LIV Golf Series reaches Asia


Will Cam Smith and caddie Sam Pinfold be celebrating again this week?

LIV Golf hits Asia for the first occasion this week when the 6th in their eight event 2022 schedule, is played in the Province of Pathum Thani in Thailand.

The Stonehill Golf Course plays host to the event so soon after its opening this year, the work of American designer Kyle Phillips being exposed to the world for the first time this week.

Five Australians are in the field headed by Cameron Smith whose win in Chicago and 4th place on his Liv Golf debut in Boston a month ago has him in 3rd place in the season’s points table for individual standings behind Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace.

Smith will be joined by fellow countrymen and now LIV Series regulars, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby and Jed Morgan.

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Another impressive week for New Zealand golfers


Ryan Fox – reaches an all time high in DP World Tour and World rankings – photo Getty Images

For the second week in succession New Zealand golfers have performed with distinction on their respective professional tours.

Last week, Daniel Hillier won his second event on the European Challenge Tour and Steve Alker finished in a share of the runner-up position in a PGA Tour Champions event in the US and, this week, the roll continued with Ryan Fox winning his third European Tour event, Lydia Ko finishing third in an LPGA Tour event and Hillier again performing well when finishing 4th in another Challenge Tour event.

Fox, continuing his liking for and fine performances on some of Britain’s best links layouts, followed up his Saturday 65 with a final round of 68 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews to win by one over Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren, with Rory McIlroy another shot back in a share of 4th place with Antoine Rozner.

Fox’s win and the accompanying €800,000 ($NZ1.4 million) will see him move to third place in DP World Tour rankings and from 47th to a projected all time high of 25th in the World Rankings.

Fox began the year outside the top 200 in the world so his jump in the rankings is one of the biggest in the game and his current position guarantees him a debut at the Masters in 2023.

That the win followed three missed cuts and a withdrawal in his last five starts, further reflects the significance of the win and is just reward for a season that has not only seen him win earlier in the year but one where he has also suffered some frustrating near misses with three runner-up finishes.

“Yeah, very satisfying,” said Fox when asked about finally getting across the line again. “A couple of really good chances and didn’t get the job done, and had a couple — which can’t do anything about. I felt like for the most part, I controlled everything really well today. Last three holes, relatively easy par off the last, yeah, I can’t put words on everything at the moment to be honest.”

As to the likelihood of a start at the Masters in April, Fox was excited by the prospect of making his debut in the one major he has yet to play.

“I certainly hope that’s the case. Tim (Barter) mentioned it as I walked off the 18th green, and that’s sort of one major I haven’t ticked off yet so that would be pretty cool to get that in the mail. Obviously I would love to keep playing how I’m playing at the end of the year.

“When I started the year, I think I was well outside of 200 in the world, so to even be talking about going to the Masters is pretty incredible. I have a couple of mates I made a bet with a long time ago that I would take them there, so I’ll be expecting a few texts later on tonight when they wake up.”


Lydia Ko in action this week – photo Getty Images

Lydia Ko finished third in the LPGA Tour’s Ascendant LPGA event in Texas, her 10th top five finish of the year.

Ko’s final round of 65 saw her fall just two short of the winner Charley Hull but she has moved to the top of the Race to the Globe Rankings as a result of the consistency of her performances.

Ko also leads the stroke averages on the LPGA Tour and while some way behind Minjee Lee on the money list, her consistency has proven to be her greatest asset in 2022. Lee’s win at the lucrative US Women’s Open has been the catalyst for the West Australian’s huge lead in money earnings in 2022.

Daniel Hillier’s 4th place finish in a European Challenge Tour event in France might not have carried the profile and glamour of the efforts by Fox and Ko but in many respects his efforts was perhaps even more important for the Wellingtonian as it has now assured him a place on the DP World Tour next season.

Hillier entered the week in 13th place in the Road to Mallorca rankings following his win last week and with the leading twenty players at season’s end earning the right to play at the higher level next season he needed another solid finish to consolidate his standing.

