Photo courtesy of USGA
This week’s US Open Championship at the Country Club, Brookline in Massachusetts, will see nine Australians taking to the fairways of the 123 year old layout which will host its 4th US Open, the last of which was played in 1988 and won by Curtis Strange.
In world ranking order, Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, Danny Lee, Jed Morgan and Todd Sinnott will tee it up with Min Woo Lee, Sinnott and Morgan playing their very first US Open Championships.
Smith will play his 7th US Open but despite his rapid rise in the game’s standings in that time, his best finish and only top ten in the event came in 2015 at Chambers Bay where he essentially earned the right to play the US PGA Tour.
Smith has never finished better than 38th at his other five starts but he is in the middle of his best year on the PGA Tour and is expected to be some sort of factor despite his most recent form falling away a little.
Since his impressive 3rd place finish at Augusta National Smith has been twice 13th, missed the cut on one occasion and at last week’s Canadian Open he finished in 48th place.
Smith has however shown that he can mix it with the game’s best when he is at his best and his performance this week will again be under the watchful eye of Australian golf fans.
Cameron Smith practising this week – photo USGA Kathryn Riley
Adam Scott will play his 21st US Open and his 84th consecutive major (a remarkable record). Like Smith, however, his US Open record does leave a little to be desired despite the many attempts he has had to contend, having finished inside the top ten on only three occasions in those 20 previous starts.
His best effort came when he tied with Smith for 4th at Chambers Bay but his combined record and immediate form suggests that he will again battle to contend.
Scott has played well in patches in 2022, improving just a few places in the world ranking but with only one top ten in his last seven starts on the PGA Tour there is cause for concern.
Lucas Herbert is a rapid riser amongst the Australasians in over the last eighteen months or so, winning on the PGA Tour and in Ireland in 2021.
Herbert’s best in two attempts at the US Open was when 31st at Winged Foot in 2020 and his most recent form, like Scott’s, has been below that of earlier in the season.
Lucas Herbert signing autographs at The Country Club Brookline – photo USGA Kathryn Riley
Marc Leishman gets to play his 11th US Open but with only one top 20 finish in his previous ten it is hard to get excited about his chances this week.
Leishman’s form over the last three months has been well below his capabilities, also, having slipped from 36th in the world ranking to just outside the top 50.
There has been not one top twenty finish in his last eight PGA Tour events so it is hard to imagine, given his record in the event and his current form, that things are going to get a lot better.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox is another to have made big improvement in 2022 having improved from 213th at the beginning of the year to his current standing in the world ranking of 62nd.
There has been a series of fine performances on the DP World Tour during that time including a win and two runner up finishes, so, in many respects, he is perhaps the in form golf amongst the Australasians.
Fox played well at the USPGA Championship before eventually finishing 54th following a final round slump but he showed early in that event that he can at least foot it with many higher ranked players.
Fox will play his 4th US Open having missed the cut in two and finished 41st on debut in 2018.
Min Woo Lee has focused nearly all of his attention on the PGA Tour in 2022 but having missed seven of nine cuts in the US he is struggling to find his feet, despite a very impressive 14th place at Augusta National on debut in April.
He is on his US Open debut at The Country Club so there is not much expectation of him doing well although that could also have been said re his Masters appearance but he proved us wrong.
Danny Lee played his way into the US Open via Sectional Qualifying and, as if boosted by that effort, he followed up with his first top ten finish in nearly seven months when 10th at last week’s Canadian Open.
The former US Amateur Champion might have found something in his game that could lead to a better finish than the only time he made the weekend in three attempts at this historic championship.
Jed Morgan earned his way into the event courtesy of his Australasian Tour money list title and will play his first ever major championship ahead of another start at the Open Championship in July.
Morgan has played only three events as a professional outside the US, missing the cut in both and finishing well back at the LIV Golf event last week. He will be better for the run as they say.
Todd Sinnott picked up one of the last places in the field by earning his way into the championship via Final Qualifying in Japan.
