Matt Kuchar – Asian Tour
It was perhaps no surprise that the two highest ranked players at this week’s SMBC Singapore Open have dominated the final day’s play and the final leaderboard with American Matt Kuchar winning by three shots over England’s Justin Rose.
For Kuchar it was a great bounce-back following a missed cut at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii when defending his title and today he provided another bounce-back when overcoming an early triple bogey to win comfortably in the end.
After his round Kuchar explained what had happened.
“I felt like I was cruising along and had a four shot lead that point and it was awfully comfortable. I played a tee-shot that I thought was a conservative shot, just a little up the left side, and it ended up finding its way between a few roots.
“I swung and missed as the ball was wedged among the roots, then had to step up and actually try to swing and hit that ball on the next shot. I got it out. Next one hits the cart path and goes into the leaves and I have to take a penalty drop.
“Finally put it on the green and lining up an 80-footer up to 10 feet for a triple knowing that Jazz is about to make birdie, and if he makes birdie I need to make triple just to tie with him. So, I think that 10-footer was a big, big putt to make.”
Clearly winning internationally is important to Kuchar who has often show a desire to take his game around the world.
“This is fantastic to travel around the world and come to a great city like Singapore, and to play a great golf course that you have here, to play against a great field and test my game against some great, great players that we don’t often see in the United States, said the champion.
“There are certainly a lot of great players here on this Tour, so it feels fantastic to come out on top. I’m awfully proud of being able to bounce back from adversity and being able to not let hard things get the best of me.”
For Rose he was delighted with his week given this is his first event of the year.
“For me, it is a good first week of the year,” said the Englishman. “Four rounds in the 60s, consistent golf, got into contention, felt some of those nerves, which is great. A lot to take from the week.
“This is a nice start and I feel I can build some momentum from it. Some second places hurt, some second places you feel good and this is more of a feeling good second place finish.”
Defending champion Janewattananond finished third, one shot behind Rose while, amongst the Australians, Travis Smyth had yet another good week when he tied for 10th, earning US$16,000 in the process.
Matthew Griffin and Andrew Dodt tied for 41st as the next best of the Australians.
The event also uncovered four more recipients of a start at the Open Championship in July, the leading four players finishing inside the top 12 this week and not otherwise exempt for Royal St Georges, earning the right to play there.
Those places went to brilliant Korean teenager, Joohyung Kim, American, Richard T. Lee, Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita.
The next event on the Asian Tour will be the New Zealand Open in Queenstown beginning on February 27th.
The Open Qualifiers from the Singapore Open – L-R Kim, Richard T. Lee, Saksansin and Kinoshita.
Cream Rises to the Top At Singapore Open
Matt Kuchar – Asian Tour
It was perhaps no surprise that the two highest ranked players at this week’s SMBC Singapore Open have dominated the final day’s play and the final leaderboard with American Matt Kuchar winning by three shots over England’s Justin Rose.
For Kuchar it was a great bounce-back following a missed cut at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii when defending his title and today he provided another bounce-back when overcoming an early triple bogey to win comfortably in the end.
After his round Kuchar explained what had happened.
“I felt like I was cruising along and had a four shot lead that point and it was awfully comfortable. I played a tee-shot that I thought was a conservative shot, just a little up the left side, and it ended up finding its way between a few roots.
“I swung and missed as the ball was wedged among the roots, then had to step up and actually try to swing and hit that ball on the next shot. I got it out. Next one hits the cart path and goes into the leaves and I have to take a penalty drop.
“Finally put it on the green and lining up an 80-footer up to 10 feet for a triple knowing that Jazz is about to make birdie, and if he makes birdie I need to make triple just to tie with him. So, I think that 10-footer was a big, big putt to make.”
Clearly winning internationally is important to Kuchar who has often show a desire to take his game around the world.
“This is fantastic to travel around the world and come to a great city like Singapore, and to play a great golf course that you have here, to play against a great field and test my game against some great, great players that we don’t often see in the United States, said the champion.
“There are certainly a lot of great players here on this Tour, so it feels fantastic to come out on top. I’m awfully proud of being able to bounce back from adversity and being able to not let hard things get the best of me.”
