Lauren Stephenson – photo and article Ladies European Tour
American, Lauren Stephenson, ended with an eagle three on the last hole for an eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic Bonville on Friday.
Stephenson finished just ahead of 19-year-old Ayean Cho. The 2019 KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year set the clubhouse lead with her own blistering 64 to go to 13-under after 36 holes, but it wasn’t enough to keep Stephenson from leading for a second successive day.
“I haven’t looked at any leader boards or anything. I’m just figuring out my game,” said 22-year-old Stephenson, from South Carolina.
She posted five birdies on the front nine, but her charge stalled with a double bogey on the 13th hole. However, she bounced back with birdies on 14, 15 and 17, followed by a brilliant eagle on the 477-yard par-5 18th.
“I hit a brilliant drive down the middle of the fairway on 18 and then I had 210 yards in, which is the perfect number for my 5-wood. I hit a really good 5-wood and that is my favourite hybrid or wood, because it goes dead straight. I had 15 feet for eagle and I’ve been making those all day, so I kept the same rhythm.
“The birdie on the 17th was important and the par putt on 16. The 16th is honestly a really tough hole, because even though it’s short, the green is really tricky. Where that pin was today was tough and I’m sure there were plenty of three-putts there today. I made a really nice putt for par, which was huge.”
Cho, the world number 35 and Stephenson, the world number 179, will go head to head over the weekend and Stephenson said that she had watched the teenage phenom feature in the television coverage over the last two weeks’ LPGA events in Australia, the ISPS Handa Vic Open and the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, where she tied for 16th and sixth respectively.
“I have never played with her before but I know she’s played really well the last two weeks and I know she’s really young. I watched her a little bit on TV the last two weeks. I think it’s about having fun this weekend and getting confidence here.
I’ve made a lot of swing changes at the end of last season and I finally feel like those are paying off and I’m feeling more comfortable with it. That’s been my goal for this week, so it’s really nice to get my confidence boosted.
“I’ll just take it one shot at a time and focus on what I’m doing. At the end of the day, you can’t control what anyone else does and whoever’s meant to win, will win. It’s just sticking with my game plan and hitting the shots I need to hit and try to make as many birdies as I can.”
New South Wales amateur Stephanie Kyriacou also eagled the last for a nine-under-par 63 late in the day to finish on 12-under-par and alone in third position. Her card included five birdies and two eagles, at the seventh and 18th holes.
Stephanie Kyriacou – LET
Kyriacou’s round was the best of the day and leaves her just two from the lead.
Ladies European Tour rookie member Charlotte Thomas, Linnea Strom and Noora Tamminen are tied for fourth on seven-under, while Gemma Dryburgh, Anne Van Dam, Meghan MacLaren, Lina Boqvist, Peiying Tsai and Hye Ji Lee share seventh on six-under-par.
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Rhein Gibson Finds Form in Puerto Rico
Rhein Gibson – file photo – Henry Peters
US Based Lismore golfer, Rhein Gibson, is back on the PGA Tour in 2020 and at the halfway mark of the Puerto Rico Open he finds himself just two shots from the lead and in a share of 6th place in what is the alternative PGA Tour event to the WGC Championship Mexico.
Gibson has played the Korn Ferry Tour in each of the last two years and although he has not recorded a top 30 in his last 17 starts in either Korn Ferry or PGA Tour appearances he had done enough early in 2019, including a win at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, to regain full PGA Tour status for the new season.
Gibson was actually tied for the lead on day two at the Grand Reserve Country Club before a double bogey at his 17th hole saw slip from the top of the leaderboard but still finish within striking distance of the leaders, Kyle Stanley, Josh Teater, Emiliano Grillo and Victor Hovland.
Gibson is scheduled to play next week’s New Zealand Open in Queenstown, an event he has supported for several years despite is US base, and if he is able to finish the week off well he will take confidence with him on the flight to New Zealand
Cameron Davis and John Senden are the next best of the Australians at 4 under and in a share of 33rd place.
Cameron Percy is another shot back in 47th place.