Sinnott has two professional wins to his name, the first in Myanmar five years ago and the most recent being earlier this year in a PGA Tour of Australasia TPS event in Victoria. He has begun to play well in events in Asia in recent months and has done well to make the field for his first major championship.
Sinnott is a very talented player and the exposure and experience he gains in playing an event of this level this week will prove invaluable as his career progresses.
It is once again hard to past Cameron Smith as the logical choice to do best amongst the Australasians given his capacity to play the big events well and, despite a recent drop off in the brilliant form he showed earlier in the year, logic suggests he is the man to beat amongst the ‘down under brigade’ at least.
Round 1 Tee times
Huge purse increase for this week’s KPMG PGA Championship
Congressional Country Club – host venue for the female game’s second richest purse – PGA of America
In 2019, when Hannah Green then became just the third Australian female to win a major golf championship at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Minnesota, the West Australian pocketed a cheque for US$577,500, a healthy figure by any standards.
Fast forward three years and the winner in 2022 will take away US$1.35 million following the substantial increase in prizemoney of 100% from last year’s US$4.5 million figure.
Women’s events typically pay out 15% to the winner and so the winner’s cheque is the second largest in the female game behind the US Women’s Open.
Even the 10th placed golfer this week will walk away with just under US$190,000 so events like the US Women’s Open and this week’s KPMG PGA Championship have seen substantial increases in recent years.
Even the last placed of those making the cut this week is guaranteed US$18,000.
Ten years ago, the winner in 2022, Shanshan Feng, secured US$375,000 for her victory.
Will Minjee Lee or Lydia Ko be first to three major titles ?
Minjee Lee raises her arms high to acknowledge the crowd after her US Open win – photo USGA
The golfing world of both genders are in the midst of their major seasons and at this week’s KPMG PGA Championship at the famed Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, is where the women get to play their third of five majors for the season.
The event carries a healthy purse of US$9 million and Nelly Korda, on the bounce back trail from injury, will defend the title she won by three shots over Lizette Salas last year and became the world number one in doing so.
Eight Australasians get their chance to add to the three victories in this event claimed by those from either Australia or New Zealand, Jan Stephenson, Karrie Webb and Hannah Green the previous champions.
Minjee Lee, Lydia Ko, Hannah Green, Su Oh, Sarah Kemp, Stephanie Kyriacou, Sarah Jane Smith and Katherine Kirk will tackle the golf course close to Washington DC, a venue where Rory McIlory won the first of his four majors when winning the US Open be eight shots over Jason Day in 2011.
Lee is, of course, the current US Women’s Open Champion and Ko has been in fine form of late, suggesting both have excellent chances of adding another major title to their already impressive credentials which include two majors for both.
“Kind of a speechless moment for me,” said Lee referring to her US Open win. “It was super special. To be able to do it at Pine Needles, I think it was a little more extra special.
“Yeah, no, it’s been really good. I played last week, and I had the week off before that, so it’s been good.”
Lee was asked what it was about majors that appeals to her so much.
“I think just the challenge,” she resonded. “I like to embrace the challenge, and I think the harder the golf courses get, I think the better I play. You do have to focus a little bit more on smaller details, so I think that’s where I kind of excel. When I play under pressure, that is where I excel as well. I think it just really sets up well.
“Today (Tuesday) is going to be the first day I see the golf course, so I think I’ll just kind of soak it in a bit and test the grass out a little bit and try and adjust what was different from last week to this week.
“So I think my first look I always try to look at everything and try to see where it’s good to miss and all those kind of things. Obviously, tomorrow we have another practice, so I’ll probably play nine on the nine that I think I need more work on.”
Lydia Ko with one of her two major titles to date – photo LET
Congressional’s 18th – one of the scarier finishing shots in the game – photo Matthew Harris PGA of America
Can Steve Alker win a second senior major title in 2022?
Steve Alker won the US Senior PGA Championship a month ago – photo Montana Pritchard PGA of America
First it was the ladies, then the men and now the senior men who get to contest a US Open Championship, this week’s US Senior Open at the Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem in Pennsylvania, the greatest title in the game for the over-fifties.
