Harrison Endycott heading home after a breakthrough season

A very special moment as Endycott celebrates his PGA Tour status with his father – PGA Tour Getty Images

Sydney’s Harrison Endycott has been one of Australian golf’s quiet achievers in 2022 and when he heads back to his homeland for next week’s Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane he does so as a cardholder on the PGA Tour.

Endycott earned the right to playing rights on the PGA Tour courtesy of a fine season on the Korn Ferry Tour where, by finishing inside the top 25 of the regular season money list, he gained the much sought after card and he has made an immediate impact at the higher level by finishing 12th and 10th in two of his five starts to date and has established a base from which to work when he returns in 2023.

First, however, is this week’s RSM Classic to finish of his year in the US and in a press conference ahead of the event on Wednesday Harrison talked about what his year has meant to him and what lies ahead.

“Yeah, look, (my) game feels like it’s been pretty much in a good spot, it’s just been so much golf. I think after the Australian Open this year it’s going to be my 29th start this year and it’s been — it’s just been a ton.”

Endycott took last week off after missing the cut in Mexico but that was as much about recharging the batteries as it was about indifferent form.

“Just feel pretty rested and ready to go for these next three weeks. No, it’s exciting to be here. First time seeing this golf course. It reminds me a whole lot of 13th Beach back in Australia, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Endycott finished runner-up at the Vic Open at 13th Beach in 2018 so getting positive vibes ahead of this week’s event might just provide the catalyst for another good week.

“At this stage I have really no expectations just on the fact it’s a big week for Monday. You’ve got two courses to cover, played the pro-am on Monday, learned that golf course. Had to learn Plantation course yesterday. You know, it reminds me so much of like golf on the Mornington Peninsula down in Victoria, so the surroundings is very familiar.

“It’s a nice little change, too, to have some cool weather as well. It’s been so hot the last, actually you could say probably, what, the last three tournaments. Actually, it was hot from Sanderson all the way up to Mexico. Mexico was a killer. Yeah, as you can see, I’ve got a little sweater on right now, so it’s a little different. I know it’s back in the heat the next two weeks.”

When asked what he had learned about himself since stepping up to the PGA Tour, Endycott responded: “Yeah, you definitely learn that your good stuff is really close. Like that’s the one thing, that’s probably the biggest key that I’ve learned. When I’m on and I’m playing well, I’m seeing that name, my name at the top of that leaderboard a little bit and that’s a huge confidence boost for especially a rookie early in.

“Some guys get comfortable straight away, some guys take a little bit extra time. I had no idea how I was going to feel. To see my name, I think I was leading after Thursday in Bermuda and just to see those little tiny one percent wins within yourself, you can go to bed sitting there going, you know what, like if I really work hard at this game and I tidy up the things I need to tidy up, I can go out and win out here, I can go and contend out here.”

Endycott was part of the successful 2016 Australian Eisenhower Team and is excited about the prospect of playing at home once again, especially now as a PGA Tour player.

“I’m so excited to come down to Australia and play, spend some time with my coach and bring my caddie down. I love playing down there. You know, learn something new again down there and try to bring that into the west coast swing. You’ve got a really busy schedule coming up in January, so I want to try to get as much work in as I can in that off season and use that to my advantage down in Australia as well.”

While he would dearly love to be in contention this week it would provide somewhat of a double-edged sword for the 26-year-old.

“Yeah, so we’ve got an interesting one. If we’re in contention this week, we might have a little bit of a dilemma, but don’t worry, I’ll be still trying to rush down. As of right now, we’re flying out of San Francisco on Sunday night straight into Brisbane and we get in Tuesday morning.

“I think right now my route is like Jacksonville-Houston, Houston-San Francisco, San Francisco-Brisbane. So it is what it is. It was nice to use some of — nice to use some AmEx points to upgrade to get home so I get some sleep. That would be rough if I was sitting in economy on the way home.”

The manner in which he has played in 2022 and the strong start to his PGA Tour career suggests Endycott will not be long worrying about the need for an upgrade and covering the cost of a business class airfare is the last thing he will need to concern himself about.

His progress in 2022 has been significant and it will be interesting to see if he can follow up his year to date with a big finish to what has been a breakthrough year for him.