Lauren Stephenson Leads Australian Ladies Classic
Lauren Stephenson – photo and article Ladies European Tour
American, Lauren Stephenson, ended with an eagle three on the last hole for an eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Geoff King Motors Australian Ladies Classic Bonville on Friday.
Stephenson finished just ahead of 19-year-old Ayean Cho. The 2019 KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year set the clubhouse lead with her own blistering 64 to go to 13-under after 36 holes, but it wasn’t enough to keep Stephenson from leading for a second successive day.
“I haven’t looked at any leader boards or anything. I’m just figuring out my game,” said 22-year-old Stephenson, from South Carolina.
She posted five birdies on the front nine, but her charge stalled with a double bogey on the 13th hole. However, she bounced back with birdies on 14, 15 and 17, followed by a brilliant eagle on the 477-yard par-5 18th.
“I hit a brilliant drive down the middle of the fairway on 18 and then I had 210 yards in, which is the perfect number for my 5-wood. I hit a really good 5-wood and that is my favourite hybrid or wood, because it goes dead straight. I had 15 feet for eagle and I’ve been making those all day, so I kept the same rhythm.
“The birdie on the 17th was important and the par putt on 16. The 16th is honestly a really tough hole, because even though it’s short, the green is really tricky. Where that pin was today was tough and I’m sure there were plenty of three-putts there today. I made a really nice putt for par, which was huge.”
Cho, the world number 35 and Stephenson, the world number 179, will go head to head over the weekend and Stephenson said that she had watched the teenage phenom feature in the television coverage over the last two weeks’ LPGA events in Australia, the ISPS Handa Vic Open and the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, where she tied for 16th and sixth respectively.
“I have never played with her before but I know she’s played really well the last two weeks and I know she’s really young. I watched her a little bit on TV the last two weeks. I think it’s about having fun this weekend and getting confidence here.
I’ve made a lot of swing changes at the end of last season and I finally feel like those are paying off and I’m feeling more comfortable with it. That’s been my goal for this week, so it’s really nice to get my confidence boosted.
“I’ll just take it one shot at a time and focus on what I’m doing. At the end of the day, you can’t control what anyone else does and whoever’s meant to win, will win. It’s just sticking with my game plan and hitting the shots I need to hit and try to make as many birdies as I can.”
New South Wales amateur Stephanie Kyriacou also eagled the last for a nine-under-par 63 late in the day to finish on 12-under-par and alone in third position. Her card included five birdies and two eagles, at the seventh and 18th holes.
Stephanie Kyriacou – LET
Kyriacou’s round was the best of the day and leaves her just two from the lead.
Ladies European Tour rookie member Charlotte Thomas, Linnea Strom and Noora Tamminen are tied for fourth on seven-under, while Gemma Dryburgh, Anne Van Dam, Meghan MacLaren, Lina Boqvist, Peiying Tsai and Hye Ji Lee share seventh on six-under-par.
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David Bransdon Retains Queensland Open Lead
Former Isuzu Queensland Open Champion, David Bransdon, has retained his lead at the Pelican Waters Golf Club in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland and leads the event by one over the leading world ranked player in the field, Brad Kennedy, at the halfway stage with another shot back to Canberra amateur, Josh Armstrong.
Brandson played late on day two and although he was unable to match the brilliance of his opening round of 63, a fast start to his second round suggested he might establish a substantial break through 36 holes but the more demanding afternoon conditions saw him treading water for much of the round thereafter.
A birdie at his final hole, however, allowed him to carry a narrow advantage into the weekend as he chases his second Queensland Open title 4½ years after his first.
Bransdon, who plays the Japan Tour, was also well placed heading into the weekend at last week’s Queensland PGA Championship but was unable to finish the event of as he had hoped, eventually finishing in a share of 19th but he is looking forward to playing tomorrow’s third round with his Japan Tour colleague
“I played with Brad last Saturday (in the Queensland PGA Championship) and we’ve played a lot in Japan since I’ve been up there,” Bransdon said.