Nine Australasians will tee it up in the first of three consecutive major championships on the PGA Tour Champions, this week’s event followed in two weeks by the Senior Players Championship at the Firestone Country Club and two week’s later by the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles.
Steve Alker is the standout amongst the Australasians, the 50-year-old New Zealander having taken the PGA Tour Champions by storm over the last ten months, winning on four occasions since his debut in August of last year and in 2022 finishing inside the top three seven times in ten starts.
Such has been his domination in 2022 that Alker leads the PGA Tour Champions money list by a massive US$714,000 over second placed Miguel Angel Jimenez and his amazing run appears unlikely to stop.
Alker won a first senior major title a few weeks ago when he claimed the Senior PGA Championship and a second now appears at his mercy.
I have had the good fortune to caddie in two US Senior Opens, one when Graham Marsh bogeyed the final hole at Pinehurst in 1994 to lose by one shot to Zimbabwe’s Simon Hobday. I caddied in another the following year at Congressional when Marsh finished 8th behind Tom Weiskopf.
Marsh would go on to win the event in 1997 and in doing so he is the only Australasian to have won this event.
I make these comments as what those experiences displayed to me was that these events are not just exhibitions for those who have reached the age of 50 but even back then, nearly thirty years ago, I was struck by the quality of play on display and the typical classiness of yet another USGA run event.
The courses are, admittedly, shorter than those used on the PGA Tour (although this one is still 7020 yards), but the quality of play leaves one in no doubt that these events are hard fought, serious contests, those involved desperate to add a senior major to their resumé.
Alker’s most amazing consistency should ensure he is again in the mix on Sunday and it will be of some surprise if he is not contending for this week’s title especially given he possesses a game built around the requirements of US Open style golf.
Alker will be joined in the field by fellow Australasians, Rod Pampling, Stuart Appleby, Michael Campbell, Robert Allenby, John Senden, Richard Green, Mark Hensby and Gavin Coles.
Senden, Green, Hensby and Coles played their way into the field via final qualifying, Coles an alternate before gaining a start. Given there were over 3000 entries into the event, even to have made the field is an achievement in itself.
Graham Marsh won the US Senior Open in 1997 – the only Australasian to do so.
Scott and Leishman finish best of Australians at US Open
Adam Scott in action this week – photo USGA Jeff Haynes
Marc Leishman and Adam Scott have finished as the leading Australasians at the 2022 US Open at the Country Club, Brookline, the pair both recording impressive final rounds of 68 and finishing the event at 2 over and tied for 14th place.
Despite the scoring becoming a little easier on day four following overnight rain, their rounds of 68 were some of the best of the day and moved the pair from a their 54 hole tie for 35th to their finish inside the top 20.
“I played some really good stuff,” said Scott reflecting on the week. “I’ve felt good all week, but U.S. Opens are hard because you can derail so quickly. I managed to keep it together today. The course was a little friendlier with the rain overnight, but the wind was up early.
“I hit some good shots and got off to a good start and survived a day at the country club.
“I really enjoyed the week. I feel like I had a plan for the golf course and it worked well. Of course when you’re not winning, you can easily point out areas where you can do better. The last three holes on Friday probably really cost me a good run at this tournament over the weekend.
“That’s my simple explanation after just walking off. It would have been nice to be under par on Friday night and been feeling like I’m really in contention, but I was on the periphery all week.”
Min Woo Lee began the final day as the leading Australasian and after a great final round on debut at the Masters in April, there was an expectation he might repeat the dose and perhaps even contend on day four. It was not to be, however, although after dropping four shots in his first six holes he managed to fight back for a round of 73 to finish in a share of 27th.
Todd Sinnott recovered from his horror final nine yesterday with a round of 70 to finish 31st in his very first major appearance and despite finishing four shots behind Scott and Leishman it may be that his performance could be considered the best of the nine Australasians who started the event, especially given his lack of experience at this level.
Sinnott will however secure a cheque for lose to US$100,000, one of his biggest in the game behind his win at the Myanmar Open in 2017 (US$135,000).
