Lydia Ko begins well at Evian Championship

Lydia Ko – plays from a fairway bunker at the 3rd hole today – image LPGA / Getty

Despite a somewhat indifferent season to date on the LPGA Tour in 2023, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is still the world number three female golfer and during today’s opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship in Evian les Bains in France, she displayed some of the game we know she is capable of.

With only one top ten in her last nine starts this season, Ko had been struggling with a game on which she had worked so hard to get back amongst the elite of the game after drifting outside the top 50 three years ago.

Today, however, the 2015 Evian Champion bounced back from a scratchy start to day one with a closing nine of 31 and a round of 66 on the par 71 layout to share second place with three others, two shots behind the leader, Paula Reto.

“It wasn’t the smoothest start, but when I was in trouble I was able to make good up and downs, and I think that helped with the momentum,” said the 26 year old

“Whereas I feel like sometimes trying to make those par saves are more the momentum taker than birdies at times. I know that at least I’m even, and if I have another birdie opportunity I’m going to try and be under par for the day.

“So nice to finish off on a high birdieing the last and playing really well on the back nine, but hopefully less shaky start tomorrow.”

Ko knows her game is still a work in progress but it was encouraging to be able to fashion such a good round despite her early battles.

“I think all in all it was solid, even though things may not be 100%, I think that’s part of the game. You’re trying to shoot the best score you can, and sometimes it may not look pretty on the scorecard.”

A recently introduced putter appeared to pay dividends.

“It’s a fairly new putter. I put it in the bag at the U.S. Women’s Open and I was honestly just messing around with it and trying the length more so.

“I love my Scotty Cameron putter. I didn’t think I would move or change to a different putter. But it kind of looked good and rolled good, and I think that’s what’s most important.

“Even my husband said, I didn’t expect you to have that putter, but it’s been really good. I know some days are going to be — the putter is going to get hot and some days it’s not the case.

“But you try to take advantage of those days that you feel like you’re rolling it good. Then all I can do is put — get my read and put a good stroke on it and hopefully it falls.”

Ko enjoys a great record at the Evian Championship in addition to her breakthrough major win here eight years ago. She has two runner-up finishes and a 3rd place along with her victory amongst the picturesque scenery on the edge of Lake Geneva on the French / Swiss border.

Hannah Green at 3 under and in a share of 15th place and Minjee Lee at 2 under are the next best of the Australasians and the only ones under par.

Grace Kim is even par, Sarah Kemp and Karis Davidson at 2 over Stephenie Kyriacou 3 over with the cut looking likely to be around 1 or 2 over.

SCORES

 

/by

12 Australasians tackle Senior Open Championship


Steve Alker gets his chance for another senior major title – image USGA

Senior golf gets a chance to showcase its merits to the world this week when the Senior Open Championship is played at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club at Bridgend on the south coast of Wales.

Darren Clarke will defend the title he won last year at the King’s Course at Gleneagles in Scotland but instead of the inland layout offered 12 months ago, this week’s venue is a quintessential British links course on the edge of the Bristol Channel.

When Clarke won last year he became just the fourth player to win both The Open Championship and The Senior Open, emulating Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

The form of Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els of late suggest they might well join that list but with Bernhard Langer in the field along with several other of the leading players on the PGA Tour Champions they face a demanding task.

Included in the field are eight Australians and four New Zealanders, headed by a winner on the PGA Tour Champions this year and currently 5th in the Charles Schwab Cup ranking , Steve Alker.

Alker is joined by Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Stuart Appleby, David McKenzie, Peter O’Malley, John Senden, Peter Fowler, Jason Norris and Alker’s fellow New Zealanders, Michael Campbell, Michael Long and Brent Paterson who is in the field courtesy of his Senior Amateur Championship win.

TEE TIMES


Last year’s champion Darren Clarke – image R&A / Getty Images  

/by

Is there another Evian Championship for Australasia?