Hillier has now moved to 7th in the Road to Mallorca rankings and with just three events remaining he is a lock to advance.

Hillier shared the halfway lead this week and while unable to convert that into another win he will be delighted what his finish has brought him in terms of his future.


Daniel Hillier – photo Getty Images

SCORES  – ALFRED DUNHILL

SCORES – ASCENDANT LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

SCORES – EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR EVENT

 

 

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Daniel Hillier leads again in France

Daniel Hillier – photo Getty Images

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier has set about consolidating the standing his victory in last week’s European Challenge Tour event has given him on the Road to Mallorca Order of Merit, taking a share of the lead at the halfway mark of Hopps Open de Provence in Mallemort in France.

Hillier, who moved to 13th in the standings following his win last week, has already staked his claim for a position inside the top 20 at season’s end and if he is able to do so then he will be playing the DP World Tour next season.

The Wellingtonian, who won the Australian Junior Championship, two New Zealand Junior Championships and two New Zealand Amateur Championships in a stellar career before turning professional in late 2019, has for some time been heralded as perhaps New Zealand’s brightest emerging prospects.

“I’m pretty happy with my work, especially today,” he said. “I got off to a bit of a shaky start first round, I actually made a good par save on 18 and I guess that gave me some momentum, I managed to come back strong in that first round and followed it up today with a good one.

“You really need to have control of the ball flight out there. My caddy and I have been working really well together, we’ve been picking the wind and getting some good numbers. I think I was five under on the par fives today which helps. If you put it in play on the par fives, birdie is in play and sometimes eagle.”

Hillier shares the halfway lead with England’s Bailey Gill, the duo lead by two ahead of South Africa’s Bryce Easton, Sweden’s Oscar Lengden and Robbie van West, of the Netherlands, and Hillier was pleased with his second round effort which he filed without a blemish.

SCORES

 

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Despite prizemoney stagnation Alfred Dunhill Links attracts stars


Australasian Tour Order of Merit winner- Jed Morgan – one of 14 Australians in the field – photo Bruce Young

Like events of similar nature on other tours throughout the world, this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links event at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns in Scotland, has proven to be one of the most popular events on the DP World Tour.

Since its inaugural staging in 2001, when bad weather threatened to throw a dampener on the new concept of professionals playing with amateur partners in the St Andrews area in October, the event has grown into a must play for many, including some of Europe’s best.

But the event has also provided an opportunity for a mix of players from other tours to play a relatively lucrative event which they would seldom otherwise receive.

If there is a disappointment for the event, it is that the prizemoney which was US$5 million 21 years ago, remains the same today, highlighting an event which was considered at one stage to be amongst the most lucrative on the European Tour, but now just average in that regard.

In addition to a high class European Tour field however, leading money winners from the PGA Tour of Australasia, the South African Sunshine Tour and the Asian Tour get their chance to compete for significantly higher prizemoney than is the case on their own tours, so the attraction of that, along with the possibility to team with family members, friends and stars from other sports and the entertainment industry is a carrot too good to refuse for many.

The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and the New Zealand Open are two other highly successful examples of a similar concept, both now considered amongst the most popular and enjoyable events to play on their respective tours.

For the amateurs who so regularly turn up to play the event, not only do they get to play in the heat of the battle in a bona fide European Tour event, they get to play on two Open Championship layous, The Old Course at St Andrews and Carnoustie and another outstanding layout of the region, Kingsbarns.

The leading ten money winners from the top thirty of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s 2022/2023 money list get their opportunity headed by Jed Morgan whose win in the Australian PGA Championship in January kick started his career. Morgan, who has played all five LIV Golf events in 2022, will take up membership of the DP World Tour at the completion of this season as a result of leading the Australasian Tour money list.

Europe’s leading stars including Rory McIlory, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry are in this week’s field, taking the opportunity to play with family members as a means of thanking them for the support they have provided throughout their careers.

