Daniel Gale wins second title of Australasian Tour season


Daniel Gale – image Australian Golf Media 
Adelaide-born New South Welshman, Daniel Gale, today added a third PGA Tour of Australasian title and his second of the season with a narrow one-shot victory over Victorian amateur Phoenix Campbell at this week’s Webex Player Series Hunter Valley with New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori producing the best round of the day (65) to race into contention before finishing alone in 3rd place.

Gale holed a curling birdie putt at the last to edge clear of Campbell who was also chasing his second PGA Tour title of the season after winning the Queensland PGA Championship in November.

Gale, whose previous victories came at the PNG Open in 2018 and the 2023 NTPGA Championship, was locked in a see-sawing battle with Campbell for much of the final round after Campbell had led the weather-delayed event into the final round.

Kobori, who has won three of his previous five PGA Tour of Australasia events, appeared as if he might make it a fourth victory when overcoming an early double bogey to move within one of the lead when he birdied six holes in an eight-hole stretch up to and including the 13th hole.

Campbell took the lead when Gale bogeyed the 11th and 13th holes but birdies at the 16th and 18th saw Gale take the $A45,000 first-place cheque.

Elvis Smylie recorded his best finish of the season when he birdied his final three holes for a round of 66 and 4th place.

Gale moved into 4th place on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit but effectively 3rd given the leader Min Woo Lee will not play the required minimum of four events and with just two events remaining, including the lucrative New Zealand Open, he has opened the door for one of the three DP World Tour cards on offer at season’s end.

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Amateur Phoenix Campbell leads Hunter Valley event

Phoenix Campbell – file photo Australian Golf Media 

Brilliant amateur Phoenix Campbell has continued his meteoric rise in the game by taking the lead at the Webex Player Series Hunter Valley at the Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort.

Campbell, who already had a PGA Tour of Australasia title to his name having produced a come-from-behind victory at the Queensland PGA Championship in November was also the winner of the Master of the Amateurs title in January.

The 22-year-old Victorian today followed up his brilliant opening round of 61 with a round of 66 to finish one shot ahead of Daniel Gale whose round of 62 was the best of day two, while Western Australia’s Jess Whiting is another two shots back in the mixed gender event.

Campbell’s co-first-round leader Tunrada Piddon of Thailand is another shot back in 4th place following her second round of 70.

But once again the shadow of New Zealand’s Kazumi Kobori looms large as the event enters the weekend. Kobori added a second consecutive round of 66 to be at 8 under and five behind Campbell as he chases his fourth PGA Tour of Australasia title in six starts.

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Davis and Day begin well at Genesis Invitational


Cam Davis – file photo Golf Australia

Australians Cam Davis and Jason Day are within just one shot of Patrick Cantlay’s lead at the US$20 million ‘Signature event’ Genesis Invitational after both recorded opening rounds of 65 at the Riviera Country Club in the beachside suburbs of Los Angeles.

Davis played two hours earlier than Day and made a slow start with a bogey at the second hole but then added seven birdies and a back nine of 31.

Davis has played this event on four previous occasions for a best of 43rd but took advantage of the comparatively benign early conditions and smooth greens to overcome his slow start.

“I mean, front nine, honestly, I didn’t hit the ball super great today,” said the Seattle based Sydney golfer.

“It was a weird round, like I really built it slowly I felt like. I was surprised how many birdies I made on the back nine when I turned around on 18 and saw what I shot because I wasn’t really aware of where I was, I thought I was just cruising 2, 3, 4 under, something like that.

“Made a lot of really nice putts, a lot of nice up-and-downs, kept the scorecard really clean for the most part. Yeah, when the greens are as pure as they are, it’s really nice to get the ball rolling.”

Despite his poor record at the venue till now Davis enjoys the Riviera Country Club.

“Honestly, I keep coming back here just telling myself I love this place and just hoping it treats me well. Last few years I’ve come out here I felt there’s been some days I hit it well, but for the most part just never really kept it clean all the way around the golf course. I’ve had some nice stretches, but just never really felt like I kept it clean with my misses around the greens, that’s the biggest part.

“Obviously, it’s important to hit the fairways, but the lies in the rough are not bad. I think just this year maybe a little more attention to where a good miss is rather than always trying to get on the green and close to the pin. Just a little bit different head space, maybe slightly more conservative when I’ve hit a poor tee shot, but at the same time good putting kind of turns every round into a much better score than you feel like you’ve hit it.