Minjee Lee – Australasia’s latest Evian Champion (2021) – photo Ladies European Tour 

The Amundi Evian Championship is the 4th of five major championships played in 2023 and on Thursday in the beautiful setting of Evian les Bains on the shores of Lake Geneva in France, seven Australasians will tee it up in pursuit of a share of the US$6.5 million purse.

Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Stephanie Kyriacou, Sarah Kemp and Karis Davidson have each earned a start in the event which at one stage carried the largest cheque in the game but while still lucrative, events such as the US Women’s Open, the KPMG PGA Championship and the AIG Women’s Open now offer larger purses.

That group will look to add to the five previous wins of Australasians in the event, both Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee chasing a second victory after this event became the first major for both.

Rachel Hetherington, Wendy Doolan, Karrie Webb, along with Ko and Lee are the previous winners although only Ko and Lee have won the event as a major.


Lydia Ko – the 2015 winner but struggling for form – photo LET

Ko has been four times inside the top three in this championship including her win in 2015 but her most recent form is well below her best as she appears to battle swing improvements. Without a top 30 in her last four starts, Ko needs a significant turnaround to be competitive this week.

After a sluggish start to the 2023 season, Lee has been building momentum of late, top twenties in each of her last six starts an indication of her improving form, including when 7th at her last start.

Lee has only one top ten in eight starts in the event although that was when winning in 2021.

Hannah Green has had mixed results to date in 2023, winning in Los Angeles but some rather ordinary efforts since until a 13th place at the US Women’s Open at her last start.

In three starts in this event, she has yet to record a finish better than 30th.

Grace Kim will play the event for the first occasion, but she has given plenty of evidence in her rookie season, that she is capable of performing well at this level. Four top twenties at her last four starts suggest she is ready for another big week despite her newness to this rather unique venue.

Stephanie Kyriacou is playing the event for the third occasion with a 31st place finish her best. Kyriacou finished 4th at her last start on the LPGA Tour and appears to be building momentum and confidence at this level.

Sarah Kemp plays her 8th Evian Championship in which she has a best finish of 19th in 2021 although she has missed only one cut in that time.

Kemp played well earlier in the season in events in Australia and on the LPGA Tour but the last couple of moths have been a battle for the New South Wales golfer.

Karis Davidson will also tee it up in Evian les Bains for the first occasion and having missed her last four cuts in succession in LPGA Tour events she has a big task to even make the weekend.

LEADERBOARD / TEE TIMES

/by

Brian Harman streets Open Championship field Jason Day shares 2nd


Brian Harman Open Champion – image R&A via Getty

Brian Harman took the Open Championship lead following a second round of 65 and it was a case of catch me if you can from that point, the 36-year-old winning his first major and third PGA Tour title by six shots over Jason Day, Tom Kim, Sepp Straka and John Rahm.

With constant drizzle and rain throughout the day, Harman offered some hope to his chasers when he dropped shots at the 2nd and 5th to be just three ahead of the chasing pack but he regained control with birdies at the 6th and 7th and although he bogeyed the 13th, birdies at the 14th and 15th put the seal on a round of 70 and a comprehensive victory.

None of his pursuers were able to make a serious dent in the lead during a damp and miserable final day although South Korean and rising superstar, Tom Kim, overcame bogeys at his opening two holes to produce an eagle and four birdies in his round of 67 and a share of 2nd place.

Beyond the winner, it was a congested leaderboard with just two shots separating the next eight players but Harman’s win was emphatic, and despite the fact he has played well in major championships previously having finished runner-up at the 2017 US Open and 6th in this event last year, his victory came as a surprise to most, perhaps even himself.

“I’m over the moon. It was a tough last three days, really was,” said Harman referring to holding the lead over the final 36 holes and the gloomy weather.

“I haven’t historically done very good in the rain,” said Harman. “It’s just always bugged me. I was really proud of the way that I struck the ball in the rain today.