Tee Times

 

 

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Steve Alker extends Charles Schwab Cup lead


Steve Alker – file photo courtesy of USGA

Amidst the significant interest generated in world golf by the Presidents Cup battle in North Carolina, New Zealand’s Steve Alker continued his amazing run on the PGA Tour Champions with a share of the runner-up position at the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach.

Alker finished one shot behind Steve Flesch and in a share of second place with Ernie Els and Paul Stankowski, adding yet another US$161,000 to his earnings in 2022 and again stretching his lead in the Charles Schwab Cup.

Alker has now earned US$2.730 million in on course earnings in 2022 and leads the Charles Schwab Cup by some US$259,000 over Padraig Harrington.

It was Alker’s 13th top five of the season in his 19 starts to date which includes three victories and now three runner-up finishes.

After Padraig Harrington had threatened to challenge Alker for the lead in the season long Charles Schwab Cup contest with three wins in his last eight starts, Alker is back in full charge.

Harrington did not play this week and their rivalry will likely recommence at the Constellation Furyk and Friends event in Jacksonville in two weeks-time.

Alker made the perfect start to the final round at the iconic Pebble Beach Links layout when trailing by one heading into day three. A birdie at the first was followed by an eagle at the 2nd and he was on track for a 4th victory of the year before two quick bogeys.

A bogey at the par 3 17th would prove costly but it was yet another outstanding week for the 51 year old.

“No, it was pleasing,” said Alker. “I struggled last week with my game a little bit, especially down the stretch, then just kind of got it together this week. I enjoy playing here anyway. So I got it together, gave myself a chance, hung in today and got a super start.

“It was a little bit topsyturvy today, but I should have got a few more early on. I had a good chance at I think 11 and again at 13, hit some nice wedges in there. If I just converted a little bit earlier, I might have been right there. No, pleased with the week anyway.

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New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier closes in on DP World Tour card


Daniel Hillier – photo Getty Images

New Zealand golf now appears likely to have another representative playing the DP World Tour in 2023 following the success of Wellingtonian, Daniel Hillier, in a Challenge Tour event in Europe this weekend.

Hillier produced a stunning final round of 64 to win the Swiss Challenge at  Golf Saint Apollinaire, Folgensbourg in France and the 24 year old now moves up 13 places to 13th in the Race to Mallorca rankings in which he needs to be inside the top 20 at season’s end to graduate to the DP World Tour.

With another four events remaining before the Challenge Tour winds up with the Grand Final in Mallorca in early November, Hillier still has work to do but this week’s victory has given him an important cushion as he heads into a crucial period in his professional career.

Hillier began the final round four shots from the lead and tied for 8th but a ten birdie round swept him into the lead and birdies at his final two holes allowed him to win by two over Korea’s Ko Jeong weon.

“That was pretty unbelievable,” he said. “I played really solid on the front nine and didn’t miss too many greens. I hit some of the best wedge shots I’ve hit in a long time and gave myself a lot of really good chances. I holed a couple of clutch putts to keep the momentum going and then managed to birdie five of my last six holes.

“It was a crazy day and I felt like I was in autopilot. I’ve been working on my short game a lot in the last couple of years and it’s something that has really let me down in the past. To be able to hole those putts under pressure today just shows I am doing some of the right things and now I just need to keep my head down and hope the wins keep coming.

“This is massive for me being towards the end of the season. I’ve moved inside the top 20 and now I’m in a strong position to get my DP World Tour card for next season. The jobs not done yet so I need to play as well as I can for the final few events.”

SCORES

 

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Travis Smyth’s lucrative year continues with Asian Tour victory


Travis Smyth and trophy – photo Asian Tour

Wollongong golfer, Travis Smyth, has today won his first Asian Tour event with a two shot victory over China’s Lee Chieh-po at the Yeangder TPC event at the Linkou Golf and Country Club in Chinese Taipei.

Consecutive weekend rounds of 66 swept the 27 year old to victory in the US$700,000 event and continued a season where he has benefited from the largesse of LIV Golf, having finished runner-up in a qualifying event for that tour earlier in the year in England and then accumulating more than $A 1 million in earnings in the three LIV Golf events he has played to date on that tour.

