Trevor Immelman and Adam Scott – mature heads to assist an inexperienced but talented International team.
Adam Scott will play his 10th Presidents Cup when the event gets underway on Thursday 22nd and while he is the 5th highest world ranked player in the International team, his longevity of success and consistency at the highest level gives him the right to be the playing leader.
Scott’s reasoned and measured thoughts on the game provide a solid base on which his less experienced teammates can rely over four days at the demanding Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.
Scott has now played on more International Presidents Cup teams than any other player and his points record is bettered only by Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.
That record might not necessarily get his team across the line, but the 42-year-old Queenslander, whose first Presidents Cup came in 2003 when the International shared the honours with the US in South Africa, will play a key role in settling the nerves of the 75 % of his team who face the cauldron of an American home game for the first time.
Speculated as a possible convert to LIV Golf earlier this year, Scott has made it clear recently that he is not about to give away twenty years of chasing majors in the hope that LIV Golf recruits will eventually be able to play majors.
Scott has only won one major title but his record at the elite level in the second half of his career has been significantly better than that of the first and it would seem based on comments at the recent BMW PGA Championship in London that he feels there is life in the old dog yet.
Earlier this week Scott was asked about the hurt of his International side losing so many actual and potential team members to LIV Golf.
“I think it does, because I think even though maybe the international team, our struggles have been fairly well-aired over the years or documented, I think everyone becomes very invested at some point in the week.
“As individual competitors, we don’t like losing. I know that’s something we do a lot anyway is playing individual tournaments. But I think it has stung a lot. It’s been frustrating a lot. The close calls really sting. The couple times we’ve really been thumped is very, very frustrating, and I think in saying all that, I’m the only one carrying any real baggage into this one.
“I think Hideki probably has felt a bit of both, as well, in fairness, but I think the beauty of this one for me is that I see a lot of guys out here for the first time, and when I made the team for the first time, it was like, you make the Presidents Cup team, you come out and win points, it’s what you’ve dreamed of, and that’s kind of how it started for me, on a pretty good note.
“That’s what I think these guys can do this week. I certainly am not dwelling on anything and to be perfectly honest, looking back at Melbourne, although that was one that stung for sure, I thought so much changed, the direction of this team changed there, and I think that’s carried over.”
Scott also sung the praises of South African Trevor Immelman, a former Masters Champion and now lead commentator for CBS, who will captain the International side. The pair became good friends during their early professional days when playing in Europe and remain close.
“Trevor has embraced that a lot (the direction created by Ernie Els in Melbourne) and done an incredible job. I think we’re going to see that continue no matter what the result. I still remain incredibly optimistic that we have a shot this week.”
I think we’ve really gotten over that, to be honest, from ’19,” added Scott referring to the come from behind Sunday win of the Americans in Melbourne.
“I think the structures that have been put in place by Ernie and the assistants there and carried over and evolved since with Trevor. I don’t feel like we have those obstacles in trying to massage pairings together and find the secret sauce anymore. I think everything that’s going on behind the scenes is making guys feel very confident to play with each other. I don’t know whether it’s — not that we’re spending more time together, but it sounds almost corny, but creating an identity for this team has given us all the same kind of language, if you want.
“I think knowing Trevor so well, he certainly showed how much work he’s put into this and how much meaning it has to him and how deep he has gone into thinking about what he can give us as an opportunity and experience this week.
“He’s gone further than anyone has gone before, and I think he’s pushed pretty hard for some help from the PGA TOUR to do that, as well, and create an opportunity and an experience for us that we’ll never forget this week, which feels very good.
“I feel very confident in everything that’s happened. From the preparation side, I come in here, all I’ve got to worry about is playing some golf, and that’s the only thing I can do anyway, so that feels like a really nice place as a player to be. I’m really not polluting anyone else’s mind with anything more than that.
“These guys are incredibly talented, and relatively unknown maybe compared to the stars of the United States, but they’ve now been given a platform to show off this week, and I hope they do.”
