Lee – following her emphatic win – photo USGA Jeff Haynes
In one of the most clinical displays possible of high quality golf throughout the week, Minjee Lee has won a second major title and, importantly, the most significant in the female game with a four shot win at the US Women’s Open at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines in North Carolina.
Beginning the day with a three shot lead over Mina Harigae, Lee served notice of the direction that day would go with birdies at the opening two holes, the second from 40 feet and the substantial 54 lead became even more so as she played her way to a round of 71.
Hiccups would come at the 5th when she missed the green at the par 3 5th and again at the 7th hole when she three putted from long range but a series of crucial par saving putts in the middle of her round were followed by a birdie at the 12th from 8 feet and again at the 15th when she two putted from 30 feet.
At that point Lee was six shots ahead and although she would bogey the 16th and 18th she ran out the winner by a massive four shots, setting a championship scoring record in the process.
For Lee it was her second major title, extends her lead on the LPGA Tour standings in 2022 and secures a cheque for US$1.8 million courtesy of the huge boost in prizemoney the event received this year. The figure surpasses the US$1.5 million Lee earned in her best full season on the LPGA Tour to date, recorded in 2021.
“I mean, this is pretty special,” said Lee trying to find words to describe how she felt. “This is the one I’ve always wanted to win since I was a little kid, so it just feels pretty amazing to be able to get it done today. I just can’t believe it.
“I was pretty nervous all day, to be fair. I started good; I had two birdies off the bat. It was nice just to have that little buffer. I made two bogeys on the front nine, as well.
“You know, even with a three-shot lead I never felt comfortable today. I felt like I still needed to play well. I still needed to hold my ground. That’s pretty much what I did.
“To start aggressively, I think it was the right move, and then after that I had quite a big shot lead, so I was able to just play my game just to finish.
“I didn’t hit it that well. I had really good saves, up-and-downs from a lot of the places, and then finishing I had a couple birdies and a couple bogeys. I think that was enough to get it done today.”
Asked what this might mean for the game and women’s sport in Australia, Lee responded;
“I think this will be huge for all the little girls and even the boys and the children watching. I know there’s been a really big boom in WA (Western Australia). The girls have been a lot more interested in playing, so hopefully they watch me on TV and I can be a good role model to them and they’ll start getting more involved.”
Harigae, who has yet to win on the LPGA Tour, did remarkably well to hold on to second place and in the process earned a cheque for US$ 1.08 million and secure her immediate future on the LPGA Tour.
While the win could well be career altering for Lee, so too was the performance of Harigae who had previously recorded only three top three finishes in 226 starts on the LPGA Tour. It was her equal best career finish and by some way her best cheque.
The $1.08 million won by runner-up Harigae was 37 percent of her career earnings ($2.9 million) in 13 years on the LPGA Tour.
“I think that was probably one of the top rounds where I was really nervous,” said Harigae, perhaps reflecting just what this performance would mean for her.
“But I think I handled it pretty well for this situation. I’m proud of myself and the main takeaways are I really am able to handle myself out there. I belong up there.
“I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down. I was really stressed out, but I was really just focusing on one shot at a time, making solid contact, and just hitting good putts.”
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko appeared to be moving in on second place when she birdied the 13th but she would bogey three of the last four holes to finish alone in 5th place although she enjoys her best ever US Women’s Open finish.
“Yeah, I started off really well, birdieing the first couple on my first three holes,” said Ko. “I think overall I played solid, maybe not as sharp as the last couple days, and finishing off three bogeys in the last four holes is probably not the best way to finish.
“But other than that, I think in general I played really solid, and there was a lot of good golf, considering where I was hitting into the second day I’m happy with a top 10 finish here at the U.S. Women’s Open which I think is only my second time.
“I think this was probably the least nervous I was playing at the U.S. Women’s Open. I was excited to be here. I really liked the golf course. I felt like it was — the trophy was there for anyone that was in the field. When it’s kind of like that, you feel like it’s a very level playing field and you know you’re trying to play the best golf you can.”
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Photo – Darren Carroll USGA
Brad Kennedy runner-up in Japan
Brad Kennedy continuing a very consistent season – photo Japan Golf Tour.