For Rose he was delighted with his week given this is his first event of the year.
“For me, it is a good first week of the year,” said the Englishman. “Four rounds in the 60s, consistent golf, got into contention, felt some of those nerves, which is great. A lot to take from the week.
“This is a nice start and I feel I can build some momentum from it. Some second places hurt, some second places you feel good and this is more of a feeling good second place finish.”
Defending champion Janewattananond finished third, one shot behind Rose while, amongst the Australians, Travis Smyth had yet another good week when he tied for 10th, earning US$16,000 in the process.
Matthew Griffin and Andrew Dodt tied for 41st as the next best of the Australians.
The event also uncovered four more recipients of a start at the Open Championship in July, the leading four players finishing inside the top 12 this week and not otherwise exempt for Royal St Georges, earning the right to play there.
Those places went to brilliant Korean teenager, Joohyung Kim, American, Richard T. Lee, Thailand’s Poom Saksansin and Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita.
The next event on the Asian Tour will be the New Zealand Open in Queenstown beginning on February 27th.
The Open Qualifiers from the Singapore Open – L-R Kim, Richard T. Lee, Saksansin and Kinoshita.
Australian Amateur Titles Decided In Convincing Fashion
Charlotte Heath and Jediah Morgan – photo Kirsty Wrice Golf Australia
The Australian Amateur Golf Championship titles have been decided in hot and sultry conditions at the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane today with both the 36 hole men’s and women’s contests proving to be relatively one-sided affairs.
Given the severe storms that surrounded the South East Queensland region on Friday, there was concern about the potential for major delays in play over the weekend but the respective events were completed on schedule.
20-year old Queenslander, Jediah Morgan, was never behind in his match-up against Northern Ireland 17-year old, Tom McKibbin, eventually taking out the title 5 & 3.
England’s Charlotte Heath established a massive 8 up lead at lunch over Indonesian Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri in the women’s final and although the 22-year old from Bali fought back in the afternoon to reduce the gap she would eventually go down to the West Yorkshire golfer, 7 & 6.
Heath is considered a bright young star in British women’s amateur circles while Putri has recently completed a degree while playing golf at Purdue University in Indiana.
Given the conditions, it was some surprise that Putri, so used to playing in the heat of her homeland, was so outplayed by Heath who had, of course, come out of an English winter to play in Australia.
Morgan is a member of the Royal Queensland Golf Club but hales from Hattonvale to the west of Brisbane where until recently his parents owned a nine-hole golf course. Morgan has been a member at Royal Queensland for three years and has been coached for the past six years by the Head Professional at Royal Queensland, Chris Gibson.
Morgan won the Asia Pacific Junior title in Taiwan last year and was named Queensland Junior Male Amateur in 2019.
This win, however, will elevate his status in the game and the world ranking to a significantly higher level and brings him into contention for a start at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship later this year and guarantees a start at the Australian Open Championship later in 2020.
He was out of the blocks quickly in today’s final racing to an early 6 up lead, although McKibbin fought back to be just 4 down at lunch. Morgan won two holes early in the afternoon to be 6 up again but McKibbin kept the match alive when he reduced the margin to just 3 through 29 holes before Morgan steadied the ship and won comfortably.
McKibbin had been the 16th in qualifying on Monday and Tuesday while Morgan was 28th.
England claimed both the medallist honours and overall titles in the women’s contest, Emily Toy leading the 36-hole strokeplay field while her fellow English squad member, Heath, won the overall title.
There has been some suggestions that the Australian Amateur title might well be going to a 72 hole strokeplay event in the future.
In this writer’s eyes such a move would be a retrograde step for the iconic championship in Australian golf.
72 hole strokeplay amateur championships are a dime a dozen and not every event has to be seen as a means of preparing golfers for professional golf.
Let’s hope the rumours are just that.
Cameron Davis Again Well Placed at American Express
Sydney’s Cameron Davis once again finds himself in the mix in a PGA Tour event, the now US based 24-year old tied for 6th place and four shots from leaders, Rickie Fowler and Scott Scheffler, at the American Express Championship in La Quinta in California.