If the Internationals can find a way to even contend and possibly win against all odds and statistics it will be in no small way due to the efforts of Immelman and Scott whose friendship forged all those years ago is now manifested in guiding their team to a perhaps improbable but still possible win.
According to Adam Scott at least.
Adam Scott not without hope in Charlotte
Trevor Immelman and Adam Scott – mature heads to assist an inexperienced but talented International team.
Adam Scott will play his 10th Presidents Cup when the event gets underway on Thursday 22nd and while he is the 5th highest world ranked player in the International team, his longevity of success and consistency at the highest level gives him the right to be the playing leader.
Scott’s reasoned and measured thoughts on the game provide a solid base on which his less experienced teammates can rely over four days at the demanding Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.
Scott has now played on more International Presidents Cup teams than any other player and his points record is bettered only by Vijay Singh and Ernie Els.
That record might not necessarily get his team across the line, but the 42-year-old Queenslander, whose first Presidents Cup came in 2003 when the International shared the honours with the US in South Africa, will play a key role in settling the nerves of the 75 % of his team who face the cauldron of an American home game for the first time.
Speculated as a possible convert to LIV Golf earlier this year, Scott has made it clear recently that he is not about to give away twenty years of chasing majors in the hope that LIV Golf recruits will eventually be able to play majors.
Scott has only won one major title but his record at the elite level in the second half of his career has been significantly better than that of the first and it would seem based on comments at the recent BMW PGA Championship in London that he feels there is life in the old dog yet.
Earlier this week Scott was asked about the hurt of his International side losing so many actual and potential team members to LIV Golf.
“I think it does, because I think even though maybe the international team, our struggles have been fairly well-aired over the years or documented, I think everyone becomes very invested at some point in the week.
“As individual competitors, we don’t like losing. I know that’s something we do a lot anyway is playing individual tournaments. But I think it has stung a lot. It’s been frustrating a lot. The close calls really sting. The couple times we’ve really been thumped is very, very frustrating, and I think in saying all that, I’m the only one carrying any real baggage into this one.
“I think Hideki probably has felt a bit of both, as well, in fairness, but I think the beauty of this one for me is that I see a lot of guys out here for the first time, and when I made the team for the first time, it was like, you make the Presidents Cup team, you come out and win points, it’s what you’ve dreamed of, and that’s kind of how it started for me, on a pretty good note.
“That’s what I think these guys can do this week. I certainly am not dwelling on anything and to be perfectly honest, looking back at Melbourne, although that was one that stung for sure, I thought so much changed, the direction of this team changed there, and I think that’s carried over.”
Scott also sung the praises of South African Trevor Immelman, a former Masters Champion and now lead commentator for CBS, who will captain the International side. The pair became good friends during their early professional days when playing in Europe and remain close.
“Trevor has embraced that a lot (the direction created by Ernie Els in Melbourne) and done an incredible job. I think we’re going to see that continue no matter what the result. I still remain incredibly optimistic that we have a shot this week.”
I think we’ve really gotten over that, to be honest, from ’19,” added Scott referring to the come from behind Sunday win of the Americans in Melbourne.
“I think the structures that have been put in place by Ernie and the assistants there and carried over and evolved since with Trevor. I don’t feel like we have those obstacles in trying to massage pairings together and find the secret sauce anymore. I think everything that’s going on behind the scenes is making guys feel very confident to play with each other. I don’t know whether it’s — not that we’re spending more time together, but it sounds almost corny, but creating an identity for this team has given us all the same kind of language, if you want.
“I think knowing Trevor so well, he certainly showed how much work he’s put into this and how much meaning it has to him and how deep he has gone into thinking about what he can give us as an opportunity and experience this week.
“He’s gone further than anyone has gone before, and I think he’s pushed pretty hard for some help from the PGA TOUR to do that, as well, and create an opportunity and an experience for us that we’ll never forget this week, which feels very good.
“I feel very confident in everything that’s happened. From the preparation side, I come in here, all I’ve got to worry about is playing some golf, and that’s the only thing I can do anyway, so that feels like a really nice place as a player to be. I’m really not polluting anyone else’s mind with anything more than that.