“The start to the year’s been a little slow, but I haven’t really had a lot of poor rounds, it’s just been a lot of kind of milling around in the background on the leaderboard while everyone else is tearing it up.

“So I’m hoping my little trend upwards up the leaderboard can continue. I did play a lot of nice golf at Pebble. Yeah, no, obviously would just love to keep this going and keep playing the golf that I’m playing right now because I think that could lead to some better things.”

Day also took a while to get his round moving forward but he birdied six of his last twelve holes to record a round that could improve an ordinary record around this golf course.

In six previous starts Day has just the one top ten, that coming when 9th last year when he also produced a round of 65 on the final day. He had however a best of 62nd in his previous five starts.

“In my early days I disliked this golf course. Like it’s very easy to dislike it if you kind of get out of position and you can’t run something up to the green because it just kind of sticks at the front.

“If you’re coming out of the rough and it lands on the green, it goes over the back. And if you don’t, you get frustrated and you’re like I don’t like this golf course. One of two things had to change, I either wouldn’t play here or you just have to change your attitude a little bit.

“I think changing that mindset and that attitude saying that this is one of my favourite stops on the — of the year, because it is a tremendous golf course. Rich history from like some of the greats that have played the Tour have played here and won here. And it is, when you get down to it, it’s one of the golf courses that has held up over time, especially with kind of the land that we have. So, for me to try and change that mindset, that attitude was huge. Obviously I’ve found some success, which is good

Day was asked about the enjoyment he is now able to get from putting in the work that previous body issues prevented him from doing.

“Yeah, 100 percent right. I think there were times where I would — wouldn’t really practice Monday, wouldn’t really practice Tuesday, just try and get through the pro-am and just go, OK, if I can get through Thursday and Friday, then great.

“To be able to kind of get that back in the rearview mirror now where I can kind of focus on actually practicing and putting good work in, it’s been nice because for a moment there I just didn’t know if it was really going to pan out for me and I thought maybe it’s kind of like I’m at the end of it in regards to my playing days.

“But it was nice to be able to kind of put that work in, see the body react the way it has and be able to practice and like through time and effort, that’s when the good play starts to come back.”

Adam Scott was the only other Australian in the 70 player field and finished with a round of 72.

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Adam Scott resumes love affair with Riviera Country Club


Adam Scott – file photo Golf Australia

The PGA Tour’s third Signature Series event of 2024, the Genesis Invitational, begins on Thursday at the famed Riviera Country Club in the suburbs of Los Angeles with three Australians included in the line-up for the US$20 million event.

Jason Day, Adam Scott and Cam Davis are those three players with Scott, in particular, an excellent performer in the event having been a two-time winner and twice runner-up. The first of his victories came in 2005 when the event was reduced to 36 holes but he would finish runner-up in 2006 and 2016 before completing a second win and his most recent PGA Tour victory in 2020.

Given the restricted nature of the fields for such events, Scott has had to rely on an invite to the event but is very much aware of just what this event and the venue have meant to him.

“Well, it’s always a highlight of my year playing here,” he said in Wednesday’s interview. “I love this track and I love this event. I’m lucky enough to have won it twice and it’s my favourite event I play on tour, so I’m so thankful to be a sponsor’s invite this week and get the chance to have another go around Riviera at the Genesis.

“I can’t remember exactly when the last sponsor’s invite was. I mean, I probably have been invited to a tournament in Asia or something like that throughout the years, but on the Tour, it’s been a while, that’s for sure.

“I’m of the view that these invitations are unrestricted to the sponsors and they can invite whoever they want and that’s up to them. So I feel lucky that I’ve got one of them. If I didn’t, then, you know, I didn’t qualify. So that’s how it goes.

“I don’t expect to get invited to every tournament that I ask for either, but I am very happy to be here. Like I said, this is an event I look forward to very much. It’s my favourite track of the year and hopefully make the most of it.”

Riviera Country Club has been good to Australian golfers as not only have Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley won here previously in addition to Scott’s wins but Steve Elkington won his one and only major here in 1995 when defeating Colin Montgomerie at the PGA Championship. Scott is aware of the Australian connection.

“I don’t think too many people would argue that it’s a great designed golf course, but there are other things to me. Obviously, I’ve played nicely here, so I have good feelings about that. I have feelings like I’m in Australia when I play the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th holes.

