Jordan Spieth- photo Ezra Shaw Getty Images
Jordan Spieth has picked up where he left off at last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, continuing a resurgence in a game which had seen him slip to 92nd in the world before finishing 4th in Phoenix.
Spieth added a second round of 67 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and finds himself one shot ahead of Daniel Berger and two ahead of Sweden’s Henrik Norlander.
Four birdies in his last six holes at Spyglass Hill, one of the two courses being used in the opening two days of the event, saw Spieth sweep to the lead.
Earlier in the week Spieth described his love affair with the Monterey Peninsula where one of his 11 PGA Tour titles came in 2017. His best finish over the last twelve months until last week was when 9th in this event last year.
“Yeah, it’s Pebble Beach. What’s not to love as a golfer here? So I’ve loved this tournament, obviously finding success at this tournament has been really, really cool, just as a golf lover and someone who enjoys the history and the architecture of golf courses. So I’m happy that it’s been good to me over the years.”
Spieth who had missed five cuts in eight starts prior to the event in Scottsdale last week, has found some of the magic that led him to be the number one player in the game.
The two-time Australian Open champion was clearly delighted that the sharp improvement shown last week had continued.
“I’m in great position after the midway point. So feel a little bit improved off of last week, which was the goal this week, to just try and feel like I’m getting better each day.
Looking back to last week Spieth referenced the considerable progress he had made from Monday to Sunday at the TPC Scottsdale.
“I think I look back at Monday through Sunday. I mean, there’s some weeks where I look back at either one specific really solid round or I look back at one that, a lot of times when you look back when you’re leading on Sunday and it doesn’t work out, that’s what lingers.
“But for me it was, where was I at when we started on Monday and then where was I at when we finished on Sunday? And the progress that was made from the end of the Farmers until last Sunday wasn’t just out of nowhere.
“I mean, it was legitimate work and progress in the right direction. It wasn’t, Boy, I kind of got lucky here or there or I changed feels and it worked out like I would have said in the previous couple years.
“It was more, Man, I really felt like we were on — we’re on the same page. I’m getting into where I’m able to actually play golf instead of think about swings, and that’s just really exciting.”
Cameron Percy completed the opening 36 holes as the leading Australasian, the US based Victorian in 8th place at 7 under and five from Spieth’s lead.
Playing on limited status as a carry over from the disrupted 2020 / 2021 season, Percy led the Safeway Open through 54 holes in October before finishing 23rd and followed that up with an 8th place in the Dominican Republic but, those efforts aside, there has not been a lot to get excited about of late.
Percy is playing this event for the 8th occasion and in 2017 finished a very respectable 10th so it appears a venue on which he enjoys a genuine comfort zone.
Jason Day’s outstanding run at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am looks set to continue following a second round of 69 at Spyglass Hill do go with a similar score at Pebble Beach on Thursday.
Day has an amazing seven top 6 finishes in the event in 11 starts and, although six shots from the lead and tied for 14th at present, he appears to be in a really good frame of mind with his health and fitness.
“I feel like I’ve kind of set myself a goal where I want to play to 50 now because I feel good with my body, whereas before I was saying I just want to get to 40 and call it quits. So I feel really positive about my body and I know that I’m 33 now and I’ve got a lot of years left as long as I want it in my head.
“It is difficult to try and to want it perfect straight away, but you just got to just chip away at it because if you go full bore things get really tough. You get stuck in between patterns and you start thinking about more technical issues out there on the golf course and that’s not what you want, especially when you’re playing competitive golf.
“I feel very positive and I feel like things are moving in the right direction for the first time in a long time. So the attitude is much better and I’m just happy to be out here playing golf.”
Matt Jones, who finished 5th in this event last year, and John Senden, are at 5 under and tied for 16th and for Senden it is a significant moment.
Senden has missed ten of his last eleven cuts as he tries to get his game back to previous levels following the illness to a family member.
Cameron Davis and New Zealander Tim Wilkinson also made the cut but are some way further back.
The extremely talented West Australian played his first PGA Tour event this week but missed the cut by some way after rounds of 76 and 73.
Jordan Spieth’s Turnaround Continues at Pebble Beach
Jordan Spieth- photo Ezra Shaw Getty Images
Jordan Spieth has picked up where he left off at last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, continuing a resurgence in a game which had seen him slip to 92nd in the world before finishing 4th in Phoenix.