The winner, though, would be England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick who emerged the winner after a final round battle with Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler, Fitzpatrick winning by one after an impressive ball striking round on day four in which he hit an amazing 17 of 18 greens.
Perhaps the birdie 3 he made from the crowd on the right of the 15th followed by a 20 foot putt which edged him ahead was the highlight but so too was the shot he hit from the fairway bunker at the last to 25 feet followed by a two putt par to all but seal the victory when Zalatoris was unable to hole from shorter range.
Fitzpatrick would later describe his fairway bunker shot to the last green as one of the best shots he had hit in his life and that it (a fairway bunker shot) was a shot that had been giving him grief of late. It will no longer.
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Fitzpatrick with his treasured trophy – photo Jeff Haynes USGA
Lydia Ko adds yet another top 5 finish
Lydia Ko – building towards another win – file photo Darren Carroll
Lydia Ko has recorded a third consecutive top five finish when recording a 4th place finish place at the LPGA Meijer Classic in Belmont in Michigan, the New Zealander finishing one shot behind the playoff between Nelly Korda, Leona Maguire and Jennifer Kupcho.
A closing nine of 3 under par 33 earned Ko her sixth top ten in eleven starts this season but she has developed a vein of consistency which should lead to another win before long and this coming week’s KPMG PGA Championship is a likely target.
Hannah Green in 18th position and Minjee Lee 18th were the next best of the Australasians in the field.
The event was won by Jennifer Kupcho who won her second LPGA Tour title after defeating Korda and Maguire in the playoff.
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Min Woo Lee moves to edge of contention at US Open
Min Woo Lee in action this week – photo Robert Beck USGA
He might be six shots from the lead and in a share of 17th place at the US Open near Boston, but Perth’s Min Woo Lee’s third round of 69 has moved him within striking distance of contention at the Country Club, Brookline and with so many of those ahead of him moving in the other direction today, he now stands a chance of something special if he was able to repeat the dose tomorrow.
Birdies at his final two holes on one of the more demanding days and layouts he will have played in his career to date may prove crucial as he chases the title as not only the leading Australasian this week but, potentially, something even better.
Lee made the cut on the number yesterday at 3 over par but on a day where the Country Club well and truly bared her teeth, his under par effort moved him from a share of 53rd to his share of 17th and a similar round or better on day four might well see him inside the top ten or better.
This is Lee’s first US Open and comes on top of an impressive debut effort at The Masters where he tied for 14th so he continues to impress as one of Australia’s rising stars along with Lucas Herbert and tomorrow provides a great opportunity to advance that reputation.
Six bogeys and four birdies led to a round of 72 for Adam Scott and he finds himself at 4 over and tied for 35th, while two late bogeys completed a disappointing round of 74 for Marc Leishman and he is tied with Scott.
Todd Sinnott, who had done so well in his opening two rounds of 71, was very much in the thick of things when he made the turn today at 1 under for the round and 1 over for the event and not far off the pace, but he would struggle on his way into the clubhouse with a back nine of 40 including a frustrating double bogey at the last to finish at 6 over and in 45th place.
The event is led through 54 holes by Matthew Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris, Zalatoris, playing more than two hours ahead of the final group reeling off a best of the day round of 67 today to make a huge move and when he had finished his round he was alone in the lead.
Fitzpatrick, however, who when winning the 2013 US Amateur Championship over this layout defeated Australian Oliver Goss in the final, birdied three of his last five holes to take the lead before a bogey at the last has him tied at with Zalatoris at 4 under.
The story of the last moments of day three however would be told by Jon Rahm who, when he birdied 14, 15 and 17, had taken a one shot lead into the 54th hole.
Rahm found the bunker with his tee shot at the last and, perhaps trying to get too much out of his attempt to reach the green, left his 2nd in the bunker and then found the greenside bunker with his third. His 4th finished 25 feet behind the hole and he would double-bogey to finish one off the lead and alone in 3rd place.