“Feels amazing!” said an overjoyed Smyth who today picked up a cheque for another US$126,000.

“I got so close, I felt like I let it go in England and to play some LIV events, feel what it’s like there, I just want to get back. I want to be the player that I believe I can be, and winning this week is one step along the journey.”

Smyth had previously won an event and finished runner-up on three occasions in his professional career, the victory coming when winning the Northern Territory PGA Championship on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2017.

SCORES

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Internationals’ dogged fightback offers hope


Tom Kim celebrates his winning putt on the 18th. photo Getty Images

Saturday 24th of September 2022 may yet prove to be one of the more significant moments in the history of the Presidents Cup as the heavily outgunned International team fought their way back from a 8 to 2 deficit to win Saturday’s encounters 5 to 3 and as the event heads into the Singles matches tomorrow there is still life left in an event which threatened to be over before it was over.

Not that an 11-7 deficit is probable, perhaps even possible, for the Internationals to overcome against the powerful American side, but the manner in which they fought back today against all odds keeps this week’s event, and perhaps even the Presidents Cup in general, relevant and provides hope for this week’s contest to retain interest until late on day four.

The comeback began with the sharing of points in the Saturday morning foursomes, Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama defeating Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young and K.H. Lee and Tom Kim overcoming the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, and Sam Burns to build a little momentum into the afternoon.

But it would be the afternoon fourball matches that would genuinely turn the tide of the overall encounter.

Adam Scott and Cam Davis were never ahead in their match against Billy Horschel and Sam Burns until the 17th when Davis, after eagleing the 16th to square the match, then birdied the 17th to move ahead and added another birdie at the last to match that of Burns and the point went to the Australian duo.

“Great day for us, and a great afternoon to win that session,” said Scott. “And then for myself and Cam to win that match down the stretch, you know, it’s those moments why you work hard and see what you’ve got, and I was so impressed with Cam playing those last three holes like that. I’m happy he could carry me in.

“Today was a great day. We were in a deep hole coming here on the bus this morning, and all of the boys dug really deep.

You know, we halved the morning session, and we won in afternoon session, and the momentum, you know, I think over the course of my career in this, there hasn’t been many times I’ve felt momentum going our way. And today, we had the momentum. We certainly have it finishing this evening, and it will be great if we could keep it rolling tomorrow.

Davis was of course delighted to have been part of such an amazing experience with one of his boyhood heroes.

“This is a dream come true to be in this scenario for me,” said the Sydney golfer. “I don’t want Adam to feel old or anything, but he’s been a childhood hero of mine really right from when I started to taking golf seriously.

“To play with him is a dream come true. To play great golf alongside him is even better. I just, you know, can’t imagine — well, it was hard to imagine myself being in these shoes right now, and I’m loving every minute of it, because it’s been absolutely awesome.”

For Scott it was his 48th match in Presidents Cup contests second only to Phil Mickelson in that regard and his experience and mentoring has no doubt played a great part in getting the Internationals back into the contest.

Earlier, Tom Kim, one of the game’s most exciting prospects, had birdied his final hole from 10 feet to win the match-up between he and partner Si Woo Kim and their opponents, the high flying pair of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Sebastion Munoz and Sungjae Im would also claim a point from the America duo of Kevin Kisner and Tony Finau and so what appeared as if Sunday’s singles would be fait accompli in a near whitewash win to the US side, is now a lot less so.

Tomorrow’s singles begin with Si Woo Kim up against Justin Thomas and Cam Davis taking on Jordan Spieth, daunting tasks at any time, admittedly, but momentum plays a big role in contests such as these and there is little doubt which of the two teams now have that on their side, despite a four-point margin.

If Kim and Davis can build further on the Saturday momentum early on day four then who knows quite where things might end up.

In order for the Internationals to win an improbable victory, they will need 8½ of the 12 remaining points available on Sunday.