Spieth added a second round of 67 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and finds himself one shot ahead of Daniel Berger and two ahead of Sweden’s Henrik Norlander.
Four birdies in his last six holes at Spyglass Hill, one of the two courses being used in the opening two days of the event, saw Spieth sweep to the lead.
Earlier in the week Spieth described his love affair with the Monterey Peninsula where one of his 11 PGA Tour titles came in 2017. His best finish over the last twelve months until last week was when 9th in this event last year.
“Yeah, it’s Pebble Beach. What’s not to love as a golfer here? So I’ve loved this tournament, obviously finding success at this tournament has been really, really cool, just as a golf lover and someone who enjoys the history and the architecture of golf courses. So I’m happy that it’s been good to me over the years.”
Spieth who had missed five cuts in eight starts prior to the event in Scottsdale last week, has found some of the magic that led him to be the number one player in the game.
The two-time Australian Open champion was clearly delighted that the sharp improvement shown last week had continued.
“I’m in great position after the midway point. So feel a little bit improved off of last week, which was the goal this week, to just try and feel like I’m getting better each day.
Looking back to last week Spieth referenced the considerable progress he had made from Monday to Sunday at the TPC Scottsdale.
“I think I look back at Monday through Sunday. I mean, there’s some weeks where I look back at either one specific really solid round or I look back at one that, a lot of times when you look back when you’re leading on Sunday and it doesn’t work out, that’s what lingers.
“But for me it was, where was I at when we started on Monday and then where was I at when we finished on Sunday? And the progress that was made from the end of the Farmers until last Sunday wasn’t just out of nowhere.
“I mean, it was legitimate work and progress in the right direction. It wasn’t, Boy, I kind of got lucky here or there or I changed feels and it worked out like I would have said in the previous couple years.
“It was more, Man, I really felt like we were on — we’re on the same page. I’m getting into where I’m able to actually play golf instead of think about swings, and that’s just really exciting.”
Cameron Percy completed the opening 36 holes as the leading Australasian, the US based Victorian in 8th place at 7 under and five from Spieth’s lead.
Playing on limited status as a carry over from the disrupted 2020 / 2021 season, Percy led the Safeway Open through 54 holes in October before finishing 23rd and followed that up with an 8th place in the Dominican Republic but, those efforts aside, there has not been a lot to get excited about of late.
Percy is playing this event for the 8th occasion and in 2017 finished a very respectable 10th so it appears a venue on which he enjoys a genuine comfort zone.
Jason Day’s outstanding run at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am looks set to continue following a second round of 69 at Spyglass Hill do go with a similar score at Pebble Beach on Thursday.
Day has an amazing seven top 6 finishes in the event in 11 starts and, although six shots from the lead and tied for 14th at present, he appears to be in a really good frame of mind with his health and fitness.
“I feel like I’ve kind of set myself a goal where I want to play to 50 now because I feel good with my body, whereas before I was saying I just want to get to 40 and call it quits. So I feel really positive about my body and I know that I’m 33 now and I’ve got a lot of years left as long as I want it in my head.
“It is difficult to try and to want it perfect straight away, but you just got to just chip away at it because if you go full bore things get really tough. You get stuck in between patterns and you start thinking about more technical issues out there on the golf course and that’s not what you want, especially when you’re playing competitive golf.
“I feel very positive and I feel like things are moving in the right direction for the first time in a long time. So the attitude is much better and I’m just happy to be out here playing golf.”
Matt Jones, who finished 5th in this event last year, and John Senden, are at 5 under and tied for 16th and for Senden it is a significant moment.
Senden has missed ten of his last eleven cuts as he tries to get his game back to previous levels following the illness to a family member.
Cameron Davis and New Zealander Tim Wilkinson also made the cut but are some way further back.
The extremely talented West Australian played his first PGA Tour event this week but missed the cut by some way after rounds of 76 and 73.
Dobbelaar and Kim Australian Amateur Champions
photo Golf Australia
Queensland’s Louis Dobbelaar and NSW’s Grace Kim are the respective Men’s and Women’s Australian Amateur Golf Champions for 2021 following their victories at the Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide today.
In the newly adopted format of 72-hole stroke-play to decide the winners of the prestigious title, Dobbelaar won by two over NSW golfer Jeffrey Guan with Perth’s Michael Hanrahan Smith another two shots back while Kim produced the best round of the day by some six shots in the women’s division to win by seven shots over West Australian Kirsten Rudgeley with another two shots to the Gold Coast’s Hyejun Park.
