Collin Morikawa with the Claret Jug – photo Matthew Lewis R&A /R&A via Getty
In just his eighth appearance in a major championship, Californian, Collin Morikawa, added a second title at the elite level of the game, when he outplayed and outlasted the game’s current greats to win The Open Championship at Royal St Georges.
At one stage the world’s leading ranked amateur golfer, Morikawa will now trail only John Rahm and Dustin Johnson as the world’s greatest players at any level following his two-shot victory over Jordan Spieth at Royal St Georges today.
Two years ago, Morikawa was outside the world top 1000 in the game but five wins on the PGA Tour in that time including the two major titles have swept him to his now highest ranking of 3 and given that both major titles have come on debut it is a fair bet to assume the growth curve is a long way from over.
Morikawa began the day one shot behind the long-time leader, Louis Oosthuizen but, by the turn, he was four ahead of the South African and although he would add only one more birdie when he holed a lengthy birdie putt at the 14th the gap was too great for his chasers.
Eventually it would be Jordan Spieth who threw out the biggest threat to Morikawa. After his two late bogeys on Saturday, Spieth had begun the final day in third place but three shots from Oosthuizen and two behind the then leader.
When Spieth bogeyed the 4th and 6th any realistic chance of him winning appeared gone and so it would prove but he fought his way back with an eagle at the 7th then added another four birdies for a round of 66 to equal that of the winner’s but it was not quite enough.
Spieth would finish runner-up, with Jon Rahm 3rd after making a strong late bid with four consecutive birdies from the 13th to put himself in the picture should Morikawa falter over the closing stages.
It was not to be, however, with Morikawa playing mistake free golf to win by two with Rahm two further back in third place and tied with Oosthuizen who for the 8th time in major championship golf finished either runner-up or third.
Morikawa was clearly delighted to have won on Open Championship debut, but he is obviously keen for more as he outlined when asked how he would reflect on this amazing start to his professional career.
“At 24 years old, it’s so hard to look back at the two short years that I have been a pro and see what I’ve done because I want more.
“I enjoy these moments and I love it, and I want to teach myself to embrace it a little more, maybe spend a few extra days and sit back and drink out of this. But — yeah, I just want more.
“When you’re in these moments and you truly love what you do, which I love playing golf and competing against these guys, these are the best moments ever because the nerves push you to just be a better person.”
When asked about his feeling on now having his name alongside some of the greatest of all time to have won this championship, he openly expressed his growing appreciation of the event and its place in golfing folklore.
“There’s so many names. I’m not going to pinpoint one. But to be cemented on the Claret Jug with countless names, countless Hall of Famers, countless people that I’ve looked up to, not just from golf, but outside of golf, it’s so special.
“To be honest, I cannot tell you my earliest memory of the Open Championship. I didn’t watch a ton of golf growing up. I probably watch more golf now than I do because I know a bunch of guys and I want to see them play well. It’s going to be up there now. We only get four majors a year, and every single one of them is very special.
“To finally get to play an Open Championship for the first time and win it, it’s going to be that much more special. I won the PGA, and then coming back as the defending champ you just have a sense of like you belong, this is going to be part of you for the rest of your life. The Open Championship is going to be part of my life the rest of my life no matter what happens.”
Morikawa earned US$2,070,000 for his win which is just over 8 times the US$250,000 Justin Leonard won when winning in the year Morikawa was born (1997).
Spieth reflected on his bogey, bogey finish on Saturday but was proud and happy with his effort today especially after such a disappointing start to his round.
“It’s hard to be upset when I was a couple over through 6. I couldn’t have really done much more after that point. But the finish yesterday, was about as upset as I’ve taken a finish of a round to the house.
“I walked in and wanted to — I said, Is there something that I can break? I knew that was so important because I would have been in the final group. Anyway, had to regroup 18 hours later and then just had a lot in between clubs, and you have to be so precise here. You need some good numbers.
“Then kind of fatted it off 6 and went to 7 thinking, Okay, now we’re going for everything, and we’re going to see what happens. I’m proud of going 6-under in the last 12 in this golf tournament and putting some pressure on Collin.”
It was Spieth’s 4th runner-up finish in a major championship but he does own three major titles including this one in 2017.
On the golf course itself, Spieth was full of praise but acknowledged that the conditions during much of the week did not allow it to show its real teeth.
“I did enjoy this golf course from when I first played 12 holes last Sunday, and I thought that it was quirky in a fun way. I think we only late today did we start to see the wind that the course is designed, I think, to play in.