Below: Harrison Endycott interview after winning in Alabama this year

 

 

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Ko, Lee and Green chasing lucrative CME Group Tour Championship


Minjee Lee holds the trophy which has given her the lead in the money list race – photo Getty Images LPGA

Hannah Green’s excellent share of 4th place at last week’s keeps her in 18th position in the Race to the Globe standings and while she would need something special at this week’s CME Group Tour Championship in Naples in Florida to better her previous best season when 12th in 2019, she has taken her earnings beyond US$1 million and is about to complete another good season on the LPGA Tour.

Green is one of three Australasians to make it into the field for this week’s season ending event and with Lydia Ko leading the points table and Minjee Lee (3rd) there is a lot to play for this week in addition to the richest first prize in women’s golf (US$2 million).

Some of the most coveted awards of the year are still undecided – the Money Title, the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year and the Vare (Scoring average) Trophy – and won’t be until the final putt drops on Sunday.

Though Lee holds a $1.1 million lead over In Gee Chun, there’s too much cash on the line this week, leaving the money title hanging in the balance. The top eight players in official money have a chance to take the title if they capture the CME Group Tour Championship winner’s check.

Lydia Ko leads the race for Player of the Year, but Lee is hot on her heels – just one point behind the New Zealander. Brooke Henderson and Atthaya Thitikul are tied for third just 20 points out of the lead and are still in the running. Ko also leads the tour in scoring average at 69.049 and is well positioned to earn her second Vare Trophy in a row.

Lee’s significant lead in the race for the money title is a result of her win in the lucrative US Women’s Open where she earnt US$1.8 million for her second major victory.

But Ko has been consistent all season and more especially in the latter half of the season which has not been quite so productive for Lee. Ko now leads the Race to the Globe and the Player of the Year categories so the outcome of this week’s event will play a role in deciding several titles but for both players it has been a fine season.

If Ko was to win this week she would claim the Player of the Year and Race to the Globe titles for the third time and take her career earnings on the LPGA Tour to US$16.6 million.

Green has recorded top tens in four of her last five starts this season so is peaking at the right time for a possible best season ever.

Lee has a best of 5th in seven previous tarts in the event, Ko won in 2014 and has a best of 5th in eight other starts while for Green she finished runner-up in 2020 behind Jin Young Ko.

Tee times for Thursday

Lydia Ko with her BMW LPGA Trophy in October – photo LPGA Getty

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Has Steve Alker begun a potentially historic treble for New Zealand golfers

Alker during his most significant win in 2022 – the Senior PGA Championship – file photo PGA of America

The third-place finish by Steve Alker behind Padraig Harrington in this morning’s final event of the year on the PGA Tour Champions, The Charles Schwab Championship, was enough for the 51 year old New Zealander to secure the Charles Schwab Cup and in doing so he has kept alive the chances of New Zealand golfers securing the top position on three majors tours in 2022.

While he might have finished eight shots behind this week’s winner, the significant lead Alker had built up as a result of an extraordinarily consistent season saw him hold off Harrington for the season long title.

With Ryan Fox within striking distance of leader, Rory McIlroy, in the race for DP World Tour honours with just this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai to be decided, and Lydia Ko currently leading the Race to the Globe on the LPGA Tour with just this week’s CME Globe Tour Championship to play, New Zealand could well have completed a unique treble by this Sunday.

With Alker winning four times in 2022 including a major victory at the Senior PGA Championship and Harrington winning four events including the all-important US Senior Open, the pair have dominated the PGA Tour Champions this season but it would be Alker who emerged the champion for the season despite Harrington defeating him by eight today.

Alker’s earnings for 2022 (US$3,544,000) are now the second highest by any player in the history of the PGA Tour Champions, only Bernhard Langer earning more previously (US$3,677,000).

Alker won four times, was runner-up four times and on 13 occasions finished inside the top three.

“Yeah, amazing,” said Alker who lives in the Phoenix area. “Honestly, just having friends and family and the support here this week has been amazing. It will come out tomorrow sometime, but amazing. Playing with Padraig today, it was kind of difficult because do I chase him, do I protect. I just tried to play my game as good as I could, but he played amazing and just glad to be champion.”

When asked if there were nerves involved in his last round diel with Harrington Alker replied: “Yeah, sure, a little bit, especially as I said, trying to chase and win the tournament but trying to win the Schwab Cup as well. There was all these scenarios and what ifs. It was hard to keep focus on me and what I was doing, but just glad to have the finish I did, a couple birdies the last five there, so it was good.”