The 19 year old Dobbelaar, the 2016 New Zealand Amateur Champion at the age of just 15, came from four shots of the 54-hole pace set by South Australian golfer, Jack Thompson, a birdie at his 17th hole, providing the cushion to hold out Guan who was playing twenty minutes behind and who would bogey that same hole as he looked to force a playoff.
Thomson had begun the day five ahead but a shaky start to his day opened the door for Dobbelaar and by the turn the Brookwater Golf Club member was within one.
Thompson’s woes continued through the back nine and he would add insult to injury when trying to force the issue at the 17th, took a horror quadruple bogey and eventually finished with a round of 82 only to be disqualified for an inadvertent scorecard error.
It was a sad demise for Thompson who had promised so much to his local admirers, especially following his brilliant 65 on Wednesday and a substantial 36-hole lead.
For Dobbelaar, it continues an already remarkable amateur career which had until now been highlighted when becoming the youngest player to win the New Zealand Amateur title at the age of 15.
“This is special. I don’t know if it has sunk in yet,” he said.
“I played some pretty good golf at times this week and I know how well Jack and others played, so I’m pretty excited to have my hands on the trophy.”
Kim, from the Avondale Golf Club in Sydney, is Australia’s highest ranked female amateur golfer and in six weeks’ time will be winging her way to the US to play the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship but she will head there with the confidence of such an emphatic win behind her.
The Junior Australian Amateur Champion in 2017and reigning Olympic Youth Champion, Kim came from two shots off the 54-hole pace of Rudgeley to win by seven such was the nature of her great round today. A birdie blitz in the middle of her round today saw Kim race to an unassailable lead and she was even allowed the luxury of a double bogey at the last and still win by seven shots.
The event saw the introduction of stroke-play for the first time to decide the national champion and in that regard, both Dobbelaar and Kim have become the first to win the title under this format.
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Bryden Macpherson Credits Brad Hughes For Game’s Turnaround
Photo courtesy of PGA of Australia
30-year-old Victorian, Bryden Macpherson, has claimed his first PGA Tour of Australasia title by producing a stunning final round of 64 including four birdies and an eagle over his closing six holes at the Moonah Links PGA Classic at the Moonah Links Open Course on the Mornington Peninsula.
Macpherson came from three shots off the third-round pace to defeat the 54-hole leader Justin Warren from Picton on the outskirts of Sydney.
Macpherson, a former British Amateur champion, a collegiate golfer and winner of events on the China Golf Tour, has competed in two majors (the Open and the Masters) as a result of his win at the 2011 British Amateur and also played the 2014 Open Championship but his win today signals a continuation of some very good form of late.
He finished 4th at the recent Gippsland 6’s and the TPS Victoria and put together a brilliant final round on the demanding Peter Thomson designed layout. It was by two shots the best round of the day and swept him to victory by two shots.
Macpherson earned $22,500 for his win and the talent that saw him as one of Australia’s best amateur golfers in the late 2000’s appears now on the way to being realised.
“As I’ve grown up and spent time around lots and lots of people in lots and lots of places I’ve learned that, as cliche and terrible as it sounds, you’ve just got to stay with what you’re doing,” said Macpherson.
“It’s my fourth professional win and it’s starting to look a little bit more like a career.
“Winning at home is awesome, and on the Peninsula even better, but there are much bigger events on this tour.
“I look forward to trying to compete in them over the next few years.”
Macpherson paid credit to rapidly emerging Australian former player and now coach Bradley Hughes who won the Australian Masters on two occasions.
Hughes has been responsible for the turnaround in several PGA Tour players most notably, Brendan Todd, and Macpherson spoke glowingly of what his involvement with Hughes has done to his game.
“When I was 15 I was this little arrogant shit who would hit it hard, hit it kind of far and putt OK sometimes and I’d win stuff. And it feels like I’m back to that,” said Macpherson.
“‘Hugo’ has given me that, he really has. He is the reason why I have it and I’m so thankful for it.
“It’s very simple what we work on. It’s all about post-impact and ground connection, that’s all it is. The control that gives you is incredible.
“I can focus on the same thing for 72 holes – which I’ve never been able to do before – and be on the golf course hitting shots instead of making swings. That’s huge.
