Darren Clarke joins a select group to win both Open Championships – photo Getty Images
New Zealand’s Steve Alker has finished 3rd two shots behind the winner, Darren Clarke, at the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Alker finished with a final round of even par but, on a day disrupted for over two hours by rain, Alker will rue a putter which deserted him in his time of need.
A three putt from lengthy range for par at the last typified a day in which plenty of chances went begging for the 50-year-old but it was yet another fine finish at this level, adding to the two wins, two runner-up finishes and three thirds he already had to his name on the Champions Tour this season.
Alker will move even further clear of Steve Stricker on the Charl Schwab standings, Stricker not playing in this week’s event. But the three putt at the last proved costly as instead of finishing in a two way share of the runner-up place, he found himself in a six way tie for third, the par at the last effectively costing him around US$100,000.
His lead in the Charl Schwab standings however will now extend to nearly US$915,000 over second placed Stricker.
For Clarke, however, he becomes just the 4th player to win the Open and Senior Open Championships, joining the likes of Sir Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson in doing so.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I wanted to win this more than anything,” said a delighted Clarke.
“From when I turned 50, this is the one you wanted to win, so I could set it beside the other one. Pretty good feeling right now.
“Very privileged to get my name on The Open trophy and the Claret Jug, and now to get my name on this one as well and go beside some legends of the game. I feel very humbled and very honoured.
“Not that many people have done it before. And last week, I was very fortunate to spend a little bit of time with my old coach, Pete Cowen, as well on the range at St Andrews.
“Last week didn’t quite go so well. He was trying to get me to do a couple of things and didn’t quite work in. You know, he helped me win the main Open, as well as Ewan, and he’s helped me win this one, too. He just got me with a more simple swing thought and I was able to get out of my own way and I was able to do it. To join that illustrious company is very special.
“This [the trophy] doesn’t hold as much (laughter) but I’ll have a few celebratory drinks tonight. As I said, to win the tournament I always wanted to win, The Open Championship, and then to win this one as a senior, this is the one I wanted to win more than anything. I feel.
“Very fortunate to have been able to have done it. Fulfilling your dreams is a very lucky thing, and I’ve been able to do it a few times in my career.”
Of the other Australasians in the field Stuart Appleby finished 19th after a final round of 74, Peter O’Malley did well to finish 20th, Richard Green was 41st, John Senden 47th and Michael Campbell 66th.
RESULTS
Alker finishes 3rd behind Darren Clarke at Gleneagles
Darren Clarke joins a select group to win both Open Championships – photo Getty Images
New Zealand’s Steve Alker has finished 3rd two shots behind the winner, Darren Clarke, at the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Alker finished with a final round of even par but, on a day disrupted for over two hours by rain, Alker will rue a putter which deserted him in his time of need.
A three putt from lengthy range for par at the last typified a day in which plenty of chances went begging for the 50-year-old but it was yet another fine finish at this level, adding to the two wins, two runner-up finishes and three thirds he already had to his name on the Champions Tour this season.
Alker will move even further clear of Steve Stricker on the Charl Schwab standings, Stricker not playing in this week’s event. But the three putt at the last proved costly as instead of finishing in a two way share of the runner-up place, he found himself in a six way tie for third, the par at the last effectively costing him around US$100,000.
His lead in the Charl Schwab standings however will now extend to nearly US$915,000 over second placed Stricker.
For Clarke, however, he becomes just the 4th player to win the Open and Senior Open Championships, joining the likes of Sir Bob Charles, Gary Player and Tom Watson in doing so.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I wanted to win this more than anything,” said a delighted Clarke.
“From when I turned 50, this is the one you wanted to win, so I could set it beside the other one. Pretty good feeling right now.
“Very privileged to get my name on The Open trophy and the Claret Jug, and now to get my name on this one as well and go beside some legends of the game. I feel very humbled and very honoured.
“Not that many people have done it before. And last week, I was very fortunate to spend a little bit of time with my old coach, Pete Cowen, as well on the range at St Andrews.
“Last week didn’t quite go so well. He was trying to get me to do a couple of things and didn’t quite work in. You know, he helped me win the main Open, as well as Ewan, and he’s helped me win this one, too. He just got me with a more simple swing thought and I was able to get out of my own way and I was able to do it. To join that illustrious company is very special.
