Article and photo – Japan Golf Tour

Australian veteran Brendan Jones produced a superb finish to grab a share of the lead at the halfway stage of the Heiwa PGM Championships in Ibaraki on Friday.

Rejuvenated from a three-week break back home in Canberra, the 47-year-old added a superb seven-under-par 63 to his opening 67 at the PGM Ishioka Golf Club thanks to a splendid run of an eagle and four birdies in his last six holes.

He had earlier turned in 34 by overcoming a bogey on the third hole with a pair of birdies on the sixth and ninth.

At 10-under par 130, Jones shared the top spot with Keita Nakajima and they led by just one shot from overnight leader Rikuya Hoshino, with international pair American Chan Kim and Australia’s Brad Kennedy another shot back alongside three others in tied-fourth.

Jones, who’s struggling to impress all year long, surprised even himself with his scintillating finish that spark his hopes of adding a title number 16, three years after he lifted his last at the Token Homemate Cup in 2019.

After making just one cut in his last eight starts, Jones decided to return to Australia to recharge. And it has certainly done him a whole world of good.

“The finish was incredible, it’s funny because my year has been horrible. My game has been very poor,” said Jones, whose best result this year was a tied-21st at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup.

“I went back to Australia for three weeks to see my old coach and talked to some professionals that have helped me along the way.  It has changed my thoughts, the way I think.

“Today I started nervously and played the first four holes rather poorly. It was very scrappy, got up and down from a long way on two, hit it in the water on three.

“But once I birdied the sixth, that calmed me down a little bit. From there, I played really, really well. The last six holes were pretty impressive.

“I wasn’t expecting that because in my head I was counting down the holes just to make the cut. I haven’t made many cuts this year.

“I just kept hitting really good shots. One thing I did today that I have not done all year is that all my good shots were not complemented with good putting.

“So, it’s to see some putts going in.

“There are still 36 holes to go and that’s still a long way to go. I’ll just try to stay patient and keep doing what I’m doing.”

Kim traded four birdies against a lone bogey to stay within striking distance of his eighth JGTO title while Kennedy also had the same scorecard to keep himself firmly in contention for his first victory in four years and fourth overall.

American Todd Baek shot a 67 to be tied for ninth and three shots off the pace.

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Harrison Endycott – file photo Golf NSW

Sydney’s Harrison Endycott is playing just his fourth event as a PGA Tour cardholder and after the opening round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in Southhampton in Bermuda, the 26 year old finds himself in a share of the lead of the US$6.5 million event.

Endycott, who impressed with a 12^th place finish on debut at the Fortinet Championship after securing his playing rights via the regular season on the Korn Ferry Tour, began slowly with bogeys at his opening two holes but he would play his next six holes in 6 under including a birdie at his 9^th hole then finished his round strongly with three birdies and an eagle in his last five holes.

Endycott, a member of Australia’s winning Eisenhower Trophy team in 2016 along with Cameron Davis and Curtis Luck, played the Australasian, South American and Korn Ferry Tours until earning his PGA Tour rights with a win and several top tens on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year.

“Yeah, look, I been hitting it great and really did some good work with the putting over the last two weeks,” said Endycott.

“I’ve been really struggling a little bit just especially with confidence with it, been hitting a lot of good putts and not seeing it going in. My coach and I came down with a pretty good strategy over the last two weeks at home to, you know, really get confident again.

“It was great today, I found a little bit of confidence. Had a slow start, started bogey, bogey. I said to Dave, my caddie, I said I think it’s time to get on a bit of a heater now. It was great, I can’t remember the last time I had a couple eagles, two in a round, and I just hit some really good quality shots out there.”

When asked how he was coping with life on the PGA Tour compared to the lesser tours he has played until now Endycott responded; “I’m just trying to take the little 1 percenters as we go. It’s a whole new feel again. It’s bigger and bolder and we’re out playing on the best and biggest tour in the world.

“For rookies coming out, it takes some people a little longer than others to feel comfortable and some people feel comfortable straightaway. For me it’s just a little bit at a time. I won’t be too far away where I really feel comfortable out here. Yeah, I’m just trying to take a little tiny 1 percenters and the small wins within myself and hopefully we can add three more good rounds and have a good year. If not, it is what it is.”

Endycott shares the lead with American Austin Smotherman who like Endycott played his way through South America and the Korn Ferry Tour to make it to the PGA Tour. He is in his second season at this level and has just one top ten to his name thus far.

Aaron Baddeley earned a place in this field through Open qualifying and has mde the most i=of it so far after his opening round of 65 having him in a share of 16^th in what has been a low scoring opening day.

Cameron Percy and Greg Chalmers are the next best of the Australians in 29^th place after rounds of 66.

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Steve Alker – file photo

Steve Alker has completed a great weekend for New Zealand golf by winning his  fourth PGA Tour Champions event of 2022 and in doing so extending his already significant lead in money earnings in 2022.

With Lydia Ko winning in Korea and Ryan Fox finishing 4th in Mallorca and moving to second place on the DP World Tour money list, Alker’s win continues a remarkable run for New Zealand golf of late.

The victory at the Dominion Energy event in Virginia takes Alker’s earnings beyond US$3.2 million for the season and well ahead of the second placed Padraig Harrington.

Alker is now averaging US$154,000 per start in his 21 appearances to date in 2022 and there appears a lot more to come yet with still two lucrative events remaining on the schedule, one of which Alker won in 2021.

Alker made a relatively slow start to the event but moved into the lead with his second round 65 and although he was slow to get going again today he finished with three birdies in his last four holes to win by one over K.J. Choi.