“So I don’t think we got the same test as those guys have had in years past. But even saying that, each hole provided its own kind of unique way to play it because of that, and I thought that the R&A did just a fantastic job of allowing the scores to happen.”
Cameron Smith was faltering at 6 over for his round through 15 holes but birdies at the 17th and 18th holes would see him finish 33rd although he did drop 24 places from his third-round position. He would though finish as the leading player amongst the 13 Australasians who teed it up on Thursday.
He finished two head of Adam Scott who closed with a 68 to be in 46th place with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox slipping to 67th.
Cameron Smith earned US$60,000 for his efforts.
Collin Morikawa – R&A via Getty Images
Smith creeps closer as final round showdown looms in Tokyo
Cameron Smith at the Olympics- photo IGF
Australia’s Cameron Smith has continued his improvement at the Tokyo Olympics, building on his opening two rounds when adding a third round of 66 at the Kasumigaseki Country Club, in Saitama, Japan, moving from his 19th place through 36 holes to now be in a share of 11th and just five shots from the lead held by American, Xander Schauffele.
Smith’s bogey free round has him within striking distance of the leader but the problem he faces is that he not only has to get past Schauffele, but several of the world’s leading players if he is to challenge for a medal of any colour, if not a gold medal.
“I thought 5-, 6-under today would get me close enough to where if I had another good one tomorrow I could be in the running for a medal,” said Smith after his round. “So, yeah it was nice to go out there, especially after a pretty poor start to kind of hang in there and shoot that.
“It’s going to take a good one. I think if I can get out to a start like I did on those first couple of days, make a few birdies in the first four or five holes I think I’ll be looking at it a bit differently. So I just need to go out there and do that.”
Smith began the third round seven shots from Schauffele but with three consecutive birdies in the middle of his front nine he had moved to 7 under for the tournament and within four of the lead.
He would birdie the 11th and 13th holes but Schauffele extended his lead to five over Smith and by one over his nearest rival Hideki Matsuyama with a magnificent birdie at the last, paving the way for a fascinating final day tomorrow when the American takes on the local hero Matsuyama.
Matsuyama became a folk hero in his home country following his victory at Augusta National earlier this year and it is hard to comprehend the enormous pressure he will face in tomorrow’s final round, but he has proven himself capable of carrying the weight of a nation before and might yet do it again.
Marc Leishman was round in 72 to be tied for 49th in the 60 man field while New Zealand’s Ryan Fox is 55th.
scores
Schauffele leads Olympic field as Cameron Smith improves
Cameron Smith in action this week – photo Ben Jared PGA Tour / IGF
Australian Cameron Smith is the best of the two Australians at the halfway stage of the Men’s Olympic competition, a second round of 67 allowing him to improve 21 positions from his overnight standing of 41st to a tie for 20th and seven shots from the lead.
It was, though, a round that might well have been significantly better but for a bizarre happening on the Queenslander’s final hole on Friday afternoon.
The demanding par four finishing proved even more so for Smith who pulled his second into the stands to the left of the green only for the ball to bounce across the fairway into the water. The resultant double bogey undid some of the great work Smith had produced up until that point, but he is still well enough placed heading into the weekend.
Smith expressed frustration with letting go what was shaping as a very good round.
“I was trying to hit it down there on the left and kind of the rough caught the heel a little bit, went a little bit further left than I anticipated, but yeah, pretty, I mean it was pretty frustrating day as it was, I felt like I did a lot of good stuff today and didn’t get the most out of my round and then to finish like that is kind of a bit crappy.
“I know my game’s there, like I said, I felt like I hit a lot of good golf shots today. I felt like I had a lot of opportunities, so just need to keep doing what I’m doing and hopefully the putts drop over the weekend.”
Marc Leishman was caught on the golf course after play had been delayed more than two hours by storms on Friday.
Leishman was required to play two holes on Saturday morning to finish his round after being caught on the course by the impact of the delay and was able to birdie both of his two remaining holes after a brilliant approach to three feet at the 17th and a superb birdie at one of the course’s most challenging holes, the 18th where his approach finished 5 feet behind the hole.
Leishman is in 40th position and ten shots from the lead.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was another to return on Saturday morning to finish his second round and unfortunately for him he bogeyed the 17th to eventually finish with 72 to be in 48th place.