“These guys are incredibly talented, and relatively unknown maybe compared to the stars of the United States, but they’ve now been given a platform to show off this week, and I hope they do.”
If the Internationals can find a way to even contend and possibly win against all odds and statistics it will be in no small way due to the efforts of Immelman and Scott whose friendship forged all those years ago is now manifested in guiding their team to a perhaps improbable but still possible win.
According to Adam Scott at least.
Internationals heavily outweighed ahead of Presidents Cup
Cameron Davis and Adam Scott enjoying their practice round together – photo Getty Images
Despite the absence of many of the game’s best players there is a familiar ring to the likely outcome of this week’ 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in North Carolina.
Once again, the Americans heavily outweigh the Internationals in terms of field strength with only one of that team (Kevin Kisner) outside the top 20 in the world ranking while for the Internationals they can boast only two inside category, namely Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im.
Not that such a scenario is foreign to the Internationals. That has always been the case, and in what was a very similar mathematical pre-event equation at Royal Melbourne in 2019, the Internationals actually led into the Sunday singles by 10 to 8 before being overrun by the Americans on Sunday by 8 to 4 and losing 16 to 14.
There was real hope leading into the final round at Royal Melbourne that the Internationals could pull of their second ever win in the event on a golf course they had won on previously, but it was not to be as the Tiger Woods led team’s superiority in world ranking strength came to the fore.
The closest the International have come in other encounters in addition to their win in 1998 at Royal Melbourne was in 2019 and in 2003 when the teams shared the honours in South Africa after darkness forced a playoff between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els to be halted.
The emergence of LIV Golf has had a significant impact on both sides with as many as six or seven players who might otherwise have been included in the Internationals now excluded due to their association with LIV.
Cameron Smith, Joacquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Anirban Lahiri, Abraham Ancer and possibly Marc Leishman were likely considerations or automatic inclusions in the Internationals but they much now watch from afar as their former teammates look to produce the near impossible.
Dustin Johnson, Bryson De Chambeau, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed might also have been included on the US team in a different time, but the respective teams will have to duke it out with what they have.
Golf does work in funny ways but it is hard to see the Internationals getting close to the powerful Americans although both teams perhaps have significant points to prove given the new dynamic in world golf and that motivation alone will carry them a long way.
TEAMS
Cameron Smith proves a point in Chicago
Cameron Smith holes the winning putt to win by three – photo LIV Golf Getty Images
Cameron Smith, in just his second appearance in the LIV Golf series, has defeated has defeated Peter Uilhein and Dustin Johnson by three shots to earn the US$4 million winner’s cheque at the event at Rich Harvest Farms outside of Chicago and, in addition, has helped his team of Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby and himself into a share of 3rd place.
Smith took a two shot lead over Johnson into the final round and although self admittedly not at his best, his round of 69 which included birdies at his last two holes saw him retain and extend his 36 hole lead.
Smith has now won just over US$5 million in individual earnings in the two events he has played plus a little extra for he and his team.
“I think it was quite frustrating at the start of the day,” said Smith of his early play in round tree. “My warmup wasn’t fantastic. I didn’t feel like I was striking the ball as well as I had the first couple of days.
“I just kind of stuck in there. There was a couple of really poor shots off the tee that led to a couple of really soft bogeys on quite easy holes, especially that start where you want to get off to a pretty hot start.
Yeah, so it was frustrating, but just stuck in there good.”
Smith suggested he felt he had a point to prove with the switch of tours. “I think probably that first event was the most pressure I’ve been under all year inside of an event.
“I feel as though I needed to prove to myself and probably more so to other people that just because I’ve changed tours doesn’t mean I’m a worse player for it. I’m still out here to win. That’s what we’re all here for. Hopefully we can keep this going.
Smith was also asked about the feel of wining an event such as this week’s compared to those in which he has played to date where established histories are involved.
“I think for sure there is a history aspect that is for certain missing, but it doesn’t mean that the tournament is a bad tournament because of it.