Alker will get to play his own National Open for the first time in several years when he tees it up at the New Zealand Open in early March in Queenstown and there will be a lot of interest in just how he manages against a younger field but given the dominance against some of the game’s greatest names at this level he should do well.

Queenslander Rod Pampling was the only Australian in the field this week and finished 25th in the select 33 player field. Pampling has completed another fine season on the PGA Tour Champions, finishing the year in 19th place in the Charles Schwab rankings with earnings over US$900,000.

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Ryan Fox sets up Dubai showdown with Rory McIlroy


Fox’s win at St Andrews several weeks ago played a key role in a thrilling finish to the season – photo Getty Images

Ryan Fox’s runner-up finish to Tommy Fleetwood at the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City overnight has set up the juicy scenario of a battle royale between the New Zealander and Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlory when the two meet again at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai this Thursday.

Fox’s great week in South Africa has him now just 128 points behind the World Number 1 and a win in Dubai would elevate Fox to Europe’s leading ranked player of 2022, irrespective of what McIlroy is able to do himself.

If he was able to do so then Fox would become the first New Zealander to win the European Tour’s Order of Merit, surpassing the effort by Michael Campbell in 2005 when he finished runner-up to Colin Montgomerie that year.

Fox began the final round at Sun City three shots behind Thomas Detry and Rasmus Hogaard but clawed his way into the lead with five birdies before a missed 12 foot par saving putt at the last cost him a playoff.

Fleetwood, however, would win his first event since claiming this same title three years ago with a final round of 67 to hold off Fox.

“I played great, didn’t miss a shot until 18, would have liked to have played 18 better and make Tommy work a bit harder,” said Fox. It’s an incredibly tough golf course to play down the stretch.

“I felt like I hit good shots, gave myself chances. Our whole group played well, all of us were there or thereabouts with three holes to play and Tommy was the one that held it together. Fair play to him.

“Still, really happy, don’t think I’ve finished inside the top 50 in three starts here, so if you had given me second at the start of the week, I would have taken it.

“I could have done a little bit better, but if you had given me second and closing the gap by a decent amount on Rory at the start of the week, I would have taken it. Still got some work to do – he’s the number one player in the world for a reason.”

Fox added another €650,000 to his earnings for what has been a stunning season taking him beyond €3.25 million to date in 2022 with 2 victories, four runner-up finishes and one 3rd place. His career earnings in Europe are now beyond €7.5 million.

India’s Shubankar Sharma finished another shot back and alone in 3rd place after he bogeyed two of his last three holes to open the door for Fleetwood and Fox.

Of the other Australasians in the field, Min Woo Lee finished 8th this week and added another 122,000 to his earnings. Lee will also be in Dubai for the season-ender where the leading 50 points earners on the DP World Tour rankings assemble.

Lucas Herbert finished 25th this week and will miss out on a start in Dubai as he is in 59th place.

This week’s champion Tommy Fleetwood – photo Getty Images

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Andrew Martin last man standing at Vic PGA Championship


Andrew Martin with his Vic PGA trophy – photo PGA of Australia.

38-year-old Victorian professional Andrew Martin has survived a five hole playoff against NSW’s golfer Lincoln Tighe, Victorian Brett Coletta and South Australian Adam Bland, to win the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links, the 2003 Australian Amateur Champion eventually winning with a birdie after he and Tighe were the last men standing through just the first of the five holes..

It would be the much shorter hitter, Martin who found the green at the par 5 in two at their 5th attempt and after Tighe had found the front bunker and could do no better than par, Martin two putted for birdie and just his second PGA Tour of Australasian title.

Martin, who turned professional in 2005, had won an event on the Australasian Tour when successful in a TPS Series event in Sydney in 2021 but that aside his professional career has not really measured up to his success in amateur ranks. This might go some way to changing that.

While the near miss would have been disappointing for Tighe he will be delighted with a return to somewhere near his best after injury issues and poor form for much of this year turned into much better fortunes in recent weeks.

After failing to make the weekend in his first nine tournaments of 2022, Tighe, one of the Australasian Tour’s longest hitters, played very well in recent events in Western Australia and being able to continue that resurgence will be very encouraging for the 33-year-old from Wollongong.

Tighe has recently returned to a former coach Warwick Dewes and the improvement has been significant.

Coletta won the Queensland Open as an amateur in 2016 and has battled away on the Korn Ferry Tour where he missed eleven cuts in succession in 2022 but he too was a talented amateur and this might spark a turnaround in his career despite the playoff loss.