“You know, yesterday was supposed to be terrible (weather), and I got out and the weather turned and it was fantastic weather, all things considered, yesterday.

“Then today I’m looking at the forecast, and I’m like, what the hell do they know, and I get out here and it’s Armageddon. It was bad. It was really tough.

“Being able to get some sleep was big last night. Sleeping on a lead like that is really difficult, so glad of the way I hung in there the last couple days. Got off to a bad start both days and turned it around, so really happy with that.”

When asked if he had allowed himself the luxury of thinking about winning during the course of the day, Harman said; “There were fleeting thoughts throughout the day, but I told myself I wasn’t going to let any of that come into my brain. So any time it came, I just thought of something else.

“I really honestly didn’t think about winning until I had the ball on the green on 18. There were fleeting thoughts throughout the day, but I told myself I wasn’t going to let any of that come into my brain. So any time it came, I just thought of something else.”

An incident early in the day helped steel his resolve.

“After I made the second bogey yesterday, a guy, when I was passing him, he said, Harman, you don’t have the stones for this. That helped. (Laughter).

“Anyway, it helped snap me back into I’m good enough to do this. I’m going to do this. I’m going to go through my process, and the next shot is going to be good.”

Harman will move to number 10 in the world ranking having never previously been inside the top 20 and pocket US$3 million for the win.


Jason Day during today’s final round – image R&A via Getty

Jason Day recorded his best finish at the Open Championship, bettering his previous best of 4th at the 2015 Championship at St Andrews and he was delighted despite missing opportunities both today and late in yesterday’s third round to creep closer.

“Considering my play over the last month and a bit, it hasn’t been that great, and then obviously I didn’t have the greatest confidence coming into this week, but to be able to finish tied second was nice.

“Unfortunately, I hadn’t played that great in the majors this year, so it was nice to be able to finish this major off and finish tied second. Just the slow, gradual increase in confidence through good play.

“But you know, yeah, I wish I would have cut into the lead a little bit more. You just never know. When someone has such a great lead, a big lead, big margin, and then you kind of cut into it, you just never know what they’re going to do under the pump.”

For Day it was his best finish in a major championship since his runner-up effort at the 2016 PGA Championship but it would be his 5th runner-up finish at this level.

“Obviously you want to win every week, but everyone looks at the majors to — yeah, it’s ones that you want to win. You always count how many majors you can win, and obviously, people ask — they say how many tournaments you’ve got, but they always look at how many major championships you’ve got, as well.

“At some point, I’m going to get off one and get my second one.”

Day moves up to number 21 in the world and earns US$1,084,000 for his 4-way share of the runner-up position.

SCORES

PRIZEMONEY

 

 

 

 

 

/by

Harman bolts clear but Day and Lee contending at Open Championship

Min Woo Lee – in action this week – photo R&A via Getty Images 

Min Woo Lee and Jason Day might be seven shots from the halfway lead held by American Brian Harman but the pair have just three golfers ahead of them as the Open Championship heads into the weekend at Royal Liverpool.

Lee’s morning round of 68 was bettered by the afternoon round of 67 by Day and they are nicely positioned with 36 holes to play despite Harman’s five-shot lead over the field.

As he had done yesterday, Lee recovered from a slow start, which had included two early bogeys, with an immaculate approach from 250 yards at the par 5 5th which he converted for eagle. He then added three more birdies and even though he missed a good opportunity from 8 feet at the last, his standing in the field improved during the day as the more demanding playing conditions of day two took their toll.

He was delighted with his efforts and said as much after his round.

“Very pleased. Pity on the last didn’t make a birdie, but other than that, it’s been a really good day. Slow start. Bogeys on 3 and 4. Made a really nice eagle on 5.

“Hit a 3-wood to like four feet on the par-5 and knocked it in for eagle and that kind of got things going. Really happy with the way things went.”