“There’s 48 of the best guys out here trying to compete and trying to win. In 10, 20 years’ time, these could be the biggest events in the world. We’re just not there yet.”
SCORES
Hannah Green finishes 3rd in Portland
Hannah Green – photo Steve Sykes LPGA / Getty Images
Hannah Green has recorded her second best finish of 2022 and her fourth top five of the season with a 3rd place finish at the AmazingCre Portland Classic in Oregon.
Green was chasing her second victory in this event having won in 2019 and she put up a fine attempt to do so, falling just one short of the playoff between Andrea Lee and Daniela Darquea, Lee going on to win her first LPGA Tour title.
Green stormed home with a back nine of 32 to all but catch the leaders but that one birdie over the final three holes proved elusive.
Green improves three places to 16th in the Race to the Globe standings in a season during which she has made the cut in all eighteen events in which she has competed.
Of the other Australians, Sarah Kemp was 36th and Karis Davidson 47th.
SCORES
Lucas Hebert records best finish of 2022 in Italy
Lucas Herbert – file photo
Victorian, Lucas Hebert, has finished in a share of 5th place at the Italian Open in Rome, his final round of 68 securing him his best finish of the year on either the European or PGA Tour and a cheque for €116,000.
Herbert finished three shots from the playoff between Robert McIntyre and Matthew Fitzpatrick, McIntyre winning his second European Tour title with a birdie at the first extra hole.
McIntyre’s final round of 64 included a stunning outward nine of 6 under 29, catching and then defeating the US Open Champion Fitzpatrick who was forced to chase and catch McIntyre with a homeward nine of 32 himself.
For Herbert, though, his solid finish moves him 24 places in the Race to Dubai standings to 45th which given he has played for so much of the year in the US is yet another impressive European Tour performance.
It also leaves Herbert well positioned to play the season ending event, the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai in November in which the leading 50 players compete.
Maverick Antcliff and Jason Srivener tied for 55th and were the only other Australians to make the weekend.
SCORES
Adam Bland’s big improvement at ANA Open
Adam Bland – file photo
South Australian Adam Bland recorded his best Japan Golf Tour finish in five years when he tied for 8th at the ANA Open in Hokkaido this week.
The 40 year old, 16 year professional’s previous best result in Japan was when 7th at the 2017 Japan Open but he does own one victory in Japan, that coming when winning the Japan Professional Golf Championship in 2015.
The left-handed Bland, produced a final round of 66 including birdies at the last three holes of the Sapporo Golf Club’s Wattsu course to finish in a share of 8th and five shots from the winner, Tomohara Otsuki.
“It was a good round today,” said Bland, who managed seven birdies to offset a bogey.
“I didn’t change anything and just stick to my game plan. I was able to hit it a little closer and holed a couple of putts.
“Hopefully I can play even better next week (Panasonic Open), I’m looking forward to it.”
Matthew Griffin was 17th, Anthony Quayle 28th and Andrew Evans 46th.
Quayle still leads the Australians on the 2022 money list, the Queenslander in 10th place.
SCORES
Cameron Smith leads Dustin Johnson by two in Chicago
Cameron Smith during today’s second round – photo LIV Golf / Getty Images
Playing in just his second LIV Golf event after joining the tour in Boston two weeks ago, Cameron Smith has taken a two shot lead over Dustin Johnson heading into tomorrow’s third and final round of the US$25 million 5th event of the LIV Golf series.
A round of 68 today to go with his opening 66 allowed Smith to catch and then pass Johnson who could do no better then 73 to be two back.
Smith was asked how he has been able to bring the form shown on the PGA Tour so immediately to the LIV Tour and had this to say; “Just keeping everything the same, to be honest. Still doing the work at home and trying to come out here and win golf tournaments. My mentality hasn’t changed one bit. I think that’s why I’ve played so well the last couple weeks.
“I think the music out on the golf course and on the range is something that I really enjoy. I think everyone out there really enjoys it, as well.
“I feel like the fans are closer to you and they’re probably a little bit louder on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but yeah, I love it, mate. The atmosphere is perfect?