“My game right now is the best it’s ever been. If I can work over the next little while at tidying things up – because it still is a little untidy – then I would think there will be some more solid results in the pipeline.”
Interestingly, both Macpherson and Warren were successful in their collegiate careers in the US although Warren is five years the junior of the man who defeated him today.
New Zealand’s Michael Hendry a winner of the New Zealand Open in 2017 finished alone in third place, one behind Warren while Dimi Papadatos, another New Zealand Open Champion, was 4th.
The event was played over 72 holes but contained within three days, 36 holes played today, in order to avoid any issues with border closures as a result of COVID 19.
The events is the 4th in a series of Tier 2 events being staged by the PGA Tour of Australasia in Victoria in January and February, three further events to be played in NSW and Queensland in March.
New Australian Amateur Format Not Universally Accepted
The outstanding Kooyonga Golf Club – file photo Bruce Young
The new look Australian Amateur Championship began at the Kooyonga Golf Club this morning, a field of 105 men and 50 women entered to play the prestigious event which, for the first time, will be played in a 72-hole strokeplay format.
There has been a lot of discussion as to the relative merits of changing the format from the previous 36 hole qualifying followed by knockout rounds of match-play but the decision appears to have been driven by a desire by Golf Australia to focus much of their attention on preparing leading amateurs for a career in professional golf.
72 hole stroke-play events are a dime a dozen even in amateur golf and the traditional format made a nice departure from the norm and provided a format which truly tested the technical and mental strengths of leading amateurs.
The decision is a shame, really, as the more established and acknowledged amateur championships of the world including, the US Amateur Championship, the Amateur Championship (read British Amateur) and, yes, the Australian Amateur Championship have a lengthy history and tradition in the match play format.
Cameron Smith, Cameron Davis and Keita Nakajima are three recent winners of the men’s event who are already making their mark in professional golf tournaments and it will be interesting to see if the new format has a marked difference on future champions.
The defending champion in this week’s men’s event is Jed Morgan from the Royal Queensland Golf Club who won on his home course twelve months ago while the 2020 women’s champion Charlotte Heath of England is unable to defend her title.
Koepka Confirms Comeback with Waste Management Phoenix Open Title
Brooks Koepka – photo Getty Images Christian Petersen
Four time major champion, Brooks Koepka, returned from what he described as a ‘dark place’ to win his 8th PGA Tour title at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale on the outskirts of Phoenix in Arizona.
Koepka, whose last three starts have resulted in missed cuts, had begun to doubt his capacity to return to the level of golf he had played when dominating the elite game in 2018 and 2019 although he maintains his game was in better shape that results suggested.
“My game was, it’s been in really good shape. I really like the way I’ve been playing. You know, just had to stay patient. Just felt like we got through the par-3 on the back, what is that, 12? And my caddie told me I’m still right in the thing. Just need to make some putts.”
“Yeah, you know, I went through it mentally,” said Koepka soon after his victory referring to his return from injury. “I think that’s probably the toughest thing, where you don’t know if you’re ever going to be the same competitor that you were.
“You go through some real dark places, and it’s not a fun place to be. Going to spend time with Derek (injury), three months out in La Jolla changed things for me. It’s just a lot of hard work that’s gone into this. Man, it’s pretty cool.”
Koepka underwent stem cell treatment on his left knee in 2019 to get back to full strength at that stage but then slipped on wet concrete in South Korea, re-injuring the tendon.
Koepka came from five off the 54 hole pace today with a final round of 65 which included two eagles, the most remarkable when holing the most difficult of pitches from off the green at the reachable par 4 17th.
The pitch from a lower area needed to negotiate a couple of greenside sprinklers, take a little speed off in the fringe then release down to the hole. It was inch perfect and beautifully executed.
“I felt like the chip, it was — if I just caught it right in the fringe it was going to check up on me, and it did perfectly. Took a nice little right kick for me, and didn’t look anywhere else but the hole.”
The shot came at the perfect time as it established a two-shot lead which his chasers were unable catch.
Twelve months ago, Koepka was still the number one player in the game but he has slipped to 13th although this win will have him heading back in the right direction both statistically and from the viewpoint of confidence.
Xander Schauffele and K.H. Lee tied for second a shot behind Koepka while the five way tie for 4th included yet another rejuvenated player in Jordan Spieth who recorded his best finish in 18 months, Steve Stricker, who made a bold bid to become the oldest person to win on the PGA Tour and Carlos Ortiz.