Despite throwing all he could at the eventual winner, Tomoto Ikemura, Australian Brad Kennedy has finished runner-up at the Japan Golf Tour’s ASO Iizuka Challenged Golf Tournament in Fukuoka.
The evergreen 47-year-old has claimed his third top-four finish in four starts after settling for joint runner-up to Tomoyo Ikemura in the thrilling finale.
In 13 starts in events in Japan and Australia in 2022 the Gold Coast based professional has been inside the top ten on eight occasions.
Kennedy fell just short of capping a fine week with a victory despite closing with a brilliant seven-under-par 65 for 22-under-par 266 total.
He was pipped to the title by just one stroke by Ikemura, who shot a 68 to clinch a wire-to-wire victory.
Kennedy can certainly take heart after moving up to eighth in the season’s money list on the back of his efforts.
“My game is very good at the moment. There are some very good swing thoughts, and I feel comfortable contending. I just need to find a few more chances,” said Kennedy.
“The course this week, you really had to shape your ball, which is what I love doing. The greens were great. I kept attacking but came up just short. I’m happy with my process this week, and I just need to work on my wedges, which is normally my strength.”
Following a hectic eight tournament schedule since early April, Kennedy will skip the Japan Players Championship by Sato Shokuhin in a fortnight and head back to Down Under to prepare for The Open Championship in which he has a start courtesy of his good finish at the recent Mizuno Open.
“For the first half of the season in Japan, I really wanted to prove to myself that I’m still able to compete at a high level,” he said.
“I know I can improve, and a victory will be around the corner.”
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Schwartzel wins inaugural Liv Golf Invitational Smyth earns US500,000
Charl Schwartzel – photo Getty Images
Charl Swartzel has won the inaugural staging of the Liv Golf Invitational Series held at the Centurion Club near London this week.
The 37 year old former Masters Champion held on to win the event by one shot over his fellow South African Hennie Du Plessis and in the process pocketed a first prize of US$4 million and another US$750,000 for his share of the teams’ prize he jointly won with Du Plessis, Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace.
Branden Grace and Peter Uilhein tied for 3rd place in the individual, two shots from the winner.
Wade Ormsby finished as the leading Australian in the event when he tied for 23rd and wins (US$170,000), Matt Jones was 28th (US$160,000), Jed Morgan 30th (US$156,000), Travis Smyth 35th (US$146,000), Kevin Yuan 37th (US$142,000) and Blake Windred 47th (US$122,000).
Travis Smyth however finished runner-up in the Team’s Competition and earns another US$375,000 for his share of the US$1.5 million for his team of Richard Bland, Peter Uilhein and Phachara Khongwatmai and himself being runner’s up, albeit 14 shots behind the wining team.
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Jason Scrivener finds form in Sweden
Jason Scrivener – file Getty Images
West Australian Jason Scrivener has struggled for much of the 2022 season to date, but a second round of 64 has given the 33 year old South African born, but now Perth based golfer a two shot lead in the European Tour’s Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed event at the Halmstad GC, in Tylösand, Sweden.
As the name would suggest, the event brings together male and female golfers competing against each other for the same purse but off different golf course set-ups in consideration of gender in the $US2 million event.
By his own ever-improving standards, 2022 has been a frustrating one for Scrivener who has recorded just one top ten in eleven starts in 2022 and he is currently outside the top 100 in the DP World Tour rankings.
“It has been a frustrating couple of months, and I felt a round like this was close and I am pretty happy with it,” said Scrivener.
“I have been playing decent just not really holing any putts and making a few mistakes here and there, and not putting a score together, so for it all to come together today it was nice.”
Sweden’s Linn Grant and Italian amateur Carolina Melgrati are the leading women and just two behind Scrivener and tied for 2nd place with Frenchman Mike Lorenzo Vera.
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Brad Kennedy in the mix again in Japan
Brad Kennedy during today’s second round – photo JGTO
Brad Kennedy remains firmly in contention for the inaugural ASO Iizuka Challenged Golf Tournament in Fukuoka after signing for a successive six-under-par 66 on Friday.