“The young guys they’ll do what they do … hit it 400 (metres), go wedge it and have a few putts, and we’ll play a different game our way,” he said with a broad smile.
Kennedy was very much the likely winner last week in Toowoomba before almost inexplicably dropping four shots over the last three holes.
He was frustrated early in today’s round despite the warm but calm conditions early, but he would birdie five of six holes through the middle of his round.
Armstrong has done well to be in 3rd place just two from the lead as has South Australian Jack Thompson who is just one-shot further back.
Veteran Victorian golfer, Richard Green, a European Tour player for the past 24 years and a former Australian Masters Champion, is another shot back in a share of 5th place with New South Welshman, Jake Higginbottom and Queensland’s Anthony Quayle, yet another regular on the Japan Tour.
Special mention must be made of female amateur, Sarah Wilson, who impressively earned her place in the field through Monday qualifying and then only just missed the cut by one shot.
Rounds of 74 and 72 on the Greg Norman layout will provide the impressive swinging 19 year old plenty of confidence for amateur events ahead.
WGC Mexico, Puerto Rico and Queensland Betting Thoughts
Pelican Waters – home of this week’s Queensland Open
This week I take a look at the WGC Mexico, the Puerto Rico Open and the Queensland Open events and assess the likelihood of a financial return.
Adam Scott Returns to Top 10 with Genesis Win
Adam Scott’s two shot victory at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles in his very first event of 2020 has seen the 39-year-old Australian return to the world top 10 for the first time since May of 2017, the victory today his first on the PGA Tour in nearly four years.
Scott took a share of the 54 hole lead into the final day and although he began well with two early birdies, a bogey at the 4th followed by a double at the 5th threatened to ruin his chances of a return to the winner’s circle.
Scott had, of course, won the Australian PGA Championship at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast two months ago but although he has gone close on occasions a win at this level has eluded him in recent times.
The significant amount of world ranking points he earns because of the strength of the field this week will see move to 7th in the world ranking.
Scott fought off challenges from Matt Kuchar, Sung Kang and Scott Brown on a day where the famed Riviera Country Club bared her teeth as the golf course firmed up and the notorious California greens played havoc late in the day.
A bogey from the middle of the fairway on the 15th, however, threatened Scott’s lead but he gave himself one final cushion when he pitched to 10 feet at the par 5 17th and converted for birdie to give himself a two shot advantage playing the last.
The chasers were unable to put any further pressure on the leader and Scott was able to safely par the last to win by two.
It was Scott’s 14th PGA Tour title and takes his earnings to US$56.5 million on the PGA Tour. He is the 7th highest earner of all time on the PGA Tour.
Brown, Kuchar and Kang tied for 2nd two shots from Scott, while Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Bryson De Chambeau and Joel Dahmen were in a group in 5th place another shot back.
Marc Leishman was the only other Australian to make the cut when he finished in 43rd place.
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Inbee Park Wire to Wire Winner in Adelaide
Inbee Park – photo Golf Australia
South Korean, Inbee Park, staked her claim early in pursuit of her first Women’s Australian Open with an eagle at her very first hole on Thursday and from that point on she was never really headed.
She was, admittedly, caught through 36 holes but she drew clear again through 54 holes and although she battled to a round of 74 on the final day she was not alone in the demanding conditions of Sunday and eventually won by three over American Amy Olson and by four over Frenchwoman Perrine Delacour.
For the 31 year old Park it was her 20th LPGA Tour title but one that means a lot to her for several reasons.
“It’s always great to put my name on a beautiful trophy, especially have such nice winners on that trophy. It’s great to be part of,” said the champion.
“The Australian Open is a national title for Australia and I would love to have the title with me. It’s a great honour to put my name among these legends in golf and hopefully later, 10, 20 years later, everybody look at those names and maybe one of my name, and then everybody think that it is their honour to be on there.”
“I think it’s really the joy that I am feeling and the relief, I guess. Because I just didn’t know when it was going to come. It took almost two years to come. I have been missing them quite a lot. So,yeah, really good to have the trophy again.”