When asked if he was now feeling more comfortable on the major stage Lee would say; “I don’t know. I’m trying to figure that out myself. I don’t know. I guess I lock in a bit more and I just enjoy the challenge. That’s definitely what it is.

“I think I play good on pretty tough courses, and it’s just that par putt or that momentum shot. I love doing that and just keep moving forward. On easier courses if you make a bogey you’re going two steps back, so it’s nice when there’s not too many birdies and you can just grind it out.”


Jason Day – image R&A via Getty Images  

Day, on the other hand, was quickly out of the blocks with three birdies in his first five holes and he would add three more along with two bogeys, and although, he too, would miss a very makeable opportunity at the last, he heads into the weekend with a real chance to beat his previous best of 4th in this event in 2015.

Day is very much aware that there is still a long way to go in the event, especially with some nasty weather predicted over the final 36 holes.

“I think it’s just hard to tell what kind of weather we’re going to get, but from what I understand and what I’ve been hearing,” said Day. “I think we’re going to get some pretty awful weather tomorrow.

“But just saying that it is The Open Championship, so if we do get some pretty average weather, it’ll bring a lot of guys back in or at least give them a chance at shooting up the leaderboard pretty quick on tomorrow’s round and then obviously Sunday, as well.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking at the leaderboard right now as we speak, and I mean, Brian played unbelievable golf to shoot 10-under through two rounds. It was really difficult conditions today.”

The pair were two of just five of the 12-man Australasian contingent who made it through the cut which fell at 3 over par.

Defending champion Cameron Smith was outside the cutline playing the last but produced a magical second to the par 5 which finished within 2 feet of the hole, the resulting eagle ensuring his place in the field for the weekend.

“I was aware that I had to make birdie,” said Smith of his 6 iron approach to the last. “It was nice to hit a good drive down there. Like I said, I hit plenty of good drives all day today, and a few of them found the bunker. It’s basically a shot penalty. It’s a very frustrating golf course.

“It would have been very frustrating if I had missed out on the weekend. I think defending is one thing, but just the golf that I feel like I’m playing and to miss out on the weekend would be very frustrating.

“I feel like, like I said, it’s a big ask to make up 12 shots, but I feel like a good weekend can get me right up at the top of the leaderboard there and can salvage kind of a bit of a crappy week.”

Ryan Fox battled back from the disappointment of a last-hole triple on Thursday with five birdies in his round of 67 and made the cut on the number after his opening 78.

Adam Scott, disappointingly, bogeyed the last but still snuck into the final 36 holes with a round of 73 to be on the cut number.

Shell Harbour’s Travis Smyth might have not made the cut but at the quirky par 3 17th he turned yesterday’s triple bogey into an ace (see video below)


Brian Harman – image R&A via Getty Images 

But all honors on day two would go to Harman whose bogey-free round of 65 was highlighted by four birdies in his first five holes and an eagle from 12 feet at the last to seal a five-shot lead when he had finished around 2.00pm, a lead which he held until the end of play.

He leads over Tommy Fleetwood with another shot back to Sepp Straka of Austria.

Harman might be a surprise leader to some extent but he is a two-time PGA Tour winner and a player good enough to have finished runner-up at a US Open previously and 3rd at the Players Championship so he has pedigree despite him not necessarily being a logical choice to win this week ahead of the event.

Harman’s lead is a significant one but there is a lot to unfold over the closing stages of this event, more especially given the predicted weather in which rain and wind will buffer the Royal Liverpool layout.

When it was suggested he had been in contention in majors previously and asked what he had learned from those experiences he replied

“Just not trying to get too caught up in it. It’s just golf. I’ve probably — I think when I held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, I just probably thought about it too much.

“Just didn’t focus on getting sleep and eating right. So that would be my focus this weekend.”

SCORES

 

 

/by

Lee and Herbert head Australasians after day one at Royal Liverpool

Tommy Fleetwood – one of three leaders image R&A / Getty Images 

Min Woo Lee and Lucas Herbert head the large Australasian contingent after day one of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, their rounds of even par 71 leaving the pair five shots from the lead and tied for 32nd.