The leader is Xander Schauffele who played his last five holes in 5 under including a 60-foot eagle putt at the 14th and he takes a one-shot lead over Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz into the weekend.
Just one further back however is Hideki Matsuyama whose legend will grow even further if he can add a gold medal to his breakthrough Masters victory earlier in the year. Matsuyama’s round of 64 was second only to Schauffele in round two.
Scores
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier leads in Northern Ireland
Daniel Hillier in action during round two – photo Getty Images
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier has the halfway lead at the European Tour’s ISPS Handa World Invitational Galgorm Castle & Massereene in County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
The 23-year-old produced a second round of 8 under 62, his round made even more meritorious by the fact that he bogeyed his second hole of the day.
Hillier received an invite to play the event and displayed a game that many believe will have the Wellingtonian who, during his stellar amateur career, won both the Australian and New Zealand Junior titles and was twice the New Zealand Amateur Champion, on the European Tour before long.
Hillier has impressed this year with a series of solid finishes in his first season on the European Challenge Tour and has created an opportunity for himself to gain a European Tour card with a possible win in this week’s event which has brought together players from both the European and European Challenge Tour.
A professional for just over 18 months, Hillier has already played his way into two major championships having played the US Open in 2020 and this year’s Open Championship.
“It was really good out there,” said Hillier. I made the most of some pretty benign conditions in the morning and got off to a good start. Managed to sink a couple more near the end. But yeah, I’ve hit it really well. Made one bad swing on hole 11 and made bogey there, but apart from that it was really solid.
“I’ve been playing well the last couple of months, just haven’t really put four rounds together yet. Yeah, obviously in pretty good position at the moment, so yeah, just going to keep riding the wave and stick to the game plan and see how we go.
“I have played pretty well in Ireland in the past. Yeah, I don’t know. I guess conditions are somewhat similar to home. Yeah, I mean, just really love the place, and obviously, I don’t know, something about it that allows me to play good golf.”
Hillier leads by one over first round leader Jordan Smith of England with another two shots back to England’s Garrick Porteous and David Horsey.
Dimi Papadatos heads the Australians at 3 under and in 28th place with Maverick Antcliff and Blake Windred also making the cut but further back.
In the women’s event played concurrently at the same venue, Su Oh is the best of the Australians in 9th position, Sarah Kemp 13th and Stephanie Kyriacou 19th.
Leishman and Smith excited by Olympic debuts
Leishman and Smith pose with their caddies and Australian captain Ian Baker-Finch – Photo IGF
Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman take to the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama in the north of Tokyo this week, both considered medal chances, and both delighted to be representing their country.
Both players faced the assembled media today as they prepared for their Olympic debuts.
Smith was outside the world’s top 175 when golf made a return to the Olympics in Rio in 2016 but he is now Australia’s highest ranked male player at number 28 in the world with Leishman now number 35 in the world from his position around 50th in 2016, although he made himself unavailable for family reasons back then.
Leishman gained his place in the field this year after Adam Scott declined the opportunity, the Queenslander just ahead of Leishman in world ranking when the teams were chosen although that is now reversed.
“Obviously very excited to be here,” said Leishman. “To represent your country is a huge honour and I know we’re both very proud to be wearing this uniform.
“The course looks great out there. It’s in unbelievable condition and I’m sure it will only get more difficult as the week goes on and yeah we’re excited to be here.”
Smith echoed Leishman’s thoughts.
“I mean, yeah, growing up you really never think that you’re going to wear the Olympic uniform with the coat of arms on it,” said the Queenslander. “It’s pretty special. Yeah, I mean, it’s just going to be an awesome experience. Leish and I get on great. We’re going to have great week off the course and hopefully a great one on the course as well. The course is in great shape and I can’t wait for Thursday.”
Both players have mixed form of late although Leishman’s third place finish two starts ago in Hartford before a missed cut at the Open Championship will give him some heart.
When asked where a gold medal at the Olympics would rate compared to a major title Leishman responded; “As a golfer, I we didn’t grow up thinking we would have a chance to win a medal, so I think as time goes on, this is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. But this is a big deal. I mean, I think it would be, if it wasn’t equal to a major, it would be a very, very, very close second.”
Both players are staying outside of the Olympic Village but that is based on convenience and logistics rather than not wanting to be at the village.
“We’re staying close by in a hotel,” said Leishman. The village is, we have been told, a two-hour drive from the golf course if the traffic is not perfect. With our bodies, it’s not ideal to sit in a car for a couple of hours beforehand.