“The eucalyptus trees kind of smell like it does in Australia, the grass is similar, the weather can be similar as well, nice weather here in L.A. You know, I just have this certain level of comfort. There’s more than just purely a great golf course for me.”

Scott made mention of some health issues he has had of late but despite this and the enforced extended playing time in Phoenix, he feels he is in good enough shape for another good week this week after finishing tied for 8th place last week.

“I haven’t been 100 percent healthy the last few weeks, so last week was a bit of a challenge because I played like 30 holes on Friday and 30 holes on Sunday. There’s no doubt like I was feeling my left hip felt a bit tired like going into the last nine.

“The fact of the matter is I’m not 25 anymore, but I’m still in pretty good shape. I’m not complaining about it, I made it and I played well, but there is the reality of some age things. Recovery is important as well.

“I don’t practice quite as much as I did 10 years ago either, so it’s all a bit of a balance. Fortunately, I was in good enough health to get through last week. 3 Hopefully, I’ve got some in the tank for this week, too.”

Now a member of the PGA Tour’s Policy Board at a time when things are changing quickly, Scott is aware of just how much of an impact his involvement might have on his playing career and is treating such with caution.

“Yeah, I think we have to be aware that we have another job and to play high level golf, you need to put a lot into that. And that includes time for the brain to rest and recover as well.

“I think everyone involved at the PGA TOUR and including SSG are grateful to the guys who have put in so much time and are hoping that it won’t require as much time going forward.”

When asked his motivation for becoming more involved in the politics of the Tour, Scott responded;

“When I put myself up for — to be elected as chairman of the PAC, which puts you on the policy board, that was back in January last year.

“At that time the Signature Events had kind of been put in place and I was quite interested to be involved in the evolution of the competitions at the PGA TOUR and how the Signature Events might evolve in the competition and the FedExCup.

“I felt like I had a perspective that I could share and be helpful at the Board level with how that goes. Little did I know that I would get involved in some business deals and other things like that, but that was my motivation for going on the Board. I felt like I could be a positive contributor in that sense.”

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Kazuma Kobori makes it three from five at Webex Players Series Sydney


Kazuma Kobori – image Australian Golf Media 

In just ten starts in his short professional career New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori has now won three PGA Tour of Australasia events and recorded three other top tens to make a remarkable start in the paid ranks.

The 22-year-old from north of Christchurch today won his third title in his last five starts with a one-shot win over South Korean Jenny Shin in the mixed-gender Webex Series Sydney at Castle Hill Country Club in the northeastern suburbs of Sydney.

Kobori will move into second place on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit but essentially to all intents he is actually on top, as the current leader, Min Woo Lee, is sure not to play the required minimum of four events to qualify for Order of Merit standing.

The A$170,000 he has earned since the decision to turn professional in late October will also provide a great boost in the early stages of his career.

Kobori began the final day tied with Shin, NSW’s Harrison Crowe, and fellow New Zealander Kerry Mountcastle, and with an outward nine of 31 he had a stranglehold on the lead which he would not relinquish.

Current New Zealand Open holder, Brendan Jones, threw out a strong final round challenge to get within one of Kobori but the eventual winner was mistake-free over the closing stages and held on to win over Shin who birdied her final two holes to move into outright second place with Jones another shot away in 3rd place alone.

For Kobori the win comes just three weeks ahead of the New Zealand Open in Queenstown an event in which he finished 6th last year behind Jones so Kobori is firming as one of the favourites to take his national title at Millbrook Resort starting on February 29th.

The All Abilities event was again won by Cameron Pollard and the Juniors by Harry Whitelock.

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Dustin Johnson claims third LIV Golf title


Dustin Johnson – image courtesy of LIV Golf 

Dustin Johnson added a third LIV Golf title with a one-shot victory in the LIV Golf Las Vegas event at the Las Vegas Country Club.

Johnson, a two-time winner and four times runner-up in major golf events, has been a member of the LIV Golf League since its inception in mid-2022, and today added to his Sept 2022 victories in Boston and his win in Tulsa last May by converting his share of the 36 hole lead into victory.

Johnson won by one over Peter Uihlein and 2023 sensation Talor Gooch after recovering from a mid-round slump in which he dropped three shots around the turn to birdie three holes late in the round to claim the title.

At one stage during the final round 6 players were tied in the lead at 10 under but on a cold and windy day, it became a case of the last man standing as would-be contenders fell by the wayside.

“Yeah, from the start, from the first tee, I know obviously conditions were going to be very difficult,” said Johnson.

