Several Australians advance to Europe’s Final Stage Qualifying

Perth’s Hayden Hopewell finished 4th at his venue – photo AAC

Several Australians will advance to the final Stage of qualifying for next season’s DP World Tour following the completion of stage two qualifying at four separate venues in Spain overnight.

The final stage will begin this coming Friday in Tarragona in Spain where 156 players will attempt to gain a DP World Tour card for next season.

At the Desert Springs Golf Club in Almeria, West Australian amateur Hayden Hopewell, a winner of the WA Open while an amateur, finished 4th at his venue and advances to the final stage in Tarragona in Spain next week.

In Girona, Perth’s Jarryd Felton finish 8th and is safely through while NSW’s Daniel Gale has missed out by one shot and remains an alternate.

Victorian Kyle Michel and NSW’s Jordan Zunic have advanced via their venue in Alicante, Junic surviving a playoff for the final spot.

The final stage begins on Friday 11th November.

Correction Braden Becker who I had reported as making it through has missed out – an earlier  run down of qualifiers from DP World Tour was incorrect. Apologies

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Daniel Hillier’s European playing rights officially confirmed


Daniel Hillier with the trophy which set up his European Tour playing rights – file photo Getty Images

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier was unable to finish the season off in style at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca but for the 23-year-old Wellingtonian it is a case of mission accomplished in 2022.

Hillier finished in a share of 23rd in the 45-man player field in the final event of the 2022 Challenge Tour season but will finish the year in 7th place amongst the rankings and be included in the leading twenty players who earn their DP World Tour status for next season.

A win and a 4th place in consecutive weeks in France in the second half of the season had already secured his playing rights on the European Tour but his final placing is now official.

Hillier took advantage of an invitation to play at the recent Portugal Masters and finished 12th, suggesting he will be right at home when stepping up in what appears might be his first DP World Tour event as a cardholder at the Australian PGA Championship later in November.

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No joy for Australasians at Women’s Asian Pacific Championship


Huang Ting-Hsuan – photo R&A

Chinese Taipei’s Huang Ting-Hsuan has won the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship in Pattaya in Thailand, her strong closing nine of 33 reversing a four shot deficit through nine holes of her final round to claim the title by two shots over Natthakritta Vongtaveelap of Thailand, the highest world ranked player in the field.

16 year old Huang, the 83rd ranked player in the women’s amateur world rankings, will now play in next year’s AIG Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship as part of her reward for taking this increasingly prestigious title.

It was not a good week for the 12 Australasians in the field. Kelsey Bennett from NSW contended for much of the opening two rounds but faltered over the weekend and her final round of 76 saw her eventually finish in a share of 21st and it was New Zealand’s Fiona Xu and Vivian Lu who finished as the leading Australasians when they shared 13th place.

Queensland’s Justice Bosio finished as the leading Australian in 19th place.

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Scott Hend’s recent improvement continues in Morocco


Scott Hend – file photo

After what he might term an ‘annus horribilis’ to date in 2022, Scott Hend has continued his recent improvement and at the halfway stage of the Asian Tour’s International Series Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, the Queenslander is in a share of 3rd place and three shots behind Canadian Richard T Lee.

In recent events in Europe for Hend there have been some encouraging signs, more especially an 11th place finish in Morocco, his best finish of the year to that point and it may be that he is able to end the year on a high note.

Hend has struggled for much of the year on the DP World Tour, to the point where he has now lost playing rights in Europe. As one of the Asian Tour’s greatest money winners over his lengthy career there, however, he has returned to play a tour on which he has enjoyed significant success including ten titles, a money list win in 2016 and three other runner-up finishes on the Order of Merit.

This week’s event is one of a series supported by Liv Golf Investments in their partnership with the Asian Tour and carries a purse of US$1.5 million.

Todd Sinnott is the next best of the Australians in a share of 9th place through 36 holes.

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Bennett loses ground at Asia Pacific but remains in contention

Kelsey Bennett – in action in Thailand this week – photo R&A

Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto has the halfway lead at Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship, her second round of 66 the equal best of the tournament to date and opening up a one-shot lead over Jiyoo Lim of South Korea at the Siam Country Club in Thailand.

Hashimoto arrived this week as the defending champion following her win in Abu Dhabi last year and after a slowish start to the event with an opening round of 69, is back leading an event in which she is seeking to become the first two-time winner.

Australia’s Kelsey Bennett, from the South Coast of New South Wales, was unable to match the brilliance of her opening 67 and an even par round of 72 today has her four shots off the lead and tied for 4th after trailing by just one overnight.

New Zealand’s Fiona Xu is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 12th place, followed by Queenslanders Justice Bosio and Sarah Hammett in a share of 17th at 1 under.