Matt Jones was the only Australian to make the cut and finished 30th.
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Despite frustration on the greens today it was an encouraging week for Jordan Spieth. Christian Petersen Getty
Dustin Johnson’s Domination Continues With Saudi Victory
Photo – Getty Images
Dustin Johnson came into the Saudi International as the world number one and a previous winner (2019) and runner-up (2020) in the event so the expectation on him winning this week was already high before the first shot was even struck on Thursday.
It would prove to be the case but two of the event’s other drawcards, Justin Rose and Tony Finau, made it a tough contest, forcing Johnson to pull out all stops to hold them out.
Rose, in particular, had set the mark when, playing 40 minutes ahead of the final group, recording a final round of 65. When Johnson bogeyed the 16th hole he was just one ahead but a birdie at the 17th gave him a two shot advantage which he maintained with a par at the last.
For Johnson it signalled to him and others in the golfing world that his game is in the sort of shape to continue his recent domination of the game. This was just his second event of 2021 but in an ominous warning he summed up the impact the victory might have on him in ongoing months.
“Yeah, it’s tough to win on The European Tour, PGA TOUR, no matter what ranking you are,” said the champion. But yeah, obviously winning as No. 1 is definitely good, and obviously it gives me a little bit more of a lead.
“It gives me a lot of confidence going in for the rest of the year. Obviously, we’re at the beginning of the year, so pleased with how I’m playing and looking forward to the rest of the year.”
Johnson has now finished first or second in six of his last nine events, one of those victory in his second to last event, The Masters.
Johnson first became the world number in February 2017 and has held that mantle for a total of 116 weeks in six different periods. The manner in which he is playing at present, suggests he could add significantly to that total in the year ahead.
For Rose it was his best finish on either the European or PGA Tours since winning the Farmers Insurance Open February of 2019.
Rose was buoyed by his improved showing. “I’ve been working on a lot of stuff but really staying patient,” said the Bahamas based Englishman.
“I haven’t been playing my best golf and easy to get frustrated. I’ve kind of stayed with it, even though this three-week trip, it felt like it’s been slow going, and good golf hasn’t been rewarded and I’ve made silly mistakes. Momentum hasn’t quite been on my side yet. So to play a bogey-free 65 on a Sunday is something to kind of take and fuel the upcoming run.”
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox did best of the Australasians finishing 6th after a final round of 68 although he had closed within two shots of Johnson through 12 holes before bogeys at the 15th and 17th cost him any hope of a possible victory. It was, though, Fox’s best finish in his last 16 events and very encouraging especially considering the strength of this field.
Wade Ormsby was the only other Australasian to make the cut, eventually finishing in 63rd place.
The European Tour will now take a break of over a month until the Qatar Masters in early March although those eligible will play the WGC event in Florida beginning on February 25th.
Queenslander Chris Wood’s Ranking Rise With Vic PGA Win
30-year-old Queenslander, Christopher Wood, today won his first PGA Tour of Australasia title with a one-shot victory at the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula.
Wood defeated Gold Coast based West Australian Michael Sim and New Zealander James Anstiss by one shot to claim the $A20,600 first prize and rise to his highest ever position in the world ranking.
Despite the lack of world ranking strength in the field, Wood will climb inside the top 600 in the world after starting the week just inside the top 1400.
Wood’s previous highest ranking was in 2016 when 919th after finishing 3rd at the QLD PGA Championship.
Wood’s previous best finishes on the PGA Tour of Australasia were when finishing in 3rd place in the South Pacific Open and the Queensland PGA Championship several years ago but today he sealed his breakthrough with a final round of 67 over the demanding ‘Open’ layout at Moonah Links.
In more recent years Woods has competed on the PGA Tour China but, like so many others, has been forced to wait out 2020, working on his game with Gold Coast coach, Richard Woodhouse.
Anstiss had led through 54 holes after his brilliant third round of 63 but was unable to hold off the powerful finish of Wood who had started three off the pace.
Sim, a former world number one amateur and multiple winner on the then Nationwide Tour in 2009 before joining the PGA Tour, continued his return to tournament golf with another impressive display.
Now with PGA teaching credentials to his name, Sim recorded a final round of 69 to finish just one back. Both he and Anstiss earn A$ 11,300 for their efforts.