“A lot of really good players right around the lead. Playing with Bryson and Jon, it was going to be a tough day. It was going to be a fight all day, especially with the conditions.

“The golf course played really difficult, and I had a really tough time early just figuring out the wind and how much it was going to move the ball.

“But yeah, kind of hung around there, and then obviously played really good my last seven, eight holes.”

Johnson who will have a start at the Masters as a past champion is finding form less than two months from the first major of the year.

“Yeah, the game is feeling in really good form for this early in the year, and so I’m excited for the rest of the year. Obviously still got a lot of work to do. Take a couple days off, probably Sunday, Monday, and then get back to work on Tuesday.

“Obviously got a big stretch coming up with Saudi, Hong Kong, come back, Doral, and then the Masters. I want to be in good form for the foreseeable future at least. Got a lot of big tournaments.”

New LIV recruit, Jon Rahm, got into a share of the lead at one stage before two late bogeys cost him the chance of a first LIV Golf victory.

Cam Smith was again the leading Australian but after getting within two shots of the lead at one stage today he dropped three shots late in his round to eventually finish in a share of 15th, one shot ahead of Marc Leishman.

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Barron and Endycott featuring in Qatar Masters


Haydn Barron – file photo Australian Golf Media

West Australian Haydn Barron is playing his rookie season on the DP World Tour after gaining his playing rights at Q School late last year and after a relatively slow start to his season, he has the lead at the halfway mark of the Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club.

The 28 year old who has recorded two runner-up finishes in lesser events on the PGA Tour of Australasia, did record a 4th place finish behind Adrian Meronk at the 2022 Australian Open and earned a start at the Open Championship last year as a result.

This week however he has the opportunity to produce something even more significant after rounds of 68 and 67 have him one ahead of fellow Australian Harrison Endycott who, despite owning playing rights on the PGA Tour, is taking advantage of invites to events on the DP World Tour to consolidate and broaden his career.

Sharing second place with Endycott is Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino who finished runner-up in both the Australian Open and PGA Championships late last year.

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier is another two shots back in a share of 6th place.

“It’s a beast of a golf course,” Barron told DP World Tour. “You’ve really got to strike it well, got to be in the fairway and sometimes just got to hit it into the middle of the greens and take your 60-70 footers if you are out of position.

“So it’s definitely a course which requires a bit of wit and some smarts, and luckily (caddie) Matty (Miller) has been good on the bag and we left ourselves some good numbers.”

Endycott, who regained his playing rights for the PGA Tour by leading the Tour School last December is taking advantage of the opportunity to play events on the European schedule. A new category allowing players finishing between 126th and 200 on last year’s FedEx Cup table provides a category in Europe for such players.

“It’s great to be able to play over here on the DP World Tour,” said the Sydney golfer. “I haven’t had a load of chances to play over here on this tour, but every time I have, I’ve really enjoyed it. I’d like to play a bit of both on my schedule this year. The way golf is, the States does get to some players, especially me, a bit repetitive, and to mix it up with another schedule, this is a global game and to be able to play around the world, it’s all I dreamed of as a kid.

“Now I’m in that position where I get to play all around the world, see amazing places and play in all new cultures. I’m really excited for this year, I’m going to see all new places that I haven’t seen before and go back to some places that I have seen. That’s what’s really exciting about 2024.”

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Kazuma Kobori at it again in Sydney


Kobori – chance for a third title from ten professional starts – image Australian Golf Media 

New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori continues his outstanding run in the early stages of his professional career and at the halfway stage of the Webex Players Series event at the Castle Hill Golf Club in Sydney, the 22-year-old from Rangiora north of Christchurch leads by one.

Kobori added a second round of 64 to his opening 65 to lead over fellow New Zealander and recent winner, Kerry Mountcastle, Victorian James Gibellini and South Korean Jenny Shin.

Kobori, who has recorded two wins and three top tens in his nine starts since turning professional last November, is currently in third place on the PGA Tour of Australasian Order of Merit and has a great opportunity to all but cement his card for the 2025 DP World Tour handed out to the leading three players on the Order of Merit at season’s end with victory this week.

“I really enjoy this course,” Kobori told the PGA Tour of Australasia’s website. “I walked up to the course I think it was Tuesday morning and you get courses where you just walk up and go ‘Okay, I kind of like this place’.”