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Top 10 finishes for Baddeley and Endycott in Bermuda

Harrison Endycott – an impressive start to his PGA Tour career – file photo

Aaron Baddeley has finished 6th and Sydney PGA Tour rookie Harrison Endycott has finished 10th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Southampton, Bermuda.

Playing the event courtesy of Monday qualifying earlier in the week, as he had done at his previous start,  Baddeley began the final round tied for 3rd place and two shots behind Ireland’s Seamus Power. A double bogey at his second hole and a roller coaster closing nine in which he produced three birdies and three bogeys saw him finish just three behind the eventual winner, Power.

Baddeley, will however, courtesy of his top ten finish, gain a start at the next PGA Tour event the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba in Mexico.

“I feel like I played pretty well. It was difficult again today,” said Baddeley. “I mean, just that double, the wind, got the wind wrong, went too far. I actually thought I stumped it, I thought I hit it close and it just flew like seven yards too far. But it was a tough day. I hit the ball really nicely overall, but disappointing just to finish with a par and a bogey.

“Yeah, but overall good week, first top-10 on Tour in a couple years, three years, two years. Like I said
yesterday, I feel like that’s where the game’s at, the game’s trending. No, the game’s not trending, the game’s there. It’s just a matter of getting starts. Great to have another start next week, ball-striker’s golf course, so I’m looking forward to that.”

So, too, will be Endycott who by finishing inside the top ten has moved out of alternate status for the event and earns  place in the field for his fifth PGA Tour event.

This week’s 10th place was Endycott’s best finish in four starts but his 12th place on debut and now this impressive effort will be a great boost of confidence for the 26 year old graduate from the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour.

The finish will also provide a healthy cheque for Endycott to assist in the early stages of his PGA Tour career. In just four events to date he has earnings of US334,000 to his name including the US$177,000 this week.

Birdies at his final two holes assisted Endycott’s cause in no small way and gave further evidence of an attitude that will stand him in good stead as his career progresses.

 

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Harrison Crowe becomes Australia’s third Asia Pacific Amateur Champion


Harrison Crowe with his much coveted trophy – Photo AAC

CHONBURI, Thailand – New South Wales golfer, Harrison Crowe, produced a masterful back nine to edge out China’s Bo Jin by one shot to claim the 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand today.

Crowe becomes the third Australian player to win the AAC trophy following Antony Murdaca (2014) and Curtis Luck (2016) and will perhaps have the opportunity to defend his title when the championship returns to Royal Melbourne next year subject to his remaining amateur at that point.

At Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi on Saturday, Crowe, ranked No. 43 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was three shots behind Jin when he made the turn at three-over par. However, four birdies in five holes on the back nine and a heroic up and down for par from the back of the 18th hole helped him to a level-par 72 and a one-shot victory.

Japan’s Ryuta Suzuki (73) and Crowe’s compatriot, Jeff Guan (69), were tied for the third place at nine under par.

“I certainly had to dig deep. At the turn, I kind of told my dad and his mate, that I just needed one to go in, just one to drop, and from there, I backed myself to keep it going. I had not had a birdie all day, and the one on 11th got my momentum going forward,” said Crowe, who turned 21 on October 15.

Jin (71), whose brother won this event in 2015, started the day two behind Crowe but caught up early with an approach to tap-in distance for a birdie on the first hole as the Australian slipped to an opening bogey.

Jin looked to be in a strong position after a spectacular eagle from the bunker at the back of the par-4 12th hole but Crowe holed out for a birdie to stay three behind.

The Sydneysider pulled level when he made his fourth birdie in five holes on the par-5 15th hole.

Crowe missed the 16th green with his approach which cost him a dropped shot and a share of the lead.

The iconic par-3 17th with its island green proved to be crucial in deciding the outcome of the championship. Jin’s tee shot to the 129-yard hole came up short in the water and he could only manage a double-bogey five.

Crowe enjoyed a one-shot lead on the 18th tee but there was more drama to come when, after a perfect tee shot that left him with a 181-yard approach, Crowe pulled his second shot and almost found the water. His ball stayed dry and he made a difficult up-and-down for his all-important par.

“I think it was going to go in the water. I pulled it, but I flushed it.  So, I thought I had plenty on, but I was just hoping that it just caught a bit of grass,” Crowe added.

The victory means Crowe receives invitations to the 2023 Masters and The 151st Open.

“It means so much. I played a lot of really good golf early in the season, but towards the middle of the year when I travelled overseas, I didn’t play very good golf at all. So, I came out here this week with something to prove, and I’m just really proud of myself the way I handled myself on and off the course,” said Crowe.

Jin, who was hoping to add another AAC trophy to his family cabinet alongside the one won by his brother Cheng in 2015, managed to retain his smile after the disappointing finish.