“It’s really cool. It’s something that I’ve got used to over the last couple of weeks, and I can’t wait to keep this going. It’s unreal out here. I love the energy. Like I said last week, I think the course has a heartbeat. Everyone is really engaged and everyone is really watching what you’re doing. Yeah, it’s awesome.”
Smith heads his team The Punches who trail the 4 Aces by just one shot with a team purse of US$3 million available to the winner of that event. The Punches team is Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Wade Ormsby.
Matt Jones is tied for 9th in the individual and six shots from Smith’s lead.
SCORES
Harrison Endycott makes immediate statement on PGA Tour
Harrison Endycott – file photo NSW Golf
In his debut as a cardholder on the PGA Tour, Sydney’s Harrison Endycott is just three shots from the lead at the Fortinet Championship in Napa in California, a third round of 65 moving him 51 places from the cutline to contention in the US$8 million event.
Endycott earned the right to play the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour this season and irrespective of how tomorrow works out for the 26 year old, making the cut and contending in your first appearance on the big stage will be very encouraging for him.
“I mean, look, it’s still very new, you know,” said Endycott referring to the difference between playing the Korn Ferry or South American Tours as he has earlier in his career to now on the PGA Tour. You’ve got a little more atmosphere, more people, bigger grandstands, TV everywhere.
“Look, it’s funny, like I feel very, very comfortable out there when I’m within my own element, but when you do kind of smell the roses in between shots, you’re kind of like this is a different atmosphere. It might take a little time to get used to, but right now I’m enjoying it.”
“I played really nice out there today. Definitely helps when you’ve got a driver in the bag after yesterday’s shenanigans with the cracked driver face. This golf course is tough hitting 3-wood everywhere. So it was nice to get freed up, played some good golf today.
“Got the putter rolling. Had a bogey-free round on Thursday, didn’t make a birdie, so two bogey-free rounds, you know, means that I’m doing a lot of good things and just got to stay patient. And obviously first group in, there’s still a lot of golf, the rest of the guys out there, so hopefully we stay in contention and go get after it tomorrow.”
Monday qualifier, Aaron Baddeley, and Cameron Percy also made the cut but are well back.
SCORES
Hannah Green eyeing second Portland title
Australian Hannah Green is well placed to add a second AmazingCre Portland Classic and a third LPGA Tour title to her name as she heads into tomorrow’s final round of the event at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland in Oregon.
Green won this title or its equivalent in 2019, two months after her breakthrough win at the KPMG PGA Championship and despite a bogey late in her round today costing her the chance to share the 54 hole lead, she begins tomorrow’s final round in a four way share of 4th place and just on behind the trio ahead of her.
Green is having an extremely consistent year having now made all 18 cuts to date while recording six top ten finishes, but the win has proven elusive. Back on a golf course which holds such fond memories, the 25 year old has opened the door for her consistency to be rewarded.
Of the other Australians, Sarah Kemp is 43rd and LPGA rookie, Karis Davidson, 49th.
SCORES
Lucas Herbert well placed in Italy
Lucas Herbert – file photo courtesy of PGA of Australia
Australia’s Lucas Herbert has bounced back from two missed cuts in his last three starts with a second round of 67 at the Italian Open in Rome and finds himself in a share of 5th place with just a few players to complete their second rounds tomorrow after a weather disruption.
Herbert, who now plays the PGA Tour on a regular basis, missed the cut at last week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but despite a bogey at the last today after pulling his second into the water at the par 5, his seven birdies in round two have set up the possibility of a third DP World Tour title.
The 26 year old is currently ranked 53rd in the world after reaching a high of 40 late in 2021 and is perhaps unlucky not to have caught the attention of International Presidents Cup captain Trevor Immelman.
Herbert trails the in form leader, Rory McIlroy, by four shots and the current US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick by three so he has a big task to chase them an others down but he has made an encouraging start.
Jason Scrivener, tied for 27th and Maverick Antcliff 33rd, are the other Australians who will make the weekend while Scott Hend appears likely to miss by one shot, Min Woo Lee by two and Zach Murray further back again.