Davis recorded his best finish on the PGA Tour when 9th at last week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, announcing then a decision to play to his own strengths rather than trying to emulate others.
Davis, in his second season on the PGA Tour, added a second round of 67 to his opening 66 and after being forced to regain his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals last October he appears to be building momentum in a quest for a first PGA Tour win.
Davis played the Stadium Course today after his opening round had been played at the Nicklaus Tournament Course on day one.
Tomorrow he gets to play the La Quinta Country Club before the cut is made and the event returns to the host venue, the Stadium Course, for Sunday’s final round.
Fowler and PGA Tour rookie, Scheffler, lead by one over Andrew Landry with Tony Finau another shot back in 4th place.
Fowler is playing this event for the first time since 2014 and gave an indication in his media conference after his round today that he is enjoying being back.
“It’s definitely not your normal PGA TOUR event, but I think this is a special week with here, and as well as Pebble, for amateurs, sponsors, clients of American Express this week to be able to come and play inside the ropes.
“It’s kind of really unlike any other sporting event. So it is, it’s a cool experience. And I think as a player you have to realize that these guys are out here as an experience for them and as long as they have a good time and keep up, move forward, we don’t mind having them out there. It’s been a good time.”
Travis Smyth’s Consistent Run Continues in Singapore
New South Welshman, Travis Smyth, has continued his good recent form to be tied for 10th and five shots from the leader and defending champion, Jazz Janewattananond, at the SMBC Singapore Open at the Serapong Course at the Sentosa Golf Club.
Smyth’s recent form includes a runner-up finish at the NSW Open and top twenties at the Australian PGA Championship and Hong Kong Open and a round of 68 on Friday in the Asian / Japan Tour event continued that trend
Andrew Dodt is the next best of the Australasians in the field, the Queenslander just one behind Smyth and tied for 13th.
Victorians, Matthew Griffin and David Micheluzzi. also made the cut in the US$1 million event.
The leader, Janewattananond of Thailand, led the Asian Tour money list by some margin in 2019 and is generally considered the brightest prospect amongst the emerging players in Asia.
The closing nine of 31 swept him to a one-shot lead over Joohyung Kim and Miguel Tabuena but just one-shot further back are heavyweights Matt Kuchar and Justin Rose.
“It makes me really happy to be back here to play in the course that I won in a year ago,” said Jazz.
“There are still two more days and anything can happen. There are a lot of good players here. Kuchar and Rose are still within reach and I will just stick to my plan and hopefully will take a win for the weekend.
“Today I struggled at the start, was a bit shaky but I found the groove after and managed to get it done quite right. I just try to hit it better than this over the weekend. I mean, yesterday I hit better than this.”
Forty Six Earn Australasian Tour Playing Rights
Photo – Luke Toomey
46 golfers have either gained or re-gained their right to play the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2020 following the completion of the Final Stage of Tour School Qualifying at the Moonah links Open Course on the Mornington Peninsula.
The qualifiers were headed by New Zealander Luke Toomey, who, after playing much of his golf on the PGA Tour Series China in the last two years, gets the chance to play events in Australasia in 2020 and courtesy of his top re-ranking this week he will have access to all events on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Toomey defeated Victorian Peter Wilson in a playoff to earn top honours, that pair finishing six shots ahead of the long hitting Lincoln Tighe from Wollongong who returned from injuring a broken hand in early 2018 and has played on a medical exemption since. Tighe regains full status again.
The next best of the qualifiers were NSW’s James Grierson, American Derek Ackerman and New Zealand’s Nick Voke.
The availability of starts in PGA Tour of Australasia events will be dependent on just where players finished in the ranking this week.
Perhaps the biggest surprise amongst those missing out on securing their playing rights were former PGA Tour player James Nitties and 2016 NSW Open Champion Adam Blyth.
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Quarter Finalists Decided at Australian Amateur Championships
Can Elvis Smylie add this title to his Australian Junior win?
The quarter finalists in both the Men’s and Women’s Australian Amateur Championships have today been decided at the Royal Queensland Golf Club.