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Steve Stricker Chasing Significant Milestone in Phoenix
Stricker and his wife Nicki today – photo Abbie Parr Getty Images
The outcome might yet be 36 holes away, but 53-year-old Steve Stricker has opened up the possibility of becoming the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event.
Stricker is just one shot behind Xander Schaufelle at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at the halfway mark after rounds of 65 and 66 at the TPC Scottsdale outside of Phoenix and if he can find a way to win the event he will surpass Sam Snead as the oldest golfer to win on the PGA Tour.
Snead was 52 years and 10 months when he won the last of his eight Greater Greensboro Opens in 1965 but Stricker, who won the last of his 12 PGA Tour titles to date in 2012, has at least created an opportunity to create a milestone.
Surprisingly, Stricker has played this event on 18 previous occasions and recorded only one top ten in that time so the performance to date this week of the now PGA Tour Champions eligible golfer is a turnaround on previous efforts at the TPC Scottsdale.
“It would mean a lot,” said Stricker when asked what winning would mean. “I mean, I know it’s a long shot. I’ve got to play my very best, just like anybody else does out here. But you know, I’ve been there.
“I’ve won a few times out on this TOUR and I know what it takes, although it’s been a while. It would be fun to see how I handle it if I do get that opportunity.
“I’ve got to clean up a couple little shots that I messed up coming in, but I feel pretty good about my game and where it’s going. The putter has felt great. Hit a lot of putts on my line today, and it was really kind of a stressless round until the last couple holes.”
Stricker bogeyed his final hole which would ultimately cost him a share of the lead but he is clearly well placed heading into the weekend.
Schauffele has been in tremendous form of late with five top 5 finishes in his last 7 starts.
I’m just trying to kind of stay calm, I guess,” said the leader. “Like I said, I want to win really bad. I think everyone wants to win really bad. People talk to me about it now more than before.
“We kind of just realized where I was getting to I think in terms of me just becoming impatient. I feel like I had a sense of urgency when I really didn’t need to. I would look back at the week and I was like, Man, why did I kind of jump the gun there? All I had to do was play decent and I would’ve been right there.
“I think it’s just a result of pushing and pushing and pushing and having decent results, but not what we really want. I’ve played well in a calm sort of state of mind, and that’s when I’ve done my best.
“So it’s okay to be aware of these things. It’s okay to be scared of bad shots and the unknown, but I think just sort of an overall calmness. I feel like whenever I’m in a content place off the course and Austin (caddie) and are jamming well on the course together, it’s sort of an easy place for me to play well.”
Stricker shares second with Keegan Bradley just one behind Schauffele, the leader playing his final seven holes in six under for a round 64 to snatch the lead late in the day.
Matt Jones was one of only two Australians in the field and has kept himself within touch of the lead with rounds of 68 and 69 to be seven shots from the leader.
Jason Day missed the cut by two shots.
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Ryan Fox Leads Weather Delayed Saudi International
Ryan Fox – photo credit Getty Images
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox has a share of the lead at the Saudi International at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City in Saudi Arabia but he will have to wait until Saturday morning (Saudi time) to determine if he retains that position.
Several players have yet to finish their second rounds after weather delayed the completion of play on day two, one of those players Fox’s co-leader, Stephen Gallacher, who has six holes to play when he returns to the golf course.
Also looming as a major threat to his lead is world number one, Dustin Johnson, who is just two off the lead with four holes to play.
34 year old Fox, who has missed four of his last six cuts in an understandably limited schedule of late, was delighted with his form especially given the quality of the field this week.
“I’m very happy,” said Fox. “It’s been a really solid couple days of ball-striking, and saw a few putts go in both days, which was nice. And, I mean, to be sitting near the top of this leaderboard is always a good thing. It’s a pretty strong field this week.
“I don’t know how many of the top 50 in the world are here this week, but it’s a lot. And there’s a reason they’re there. They’re world-class players.”
Fox is currently ranked 208th in the world ranking but has been as low as 66 after his win in Perth in February 2019.
“And I certainly hope to be there one day,” he added. And if I can play well this week, then it’s a step forward in that direction. If not, it’s just good experience and a nice finish to my desert swing because I don’t really know when I’m going to come back out here again.”
Fox was referring to the ongoing travel issues caused by COVID and even this week he is concerned about making his flight back to New Zealand on Sunday night.