“This [the trophy] doesn’t hold as much (laughter) but I’ll have a few celebratory drinks tonight. As I said, to win the tournament I always wanted to win, The Open Championship, and then to win this one as a senior, this is the one I wanted to win more than anything. I feel.
“Very fortunate to have been able to have done it. Fulfilling your dreams is a very lucky thing, and I’ve been able to do it a few times in my career.”
Of the other Australasians in the field Stuart Appleby finished 19th after a final round of 74, Peter O’Malley did well to finish 20th, Richard Green was 41st, John Senden 47th and Michael Campbell 66th.
RESULTS
Alker moves within one at Gleneagles
Steve Alker after his recent Senior PGA win – will he be making another speech tomorrow? – photo PGA of America
New Zealand’s Steve Alker has dominated the PGA Tour Champions in 2022 and tonight he has an opportunity to add further to his amazing year.
The 50 year old has quietly gone about his business at the Senior Open Championship and after a third round of 66 in, at times, damp conditions he has moved within one of the leaders Darren Clarke and Paul Broadhurst and appears likely to challenge for the title and his second senior major in the final round of the event at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Alker is tied just one shot behind the lead with recent PGA Tour Champions winner, Jerry Kelly, but also just two further back are such names as Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington with Bernhard Langer another shot back, Harrington having won the recent US Senior Open.
“Very happy, back nine got some rain, it was cooling down, a little bit of wind,” said Alker. “Made a few more birdies today which was the key and just putted nicely. Very happy.”
Tomorrow is shaping as classic shootout between several legendary figures in the game and Alker, who is rapidly becoming a legendary himself in over fifties golf.
Alker leads the PGA Tour Champions’ Charl Schwab standings by a massive margin over Steve Stricker after a season which has already seen him record three wins, two second and three third place finishes, one of the wins a major when successful at the Senior PGA Championship.
Australia’s Stuart Appleby is also well enough placed at 6 under and just three from the lead, a third round of 67 appearing more promising with three early birdies but he is very much still in contention.
Darren Clarke leads at Gleneagles Steve Alker heads Australasians
Darren Clarke – leads by two – photo Getty Images
The Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland has reached its halfway stage and it is the 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke who has taken the lead in one of senior golf’s major championships.
Clarke leads by two over American Scott Parel while recent PGA Tour Champions winner, Jerry Kelly, is another shot back in third place.
53 year old Clarke, has three PGA Tour Champions victories to his name, but has played poorly to date in 2022, added a 67 to his opening 65 to open up a gap heading into the weekend.
Steve Alker heads the eleven Australasians in the field, the leader of the Charl Schwab standings on the PGA Tour Champions adding a second successive 68 to be just four from the lead and tied for 11th.
Stuart Appleby is another shot back at 3 under par after a second round of 67, John Senden one behind Appleby, Richard Green at 1 under and in 27th place, Peter O’Malley 37th and Michael Campbell 47th.
SCORES
Australasians struggling to keep pace with Henderson at Evian
Lydia Ko – seven off the pace of leader Brooke Henderson – photo Stuart Franklin LPGA / Getty Images
Lydia Ko remains as the leading Australasian heading into round three of the Amundi Evian Championship, adding a second round of 69 to share 11th place as the event heads into the weekend in Evian Les Bain in France.
Ko finds herself seven shots behind Canada’s Brooke Henderson who leads by three over Nelly Korda.
“Yeah, I just had one bad hole and just a couple loose shots,” said Ko. “Other than that, it was pretty solid. Hopefully keep the positives and move on to tomorrow.
“I think it’s meant to rain tomorrow, so obviously the course is going to play a little bit differently because of that. So just I think just kind of play strategically with the conditions that we have.
“I feel like I’ve played in all sorts of different weather here, rain, winds, hail, sun. Yeah, hopefully that all comes together. I know that I played this course with like very different kind of games. Hitting it much longer that’s last few times I played compared to before.”
“We played in September where it’s a little bit softer and cooler as well.
“I think the course itself has played very different. You’re just trying to play with what’s given, but playing smart and aggressive is also important.”
Sarah Kemp heads the Australians in the field, her round of 4 under 67 today having her in a share of 16th place.
“Kind of just fits my game pretty well,” said Kemp when asked to describe her effort. “It’s fairly tight. The rough is pretty long. The fairways are tight in that aspect.