Bland has played the Japan Tour in recent years but his form until recently has been poor although a couple of good performances in Japan in recent weeks suggest he too might be coming right for the Australasian Tour to follow.

The PGA Tour of Australasia now heads to the Nudgee Golf Club in the eastern suburbs of Brisbane for the Queensland PGA Championship ahead of the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland the following week.

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Ryan Fox challenging Rory McIlroy for Europe’s top spot

The projected DP World Tour standings at the completion of the opening round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City in South Africa, have New Zealand’s Ryan Fox taking over from Rory McIlroy at the top of the 2022 DP World Tour rankings.

In order for that still to be the case at week’s end, Fox will need to win this event but the manner in which he finished off his opening round of 64 and his great form of late suggest the chances of such a victory are possible perhaps even probable.

The event is the penultimate tournament of the 2022 season with only next week’s DP World Tour Championship to come so if Fox was able to claim the title on Sunday it sets up a mouth-watering prospect ahead of next week’s event in Dubai to see just who emerges as the winner of the season long order of merit.

Fox is looking to become the first ever New Zealander to claim the top standing in Europe in any one season, the previous best being when Michael Campbell  finished runner-up to Colin Montgomerie in 2005.

“It feels a bit weird to have done that today (shot 64). Had a lot of good numbers, managed to get the yardages right and I putted really nicely”’ said Fox. “Still feels a bit strange to be honest.

“It’s not quite as intimidating off the tee as I used to find it. There are still some tough tee shots around here but I feel like I’ve got a bit more control over the driver and being able to keep it in play. I’ve played at altitude a bit more and sort of have an idea of how everything plays. I felt a bit easier visually hitting the distances than I have in the past.

“You don’t get it very often (everything going well). You very rarely get it for a week but it was very nice to get it for that back nine. I played OK on the front and from 11 on I didn’t miss a shot. Had a lot of really good numbers, which helps. When you’re in that state you just need to get out of your own way and hit shots. I’ve done that well this year, but did it really well today.

“I couldn’t have wished for a better start. I figure if you can get to double digits under par around here for the most part you’re going to be pretty close come Sunday. To be most of the way there after the first round is pretty nice.”

England’s Luke Donald, a world number one for several weeks back in 2012, is one shot behind Fox  after his round of 65. It is exactly nine years since Donald won an event of any kind, that being when successful at the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan in 2013.

That Donald has not recorded one top ten anywhere this season highlights the troubles he has continued to have but this was quite turnaround for the now 44 year old, although he admitted it had been unexpected.

“A little bit unexpected to be honest, I wasn’t showing much form coming into this week. Feeling a bit better about my game.”

Min Woo Lee is the best of the Australians in a share of 4th after his round of 68 but he will need to improve further if he is to make it into the field for the DP World Tour Championship. Lee began the day in 73rd place and has projected to now being 60th but he needs to be inside the top 50 to be on a plane to Dubai.

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Scott Hend’s revival continues in Egypt

Photo and article Asian Tour

Scott Hend’s revival continued today after he shot a sublime eight-under-par 62 to take the first-round lead in the US$1.5 million International Series Egypt.

The Australian, who has battled back from prostate cancer, looked like his old self today making nine birdies and one bogey at Madinaty Golf Club – in what is the Asian Tour’s first ever visit to Egypt.

Thailand’s Pawin Ingkhapradit and Seungtaek Lee from Korea shot equally impressive 63s, while South African Jaco Ahlers and Canadian Richard T. Lee returned 64s.

Hend has fully recovered from cancer but says the biggest obstacle his faces now is a lack of confidence.

He said: “I am a 10-time winner on the Asian Tour, I am a 15-time winner around the world, I am an Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, I am second on the Asian Tour Career Money List, I have been playing golf since I was 14 years old, I know how to play, I have just got to keep telling myself that.”

The 49 year old missed cut after cut in the early part of the year but has been playing better since then, most noticeably in last week’s International Series Morocco where he was tied for third going into the final round before shooting a 78 to finish equal 14th.

“It’s just a process, putting the foot in front of the other and trying to get back to where I was,” said Hend, whose last win on the Asian Tour came in the 2019 Maybank Championship.

“Mentally I have suffered a lot from what I have been through, so that’s where I have been really struggling confidence wise. I wasn’t 100%, I tried to play, and I rode on what confidence I did have but I wasn’t 100% so it was a Catch 22.”