The 47-year-old Australian, who is chasing his fourth JGTO title, reached the halfway stage at the ASO Iizuka Golf Club on 12-under 132, just one shot off second round leader Tomoyo Ikeura, who signed for a 68.
Kennedy has been in good form of late having recorded seven top ten finishes in 11 starts in 2002, three of those in succession at his last three starts.
The Gold Coast based, three time winner on the Japan Tour backed up his solid opening day effort with six birdies in her second round, including three on the trot from the get-go.
He then reeled off nine straight pars before gaining his next stroke on 13 before rounding off his day with glorious back-to-back birdies at the final two holes.
“It was a great start. I birdied one, two and three, but in the middle of the round, it went a little bit flat, but it wasn’t from the lack of trying,” said Kennedy, whose last triumph came at the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational SEGA SAMMY Cup in 2018.
“I’ve been hitting a lot of good shots, just not quite get it close enough. Sometimes, that’s what happens. I still try to make as many birdies as I can.
“It’s nice to have another two good days and prepare for the weekend.”
Being in contention at the weekend for the third time in his last four starts, Kennedy knows he cannot afford to get ahead of himself if he is to stand a chance of hoisting the trophy on Sunday.
Kennedy could only settle for solo third and joint-fourth at the Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament and Mizuno Open, although he headed into the final round, tying for second in both tournaments.
Kennedy could only settle for solo third and joint-fourth at the Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament and Mizuno Open, although he headed into the final round, tying for second in both tournaments.
Asked if he feels he is getting closer to his first victory in four years, said Kennedy: “It’s always a good being in contention, and it means I’m doing a lot of really good works.
“I can’t control what anybody else is doing. I can only do what I can and put myself in that position in the back nine on Sunday.
“I hope I can play well under pressure and be there at the end.”
Amongst the other Australasians Michael Hendry and Adam Bland made the cut but are well back.
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Charl Schwartzel leads on historic day for golfing world
Charl Schwartzel in action today – photo Getty Images / Liv Golf
The much awaited appearance of Liv Golf has arrived and the opening round held in cool windy condition at the Centurion Club in St Albans has seen South African Charl Schwartzel leading after day one, his round of 65 giving him a one shot lead over his fellow countryman Hennie Du Plessis.
“Yeah, 6-under, I actually wasn’t aware of it,” said the leader. “It’s (shotgun start for the field of 48) such a weird way of starting, when I turned on 18, I made that eagle and I was sort of — I had so much adrenaline and I was relieved, having a good finish.
“And then I was like, no, you’ve got to play another two holes. I knew the back nine would play a little easier with the three par 5s and the way the wind was blowing, that they were all reachable, and you know, I just, I putted well today and I gave myself a lot of opportunities on the back nine.”
Once the first shots had been hit, PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, came good with his promise to penalise players for taking part in the breakaway tour, imposing a suspension on those members of the PGA Tour who are taking part this week.
While there is no indication as yet as to how long the suspension will be, Schwartzel was asked his reaction to the decision
“Well, Jay said it,” said the leader. “He said that’s what he was going to do. So in a way, it probably wasn’t a surprise, and I guess the timing, you know, we needed to hit a shot for him to have put a statement out.
“So yeah, it’s unfortunate. I would love — I respect the PGA TOUR a lot and I would love to be able to play on, and for that matter, play wherever you want.
“Yeah, you know, it’s not something that you wanted to do (face penalties). I played all over the world for 20 years pretty much wherever I wanted to, and you know, this was another opportunity for me to play on a different tour.
“Yeah, I mean, like I said, I respect the PGA TOUR. I respect The European Tour; in fact, all the tours that’s out there. I hope it changes one day.”
Wade Ormsby heads the six Australians in the field after his opening round of 1 over 71 to be in a share of 16th place.
Australian PGA Champion, Jed Morgan, and Sydney’s Kevin Yuan had 73, Matt Jones 74, Travis Smyth 75 and Blake Windred 78.
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Six Australians chasing Liv Golf riches
Matt Jones – his USPGA Tour rights perhaps in jeopardy but playing anyway – file photo Bruce Young
The much maligned, much discussed, and, yes, much anticipated LIV Golf Invitational series becomes a reality on Thursday when the first event of eight in 2022 gets underway at the Centurion Club in St Albans near London.
