Lee watches her tee shot at the 3rd hole today – photo Darren Carroll USGA
A stretch of five birdies in seven holes in the middle of her third round at the US Women’s Open has played a key role in establishing a three shot 54 hole lead for Perth’s Minjee Lee at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina.
Lee’s 54 hole total is the lowest in the history of the US Women’s Open.
Lee began the round in a share of the lead with American Mina Harigae but a three putt bogey at the 5th by the West Australian and a birdie from 5 feet by Harigae had Lee two behind.
Then came the run of birdies for Lee which began at the 6th from 8 feet and was followed by more at the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th and when Hariage bogeyed the 11th and 12th Lee was four ahead.
Harigae closed the gap with a brilliant tee shot at the 16th to two feet and the gap of three at that point was maintained until the completion of the round.
So Lee is three ahead of Harigae who has yet to win even an LPGA Tour event let alone a major and the gap to the third placed Bronte Law is another three shots so if Lee is able to play a round close to par or better tomorrow it may well be a bridge too far for her chasers.
“I had a pretty solid day,” said Lee perhaps stating the obvious. “Started a little bit slow. Made one bogey on the front and then went on a string of birdies. That was nice heading into the back nine.
“I’m just going to stick to what I know (tomorrow). I’ve been on — been to plenty of U.S. Opens and been in pressure situations like this before. Just take away my experience from the other events and the other Opens and try and get it done tomorrow.”
Lee’s precise and clinical golf especially through the middle of her round was particularly impressive
“I just had good numbers, and having shorter irons in, I think it was easier to calculate the bounce.
“I hit some really good shots in and hit some really good putts, too.”
Lee was asked about what appeared to be a very calm demeanor on the golf course today to which she responded;
“Pretty much when I was on the run of birdies I wasn’t too nervous. But I think coming down the stretch a little bit more, just with more people maybe, just a little bit more pressure.
“Yeah, I’m pretty calm. My personality is pretty calm anyway. I don’t think I get too high or too low. I think that’s a strength of mine.”
Harigae is Lee’s closest rival through 54 holes and she has done remarkably well for one so inexperienced in this situation.
“I was a little nervous in the beginning, but I was able to hit some good shots,” said Harigae. “My middle was pretty good. Then got a little — hit a little squirrelly shots, but then I made a good birdie on 16.
“I think overall I’m just happy with the way I was able to hang in there.”
When asked what she has learned about herself to date this week Harigae responded; “That I’m able to really embrace the moment. I can control my emotions a lot better, especially when there’s high tension, when things don’t go my way. But yeah, I’m just really happy with the way I’m handling it.”
Lydia Ko – not without her chance tomorrow – photo Darren Carroll USGA
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko made a good move on Saturday, her round of 66 moving her into a share of 4th place and now seven shots from the lead.
I hit a lot of greens,” said Ko. “Some of the greens I hit, it was quite a ways far from the pin, but still, you take any green in regulations. I think I stayed pretty patient out there, and I think that’s what I did pretty well these last few days.
“You know that even though it’s the same as any other 72-hole event, this week just feels a little longer, a little tougher. I just try to stay patient, try to have a good time out there, and to be able to play some good golf with that is definitely a bonus.”
As to her chances tomorrow, asked when she finished her round some time earlier than that of the last group, Ko would say.
“You just never know, right? There has been some lower scores at this course. I don’t know, like I said, how it’s going to be set up, what the weather is forecasted to be tomorrow. It’s the U.S. Women’s Open; there’s always that little bit of adrenaline and little bit of nerves that maybe necessarily don’t come at any other event.
“I’m just going to focus on my game, just enjoy it. It’s such a great golf course, and it’s a fun course where I think you can be aggressive, but at the same time when you are — there are some penalizing bits, as well. You just have to play really smart.
“I think this has been one of the most fun venues of the U.S. Women’s Open that I’ve played, so hopefully I’d better finish off my week well and see where that puts me at the end of tomorrow.”
Hannah Green is at even par and in 20th place and Grace Kim 60th.