He could easily have finished with a lower score today but missed three putts from inside four feet on the outward half and one from a similar length on the way back.

Pawin was bogey free, making three birdies on the front and four on the back.

“I played well from the tee today which is important on this course, and of course I holed a lot of putts,” said Pawin.

“I have been playing well this year, missing the cut for the first-time last week in Morocco, so today is just my form continuing.”

The Thai golfer has been playing on the Asian Tour and Asian Development Tour for the past decade and still chasing his first victory.

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Eight Australians chasing DP World Tour status in Spain


Maverick Antcliff – hoping for a return to the DP World Tour – photo Getty Images / DP World Tour

Eight Australians face the task of finishing inside the top 25 at this week’s Final Stage of qualifying to earn their right to play the DP World Tour next season.

The event is played over 108 holes at Infinitum Resort in Tarragona in Spain with 156 players facing the demanding task of finishing inside the top 25.

Queensland’s Maverick Antcliff is back seeking a return to the European Tour having finished 155th in the DP World Tour rankings this season and recording a best finish of 21st in 30 starts.

West Australians Jarryd Felton and Hayden Hopewell survived Stage 2 last week and get their chance, Felton having won an Australasian Tour event earlier in the year and recently finished 3rd at the WAPGA three weeks ago while amateur Hopewell also won an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia early in the year and recently finished runner-up at the WA Open.

Victoria’s Kyle Michel played his way into this field via Stage 2 last week and NSW’s Dimi Papadatos gets another chance at DP World Tour status having won an event on the PGA Tour of Australasia earlier in the year (the Vic Open) and thus finishing high up on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit.

Wollongong’s Jordan Zunic just scraped into the field after surviving a playoff for one of the final spots at last week’s Stage Two.

And finally Queenslanders Aaron Pike and Louis Dobbelaar are into the Final Stage courtesy of their standing on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit last season.

Tee Times

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Alker and Harrington duke it out in Charles Schwab Cup final


Alker with perhaps his most important win thus far – the Senior PGA – photo Montana Pritchard PGA of America

The final event of the 2022 PGA Tour Champions Tour will be played this week when the Charles Schwab Cup Championship is staged in Phoenix in Arizona with the leading 33 available players from the Charles Schwab table to compete over 72 holes.

New Zealand’s Steve Alker has a lead of 618 points over Padraig Harrington, Harrington needing to win the event and Alker to finish worse than solo 6th for Alker to lose the lead he has enjoyed for most of the year in the season long race.

In this final event of the season each dollar earned in this US$2.5 million event converts to two Charles Schwab points and so with a first prize of US$440,000 the remote possibility of Alker being toppled still exists.

There are other scenarios which could also see Alker lose the Cup if Harrington wins but they would require multiple players sharing positions between 2nd and 5th and the likelihood of it happening are possible but hardly probable.

If Harrington is not able to win this week then only Alker can take the title in what has been his first full season on the PGA Tour Champions, having joined as a Monday qualifier in August of 2021.

Alker has won four events and been four times runner-up while Harrington has won on three occasions and been three times runner-up this season so they have been going hammer and tongs for much of the season with Alker in front for most of it.

Rod Pampling is the only Australian in the field and while his season has been overshadowed by Alker, his effort to finish 17th in the standings this season and again retain his status for the PGA Tour Champions cannot be underestimated.

 

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Curtis Luck regains Korn Ferry Tour status

Curtis Luck – file photo

Curtis Luck, the former US Amateur, Asia Pacific Amateur, Eisenhower Trophy and West Australian Open Champion will return to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 following the completion of that tour’s qualifying in Georgia over the weekend.

The Korn Ferry Tour is essentially now the only means of accessing the PGA Tour.

Luck was forced to return to the Tour School after finishing outside the top 100 on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022 but by finishing in a share of 12th place this week, he earns starts in the first eight events of the season before any further starts will be dependent on his performance early in the season.

Luck recorded only one top ten in 19 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022 and given he missed his last four cuts he has done well to recover and regain his Korn Ferry Tour status.

Luck played the PGA Tour in 2019 after a standout debut year on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2018 but has been trying to play his way back there since.

Dimi Papdatos was the only other Australian in the field and finished outside those gaining status. He is eligible for conditional status for the tour in 2023 but will have to rely on spasmodic starts where available.

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