Mountcastle was a surprise winner of the Gippsland Super 6 title in November and is nicely placed to challenge for a second Australasian Tour title.

Gibellini appears to have found something in his game in recent months after an amateur career in Queensland.

Shin is the leading female in the mixed-gender event, finishing her opening 36 holes, adding a round of 67 to her opening 63 yesterday.

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LIv Golf and PGA Tour compete for hype in Vegas and Phoenix


Liv Golf Las Vegas – image LIv Golf – pity the PGA Tour didn’t make free images available for such use

The PGA Tour and Liv Golf clash heads in more ways than one this week when the PGA Tour’s most watched and hyped event, The WM Phoenix Open, is played opposite LIV Golf’s Las Vegas event.

LIV Golf Las Vegas remains a 54-hole event but, for it not to clash with the Superbowl on Sunday, also held in Las Vegas, the event begins on Thursday and ends Saturday for the first occasion in the history of the new league.

The razzmatazz around both events will be fully on display with the outstandingly successful and attended WM Phoenix Open up against an event that will no doubt generate a huge amount of additional hype due to the influx of golf’s typical demographic from around the country to attend the Super Bowl.

Traditionally, the WM Phoenix Open has finished early on Sundays to accommodate America’s passion for the final showdown of one of their Apple Pie sports, NFL, and that will remain the case so LIV Golf is afforded free air to complete their event 24 hours earlier.

But it will be the now iconic 16th par three 16th hole at the TPC Scottsdale which will have comparisons drawn with Liv Golf’s attempt to generate the sort of passion from a Las Vegas crowd already hyped with the prospect of the Super Bowl with the sort of crowd participation seen at Liv Golf events in Adelaide.

In the PGA Tour event, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Aaron Baddeley and New Zealand’s PGA Tour rookie, Ryan Fox, will represent Australasia while in Las Vegas the Australian combination of Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert and Matt Jones chase an improvement on their 4th place finish in Mexico.

Scottie Scheffler looks the winner of the WM Phoenix Open given he has been the champion in each of the past two years and that he has begun the season well with impressive early form.

The winner of the LIV event earns US$4 million while the Phoenix Open Champion earns US$1.84 million.

 

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Jason Day adds another top ten at weather reduced Pebble Beach


Jason Day – file photo

Jason Day’s third round of 63 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am placed him in a position to challenge for the title in the final round at Pebble Beach Links but, unfortunately for the Australian, his hopes were dashed when the fourth round was canceled this morning due to a disastrous forecast for the Monterey Peninsula area on Monday which had been scheduled as the carryover day for the delayed final round.

A release from the PGA Tour read as follows; “The storm affecting the Monterey Peninsula throughout the day Sunday is forecast to continue into the early hours of Monday with very strong winds.  Although conditions are forecast to improve through the morning Monday, after consultation with Monterey County emergency authorities, who have implemented a Shelter in Place order until early tomorrow morning for the greater Pebble Beach community, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all constituents, there will be no play on Monday.  Therefore, in accordance with the PGA TOUR Regulations the tournament results will be final through the conclusion of 54 holes.”

For Day his eventual share of 6th place was 9th top ten in the event first his first appearance in 2008 including a runner-up finish in 2018.

Following his fine third round on Saturday Day was asked about his longevity in terms of his playing future.

“That’s a really good question. Just because, you know, I still feel like I’m in my 20s but I’m obviously past my mid 30s now. Yeah, like obviously to sit 3 there — I remember joke — not joking.

“There was a good time there where I was like, you know what, once I get to 40 I’m like thinking about retiring. I think at the time I was like dealing with some injuries and whatnot and I wasn’t feeling that great.

“To be in like the second half of my career, like it’s surprising because this is my 17th season on the Tour and all the guys, it’s like I’m getting older and the guys that come out every single year, the new faces are getting younger, you know what I mean?

“With that being said, I think watching these young guys play knowing that they’re hitting it further and they’re full of confidence and they’re big and strong, I feel like I’ve got the experience on my side to be able to handle certain situations, pressure situations.

“ I just have to make sure that I do everything I possibly can to make sure that I’m healthy, I don’t lose any speed and I mentally want to. If I can do those few things, I should have a decent second half of my career.

The event was one of the newly created Signature events on the PGA Tour with increased prizemoney ensuring Day earns a cheque for US$642,000 for his share of 6th place.

The event was won by Wyndham Clark who took a one-shot lead following a third round of 60, that lead now holding up as the winning score.

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