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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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Minjee Lee’s mid-round brilliance earns three shot US Open lead
Lee watches her tee shot at the 3rd hole today – photo Darren Carroll USGA
A stretch of five birdies in seven holes in the middle of her third round at the US Women’s Open has played a key role in establishing a three shot 54 hole lead for Perth’s Minjee Lee at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina.
Lee’s 54 hole total is the lowest in the history of the US Women’s Open.
Lee began the round in a share of the lead with American Mina Harigae but a three putt bogey at the 5th by the West Australian and a birdie from 5 feet by Harigae had Lee two behind.
Then came the run of birdies for Lee which began at the 6th from 8 feet and was followed by more at the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th and when Hariage bogeyed the 11th and 12th Lee was four ahead.
Harigae closed the gap with a brilliant tee shot at the 16th to two feet and the gap of three at that point was maintained until the completion of the round.
So Lee is three ahead of Harigae who has yet to win even an LPGA Tour event let alone a major and the gap to the third placed Bronte Law is another three shots so if Lee is able to play a round close to par or better tomorrow it may well be a bridge too far for her chasers.
“I had a pretty solid day,” said Lee perhaps stating the obvious. “Started a little bit slow. Made one bogey on the front and then went on a string of birdies. That was nice heading into the back nine.
“I’m just going to stick to what I know (tomorrow). I’ve been on — been to plenty of U.S. Opens and been in pressure situations like this before. Just take away my experience from the other events and the other Opens and try and get it done tomorrow.”
Lee’s precise and clinical golf especially through the middle of her round was particularly impressive
“I just had good numbers, and having shorter irons in, I think it was easier to calculate the bounce.
“I hit some really good shots in and hit some really good putts, too.”
Lee was asked about what appeared to be a very calm demeanor on the golf course today to which she responded;
“Pretty much when I was on the run of birdies I wasn’t too nervous. But I think coming down the stretch a little bit more, just with more people maybe, just a little bit more pressure.
“Yeah, I’m pretty calm. My personality is pretty calm anyway. I don’t think I get too high or too low. I think that’s a strength of mine.”
Harigae is Lee’s closest rival through 54 holes and she has done remarkably well for one so inexperienced in this situation.
“I was a little nervous in the beginning, but I was able to hit some good shots,” said Harigae. “My middle was pretty good. Then got a little — hit a little squirrelly shots, but then I made a good birdie on 16.
“I think overall I’m just happy with the way I was able to hang in there.”
When asked what she has learned about herself to date this week Harigae responded; “That I’m able to really embrace the moment. I can control my emotions a lot better, especially when there’s high tension, when things don’t go my way. But yeah, I’m just really happy with the way I’m handling it.”
Lydia Ko – not without her chance tomorrow – photo Darren Carroll USGA
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko made a good move on Saturday, her round of 66 moving her into a share of 4th place and now seven shots from the lead.
I hit a lot of greens,” said Ko. “Some of the greens I hit, it was quite a ways far from the pin, but still, you take any green in regulations. I think I stayed pretty patient out there, and I think that’s what I did pretty well these last few days.
“You know that even though it’s the same as any other 72-hole event, this week just feels a little longer, a little tougher. I just try to stay patient, try to have a good time out there, and to be able to play some good golf with that is definitely a bonus.”
As to her chances tomorrow, asked when she finished her round some time earlier than that of the last group, Ko would say.
“You just never know, right? There has been some lower scores at this course. I don’t know, like I said, how it’s going to be set up, what the weather is forecasted to be tomorrow. It’s the U.S. Women’s Open; there’s always that little bit of adrenaline and little bit of nerves that maybe necessarily don’t come at any other event.
“I’m just going to focus on my game, just enjoy it. It’s such a great golf course, and it’s a fun course where I think you can be aggressive, but at the same time when you are — there are some penalizing bits, as well. You just have to play really smart.
“I think this has been one of the most fun venues of the U.S. Women’s Open that I’ve played, so hopefully I’d better finish off my week well and see where that puts me at the end of tomorrow.”
Hannah Green is at even par and in 20th place and Grace Kim 60th.