“As long as I can make my flight on Sunday to make sure I get back into New Zealand. But, yeah, like this is what you play golf for, to be in contention. And it’s been a while since I’ve been in this position. And I’ll just go out and enjoy it on the weekend and see if I can keep playing how I’m playing. I know if I do, I’ve got a good chance on Sunday.”
Fox’s only win on the European Tour came in Perth two years ago but there have also been two runner-up finishes so he has proven himself capable of handling the heat of the battle and this weekend against so many of the game’s best players will provide an interesting test for him.
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Different Look WM Phoenix Open But Plenty Of Interest
Jon Rahm – Photo Donald Miralle – Getty Images
This week the PGA Tour heads east to Scottsdale in the outer suburbs of Phoenix for the highly popular Waste Management Phoenix Open at the TPC Scottsdale and after several Australians have been part of recent events on the 2021 PGA Tour only two will tee it up this week.
Jason Day and Matt Jones will take on a field including leading players John Rahm, Rory McIlory, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas and so they face a big task if they are to become the first Australian to win the event since Aaron Baddeley in 2007 and just the second overall.
The event is typically the most attended on the PGA Tour in normal times and while the 100,000 daily figures are the norm but no longer possible given COVID restrictions, a concession has been made for the public this week with 5000 per day able to enter the golf course.
Day will play the event for just the 4th occasion and with a best of 20th previously it is a venue that has not seen him near his best. In his only start this year, Day missed the cut at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open so in terms of his record in the event and his current form there is not a lot to get excited about for Day.
Jones will tee it up for the 10th occasion and with a best of 12th in 2014 and no other top 30 finishes in the remainder it appears his chances of faring a lot better are slim.
Jones is, though, playing solidly if unspectacularly of late, an 11th place finish at the Sony Open an indication of his game being in at least reasonable shape.
Jon Rahm will likely start as the favourite as his nearest opponent in the world rankings and playing this week, Rory McIlroy will play the event for the first occasion. Rahm has been 1st or 2nd in the world ranking for nearly 12 months now and has finished a very respectable 7th in each of his last three starts on the PGA Tour including at the Masters.
Three top tens in five starts in this event in his hometown aid his cause and expect to see him very much in the thick of things on Sunday.
“It’s a home event,” said Rahm when asked why he likes the tournament so much. “Get to sleep in my own bed, so it’s nice. The traveling is not too much, especially coming from San Diego. A lot of good memories.
“Obviously my first cut made on the PGA TOUR was here. Had a great finish as an amateur, and the whole Sun Devil vibe and just the familiarity with everything, I love the event, love the fans.
“The game is good. One of those sevenths was with different clubs, so put a little asterisk there. And there’s a big difference between the one at Kapalua and the one at Torrey Pines. I had a legit chance of winning at Torrey Pines. Started good on Sunday and just the putter got cold. Didn’t make much on the back nine.
“But the game is there. I feel like I’m getting used to the clubs, getting used to the ball. Still testing a lot of things to make sure they’re set perfectly. You know, when you change clubs, manufacturers, like that, you’ve got to get used to the tendencies of each one to find the perfect one.”
Despite not having played the event previously McIlroy is ticking over nicely this year and given his class he is sure to adapt quickly to the layout and the lack of crowds this year rather than the raucous lot that normally frequent the event might help him in that regard.
“It’s good to be in Phoenix finally,” said McIlroy. “First time here, and there is always — whether it’s been I’ve been playing in the desert in the Middle East and haven’t been able to make it over here, schedule just hasn’t quite fit. I was over here anyway; played Torrey Pines.
“You know, I’ve always been told that this course in Scottsdale would be a good fit for my game, so thought I would try it out this year. Yeah, excited to be here. From what I’ve seen of the golf course, I like it. I like the fit of it.
“Looking forward to getting out there, and, yeah, playing it this week. Going to be good fun.”
Hideki Matsuyama has an enviable record at the Waste Management Phoenix Open having won twice, finished runner-up once and 4th once in seven starts.
Matsuyama is not far off his best once again after just an average year in 2020 and might bounce back on a golf course he would not doubt like to take home with him.
I keep mentioning Korea’s Sungjae Kim and so I will once again. He has played here twice with seven of his eight rounds in the 60’s and a best of 7th on debut in 2019. Im keeps knocking on the door and at some stage soon he will add to his one PGA Tour victory to date.
It will be a different look for the Waste Management Phoenix Open this year but it offers a lot of interest all the same.