“Fantastic, said Alker after his round. “It was kind of a dogfight down there at the end. I was trying not to look at the leaderboard, because there was so many guys just trying to win this golf tournament.

“So I was just pleased I made those clutch birdies on 15, 16, and especially 17, that was huge. So, yeah, just so glad to — and especially with Paddy and Jerry playing so well and I’m right there as well. So it was exciting and nerve-racking, everything, all those emotions, yeah.”

“I kind of struggled right in the front nine there, and just got it back. But, yeah, pretty important, especially to win the golf tournament, for sure,” he added referring to the importance of this win.

“It really changed when I made birdie on 10, because he bogeyed 10 as well, and all of a sudden, oh, I’m back to like tied for the lead that quickly. So that kind of changed my mindset a little bit. And then there was a couple
tough holes before we started on the shorter holes. So just get through those and then I try and sprint for the finish.”

Alker’s nearest pursuer on the money list, Padraig Harrington, lost ground to him when he finished tied for 3rd and is now some US$550,000 behind heading into the final two events of the season.

Rod Pampling finished as the best of the Australians when he tied for 8th and moved up two places to 18th in the Charl Schwab table.

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Photo and article – Japan Golf Tour

Adam Scott carded a final round of one-over-par 71 in tough conditions at the Japan Open Golf Tournament to tie for sixth alongside American Chan Kim on two-over-par 282, 12 shots behind young gun Taiga Semikawa who survived a late scare to become the Championship’s only second amateur winner in its 87-year history.

Scott, the highest-ranked player in this week’s field at world number 32, finished fifth the last time he was in action in this event in 2019.

With another tied-seventh result coming from the 2015 edition, the 42-year-old Australian now has three top-10 finishes from a total of six Japan Open appearances since debuting in 2014.

Although disappointed for not being able to mount a serious title challenge, Scott is taking plenty of positives from what he described as a “great week and fantastic tournament”.

“I had a great week, it’s been a fantastic tournament but of course, when you don’t win, it’s all the frustrations, especially on a very difficult golf course,” said the 2013 Masters champion.

“I’m disappointed with my result, but I saw a lot of good things in my game. On this incredibly tough golf course, I think my standard of play was nearly very good.

“When you’re playing at the very top level like this, it’s a very fine line between 10th place and challenging for the win.

“There are positives to take, I feel good about my game.”

Even with the 31 victories he accomplished across the globe, Scott admitted that he simply could not conquer the Sanko Golf Club’s Japan Course.

But he relished the tough challenge, adding that a national Open should always be contested at the highest standard.

“It’s what I expected, that’s how national championships are meant to be, it’s supposed to be the biggest event in the country and should demand the most out of all the players,” he said.

Brad Kennedy 21st and Adam Bland 23rd were the next best of the Australians

The thrilling final day saw Semikawa hang tough to stave off a charging Kazuki Higa and secure a two-shot win over the latter.

Having built a comfortable six-shot lead over Higa heading into Sunday’s finale, it looked as if Semikawa was going to cruise to an effortless victory when he birdied the first two holes to race eight ahead.

But Semikawa flirted with danger after squandering four shots just before the turn, which included a triple bogey at the par-four ninth.

Another bogey dropped at the 17th saw Semikawa’s lead being trimmed to just two, but he held his nerve to save par at the last to sensationally seal his second JGTO victory on the trot.

It came just three weeks after he pulled off a stunning win at the Panasonic Open.

“Now that I have won twice, I’m going to raise the bar even higher and expect even more from myself,” said Semikawa.

“Winning the Panasonic Open and now the Japan Open has changed my perspectives and mindset.

“I want to build on this. My dream is to win all four majors.”

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Lawson all smiles after his first Australasian Tour victory – photo PGA of Australia

Gold Coast based Victorian Deyen Lawson today won his first PGA Tour of Australasia title with a two shot win over his fellow Gold Coast based professional. Michael Sim. at the WA Open at the West Australian Golf Club.

Beginning the day with a massive eight shot lead, the 31 year old former Victorian would find out that even such a significant lead can be awkward, especially chasing a first victory, as, after extending it to nine early in the round, chinks began to appear in his armour over the closing nine holes.

Two bogeys and a double bogey and a late charge from the former PGA Tour player and leading amateur Sim saw the gap close to two as Lawson stood on the 18^th tee. He managed to safely negotiate his way to a par and the two shot win.

The $45,000 winner’s cheque will be a significant boost for Lawson who has been a regular placegetter in Australasian events but until today has not broken through.

“It’s not easy. It never is. I’ve won some smaller events and it’s never easy,” said Lawson, a four-time runner-up on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

“Sometimes if you’re that far in front… you try not to have thoughts creep in, but I just kept pushing and pushing.

“Through nine I might have got nine shots ahead and then thought, Now just hang on. Which was not the right thing to do.

“In future I know that if I’ve ever got a good lead I need to just keep pushing until I finish. Really keep firing.

“I’ve seen too many times everywhere in the world, guys let big leads slip. Until it’s in, anything can happen.

“Even the three-and-a-half footer I had on 18, I only had to two-putt but I wanted to make sure I made it so it’s done.”

Sim who played the PGA Tour in 2010 after a stunning season in 2009 on the Korn Ferry Tour in which he won three times, has returned to tournament golf in recent years after taking time out to complete a bridging course with the PGA of Australia.

Sim is a brilliant player at best and his final round of 64 today put the upmost pressure on Lawson as he chased victory in what is effectively Sim’s home Open, Sim having spent much of his earlier life in WA. Sim has, though, won the event previously.

Queensland’s Chris Wood finished alone in third place while brilliant Sydney amateur Jeffrey Guab was 4^th.

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