“So that was our thinking behind that, try and prepare like it was a major. Yeah, I think I would love to stay at the Olympic village, but it just wasn’t as convenient as we maybe would have liked this year.”
Both are impressed with the Kasumigaseki Country Club, Smith in particular enthusing over his liking for golf in Japan.
“I’ve never played a bad golf course in Japan. They’re always in such pristine condition. The greens out there are amazing. Hopefully the rain holds off and it’s able to get a little firmer and faster for us. I know we both like that. But nonetheless I’m sure it will be a great course.”
Leishman also was excited about what lay ahead. “I really like the golf course. It seems like every bunker has been put there for a reason. They’re all in play.
“I think if you are hitting your irons well I think there will be an opportunity for a lot of birdies. But on the other hand, if you’re just a little bit off you’re going to have some really difficult putts for birdies and tough 2-putts. So I think there’s going to be a fairly big spread in scores.
“I think it’s a great venue for the Olympic golf and it’s just a pity that we can’t have crowds here because I think it would be really special. I know how good it is to play in front of the Japanese fans and how much they love their golf.
“And I believe I’ve been paired with Hideki (Matsuyama), so it’s going to be a very different atmosphere than what it would have been like if we did have fans. But, no, it’s going to be a special week no matter what. I’m excited about it.”
Adding to his excitement is the prospect of representing Australia in a sport where such representation is not the norm.
“I think as Australians playing on the PGA TOUR in a way we do represent our country every week,” added the Victorian. “That’s the way I feel. Just this week where we’re wearing the green and gold and we have got Australia on our hats and shirts, which is an, I think adds a bit more to the prestige, I think.
“And I’m certainly very proud to call myself an Olympian now and I know Cam is as well. So, yeah, like I said, I feel like we do represent Australia every week, but this is just really, really special.”
The event gets under way on Thursday 29th and will be played over 72 holes, ending on Sunday.
Minjee Lee’s major breakthrough at Evian Championship
Minjee Lee celebrates her major championship breakthrough – photo Ladies European Tour
Perth’s Minjee Lee today became just the 4th Australian female golfer to win a major championship when she overcame a seven shot 54-hole deficit with a final round of 64 to catch and then beat South Korean Jeongeun Lee6 in a playoff to win the Amundi Evian Championship in Evian les Bains in France.
Lee joins Jan Stephenson, Karrie Webb and her fellow West Australian Hannah Green in winning at the elite level but it took something very special to do so, reeling off four birdies in her last five holes to set the mark for Lee6, who, in the group behind, was forced to birdie her final three holes to join the Australian in a playoff.
Lee, who was playing in the second to last group on the final day, had actually caught Lee6 by the time she reached the 10th green, the Korean struggling to an opening nine of 4 over par 39 and, that, after a birdie at her first hole.
American Yealimi Noh, who had started the final day in second place and five shots from the lead, actually took the lead herself when made the turn in 33 to move one ahead of the field but while she continued to play well and finish runner-up, she was unable to match the sheer brilliance of the two Lees.
Lee and Lee6 completed the homeward nines in 32 to finish one ahead of Noh and so it was to a playoff where Minjee Lee prevailed with a two putt birdie at the first extra hole following a brilliant 6 iron approach. Lee6, pressured by the quality of Lee’s shot, found the water and could do no better than bogey.
“I’m speechless,” said the champion. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long. It just feels unreal to have won. Just even in the playoff, and all throughout today, I played really well to get myself in that position, and I’m just really happy.”
Asked if the pressure to win a major given her already significant LPGA Tour career was building, Lee said;
“I mean, yes and no. Like I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, and I hear so many people say, We really want to you win a major and major is just around the corner.
“It’s easier said than done, and everybody is so good out here. Yeah, it’s just really nice to have a major title under my belt. No, it’s just — you know, I always have high expectations for myself, so maybe in that sense, yes.”
When asked if she had felt the 54 hole deficit might have been too great, Lee responded: “I never really like thought about it when I was playing. I just tried to make as many birdies as I could.
“I think I saw the leaderboard maybe once or twice. Just tried to play to the best of my ability, and it’s really great to win a major. Yeah, it’s just really amazing.”
The victory was Lee’s 6th on the LPGA Tour but her first major title and comes just two weeks after her brother Min Woo Lee’s significant victory at the Scottish Open, also won in a playoff.