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Leishman edges clear to lead Australasians at Brookline
Marc Leishman in action this week – photo Kathryn Riley USGA
Marc Leishman has emerged as the leading Australasian after the completion of day two of the US Open at the Country Club, Brookline outside of Boston.
Leishman’s late birdie at the 17th eased him clear of fellow countrymen Adam Scott and Todd Sinnott to lead them by one and at 1 over for the championship he finds himself in a share of 31st place but just six off the 36 hole lead held by Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen.
Leishman’s strong finish on Thursday and his solid, if unspectacular, effort today leave him well placed to make further progress over the weekend and perhaps record his first top ten in eleven starts at the US Open.
Scott added second round of 73 to finish at 2 over and seven from the lead while Sinnott added a second consecutive 71 to complete an impressive start to his first major championship to share 40th position with Scott.
Scott’s round of was a roller coaster of sorts with four bogeys and a double bogey, the highlight being a 40 foot curling putt for birdie at his 13th hole to get himself back to even par before a bogey at his 16th, a missed opportunity for birdie at the 17th and another bogey at the last, left him in a share of 38th place.
Perhaps the talk of the nine strong Australasian brigade however should be of 30 year old Victorian Todd Sinnott.
Playing in his first major championship and having had to fight his way through a Sectional Qualifier in Japan to get there, Sinnott’s round today was highlighted by an eagle at his 17th hole (the 8th) which came at a time when he was heading for a potential missed cut after a series of bogeys.
His effort to be around for the weekend, only seven shots from the lead and behind just one of the Australasians, all of whom were higher ranked than him, is an effort that deserves respect and was made even more impressive by the fact that he got the perhaps tougher side of the draw.
Min Woo Lee’s round was highlighted by an eagle at his 17th hole (the 8th) and came at a perfect time as he was outside the cutline at the time. Lee, finished at 3 over and is in 53rd place and right on the cutline which fell at 3 over after the conditions improved for the afternoon field.
Of the other Australasians Ryan Fox did his best to recover from an opening 74 and nearly did so, but his round of 71 saw him fall two short of the cutline.
Cameron Smith who came into the event as one of the favourites and certainly the Australasian most expected to do well. The world # 6 need something special to get back into contention after his opening 72 but instead he went the wrong way early in today’s round and was 3 over through six holes and was unable to build momentum.
After a good driving round yesterday, Smith hit only 6 of 14 fairways today and that proved to be his nemesis as he fell three short of making the weekend.
New Zealand’s Danny Lee was unable to build on the momentum of last week’s top ten in Canada and finished six shots from the cutline after rounds of 76 and 75.
Victorian, Lucas Herbert, appeared unable to recover from a horror triple bogey at his final hole on Thursday and when he returned to the course early today he played his front nine in 42 and his week was all but over. He finished with 79 which was disappointing given his growing standing in the game and his impressive week at the PGA Championship a month ago.
Queenslander, Jed Morgan, was playing his first major championship and after the unsettling start he made with an opening round of 82 on Thursday he did well to record a round of 74 today, more especially his back nine of 33 will have him leaving The Country Club in much better spirits than was the case 24 hours ago.
The leaders Morikawa and Dahmen have broken clear of a large group which includes Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm while world number one Scottie Scheffler rebounded from an opening even par round to produce one of the best morning rounds today to keep alive his chances of adding this title to that of The Masters he won in April.
A massive 39 players are within six hots of the leaders however, no doubt all of them believing they have a chance to be in the mix on Sunday.
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Collin Morikawa (pictured) leads along with Joel Dahmen – photo Robert Beck USGA
Adam Scott leads Australasians after day one at Brookline
Adam Scott hits to the 6th hole today – photo Robert Beck USGA
Adam Scott leads the nine Australasians at the completion of day one of the 2022 US Open at the Country Club, Brookline in Massachusetts.
Scott’s opening round of 1 under par 69 has him in a share of 14th place but, importantly, just three from the lead held by Canadian Adam Hadwin.
Scott played in the slightly easier conditions faced by those of the morning field, a strong putting round assisting him to his two birdie, one bogey round and although there have been only three top tens in his twenty previous starts in this event, he is at least nicely positioned in the early stages of this event to improve on that stat.