48 players will take part in a 54-hole individual event combined with a 12 team competition with a first prize for the individual winner of US$ 4 million in addition to any monies he might pick up in the team’s event.
Of the 48 players in the field each will pocket a minimum of US$120,000 even for last place amongst the 48 players.
The purse breakdown is best explained in an article courtesy of www.sportingnews.com .
“Each regular-season event (the first seven events of the season) features a $25 million purse; $20 million to be split over the 48 golfers who played a part in the tournament (winner earns $4 million, last place earns $120,000). The remaining $5 million is dispersed among the teams that finished in the top-three places ($3 million for the winner, $1.5 million for second-place, $500,000 for third place).
At the end of the individual events, players who have participated in at least four events will divide what amounts to a top-heavy $30 million bonus pool. The individual champion will net $18 million, the second-place golfer $8 million, the third-place finisher $4 million, and on down the line.
The winning team after the season finale will receive a cool $16 million. However, all teams that take part will bring home a pretty penny (the last-place team, for example, will bring in $1 million in tournament earnings).”
The figures are staggering and for players such as Australians Travis Smyth, Jed Morgan, Blake Windred and Kevin Yuan, the opportunity exists to significantly bolster their fledgling careers.
When Jed Morgan surprised the golfing world with a runaway win at the Australian PGA Championship in January he earned a cheque for $A180,000 which was the catalyst for him winning the Order of Merit and earning starts here and in events such as next week’s US Open and others.
Just by teeing it up this week Morgan is guaranteed the equivalent of $A165,000. He will become a member of the DP World Tour later this year as a result of his Order of Merit success but while still a non-member he is unlikely to suffer any of the consequences others might incur.
Five Australians are confirmed to tee it up on Thursday. Two-time Australian Open Champion, Matt Jones, Asian and European Tour winner, Wade Ormsby, Australian PGA Champion Jed Morgan, last week’s runner-up in the Asian Tour’s International Series event in England, Travis Smyth, the runner-up in the recently completed Australasian Tour Order of Merit, Blake Windred and one of those playing their way in via the Asian Tour’s International Series, Kevin Yuan, are all in the field and guaranteed to walk away with at least US$120,000.
The field is headed by current world number 15, Dustin Johnson but the man who has created so much discussion and at times angst in the lead-up, Phil Mickelson will also take his part.
Phil Mickelson – the biggest name in the field – photo Chris Trotman Getty / Liv Golf
That the series will even take place has been the subject of so much controversy over the past few months and the eyes of the golfing world will be firmly fixed on just how this first event succeeds and may lead to others joining in once they become aware of its success or otherwise.
The PGA and DP World Tours have suggested that any of their members taking part in the event will be subject to penalties of yet to be determined extent but it is interesting that in a statement today the USGA who stage their flagship event next week at the US Open had this to say on where those in this week’s field and qualified to play next week’s US Open now stand.
“Regarding players who may choose to play in London this week, we simply asked ourselves this question — should a player who had earned his way into the 2022 U.S. Open, via our published field criteria, be pulled out of the field as a result of his decision to play in another event? And we ultimately decided that they should not.
“Our decision regarding our field for the 2022 U.S. Open should not be construed as the USGA supporting an alternative organizing entity, nor supportive of any individual player actions or comments. Rather, it is simply a response to whether or not the USGA views playing in an alternative event, without the consent of their home tour, an offense that should disqualify them for the U.S. Open.”
Nine Australasians to compete at Brookline’s US Open
Danny Lee and Ryan Fox are the two New Zealanders in the field – file photo Bruce Young
With the conclusion of Final Stage Qualifying for this month’s US Open Championship now complete, a total of nine Australasians have been confirmed in the field for the championship which begins on June 23rd at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Only New Zealand’s Danny Lee was able to successfully negotiate his way through the 36 hole qualifying completed at eight venues across nine venues in the USA today and he will join Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Min Woo Lee, Jed Morgan, Todd Sinnott and fellow New Zealander Ryan Fox in the 152 player field.
