Kyriacou (54th) in the field of 64 golfers who will now face off in the knockout phase over the next few days.

Other Australians in the field, Becky Kay, Jessica Whitting, Amelia Grohn and Sue Wooster all missed the cut in the 36-hole stroke-play contest.

Ruffels, a sophomore at the University of Southern California, recorded a round of 68 today to easily play her way into the next stage of the championship and will play the 59th seed, Shaebug Scarberry, in tomorrow’s round of 64.

Ruffels has been in excellent form in recent weeks winning the prestigious North and South Amateur at Pinehurst last month and is excited about what lies ahead.

“I love match play,” she said today. “I just won the North & South [Women’s Amateur] a couple weeks ago and I really enjoy match play, especially coming from a tennis background, kind of that one-on-one. So we’ll see how it goes.”

“You’ve just got to hit your spots. I don’t think it’s too long. I was talking to my coach [at USC, Justin Silverstein], I think you’ve just got to stay patient, pick your holes that you want to be aggressive on but then kind of lay off on the harder holes. Yeah, I feel like I did a pretty good job of that.”

No Australian has won the US Women’s Amateur Championship in its more than 120-year history, Lindy Goggin and Anne Marie Knight doing best when they finished runner-up in 1981 and 1995 respectively.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko won the event in 2012.

Gabriela Ruffels

/by