Marc Leishman has also begun the championship well, recovering with two late birdies in his morning round to be at even par and tied for 26th and just four from the lead.
Marc Leishman in action today – photo Kathryn Riley USGA
Three weeks ago, a start at the US Open and in his first major was likely beyond the wildest dreams of Victorian Todd Sinnott, but he managed to claim one of the three Sectional Qualifying for this event in Japan and today he justified that inclusion by producing an opening round of 71. A great up and down to save par at the last completed what was no doubt a very satisfying day for the Asian Tour player.
Given that Sinnott bogeyed three of his first six holes today, it was a classy effort to recover in the manner he did for the 30 year old who won on the PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this year.
Cameron Smith finished with a round of 72 to be tied for 57th but he made a reasonable recovery after a horror start in which he reeled off four bogeys in his first seven holes. A bogey at his last hole took the gloss off what might otherwise have been a solid start but he will have the advantage of an early start in day two to get himself back into the thick of things.
Perth’s Min Woo Lee, playing his first US Open, was in great shape heading into his final few holes at even par but three bogeys in his final four led to a round of 73 and in a share of 79th position he has work to do in his first ever US Open if he is to be around for the weekend.
Lucas Herbert, too, had something special going until he reached his final hole, the 9th. He was through the green with his approach from 180 yards and found trouble which eventually led to a triple bogey 7 which turned a solid start into a near disaster.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox came into this week with hopes of another good finish to go with what he been a strong year to date in 2022 but he would record a disappointing round of 74 and needs perhaps a round of 71 or better tomorrow if he is to play all 72.
Fox’s fellow countryman Danny Lee could not follow up his good week in Canada last week and had 76 and the Australian PGA Champion, Jed Morgan was unable to recover from a horror start to his day and was round in 82 in his first major championship appearance.
The cut appears as if it will fall around the 4 or 5 over mark so it is hoped that several Australasians can still make the weekend.
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Eclectic mix of Australasians tackle US Open
Photo courtesy of USGA
This week’s US Open Championship at the Country Club, Brookline in Massachusetts, will see nine Australians taking to the fairways of the 123 year old layout which will host its 4th US Open, the last of which was played in 1988 and won by Curtis Strange.
In world ranking order, Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, Danny Lee, Jed Morgan and Todd Sinnott will tee it up with Min Woo Lee, Sinnott and Morgan playing their very first US Open Championships.
Smith will play his 7th US Open but despite his rapid rise in the game’s standings in that time, his best finish and only top ten in the event came in 2015 at Chambers Bay where he essentially earned the right to play the US PGA Tour.
Smith has never finished better than 38th at his other five starts but he is in the middle of his best year on the PGA Tour and is expected to be some sort of factor despite his most recent form falling away a little.
Since his impressive 3rd place finish at Augusta National Smith has been twice 13th, missed the cut on one occasion and at last week’s Canadian Open he finished in 48th place.
Smith has however shown that he can mix it with the game’s best when he is at his best and his performance this week will again be under the watchful eye of Australian golf fans.
Cameron Smith practising this week – photo USGA Kathryn Riley
Adam Scott will play his 21st US Open and his 84th consecutive major (a remarkable record). Like Smith, however, his US Open record does leave a little to be desired despite the many attempts he has had to contend, having finished inside the top ten on only three occasions in those 20 previous starts.
His best effort came when he tied with Smith for 4th at Chambers Bay but his combined record and immediate form suggests that he will again battle to contend.
Scott has played well in patches in 2022, improving just a few places in the world ranking but with only one top ten in his last seven starts on the PGA Tour there is cause for concern.
Lucas Herbert is a rapid riser amongst the Australasians in over the last eighteen months or so, winning on the PGA Tour and in Ireland in 2021.
Herbert’s best in two attempts at the US Open was when 31st at Winged Foot in 2020 and his most recent form, like Scott’s, has been below that of earlier in the season.