“This is not the position I wanted to be in but I am very proud of the way I played this whole week. You just can’t take anything away from Crowe and the way he played the back nine,” said Jin, who finished tied-eighth in 2019 and tied-third last year in Dubai.

“I have got another year in the college so if they invite me back, I am definitely coming to Melbourne next year and try this all over again. Hopefully, I will finish one position better.”

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Brad Kennedy 5th in Japan’s Heiwa PGM Championship

Brad Kennedy another good result in Japan – photo Japan Golf Tour

Queenslander Brad Kennedy has finished 5th in the Japan Tour’s Heiwa PGA Championship in the Ibaraki Prefecture near Tokyo.

Kennedy entered today’s final round just one shot off the lead of Rikuya Hoshino, chasing his first win in Japan in four years. But while all four of his rounds were in the 60’s including today’s final round of 69, Kennedy was unable to hold off last round charges from the winner Hoshino and American Chan Kim who finished runner-up.

It was, though, Kennedy’s 4th top 5 of the season and he now moves ahead of his fellow Queensland based professional Anthony Quayle as the leading money winner on the Japan Golf Tour (including major tournaments) in 2022.

The winner, 26 year old Hoshino, began the season brilliantly with seven consecutive top tens but his win this week was his first of the season although his 6th victory overall on the Japan Golf Tour.

Hoshino won by one over American Kim and Aguri Iwasaki. Kim has been one of the most successful players in Japan in recent years with seven victories to his name including key events such as the Japan Open and the Dunlop Phoenix.

The next best of the Australasians in the field was Matthew Griffin who was 25th followed by joint 36 hole leader Brendan Jones who was unable to keep pace with his second round of 63.

Dylan Perry was 41st, New Zealand’s Michael Hendry 54th and Anthony Quayle 62nd.

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Aaron Baddeley taking advantage of PGA Tour start


Aaron Baddeley – file photo Bruce Young

Aaron Baddeley might not enjoy full playing rights on the PGA Tour anymore but after earning a start at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship courtesy via Monday qualifying, he has taken advantage by making a fine start to the US$6.5 million event.

Baddeley is one of five players just one shot from the leader, Ben Crane, at the halfway stage of the event in Southhampton, Bermuda, following up an opening round of 65 with a second round 64 at the Port Royal Golf Course.

Baddeley is delighted to get a start in an event given his now limited status restricts his opportunities.

“Yeah, with my past champion status, not really getting in much this fall. Just, yeah, wanted to make sure I could be here this week, so went down on Monday and got in, I birdied the first hole to get into the playoff. Game’s been feeling pretty good, so it was fun to play well these first two days. Reason to keep it going the next couple.”

Baddeley believes the work he has been doing with coach Mike Adams is paying off. “I started working with Mike Adams about a year ago, last October maybe started together. He’s just really simplified my swing.

“For the majority of my career that’s been the battle and I’d say this summer I hit the ball consistently, probably the most consistent I’ve ever done in my career and just didn’t make enough putts.

“Feel like I have the putting figured out again now and just sort of feel like everything’s sort of turning the corner. Feel like the confidence is back, just a matter of just getting some starts and go out and play. So it’s been great, Mike’s really been a huge help.”

Baddeley is the winner of four PGA Tour titles and more then US$22 million in his now 20 year career in the US but has struggled in recent seasons just to retain playing rights.

Sydney’s Harrison Endycott led after the opening round but lost ground with his second round of 70 in the low scoring event. he is, though, well enough placed in a share of 15th and only four from the lead in just his 4th PGA Tour event as a cardholder.

Cameron Percy 34th and Greg Chalmers 55th are the only other Australians to have made the weekend.

One of two players have yet to complete their rounds but will have no impact on the top of the leaderboard.

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Scrivener and Hillier lead Australasians in Portugal


Jason Scrivener – file photo

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier and Australian Jason Scrivener are four shots off the pace and tied for 13th at the halfway stage of the Portugal Masters at Vilamoura on the Algarve Peninsula.

Hillier is playing this event based on his performances on last year’s Challenge Tour rankings but he of course now has DP World Tour status for next season courtesy of his good season on the Challenge Tour in 2022.

That status does not begin until the first event of next season, but he is taking advantage of this opportunity and has made a solid start.

Jason Scrivener on the other hand is currently in 109th position in the DP World Tour rankings and needs to retain his position inside the top 117 if he is to retain the right to play the DP World Tour.

A good finish this week should get the job done with a certain level of comfort for the 33 year old.

Scott Hend continued his improvement from last week and is in a share of 22nd and his fellow Queenslander Maverick Antcliff is in a share of 45th place.

Both Hend and Antcliff are in serious danger of losing their full playing rights for Europe.

The tournament is being led by Malaysia’s Gavin Green and England’s Jordan Smith at 13 under par.

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