Overhead conditions were very good for the opening round but the demands of the Royal Liverpool layout would mean good scoring was a significant challenge and while even par might not have been the round they were hoping for at various stages of their rounds, they are not far from where they need to be.

Herbert was out early in the third group of that day and with an outward nine of 33 he was vying for the lead. He would bogey the 10th but the par 5 15th would offer a great opportunity for one of his power and he took full advantage by holing a 28 footer for eagle and at that point had a share of the lead.

Ahead lay the relatively untested par 3 17th which has been introduced for this championship and as was the case for many others, the 136 yard proved more than a handful.

Missing the green left Herbert pitched back over the green into a bunker, and took two to get out, the resulting triple bogey leaving him back at even par and when he found the fairway bunker at the last his chances of pulling one of those shots back at the par 5 were gone.

“Took some good shots to get in the right position to be give myself the chance to be 3-under through 16,” said Herbert. “So I’m not mad about it at all. Obviously would have loved to change 17, but I felt like I maybe hit a poor chip shot and that’s about it.

“I could have told you there would be carnage. I could have predicted it for you. I think it’s a great hole. There’s no wind. It’s a gap wedge and you can make a two pretty easily, but that wind gets going and like I said you can’t really feel it too much on the tee. It becomes a really tricky shot.

“It’s pretty fun. I would have loved to have made 3 on 17 and 4 on 18 and we’re sitting here laughing at 4-under, but the reality is I didn’t.”

As opposed to Herbert, Lee’s strong finish late in the day certainly helped his cause.

The West Australian double bogeyed the 3rd and was still 2 over with four to play but birdies at the 15th and 18th turned his day around and at even par he is well enough placed.

“Just had a blur on the third hole,” said Lee. “Hit it straight out of bounds from the left rough, and it was a really good fight back from there.

“I didn’t think I had it all throughout the whole round, but just made my pars and just moved on and made my birdies when I needed to. Yeah, really happy with the way I finished because the wind was still up there.”

Jason Day, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith all finished at 1 over 72 and for the defending champion, Smith, his closing nine after being 2 under at the turn was a source of frustration but he knows he has not shot himself in the foot.

“There was lots of good today for myself, but probably just as much or even more bad. Nothing really to work on, to be honest. It still feels really good.

“It’s just there’s a couple of awkward shots out there for me with that wind off the left, trying to play a cut off the tee. There’s a couple holes where it feels like you can’t hit the fairway, and it’s just awkward. It’s something I’m going to have to put up with, I think.

“I don’t think it’s going to be quite as much of a birdie fest as last year, which is probably a good thing for me and the other guys that are just absolutely over par. Just a couple of good rounds should be right back in it. I don’t feel like I’m out of the tournament.”

Day and Scott were also under par for much of their rounds but slow finishes cost them, more especially Scott who double bogeyed the last.

But the leaders are an interesting mix.

Tommy Fleetwood entered the week as one of the favourites but his closing nine of 4 under par 32 gives hope to the, very much, in form Englishman winning a first major title.

Fleetwood shares the lead with South Africa’s current British Amateur Champion Christo Lamprecht and Argentinean Emiliano Grillo, Grillo’s round of 66 made even more impressive by the fact he bogeyed two of his first three holes before a closing nine of 31.

SCORES  

/by

Royal Liverpool and the Australasians

The Open Championship trophy with the Royal Liverpool clubhouse beyond – image Getty Images R&A

I have been blessed to have caddied at six Open Championship venues but unfortunately Royal Liverpool is not one of them.

St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Turnberry, Royal Troon, and Royal St Georges have all provided me a wonderful insight at close quarters into the subtleties and demands of high-end links golf but during my times caddying in Britain and Europe, Royal Liverpool was in a period where it had lost favour with the R&A due to the increasing logistical demands of the ever growing Open Championship.