Hannah Green finished as the leading Australian when sharing 13th place after she too battled to a final round of 74.
The West Australian talked afterwards of the added pressure and attention that being a major champion brings.
“It’s definitely something you need to get used to. Even last week at the Victorian Open, having my face everywhere and then this week having my face around, it’s definitely something I haven’t experienced before.
“I don’t know, I think it’s probably sometimes a good thing to have a little bit of pressure, just to make sure that it really means something to you. This is definitely one of my favourite events that we get to play all year round, so I’m really happy when I have a good result, and I think I do have a good result because I’ve got so many people here supporting me.”
Green’s fellow West Australian, Minjee Lee, was the next best in 34th place.
The LPGA Tour now has several week’s off as a result of the Corona Viras forcing the postponement of events in Asia, their next event being the Founders Cup in Arizona in a month’s time.
Michael Sim Last Man Standing At QLD PGA
Michael Sim – photo PGA of Australia
At the completion of an epic final round of the 2020 Queensland PGA Championship at the City Golf Club in Toowoomba, Gold Coast based West Australian, Michael Sim, has emerged the winner of the Tier 2 event following a four-hole playoff with Sydney’s Scott Arnold.
Arnold and Sim were left as the last men standing at the completion of 72 holes of regulation play after the man who had led for 70 holes of the event, Brad Kennedy, fell victim to a horror finish in which he dropped four shots in his final three holes.
Sim parred the 4th extra hole despite missing the green only to watch his close friend and 2009 Australian Amateur Champion and former leading world amateur, Arnold, three putt for bogey after both had, at times, looked the winner earlier in the playoff battle.
For Sim, it is his second PGA Tour of Australasia title following his 2017 Queensland Open victory although he did win the WA Open in 2019 but that event had lost its PGA Tour of Australasia status.
“Walking off 15 I thought any chance of winning was almost gone,” Sim admitted after a par at the fourth playoff hole was enough to defeat Arnold, a close mate who is hitching a lift back to the Gold Coast on Sunday evening.
“Everything just happened so fast. I stood on the 18th tee at 11 (under) and Scott was in at 13. I actually asked Graeme Scott the tournament director whether Scott had finished at 13. He’s a mate of mine and I thought I was gone but he said he’d actually finished at 12.
“Brad was over in the trees and I saw him lay up and I thought, I’ve got a chance here if I hit a good shot and birdie it, which I did.
“I didn’t have my best stuff today – I don’t really think anyone near the top of the leaderboard did. Everyone kept falling away and it was nice to hit a great 8-iron into the last there in regulation and give myself a chance in the playoff.”
Sim was once an outstanding amateur himself and quickly gained access to the then Web.Com Tour and PGA Tour soon after.
His career since, however, has been plagued with injury and loss of form and after battling to return to his former best he took up a bridging course with the PGA of Australasia after the responsibility of family saw the need to find a way to provide for his wife and youngster.
He has, however, shown in recent times that his game is returning to the level that saw him as one of Australia’s brightest young prospects in the late 2000’s and this week’s win further confirms just that.
“I’m doing my bridging program at the moment and I’m halfway through that but I seem to have been playing well since I started my traineeship. I’m not too sure what the future holds.
“There’s a lot of emotion. I never thought I’d be here and to come away with the trophy is just amazing.”
For Arnold he too is on the comeback trail after battling away on the Japan Development Tour of late. Earlier in his career he won on the European Challenge Tour and at the inaugural dual gender Vic Open at 13th Beach.
Scott Arnold
Four players including New Zealander Michael Hendry and long-time leader, Kennedy, both of whom three putted to last to finish one behind, Dimi Papdatos and New Zealand based Korean Chang Ji Lee tied for 3rd.
The PGA Tour of Australasia now heads to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast for the Tier 2 Queensland Open followed by the Tier One New Zealand Open in Queenstown the following week.
Adam Scott’s Impressive Return at Riviera
Adam Scott has made an impressive return to tournament golf with a second round of 64 at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles to finish the opening 36 holes in a share of 5th place at 6 under and just three from the lead of Matt Kuchar.