Lee secured his place in the field by finishing 5th at his venue in Ohio where 106 players were competing for 13 places in third major of the year.
For Lee it will be his 4th US Open although he was forced to withdraw from the 2020 version with a wrist injury after making the cut.
Smith, Scott, Leishman, Herbert and Min Woo Lee are in the field courtesy of their world ranking and in Smith’s case because of his Players Championship victory, Sinnott earned his place via Final Qualifying in Japan, Jed Morgan courtesy of leading the Australasian Tour’s Order of Merit and Fox because he led the qualifiers in a series of events on the European Tour in recent months and Sinnott as above.
Cameron Davis was the unlucky loser at his venue in Ohio, missing out by one shot of a playoff for one of the final places available there.
Clinical display earns Minjee Lee four-shot US Open victory
Lee – following her emphatic win – photo USGA Jeff Haynes
In one of the most clinical displays possible of high quality golf throughout the week, Minjee Lee has won a second major title and, importantly, the most significant in the female game with a four shot win at the US Women’s Open at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines in North Carolina.
Beginning the day with a three shot lead over Mina Harigae, Lee served notice of the direction that day would go with birdies at the opening two holes, the second from 40 feet and the substantial 54 lead became even more so as she played her way to a round of 71.
Hiccups would come at the 5th when she missed the green at the par 3 5th and again at the 7th hole when she three putted from long range but a series of crucial par saving putts in the middle of her round were followed by a birdie at the 12th from 8 feet and again at the 15th when she two putted from 30 feet.
At that point Lee was six shots ahead and although she would bogey the 16th and 18th she ran out the winner by a massive four shots, setting a championship scoring record in the process.
For Lee it was her second major title, extends her lead on the LPGA Tour standings in 2022 and secures a cheque for US$1.8 million courtesy of the huge boost in prizemoney the event received this year. The figure surpasses the US$1.5 million Lee earned in her best full season on the LPGA Tour to date, recorded in 2021.
“I mean, this is pretty special,” said Lee trying to find words to describe how she felt. “This is the one I’ve always wanted to win since I was a little kid, so it just feels pretty amazing to be able to get it done today. I just can’t believe it.
“I was pretty nervous all day, to be fair. I started good; I had two birdies off the bat. It was nice just to have that little buffer. I made two bogeys on the front nine, as well.
“You know, even with a three-shot lead I never felt comfortable today. I felt like I still needed to play well. I still needed to hold my ground. That’s pretty much what I did.
“To start aggressively, I think it was the right move, and then after that I had quite a big shot lead, so I was able to just play my game just to finish.
“I didn’t hit it that well. I had really good saves, up-and-downs from a lot of the places, and then finishing I had a couple birdies and a couple bogeys. I think that was enough to get it done today.”
Asked what this might mean for the game and women’s sport in Australia, Lee responded;
“I think this will be huge for all the little girls and even the boys and the children watching. I know there’s been a really big boom in WA (Western Australia). The girls have been a lot more interested in playing, so hopefully they watch me on TV and I can be a good role model to them and they’ll start getting more involved.”
Harigae, who has yet to win on the LPGA Tour, did remarkably well to hold on to second place and in the process earned a cheque for US$ 1.08 million and secure her immediate future on the LPGA Tour.
While the win could well be career altering for Lee, so too was the performance of Harigae who had previously recorded only three top three finishes in 226 starts on the LPGA Tour. It was her equal best career finish and by some way her best cheque.
The $1.08 million won by runner-up Harigae was 37 percent of her career earnings ($2.9 million) in 13 years on the LPGA Tour.
“I think that was probably one of the top rounds where I was really nervous,” said Harigae, perhaps reflecting just what this performance would mean for her.
“But I think I handled it pretty well for this situation. I’m proud of myself and the main takeaways are I really am able to handle myself out there. I belong up there.
“I’m not going to lie, my stomach hurt the last couple holes coming down. I was really stressed out, but I was really just focusing on one shot at a time, making solid contact, and just hitting good putts.”
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko appeared to be moving in on second place when she birdied the 13th but she would bogey three of the last four holes to finish alone in 5th place although she enjoys her best ever US Women’s Open finish.