There had been a gap of 39 year between the victory of Robert Di Vicenzo in 1967 and when it returned to the rota in 2006 in time to bear witness to yet another Tiger Woods clinical display.

In one of the more spectacular Tiger Woods major championship victories, when using a driver on only one occasion throughout the week, he won his third and final Open Championship by two over Chris DiMarco.

In 2014, Rory McIlroy won his only Open Championship to date with a two-shot victory over Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler and it is perhaps no surprise that in most people’s eyes McIlroy will start favourite again this week.

The favourites appear to be McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and Tommy Fleetwood but Australasia will field an eclectic mix of twelve golfers, Smith being the standout in terms of genuine chances to defend the title he won twelve months ago at St Andrews.

Smith has played well in both LIV Golf and other events when he has had the chance to do so in 2023 and enters the week off the back of a win at a LIV Golf event in London two weeks ago.

Smith has shown that a LIV Golf schedule has not affected his capacity to perform well in major golf with a 4th place finish at the recent US Open and a 9th place at the PGA Championship.

Smith will play his 6th Open Championship but his magnificent win last year was the first top ten and only his second top twenty in that period.

For Jason Day this will be his 11th Open Championship but his record in the event has been ordinary for one of his standing in the game. A 4th place finish, just one shot out of the playoff at St Andrews in 2015, is his best with only one other top twenty to his name.

Day missed the cut in each of his last two Open Championship appearances but his game generally had deteriorated during that period although since his last effort at Royal St Georges in 2021  there has been significant improvement including his win in Dallas a couple of months ago.

Day is still a work in progress, however, given his three missed cuts in four starts since his win and it is hard to see him featuring in the thick of things this week.

Adam Scott will play his 23rd consecutive Open Championship and on both occasions he has played Royal Liverpool has finished inside the top ten including when 5th in 2014 during a period where he recorded four top tens in successive years following his runner-up finish at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012.

Scott missed the cut last week in Scotland but his game overall for much of 2023 has been solid with several top tens in recent weeks. A very good week would be no real surprise.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox has a proven liking for links golf, his record at events such as the Irish and Scottish Opens giving claim to that statement.

Fox has focused much of his attention on the US this season but he played well when 12th last week at the Scottish Open and has a genuine chance to again be the leading Australasian this week.

For Fox, this will be his 7th start at the Open Championship and although he has a best of only 16th in 2019 and no other top thirty finishes, there is reason to believe he could better his previous best this week.

Min Woo Lee is showing an increasing capacity to play well in the big events, his 5th place finish at the US Open and 6th place at the Players Championship bearing testament to that.

In two previous Open Championships, Lee has a best of 21st at last year’s event at St Andrews but as a still only 24-year-old he is learning his craft quickly and an even better showing this week is not beyond him, especially considering one of his two wins as a professional was over a links layout in Scotland two years ago.

Lucas Herbert has had three starts at the Open Championship for a best of 15th at St Andrews last year. Like most of his peers he is focusing in the US these days but does boast good performances on links layouts including his win at the Irish Open in 2012 and a 4th place finish at the Scottish Open that same year.

Herbert’s recent form has been patchy, a win in Japan several weeks ago followed by several missed cuts. At his best he could potentially challenge to be the leading Australian this week, but it is hard to pick when that might be at times.

The other Australasians in the field include New Zealand’s recent British Masters winner, Daniel Hillier, who just keeps getting better but who missed the cut in his only appearance in this event two years ago.

Hillier was also 3rd at an event in Germany a month ago and although he finished 60th last week in Scotland he was well enough placed through 36 holes there so he brings form and confidence to Royal Liverpool.

Other Australians who have played their way into the field include Travis Smyth and Haydn Barron via International Final Qualifying, Harrison Crowe via his win at the Asia Pacific Amateur last year and Conner McKinney as a result of successfully negotiating his way through Final Qualifying.