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Wollongong’s Travis Smyth faces important career day
Travis Smyth in action today – photo Paul Lakatos
Wollongong’s Travis Smyth faces the most crucial day in his professional career on Sunday when he takes a narrow lead into the final round of the International Series event at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort near Newcastle in England.
Smyth is confident he can register a maiden Asian Tour success after taking the third-round lead in the International Series England after signing for a superb five-under-par 66 today.
He has certainly chosen a great event to make a break through if he is able to do so as the tournament carries of purse of US$2 million, one of the highest purses ever on a standalone Asian Tour event where the winner will earn US$360,000.
Also important is that the leading two players this week and not otherwise exempt will earn a place in the elite field for next week’s US$25 million Liv International , as will the leading three players not otherwise exempt from the International Series Order of Merit, from the International Series Thailand in March through to this week.
The Australian, 27, topped the leaderboard on eight under par at Slaley Hall Hotel, in an event that marks the Asian Tour’s debut in the UK.
He leads by a shot from Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who matched the course record with a 65, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, in with a 69, and Korean Joohyung Kim, who carded a 70.
South African Justin Harding, joint overnight leader with Kim, carded a 71 and is two off the lead.
Smyth is set to feature in the final group for the first time on the Asian Tour but shrugged off the pressure and said: “I definitely think I can win. I don’t know how I’m going to do it – but it’s going to be exciting. This is the best chance that I’ve had on the Asian Tour to win, so I cannot wait to get out there.
“Today, I knew I was up there early on because I started pretty well. I’m hoping tomorrow I feel like I did today.”
The man from 100 kilometres south of Sydney in New South Wales, said: “I was thinking ‘make four’. It was pretty obvious to go left of the tree, hit it to the front of the green, two-putt – and I holed it!”
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Minjee Lee joins Mina Harigae in the halfway lead at Pine Needles
Minjee Lee watches her shot from the rough at the 5th today – photo Jeff Haynes USGA
Minjee Lee has a share of the lead at the US Women’s Open at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club In Southern Pines, the West Australian catching the first round leader Mina Harigae to jointly hold a two shot lead over former Australian Women’s Amateur champion, Hyejin Choi, and Anna Nordqvist at the halfway mark of richest and most significant event in women’s golf.
Lee was out in the afternoon on day two and reached the turn in 31 and with Harigae playing in the morning field and posting a 9 under for her opening 36 holes several hours earlier, Lee added two further birdies late in her round to go with a solitary bogey and the pair stand atop a field of the game’s elite.
Lee has played in eight previous US Women’s Opens and has yet to record a top ten but she has shown with her fine play this year, where she leads to points standing on the LPGA Tour, that something much better was likely this week.
“I started pretty solid with two birdies to start, so that was nice,” said Lee who has never been one for a lot of depth in her media appearances. “I had a string of pars until maybe 8 and 9, I think, which were really good — both of them were really nice birdies.
“Then I bogeyed one hole on the back nine, made a really good up-and-down on the 17th, and finished my round 5-under today, so pretty solid overall.
“I’m not sure how the conditions are going to change and what time I’m playing, but I’ve been taking one shot at a time,” added Lee when asked her thoughts on the weekend.
“The golf course can really catch up to you quickly, so just trying to take whatever I have in front of me as I go and just try to take — whenever I have a birdie opportunity, I try to take advantage of that.
“Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’m going to focus on and just do whatever I can that is in my control.”
Harigae has yet to win on the LPGA Tour but she did finish 3rd at last year’s Tour Championship and runner-up in one other event so she has game but not the experience in contention of Lee although she did lead the Women’s British Open at the halfway mark last year.
After her round today, Harigae talked about the aspects that have seen her improvement over the past six months.
“I think it’s the people I surrounded myself with. I went back to my old swing coach that knows me best. I met my fiance, Travis. He has a great killer athlete mentality. He kind of brought me back to how I was in my amateur golf days. More of that kind of mentality.
“Just surrounding myself with people that are really good for me.
“I think I’m just a completely different person and golfer in general. I’m hitting a lot more greens now. I’ve always generally been a pretty good driver of the golf ball, but it’s my irons that have really taken care of where I’m going with my game. Putting too. I’ve been making a lot more putts. I’m way more confident with it.