“I hit a lot of hybrids and I’m pretty good with my hybrids, so it fits my eye well. I like the speed of the greens.
“Then obviously the view. This town is just super cool. It’s got a bit of a chill vibe to it. All of the above really.”
Defending champion Minjee Lee improved slightly on her slow start to the event to be tied for 30th at 3 under par but she is now 11 shots behind Henderson, although last year she was a massive ten shots behind the leader Jeongeun Lee6 at the halfway mark and managed to win the event in a playoff.
A birdie eagle finish to her round today assisted Lee’s cause but she has a lot of work to do.
Hannah Green also recovered from a slow start to her week with a second round of 68 to be at 2 under and tied for 42nd while Stephanie Kyriacou also made the cut at 1 under and is 54th.
But it is the brilliant Henderson who has taken a grip on the tournament thus far. Consecutive rounds of 64, including three consecutive birdies to finish today, has her with a three shot advantage as she chases a second major title to go with her 2016 KPMG PGA Championship.
“You know, it feels really nice to get off to a fast start in a major championship,” said Henderson. “It feels like it’s been a while. To get it this far under par is really awesome.
“And I feel like I’m hitting the ball really well, which is nice. Making some putts. So two solid days, and I’m just really looking forward to the weekend.”
SCORES
Brooke Henderson in full flight today – photo Stuart Franklin LPGA / Getty Images
Bosio and Xu bow out but not without a fight
Justice Bosio – photo USGA
Australian Justice Bosio and New Zealand’s Fiona Xu have bowed out of the US Girls Junior Championship in Kentucky but not before both had given good accounts of themselves in their respective quarter final matches today.
Queenslander, Bosio, went down to American Gianna Clemente 2&1, although, despite never being ahead in the match, Bosio kept the contest alive until the 17th with the margin never more then one hole until the 15th which Clemente won to go 2 up. Bosio then won the 16th to be just 1 down before losing the match with a bogey at the 17th.
Xu, the current Australian Amateur Champion, was also involved in a tightly fought encounter against American Sara Im. After Xu had down the first hole with a birdie, the match was all square through nine before Im edged two holes ahead by the 12th.
Xu would win the 13th and 17th but Im’s birdie at the 16th had given her the cushion she needed to close out the match when both players parred the last.
The day ended a fine week for the Australasian pair, having tied for 6th in the strokeplay and then progressing through to the quarter finals of such a significant event for junior girls.
SCORES
Fiona Xu – photo USGA
Lydia Ko best of Australasians at Evian Championship
Lydia Ko during today’s first round – photo Stuart Franklin LPGA Getty
The opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship was played in near perfect conditions in Evian Les Bains in France and at the end of day one of the 4th major of the year in women’s golf, former champion, Lydia Ko, leads the Australasians after her round of 66 has her in a share of 5th place and three shots from the lead of Ayaka Furue.
Ko’s first major title came in this championship in 2015 and with six top tens in eight starts in the event overall, it is a layout that she likes and she has made the sort of start to allow that trend to continue.
“Yeah, our whole group played really well,” said Ko. “I think 5-under, 5-under, 4-under. So it’s nice when everybody is playing well and you’re able to feed off each other.
“I gave myself quite a few looks and I wasn’t able to take like advantage of some, but I think to be able to finish with a birdie on the last, it’s a solid way to start this week for sure.
“I think I had a couple like tap-ins where I just literally just walked up and hit it without having to read the lie. I think when I was out of position I was able to hit like good approach shots to recover from there.
“So I think I stayed pretty patient and very even keel, and that’s important at any event, but especially at majors.”
Sarah Kemp is the leading Australian after day one, her round of 2 under 69 leaving her in a share of 27th, the New South Wales golfer playing in her 7th Evian Championship but with little success to date, 19th last year being her best finish to date.
Defending champion Minjee Lee has made a slow start with her opening round of 70 to be tied for 39th with amongst others, NSW’s golfer Stephanie Kyriacou.
Lee, who is having such a great season in 2022, birdied her opening hole but struggled from there.
Hannah Green and Su Oh are further back.
SCORES
Bosio and Xu reach Quarter Finals at US Girls Junior
Fiona Xu – in action today – photo Kathryn Riley USGA
Successive victories on day two of the match play phase of the US Girls Junior Championship by both Fiona Xu (New Zealand) and Justice Bosio (Australia) have given Australasia a strong hand in Bowling Green in Kentucky, the pair now into the Quarter Finals of the event.