Lucas Herbert signing autographs at The Country Club Brookline – photo USGA Kathryn Riley
Marc Leishman gets to play his 11th US Open but with only one top 20 finish in his previous ten it is hard to get excited about his chances this week.
Leishman’s form over the last three months has been well below his capabilities, also, having slipped from 36th in the world ranking to just outside the top 50.
There has been not one top twenty finish in his last eight PGA Tour events so it is hard to imagine, given his record in the event and his current form, that things are going to get a lot better.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox is another to have made big improvement in 2022 having improved from 213th at the beginning of the year to his current standing in the world ranking of 62nd.
There has been a series of fine performances on the DP World Tour during that time including a win and two runner up finishes, so, in many respects, he is perhaps the in form golf amongst the Australasians.
Fox played well at the USPGA Championship before eventually finishing 54th following a final round slump but he showed early in that event that he can at least foot it with many higher ranked players.
Fox will play his 4th US Open having missed the cut in two and finished 41st on debut in 2018.
Min Woo Lee has focused nearly all of his attention on the PGA Tour in 2022 but having missed seven of nine cuts in the US he is struggling to find his feet, despite a very impressive 14th place at Augusta National on debut in April.
He is on his US Open debut at The Country Club so there is not much expectation of him doing well although that could also have been said re his Masters appearance but he proved us wrong.
Danny Lee played his way into the US Open via Sectional Qualifying and, as if boosted by that effort, he followed up with his first top ten finish in nearly seven months when 10th at last week’s Canadian Open.
The former US Amateur Champion might have found something in his game that could lead to a better finish than the only time he made the weekend in three attempts at this historic championship.
Jed Morgan earned his way into the event courtesy of his Australasian Tour money list title and will play his first ever major championship ahead of another start at the Open Championship in July.
Morgan has played only three events as a professional outside the US, missing the cut in both and finishing well back at the LIV Golf event last week. He will be better for the run as they say.
Todd Sinnott picked up one of the last places in the field by earning his way into the championship via Final Qualifying in Japan.
Sinnott has two professional wins to his name, the first in Myanmar five years ago and the most recent being earlier this year in a PGA Tour of Australasia TPS event in Victoria. He has begun to play well in events in Asia in recent months and has done well to make the field for his first major championship.
Sinnott is a very talented player and the exposure and experience he gains in playing an event of this level this week will prove invaluable as his career progresses.
It is once again hard to past Cameron Smith as the logical choice to do best amongst the Australasians given his capacity to play the big events well and, despite a recent drop off in the brilliant form he showed earlier in the year, logic suggests he is the man to beat amongst the ‘down under brigade’ at least.
Round 1 Tee times
Sweden’s Linn Grant first female winner on DP European Tour
Grant with the trophy following her historic achievement – photo Getty Images
Linn Grant made history in front of her home fans as she stormed to a stunning nine-shot victory at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed to become the first female winner of a DP World Tour event.
The 22-year-old Swede produced a nerveless display of front-running on Sunday to keep a host of DP World Tour stars at bay and claim her third Ladies European Tour title in just six starts this season.
Grant earned €319,000 for her emphatic victory.
Grant did not put a foot wrong at Halmstad Golf Club on day four, stretching her overnight lead from two shots to seven with five birdies in the first six holes.
She managed to keep her card clean with three successive pars as the rain poured down over the next few holes before making another birdie on the tenth.
Spurred on by the enormous crowds that followed her wherever she went, Grant picked up further shots at the 11th and 14th to sign for a flawless 64, topping the leaderboard at 24 under par to win by the biggest margin on the DP World Tour so far this season.
Home hero and tournament co-host Henrik Stenson finished in a tie for second on 15 under alongside Scotland’s Marc Warren, with back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th helping Stenson to a closing 70.
Australian Jason Scrivener who lead at the halfway mark of the event eventually finished tied for 4th and earned Euro €80,000.
Scrivener’s fellow West Australian Whitney Hillier finished 29th (€17,020) and NSW’s Zach Murray picked up his first cheque of the 2022 European Tour season (€11,297) when he finished tied for 37th.
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