Whether they can indeed mount such a challenge remains to be seen but that the Internationals have provided at least a glimmer of hope and interest for Sunday speaks volumes for what has been a dogged fightback against all odds and predictions.

International Captain Trevor Immelman summed up the day but made special mention of the heroics and brilliance on Tom Kim, the third youngest player to have played the Presidents Cup.

“Look, today was a great day for our team. We were in a deep hole. We’ve been fighting our guts out all week, and we’ve just been trying to stay patient to wait for some putts to go in. And, finally, this afternoon, some putts started to fall for us.

“So, you know, I’m really proud of the guys for staying patient, as tough as what it was when you’re playing a team that’s that good and you continuously feel like you’re getting a punch in the guts.

“But when it comes to Tom Kim, you know, this young kid has burst onto the scene in the last six months, and it has been such a tremendous — he’s been such a tremendous gift to our sport.

He has an ability to be a global superstar, this kid. I know he has the game. We’ve seen he has the game. But what I’ve learned about personality and his heart and what he stands for this week, man, I am a huge fan.

“I thought something that was so cool on the final hole today, he’s about 240 yards out. He’s probably 60 yards behind his opponents. He’s over the ball. I look back, I see the who’s who of American golf in golf carts behind him.

“I see Thomas, I see Spieth, I see Finau, I see Homa, I see Morikawa, all of them sitting on carts 15 yards from him. And this kid pures a 2 iron to 10 feet and makes the putt. To me, that’s impressive stuff.

“No matter who you’re rooting for, that made my heart warm right there. So extremely proud of him today. He went out. He did his job. He earned two points. And that is fantastic.”

All matches are worth one point, for a total of 30 points. There are no playoffs, with each side receiving a half point if a match is tied after 18 holes. In a change inspired by the events of the 2003 Presidents Cup, if the match is deadlocked at the end of Singles play, the competition will be deemed a tie and the teams will share the Presidents Cup.

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Adam Scott not without hope in Charlotte

Trevor Immelman and Adam Scott – mature heads to assist an inexperienced but talented International team.

Adam Scott will play his 10th Presidents Cup when the event gets underway on Thursday 22nd and while he is the 5th highest world ranked player in the International team, his longevity of success and consistency at the highest level gives him the right to be the playing leader.

Scott’s reasoned and measured thoughts on the game provide a solid base on which his less experienced teammates can rely over four days at the demanding Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

Scott has now played on more International Presidents Cup teams than any other player and his points record is bettered only by Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.

That record might not necessarily get his team across the line, but the 42-year-old Queenslander, whose first Presidents Cup came in 2003 when the International shared the honours with the US in South Africa, will play a key role in settling the nerves of the 75 % of his team who face the cauldron of an American home game for the first time.

Speculated as a possible convert to LIV Golf earlier this year, Scott has made it clear recently that he is not about to give away twenty years of chasing majors in the hope that LIV Golf recruits will eventually be able to play majors.

Scott has only won one major title but his record at the elite level in the second half of his career has been significantly better than that of the first and it would seem based on comments at the recent BMW PGA Championship in London that he feels there is life in the old dog yet.

Earlier this week Scott was asked about the hurt of his International side losing so many actual and potential team members to LIV Golf.

“I think it does, because I think even though maybe the international team, our struggles have been fairly well-aired over the years or documented, I think everyone becomes very invested at some point in the week.

“As individual competitors, we don’t like losing. I know that’s something we do a lot anyway is playing individual tournaments. But I think it has stung a lot. It’s been frustrating a lot. The close calls really sting. The couple times we’ve really been thumped is very, very frustrating, and I think in saying all that, I’m the only one carrying any real baggage into this one.

“I think Hideki probably has felt a bit of both, as well, in fairness, but I think the beauty of this one for me is that I see a lot of guys out here for the first time, and when I made the team for the first time, it was like, you make the Presidents Cup team, you come out and win points, it’s what you’ve dreamed of, and that’s kind of how it started for me, on a pretty good note.