Special mention here of New Zealand’s Mike Hendry not being able to take advantage of a spot he secured in the Championship due to a battle with illness.

It is hard, though, to go past Cam Smith as the leading Australian and a potential winner.

Tee Times 

 


Can Cam Smith successfully defend? – photo Getty Images R&A  

/by

Stephanie Kyriacou records best LPGA Tour finish

Kyricaou in action today  – photo Getty Images LPGA

Sydney’s Stephanie Kyriacou continued her impressive progress in the USA by recording her best finish on the LPGA Tour with a share of 4th place at the Dana Open in Sylvania in Ohio this morning.

The 22 year old, who is her second season on the LPGA Tour after finishing in an overall 55th place in her rookie season last year, recorded a final round of 69 over the Highland Meadows Golf Club layout to finish seven shots behind the first time winner, Linn Grant of Sweden (pictured below)

Linn won by three over last week’s US Women’s Open Champion Allisen Corpuz.

While Kyriacou’s cheque for US$81,000 is considerably lower than the US$156,000 she secured for her 10th place at last year’s KPMG PGA Championship, it will be a welcome addition to her bank account.

Kyricaou played in the final group with the winner, Grant, today and relished the experience. Playing with a new putter for the first time in some 12 years, she more than held her own against the highly talented Grant who is being touted as the next Swedish superstar.

Minjee Lee also had a solid week when she finished in 7th place, Grace Kim was 11th, Gabi Ruffels 23rd, Su Oh 41st, Sarah Kemp 53rd and Lydia Ko continued her recent struggles when she finished 65th, although Ko was unfortunately penalised sevens hots in the final round for incorrectly and inadvertently playing preferred lies on holes which were not included on the list for that relief.

RESULTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/by

McIlroy seals favouritism for Open Championship with Scottish Open win

Rory McIlroy – photo Getty Images

Rory McIlroy was already the favourite in many people’s eyes for this coming week’s Open Championship at Hoylake, but his stunning come from behind win at the Genesis Scottish Open has him heading south to Lancashire, confirmed as the man most likely to win the Open for the second time at Royal Liverpool.

McIlroy may well be seen as the man who shot Bambi to some extent, given that his birdie, birdie finish resulted in him defeating the man who had the clubhouse lead for 40 minutes, Robert McIntyre, who was attempting to become first Scot to win his national open since Colin Montgomerie in 1999.

McIlroy, though, had many fans of his own and while the large crowds who flocked to the Renaissance Club in North Berwick would dearly love to have seen the 21 year old McIntyre take the title, McIlroy was a truly popular winner.

For the man from Northern Ireland the win continues a remarkable run of consistency which has seen him finish inside the top ten in, now, each of his last seven starts, although his first win since the Dubai Desert Classic in February, and sets him up nicely for a 5th major, especially given his success at Royal Liverpool in 2014.

McIlroy began the final round one ahead of Korean 21 year old Tom Kim but on a day where winds gusting up to 40 m.p.h. swept the layout on the shores of the Firth of Forth, Kim, McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton and McIntyre all had the lead at various stages and several others were withing striking distance before McIntyre’s brilliant final round of 64 appeared to establish an unassailable lead, especially given the demands of the final two holes.

McIlroy missed a golden opportunity at the 16th and faced the task of producing birdies at the final two holes to win, or secure at least one to force a playoff.

His 5 iron approach at the 17th finished 4 feet from the hole then at the last he hit a superb 2 iron to 11 feet and when that was holed the title and the US$1,575,000 was his. He also becomes the first person to have won the Irish Open, the Scottish Open and the Open Championship titles.

McIlroy will move back to the number two position in the game behind Scottie Scheffler who continued his remarkable run when he shared 3rd place with David Lingmerth and Byeong Hun An.