Lee earns US$675,000 for the win, her biggest cheque in the game by some margin and she will now head to Tokyo to represent Australia at the Olympics next week.
Of the other Australasians, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko eagled her final hole to finish in a share of 6th place while Sarah Kemp finished 19th and Stephanie Kyriacou 65th.
Scores
Ko and Lee keep door open at Evian Championship
The five shot leader Jeongeun Lee – photo Ladies European Tour
It will take a herculean effort from either Lydia Ko or Minjee Lee in tomorrow’s final round of the Amundi Evian Championship to haul in the runaway leader Jeongeun Lee6 but they have at least kept the door open with strong third rounds overnight.
New Zealander Ko’s third round of 68 has her six shots from the lead while Australian Lee kept her hopes of a first major championship title alive with four consecutive birdies to finish for a round of 65 and although seven shots from the lead, another similar round tomorrow and a little help from Lee6 then who knows where they might end up.
Ko has won this event previously while Lee has yet to record a top ten in six attempts but that, at least, should change tomorrow.
Ko knows she has done it before and might reflect on memories of that victory in 2015 to assist her tomorrow.
“That final round the year I had won was probably one of the best golf I had played. I think when I had miss-hit shots I was really creative and used the undulations to kind of my advantage.
“So, yeah, I think I played really smart then and finished really strong birdieing 17 and 18. Especially then I think because I had a few-shot lead coming down it put a little less pressure on the last couple ones. It was more like, Oh, let’s cruise it down there, and ended up falling.
“So just with golf you just never know. It’s never the end until the glove comes off and the final putt drops in on the last. I just got to stick to my game plan and see. There is so many big names, a lot of players playing well, so I think you just — I have to focus on me and go from there.”
For Lee she still believes a win is possible. “You know, it can be flipped quickly, but I mean, the finishing holes, I don’t know how Jeongeun is probably going to finish,” said Lee when interviewed before Lee6 had finished today.
“I’m guessing she’s going to make a couple birdies coming in. I’ll probably have six- to seven- or eight-shot difference.
“But you know, I’m just going to play my game. I’m just going to try and make as many birdies as I can and try and catch up. But it’s — I can only control what’s in my game. I’ll just do that.”
Lee6 has won only one LPGA Tour title to date but that was a major when successful at the 2019 US Women’s Open so she has that history on her side and knows she can get the job done.
She currently leads by five over American Yalimi Noh who has yet to win on the LPGA Tour.
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Lee6 matches major record in France – Lydia Ko well placed
Jeongeun Lee6 recording a record equaling round of 61 – photo Ladies European Tour
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko finds herself in 4th place through 36 holes of the 4th of five majors in women’s golf in 2021, the Amundi Evian Championship, but she is six shots from the lead held by South Korean Jeongeun Lee6.
Lee6 produced the equal lowest score in major championship golf of either gender when she matched the previous best set (61) also in this event in 2014 by Hyo-joo Kim
On a day of extremely low scoring on the layout on the banks of lake Geneva in Evian les Bains in the east of France, Ko’s round of 65 came after an opening bogey, playing her last 13 holes in 7 under par to be well enough placed heading into the weekend.
Ko’s previous record on a layout with significant elevations changes and quirky design is outstanding having recorded five top tens in seven starts including a win in 2015, one of the two major championship titles she owns.
Australia’s Sarah Kemp is also doing well in a share of 11th while Minjee Lee is tied for 15th although ten shots from the leader who is three shots clear of the field.
Recent Ladies European Tour winner, Stephanie Kyriacou, added a second round of 69, two late birdies enough to see her make the cut by two.
Katherine Kirk and Su Oh both missed out on the final 36 holes.
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Ormsby and Kennedy lead Australians in Wales
Wade Ormsby – file photo Bruce Young
South Australian, Wade Ormsby, and Queensland’s, Brad Kennedy, are tied in a share of 9th place and eight shots off the lead at the European Tour’s Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor near Newport in Wales.
Ormsby, currently in 58th place in the Race to Dubai, was unable to match the excellence of Thursday’s 67 but his 1 over 72 leaves him eight shots from the lead and well positioned heading to the weekend.
Kennedy, playing this week on invite after an appearance at last week’s Open Championship, added a second round of 69 and the 2020 New Zealand Open Champion and winner of the most recent PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, finds himself again performing well after a disappointing week at Royal St Georges.
The leader Nacho Elvira of Spain is at 11 under and two ahead of Vincent Norrman of Sweden in a field where not one player from the world top fifty is competing.