“That’s what I think these guys can do this week. I certainly am not dwelling on anything and to be perfectly honest, looking back at Melbourne, although that was one that stung for sure, I thought so much changed, the direction of this team changed there, and I think that’s carried over.”

Scott also sung the praises of South African Trevor Immelman, a former Masters Champion and now lead commentator for CBS, who will captain the International side. The pair became good friends during their early professional days when playing in Europe and remain close.

“Trevor has embraced that a lot (the direction created by Ernie Els in Melbourne) and done an incredible job. I think we’re going to see that continue no matter what the result. I still remain incredibly optimistic that we have a shot this week.”

I think we’ve really gotten over that, to be honest, from ’19,” added Scott referring to the come from behind Sunday win of the Americans in Melbourne.

“I think the structures that have been put in place by Ernie and the assistants there and carried over and evolved since with Trevor. I don’t feel like we have those obstacles in trying to massage pairings together and find the secret sauce anymore. I think everything that’s going on behind the scenes is making guys feel very confident to play with each other. I don’t know whether it’s — not that we’re spending more time together, but it sounds almost corny, but creating an identity for this team has given us all the same kind of language, if you want.

“I think knowing Trevor so well, he certainly showed how much work he’s put into this and how much meaning it has to him and how deep he has gone into thinking about what he can give us as an opportunity and experience this week.

“He’s gone further than anyone has gone before, and I think he’s pushed pretty hard for some help from the PGA TOUR to do that, as well, and create an opportunity and an experience for us that we’ll never forget this week, which feels very good.

“I feel very confident in everything that’s happened. From the preparation side, I come in here, all I’ve got to worry about is playing some golf, and that’s the only thing I can do anyway, so that feels like a really nice place as a player to be. I’m really not polluting anyone else’s mind with anything more than that.

“These guys are incredibly talented, and relatively unknown maybe compared to the stars of the United States, but they’ve now been given a platform to show off this week, and I hope they do.”

If the Internationals can find a way to even contend and possibly win against all odds and statistics it will be in no small way due to the efforts of Immelman and Scott whose friendship forged all those years ago is now manifested in guiding their team to a perhaps improbable but still possible win.

According to Adam Scott at least.

 

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Internationals heavily outweighed ahead of Presidents Cup


Cameron Davis and Adam Scott enjoying their practice round together – photo Getty Images

Despite the absence of many of the game’s best players there is a familiar ring to the likely outcome of this week’ 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in North Carolina.

Once again, the Americans heavily outweigh the Internationals in terms of field strength with only one of that team (Kevin Kisner) outside the top 20 in the world ranking while for the Internationals they can boast only two inside category, namely Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im.

Not that such a scenario is foreign to the Internationals. That has always been the case, and in what was a very similar mathematical pre-event equation at Royal Melbourne in 2019, the Internationals actually led into the Sunday singles by 10 to 8 before being overrun by the Americans on Sunday by 8 to 4 and losing 16 to 14.

There was real hope leading into the final round at Royal Melbourne that the Internationals could pull of their second ever win in the event on a golf course they had won on previously, but it was not to be as the Tiger Woods led team’s superiority in world ranking strength came to the fore.

The closest the International have come in other encounters in addition to their win in 1998 at Royal Melbourne was in 2019 and in 2003 when the teams shared the honours in South Africa after darkness forced a playoff between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els to be halted.

The emergence of LIV Golf has had a significant impact on both sides with as many as six or seven players who might otherwise have been included in the Internationals now excluded due to their association with LIV.

Cameron Smith, Joacquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Anirban Lahiri, Abraham Ancer and possibly Marc Leishman were likely considerations or automatic inclusions in the Internationals but they much now watch from afar as their former teammates look to produce the near impossible.

Dustin Johnson, Bryson De Chambeau, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed might also have been included on the US team in a different time, but the respective teams will have to duke it out with what they have.

Golf does work in funny ways but it is hard to see the Internationals getting close to the powerful Americans although both teams perhaps have significant points to prove given the new dynamic in world golf and that motivation alone will carry them a long way.

TEAMS

 

 

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