Bosio had comfortable wins in both her morning, Round of 32, and afternoon, Round of 16 matches, but Xu, the Australian Amateur Champion was forced to fight back from being down early in her morning match before holding off a spirited late challenge from her opponent Emily Matthews.
Xu’s afternoon match was equally also tense as she again overcame a deficit to win her final two holes and the match 2&1 against Californian 13 year old Asterisk Talley.
Bosio has been assisted this week by the help of her caddie and fellow countrywoman, Stephanie Na, who herself was a medallist at the 2008 US Women’s Amateur and reached the Quarter Finals that same year.
In steamy hot conditions and despite being from the Sunshine Coast, Bosio is contending with the, at times, unbearable heat, but she is coping well.
“I have been here since June, so I think my body is getting a little bit more used to it, if that can happen,” said Bosio.
“I think I’ve been in pretty good form lately. I’ve been playing pretty well. I just came out of the North and South, obviously, lost in the quarters, so hopefully tomorrow I can go a bit deeper than the quarters.”
SCORES
Justice Bosio – during her round of 16 match today – photo Kathryn Riley USGA
Green and Senden lead Australasians at Gleneagles
Richard Green – file photo
John Senden and Richard Green lead the 11 strong Australasian contingent after day one of the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles in Perthshire in Scotland, the pair recording opening round of 3 under 67 to be three shots behind the leaders Glen Day and Stephen Ames.
51 year old Senden is in his second season on the PGA Tour Champions but to date there has not been a lot to get excited about with just one top ten in 24 starts. Today, however, he took advantage of a morning tee time and birdied three of his last six holes to be well placed heading into round two.
Green does not enjoy status on the PGA Tour Champions but he did play the recent US Senior Open where he made the cut and finished 49th.
Green has, though, played well in events on the European Seniors Tour in 2022 with two wins in three starts in European events and is currently ranked 3rd in the 2022 standings on that tour.
New Zealand’s Steve Alker, one of the pre-tournament favourites given his domination of the PGA Tour Champions in 2022, is two shots further back and tied for 21st.
43 players broke par on day one.
SCORES
Stenson, Kokrak and Howell 111 complete LIV Golf field
Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson during the 2016 Open Championship – both now LIV players – photo Getty
The field for the third LIV Series event being played in Bedminster New Jersey next week was released yesterday with three places left open for late inclusions.
A media statement released today, however, suggests those three places will be taken by Henrik Stenson, Jason Kokrak and Charles Howell 111, making up the field of 48 to play over 54 holes at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster in New Jersey.
The former No. 2 world ranked Stenson, has won 21 times as a professional and amassed 149 top-10 finishes. Throughout his career, he has earned more than a dozen honors as the top performing golfer on global tours and competitions, spending over 300 weeks ranked in the top 10.
Kokrak, an 11-time winner as a pro, has earned more than 40 top-10 finishes throughout his career. Since September 2020, he has been ranked among the top 50 players in the world, with a ranking as high as No. 20.
Howell III has amassed 102 top-10 finishes throughout his career, including three professional wins. He has been ranked as high as No. 15 in the world and has represented the United States in multiple international team competitions.
Amongst the 48 players will be Australians Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby, Jed Morgan and Travis Smyth, each of whom have played the opening two events to date.
Australians who played the inaugural event in London but have missed out as the fields become stronger are Kevin Yuan and Blake Windred, the latter of whom also played in the second event in Portland.
Xu and Bosio through to round of 32 at US Junior Girls
Justice Bosio – comfortable win in round one – photo USGA Kathryn Riley
Australian Justice Bosio and New Zealander Fiona Xu have won their opening round encounters in the match play phase of the US Girls Junior Championship in Bowling Green Kentucky, both winning their matches in comfortable fashion.
Bosio, from Caboolture, accounted for Californian Kristina Xu by a 6&5 margin, racing to an early lead and leading by four holes at the turn before the match finished at the 13th hole.
Current Australian Amateur Champion and former New Zealand Amateur Champion Fiona Xu, from Auckland, also raced to an early 4 up lead through seven holes and eventually won 5&4 over her opponent Morgan Smith of Massachusetts.
The pair have reached the round of 32 where Bosio will face American Lee McKenzie and Xu tackles Emily Mathews of North Carolina.