The leading world ranked player in the field, Matt Wallace, is in 4th place and four off the pace.
Gold Coast based Victorian, Deyen Lawson, turned around his recent fortunes after missing his last eleven cuts in events on both the European and Challenge Tours to be in 33rd place.
Lawson’s fellow Victorian, Bryden Macpherson, slumped to a second round of 76 after an impressive opening round of 67 to be tied in 42nd position along with Queenslanders Maverick Antcliff and Scott Hend to complete the Australasians making it to the weekend.
19-year-old Gold Coast golfer, Elvis Smylie, did well to recover from an opening round of 74 with a round of 71 but missed the cut by just one as did New Zealand’s Josh Geary.
Smylie recorded two eagles on his closing nine of 32 but was unable to recover from a slow start to both the event and his second round.
Opportunity for Australasians at Celtic Manor
Bryden Macpherson, seen here with his 2021 Moonah Links Trophy, gets a rare opportunity for a European Tour start – photo PGA of Australia
As the excitement from last week’s Open Championship begins to subside, seven Australasians and one New Zealander will tee it up at this week’s European Tour event, the Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor in Wales.
The line-up is an eclectic mix of Australasians, two of whom played last week but, for all, the event and its weaker field offers an opportunity to advance their cause.
Brad Kennedy and Deyen Lawson are the two players who competed at the Open and although both missed the cut at Royal St Georges, they get an opportunity against this weaker field and under a less pressure environment to experience a rare opportunity to play a European Tour event.
Kennedy is in the field via a tournament invitation while Lawson gets a start in this event, where many of Europe’s stars are missing, because of his standing at the most recent European Tour School where, although he missed getting a card, he did enough to gain starts in events such as this.
Other Australians in the field via invitation to the event are former British Amateur Champion Bryden Macpherson and Elvis Smylie.
Macpherson enjoyed the spoils of a rejuvenated game when winning two lesser events and finishing runner-up in another on the PGA Tour of Australasia earlier in 2021 and, although this is his first event on a recognised tour since a win at the NSW Open in March, his follow up to his great start in 2021 will be watched with interest.
Smylie played his first European Tour event in Germany a month ago and the 19-year-old from the Gold Coast is generally considered one of Australia’s exciting young prospects. The former Australian Junior Champion has already finished runner-up and 3rd in two PGA Tour of Australasia events since turning professional earlier this year and, looking for further invites to European Tour events, it is important that he does well this week.
Other more established European Tour Australians in the field are Scott Hend, Wade Ormsby, Maverick Antcliff along with New Zealander Josh Geary.
Antcliff played his way onto the European Tour by heading the money list on the China Tour in 2019 and earlier this year finished runner-up in a European Tour event on the Canary Islands.
Hend finished third in Sweden four starts ago and as a three-time European Tour winner, he does have credentials.
Ormsby made the cut at the US Open which was an achievement in itself and then at his last starts finished 12th at the Scottish Open. At his best he is capable of contending and, like Hend, owns three time European Titles.
New Zealand’s Geary has played well in Challenge Tour events in recent weeks and did finish 6th at a European Tour event in Denmark in May. A winner on the Canadian, China and Australasian Tours, Geary possesses still unrealised potential and this may be an opportunity to improve his standing.
Celtic Manor has played host to this event or its equivalent since 2000 although for six years between 2014 and 2019 it was not played. It returned last year despite Covid restrictions with Frenchman Romain Lagasque winning the title.
This week’s field has not one player from the world top fifty in the line-up so there is an opportunity for an Australasian to do well.
England’s Matt Wallace is the leading world ranked player in the field.
Collin Morikawa claims second major with near faultless Sunday
Collin Morikawa with the Claret Jug – photo Matthew Lewis R&A /R&A via Getty
In just his eighth appearance in a major championship, Californian, Collin Morikawa, added a second title at the elite level of the game, when he outplayed and outlasted the game’s current greats to win The Open Championship at Royal St Georges.
At one stage the world’s leading ranked amateur golfer, Morikawa will now trail only John Rahm and Dustin Johnson as the world’s greatest players at any level following his two-shot victory over Jordan Spieth at Royal St Georges today.
Two years ago, Morikawa was outside the world top 1000 in the game but five wins on the PGA Tour in that time including the two major titles have swept him to his now highest ranking of 3 and given that both major titles have come on debut it is a fair bet to assume the growth curve is a long way from over.