“Yeah, I started off really well, birdieing the first couple on my first three holes,” said Ko. “I think overall I played solid, maybe not as sharp as the last couple days, and finishing off three bogeys in the last four holes is probably not the best way to finish.
“But other than that, I think in general I played really solid, and there was a lot of good golf, considering where I was hitting into the second day I’m happy with a top 10 finish here at the U.S. Women’s Open which I think is only my second time.
“I think this was probably the least nervous I was playing at the U.S. Women’s Open. I was excited to be here. I really liked the golf course. I felt like it was — the trophy was there for anyone that was in the field. When it’s kind of like that, you feel like it’s a very level playing field and you know you’re trying to play the best golf you can.”
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Photo – Darren Carroll USGA
Travis Smyth’s career changing day despite narrow loss
Travis Smyth in action this week – photo Paul Lakatos Asian Tour
Despite being unable to convert a one shot lead into victory at the International Series event near Newcastle in England, New South Wales golfer, Travis Smyth has secured, by some way, his biggest payday in golf and has opened the door for another windfall next week.
By finishing runner-up in the US$2 million Asian Tour event, Smyth earns a cheque for US$220,000 but as a result of his finish earning him a start at next week’s US$25 million Liv International he gets the chance to play for mind-boggling figures in London.
Smyth’s previous best cheque in four years on the Asian Tour was in September of 2018 when earning US$30,250 for finishing 7th at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea, so to say the least this has been a career changing trip to England already with perhaps a lot more to come.
Smyth finished just one shot behind the winner, Scott Vincent who won for the second week in succession having defeated another Australian (Anthony Quayle) in a playoff in Japan last week.
Smyth bogeyed his final hole while Vincent holed a 7 foot par saving putt to take the US$360,000 first prize.
The winner, Vincent, could’ve been forgiven for thinking this wasn’t to be his week when he turned up at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort but his clubs didn’t.
Happily, the missing clubs materialised in time for the US$2million International Series England and worked to stunning effect as the popular Zimbabwean recorded a one-shot victory.
In the final round he fought out a pulsating back-nine birdie battle with overnight leader Travis Smyth before sealing success with a seven-foot par putt on the final green.
“It’s amazing,” said 30-year-old Vincent, reacting to his maiden Asian Tour triumph. “This is the tour I started on, so obviously it’s nice to get the first win out here. It has felt like a long time but my game is trending in a good direction.”
Absent clubs aside, Vincent came to the north-east of England with his game in great shape. He won the Mizuno Open on Sunday on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation and kept his fine form throughout the Asian Tour’s first-ever UK tournament.
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Anthony Quayle 4th at Japan Golf Tour Championship
Anthony Quayle – file photo Bruce Young
Queensland based Anthony Quayle has recorded his second consecutive top 4 result on the Japan Golf Tour when finishing in 4th place at the Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup in Ibaraki this weekend.
Following on from his runner-up finish last week, Quayle had his chances again today of a breakthrough win on the Japan Tour but a late bogey did not help his cause as he pressed for a fast finish to catch the eventual winner Kazuki Higa.
“Unfortunately, the putter was a little bit cold today,” said Quayle, who birdied the opening hole before reeling off 12 consecutive pars.
“As it turned out, if I did not three-putt on 16, I could have a bit of a chance. I feel like I’m a little bit unlucky today, a little bit the same as last Sunday (where he squandered a four-shot lead in the final round before losing the playoff).
“I was playing pretty nicely, and it was just cold putter again. I just couldn’t get the ball into the hole.
“I don’t think I could have done anything else. I handled myself well. It just wasn’t my day, but I’ll keep knocking on the door.”
Quayle, who is in his 5th year on the Japan Golf Tour, although much of that disrupted by Covid 19, now moves into 8th place on the season’s money list rankings in Japan.
Brad Kennedy was 13th this week and New Zealander Mike Hendry 38th.
Quayle and Kennedy earned Open Championship starts courtesy of their finishes at last week’s Mizuno Open but will focus their attention next week on and event in Fukuoka in Southern Japan.
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