“I think just as a person I’m much more mature. It took me a little bit, but I feel like I’m a lot more mature than I was in my 20s.”
Hannah Green and Lydia Ko are the next best of the seven strong Australasian challenge, the pair at 1 under and in a share of 21st and Grace Kim, playing in her very first US Women’s Open and a recent winner on the Epson Tour, has done well to make the cut on the number.
Sarah Kemp missed the weekend by one, Gabi Ruffels by four and New Zealand’s Julianne Alvarez several shots further back.
Mina Harigae shares the halfway lead with Minjee Lee – photo Jeff Haynes USGA
Cameron Smith’s great year continues at Memorial Tournament
Cameron Smith – file photo – a win or runner-up finish this week would move him to # 2 in the world – PGA of America
Cameron Smith has the halfway lead at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin in Ohio, the current world # 3 perhaps on track, if he should win or finish runner-up this week, to move ahead of Jon Rahm and into second position in the world ranking.
It has been a phenomenal season to date for Smith with two wins and two other top five finishes in just eight starts to date and having begun the year in 21st place in the ranking his progress has been stunning.
Today Smith added a second round of 69 to his opening 67 at Muirfield Village and at 8 under par he leads by one over Denny McCarthy and K.H. Lee.
Despite his lead, Smith was a little unhappy with his ball striking and indicated he will be working on that aspect later today.
“I’m just happy with the way I stuck in there,” said the Players Champion. “Really happy with where my short game’s at. I feel like I’m rolling the ball really good. Just need to sort out that longer stuff. Didn’t really hit many fairways on the back greens, but just need to hit a few balls and sort it out.
“I think my game’s in a good spot. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be. I’m playing some of the best golf of my life, and I feel I’m getting more consistent with the longer stuff. So just looking forward to everything coming up.
“I think mentally I’m in a really good spot. I think I’ve got a few things to tidy up still with my longer stuff. I feel as though I’m getting more and more consistent week in, week out.
“But just really happy. I think I can do a few things here and there to really tidy up that longer stuff and really stay on top of it.”
“I just try to hit the right shots every time, added Smith when asked what is making him so mentally strong at present. “Even if I’m uncomfortable, I know what the right shot is, and I’m committed to trying to hit that shot and that’s just a really good place to be in.”
Jason Day, playing the golf course at which he is a member, is at 1 over and in a share of 49th place while Cameron Davis, Adam Scott, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert just made the cut at 2 over. at 2 over will also get to play the weekend.
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Anthony Quayle back on the horse at Japan Tour Championship
Quayle in action during today’s second round – photo Japan Golf Tour
Just five days after losing a playoff which would otherwise have given him his first Japan Tour title, Australian Anthony Quayle has jumped right back on the horse and is in a share of second place as the Japan Golf Tour Championship closes in on its halfway stage at the Shishido Hills Country Club in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Many players will be required to finish off round two early on Saturday morning but Quayle’s second round of 66 has him just two behind the sole leader, Aguri Iwasaki and irrespective of the how things finish up when round two is completed the 27-year-old is nicely placed heading into the final 36 holes.
With his putter heating up, Quayle believed he could have finished possibly with two more birdies if not for a three-hour suspension in play in the early afternoon due to bad weather.
“I feel like I was playing good enough to sort of sneak one or even two more birdies (just before the suspension),” said Quayle, who finished runner-up at the Mizuno Open last week.
“I was playing really nicely and just had some momentum. But I’ll take two pars on the 17 and 18 every day this week, so I’m happy with that, and I’m very happy to be where I am right now.”
Being firmly in contention for the second week running, Quayle stressed that it’s important for him to stay in the moment.
“My strategy hasn’t really changed this year, just trying to enjoy myself as much as I can and have a bit more fun,” he said.
“This is such a beautiful golf course, such a great piece of property, and I really enjoy being out here.”
Quayle’s fellow Queensland based Brad Kennedy who also had a good week last week when 4th at the Mizuno Open, is again in contention at 3 under par and in a share of 12th following his two completed rounds.
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