Scheffler earns his seventh consecutive top-five on the PGA TOUR and 18th straight result of T12 or better; Scheffler’s Official Money total of $19,016,842 is the highest in a single season in PGA TOUR history.

“Yeah, it feels great,” said McIlroy. “I came here this week, we are obviously on the eve of The Open Championship but you know, you’re thinking about trying to prepare for that.

“But then you know you think about the weight that this tournament carries, being co-sanctioned for Race to Dubai, FedExCup, all the stuff at the end of the year as well, so I feel like I sort of killed two birds with one stone this week and gave myself an even bigger lead in The Race to Dubai, got myself up there in FedExCup, and obviously a huge confidence boost going into The Open next week.

“I’ve had my chances over the last couple of months and been knocking on the door. Just haven’t quite been able to get it done so hopefully this breaks the seal and we can go on from here.”


Ryan Fox – led the Australasians – file photo PGA of Australia

The leading Australasian was Ryan Fox who continued his love affair with Links golf to finish in a share of 12th, a closing nine of 32 playing a key role in his improvement from 18th overnight. Fox has recorded 4th and 6th places in this event previously.

Min Woo Lee was the next best in a share of 34th place, while Daniel Hillier was 54th and Lucas Herbert 60th.

Three players, Byeong Hun An, David Lingmerth and Nicolai Hojgaard, gained a start at next week’s Open Championship by being amongst the leading three players this week and not otherwise exempt for Royal Liverpool.

RESULTS

 

 

/by

Smith adds to fortune but Leishman’s improvement satisfying


Leishman and Smith together at LIV Golf event in London – photo LIV Golf Chris Trotman

Cameron Smith has continued on his money-making ways, earning another US$4.5 million as a result of his win in the LIV Golf event in London this past weekend and his part in the Australian team which finished runner-up.

For Smith it was his 5th top ten in nine Liv Tour starts this season but it was the first time the team of Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Jed Morgan finished inside the money in the much vaunted, but hardly relevant other than for the riches on offer, team’s event.

Smith moves to second on the points table for the 2023 Liv Golf season behind two time winner, Talor Gooch and ahead of Brooks Koepka.

In addition have been a 4th place finish at the US Open and a 9th place finish at the PGA Championship but while Smith continues to plunder the riches of world golf, perhaps equally as encouraging was the much improved week for Marc Leishman who has been in the golfing wilderness to a large extent since making the decision to switch to LIV Golf.

Leishman’s share of the runner-up place finish behind Smith last weekend was his first top ten in nine LIV Golf starts this year and other than a 6th place at the Saudi International event early in the year this was just his second top ten anywhere in 2023.

Leishman improved to 26th in the LIV Golf standings, needing to be inside the top 24 to make the season ending event in Miami.

While Smith will head to Royal Liverpool as the defending champion and one of the favourites to win the Open Championship, Leishman has been unable to retain a ranking sufficient to get him in the field, but the improved form shown at the Centurion Club will be a boost to him in upcoming Liv Golf events.

Leishman would have been playing his 12th Open Championship where he produced some very good results including a 5th, 2nd and 6th place in a period between 2014 and 2017, one of those where he lost a playoff to Zach Johnson at St Andrews in 2015. It is however not to be.

So Smith takes an in form game to continue his excellent record in major championships where he has been six times inside the top five.

Smith will join fellow Australians Adam Scott, Jason Day, Lucas Herbert, Min Woo Lee, David Micheluzzi, Travis Smyth, Harrison Crowe, Haydn Barron and Connor McKinney, that group to be joined by New Zealanders Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier.

Smith, Scott, Day, Herbert and Lee are in as a result of their world rankings amongst other criteria while Smyth and Barron played their way in via International Final Qualifying in selected events, Micheluzzi as a result of win in the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, Harrison Crowe the reward for winning the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and McKinney through recent Final Qualifying

Fox is in on world ranking and Hillier due to his recent win at the British Masters.

/by