Morikawa began the day one shot behind the long-time leader, Louis Oosthuizen but, by the turn, he was four ahead of the South African and although he would add only one more birdie when he holed a lengthy birdie putt at the 14th the gap was too great for his chasers.
Eventually it would be Jordan Spieth who threw out the biggest threat to Morikawa. After his two late bogeys on Saturday, Spieth had begun the final day in third place but three shots from Oosthuizen and two behind the then leader.
When Spieth bogeyed the 4th and 6th any realistic chance of him winning appeared gone and so it would prove but he fought his way back with an eagle at the 7th then added another four birdies for a round of 66 to equal that of the winner’s but it was not quite enough.
Spieth would finish runner-up, with Jon Rahm 3rd after making a strong late bid with four consecutive birdies from the 13th to put himself in the picture should Morikawa falter over the closing stages.
It was not to be, however, with Morikawa playing mistake free golf to win by two with Rahm two further back in third place and tied with Oosthuizen who for the 8th time in major championship golf finished either runner-up or third.
Morikawa was clearly delighted to have won on Open Championship debut, but he is obviously keen for more as he outlined when asked how he would reflect on this amazing start to his professional career.
“At 24 years old, it’s so hard to look back at the two short years that I have been a pro and see what I’ve done because I want more.
“I enjoy these moments and I love it, and I want to teach myself to embrace it a little more, maybe spend a few extra days and sit back and drink out of this. But — yeah, I just want more.
“When you’re in these moments and you truly love what you do, which I love playing golf and competing against these guys, these are the best moments ever because the nerves push you to just be a better person.”
When asked about his feeling on now having his name alongside some of the greatest of all time to have won this championship, he openly expressed his growing appreciation of the event and its place in golfing folklore.
“There’s so many names. I’m not going to pinpoint one. But to be cemented on the Claret Jug with countless names, countless Hall of Famers, countless people that I’ve looked up to, not just from golf, but outside of golf, it’s so special.
“To be honest, I cannot tell you my earliest memory of the Open Championship. I didn’t watch a ton of golf growing up. I probably watch more golf now than I do because I know a bunch of guys and I want to see them play well. It’s going to be up there now. We only get four majors a year, and every single one of them is very special.
“To finally get to play an Open Championship for the first time and win it, it’s going to be that much more special. I won the PGA, and then coming back as the defending champ you just have a sense of like you belong, this is going to be part of you for the rest of your life. The Open Championship is going to be part of my life the rest of my life no matter what happens.”
Morikawa earned US$2,070,000 for his win which is just over 8 times the US$250,000 Justin Leonard won when winning in the year Morikawa was born (1997).
Spieth reflected on his bogey, bogey finish on Saturday but was proud and happy with his effort today especially after such a disappointing start to his round.
“It’s hard to be upset when I was a couple over through 6. I couldn’t have really done much more after that point. But the finish yesterday, was about as upset as I’ve taken a finish of a round to the house.
“I walked in and wanted to — I said, Is there something that I can break? I knew that was so important because I would have been in the final group. Anyway, had to regroup 18 hours later and then just had a lot in between clubs, and you have to be so precise here. You need some good numbers.
“Then kind of fatted it off 6 and went to 7 thinking, Okay, now we’re going for everything, and we’re going to see what happens. I’m proud of going 6-under in the last 12 in this golf tournament and putting some pressure on Collin.”
It was Spieth’s 4th runner-up finish in a major championship but he does own three major titles including this one in 2017.
On the golf course itself, Spieth was full of praise but acknowledged that the conditions during much of the week did not allow it to show its real teeth.
“I did enjoy this golf course from when I first played 12 holes last Sunday, and I thought that it was quirky in a fun way. I think we only late today did we start to see the wind that the course is designed, I think, to play in.
“So I don’t think we got the same test as those guys have had in years past. But even saying that, each hole provided its own kind of unique way to play it because of that, and I thought that the R&A did just a fantastic job of allowing the scores to happen.”
Cameron Smith was faltering at 6 over for his round through 15 holes but birdies at the 17th and 18th holes would see him finish 33rd although he did drop 24 places from his third-round position. He would though finish as the leading player amongst the 13 Australasians who teed it up on Thursday.
He finished two head of Adam Scott who closed with a 68 to be in 46th place with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox slipping to 67th.
Cameron Smith earned US$60,000 for his efforts.
Collin Morikawa – R&A via Getty Images