Scott, whose last event was when successful at the Australian PGA Championship in mid-December, produced the best round of the day, a homeward nine of 31, at one stage giving him a share of the lead.
An opening round of 72 perhaps removed some of the rust from a seven-week break but today things were much sharper and with an impressive record at Riviera Country Club, then things might get even better over the weekend.
Scott has been a winner and twice runner-up in this event and today he again displayed a liking for the highly regarded layout.
Kuchar leads by two over Harold Varner 111, Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy, McIlroy looking particularly threatening as the recently crowned world number one looks to improve on his 4th place last year and continue his current run of form.
Marc Leishman was the only other Australian to make the cut when he completed his opening 36 at even par and in a share of 45th place.
Jason Day was unable to follow up his good start a second round of 76, seeing him miss the weekend.
Brad Kennedy in Control in Toowoomba
Brad Kennedy – file photo
Queensland’s Brad Kennedy has extended his four-shot opening round lead at the Queensland PGA Championship in Toowoomba and after a weather and darkness interrupted second round was completed on Saturday morning, he leads by five over Victorian David Bransdon, New South Welshmen Callan O’Reilly and Queenslander Damien Jordan.
Kennedy was required to finish 6 holes of his second round early on Saturday morning and recorded three birdies and two bogeys to finish off his round.
Jordan was the other player amongst the leaders required to finish off his second round round on Saturday although he was unable to advance from his overnight position.
Kennedy won this event at this venue in 2013 when defeating New Zealander Michael Hendry by two shots with a stunning score of 254 for 72 holes on the low scoring City Golf Club.
Following a missed cut at last week’s Vic Open, where he had finished runner-up twelve months earlier, Kennedy bounced quickly back to form with an opening round of 61 on Thursday and now takes a commanding lead into the weekend.
The City Golf Club has yielded some very low rounds over the years and much ground can be made up over the closing 36 holes although Kennedy is a multiple winner of events in Australia and Japan and as the leading world ranked player in this field he is the man to beat for more reasons than just the lead he holds.
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Park And Shadoff One Ahead At Women’s Australian Open
Jodi Ewart Shadoff – tied for the lead – photo Golf Australia
Korean superstar Inbee Park and Englishwoman Jodi Ewart Shadoff have a one-shot lead at the Women’s Australian Open at the Royal Adelaide Golf Club in Adelaide, the pair one shot ahead of American Jillian Hollis and two ahead of American Marina Alex and Korean Ayean Cho.
Park, who missed the cut in her opening two starts of the 2020 season, is chasing her 20th LPGA Tour title (seven of those majors) and after beginning the tournament with an eagle on the first hole on Thursday morning has continued to build on her remarkable start.
On the other hand, Shadoff, a former star during her time at the University of New Mexico, has yet to win on the LPGA Tour although she does have a runner-up finish to her name at the 2017 Women’s British Open and a 4th place finish at the US Open so she has shown a capacity to handle strong golf courses well.
“A bogey-free round today was good,” said Park. “It was a little bit more calm this morning, so it was nice to play out there. Yeah, my putting was consistent, like last couple of days, so it was good. I just love the golf course and the atmosphere here. So, hopefully I can pull it off on the weekend.”
Hollis is playing just her third LPGA Tour event as a cardholder after advancing from the Futures Tour last year where she won twice.
The Australians are headed by Hannah Green who is tied for 8th place at 6 under and four shots from the lead.
Hannah Green
“I’ve actually never played with Inbee before, so I was trying to get as close to her as possible,” said Green. “She’s obviously a great player. Yeah, it’s going to be very challenging, considering all she’s achieved in her career. It’s not the first time she’s led after two rounds. So, hopefully, Ican have some putts drop and be in contention.
“I know the conditions are going to be very tough this weekend, so I’ve just got to stay patient and put myself in good positions, I guess, for Sunday.
Minjee Lee is the next best of the Australians tied for 24th at 4 under and six shots from the leaders.
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