In the men’s division, Brisbane’s Lawry Flynn and England’s Ben Jones, who shared 4th place in the qualifying on Monday and Tuesday, are the leading qualifiers still in the field for tomorrow’s quarter finals while in the women’s event, New South Wales’, Grace Kim, and Gold Coaster, Lion Higo, are the leading qualifiers still alive for the weekend.
The number one seed in the men’s field, Andre Lautee, was this afternoon knocked out by New Zealander James Hyde after defeating South Australian Jack Thompson in the morning round of 32.
In tomorrow’s match-ups, Jones will face Hyde, Queenslander, Louis Dobbelaar, takes on Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, Australian Junior Champion, Elvis Smylie, is up against fellow Queenslander, Jediah Morgan, and England’s, Charlie Strickland, will tackle South Australian, Billy Cawthorne.
Smylie is looking to complete a rare double of holding both the winning Australian Junior and the Australian Amateur titles at the same time.
Smylie won the Australian Junior title in April on the Gold Coast and performed with distinction at the Australian Open where he comfortably made the cut before finishing 33rd.
Kim, from the Avondale Golf Club, will take on fellow Sydneysider, Kelsey Bennett, in tomorrow’s quarter finals of the Women’s Amateur Championship, Queenslander Cassie Porter will face Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri of Indonesia, NSW’s Stephanie Kyriaocou is up against Minju Kim of South Korea and England’s Charlotte Heath plays Gold Coast’s Lion Higo.
The final for both the men’s and women’s events will be played over 36 holes on Sunday.
Grace Kim
Lautee and Toy Lead Qualifiers at Australian Amateur
Royal Queensland – photo Bruce Young
Victorian golfer Andre Lautee leads the qualifiers in the Australian Men’s Amateur Championship at the completion of 36 holes of strokeplay at the Royal Queensland and Brisbane Golf Clubs today.
Lautee’s round of 66 at Royal Queensland today, saw the Kingston Heath Golf Club member win medallist honours by one over New Zealander Jimmy Zheng and Germany’s Marc Hammer.
The 20-year old has won the Victorian Amateur Championship in each of the last two years and is currently Australia’s third highest world ranked amateur but, while it is early days yet, he has an opportunity to advance his cause significantly this week.
Lautee was quickly out of the blocks today with five birdies in his first seven holes and appeared at that point as if he might walk away with the top honours but Auckland’s Zheng and Hammer would eventually finish within one.
In the Australian Women’s Amateur Championship, England’s Emily Toy, who seven months ago won the Women’s British Amateur Championship, has led the qualifiers by two shots over New South Welshwoman, Doey Choi, and Korea’s Min A Yoon.
Sydney’s Grace Kim and South Australian Ella Adams were next best, two shots back.
Toy, from the Carlyon Bay Golf Club in Cornwall, was unable to match the brilliance of her opening round 65 at the Brisbane Golf Club but a round of 71 at Royal Queensland was bettered only by Doey Choi today.
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Large Australasian Contingent in Singapore
Jazz Janewaattananond – the defending champion – photo Asian Tour
The joint sanctioning between the Asian and Japan Tours will mean that this week’s SMBC Singapore Open contains fifteen Australians and one New Zealander in the event to be played at the Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course.
Six of those players are in the field courtesy of their standing on the Japan Golf Tour while for the remainder they get their chance for a range of reasons.
Marcus Fraser, David Micheluzzi and David Gleeson have received invitations to the event, Aaron Pike is in the field courtesy of his standing on the Australasian Tour money list, while Andrew Dodt and Daniel Nisbet are playing as a tournament winners on the Asian Tour.
Terry Pilkadaris, Travis Smyth and Jake Higginbottom and Josh Younger are Asian Tour members, while Adam Bland, Matthew Griffin, Dylan Perry, Won Joon Lee, David Bransdon and New Zealander Michael Hendry are regulars on the Japan Tour.
In addition to the US1 million purse, the opportunity exists for the leading four players finishing inside the top twelve this week and not otherwise exempt for this year’s Open Championship to start thinking about Royal St George’s.
NSW Open Champion, Josh Younger is the highest ranked Aussie in the field – photo Golf NSW
The event is the second event of the year on the Asian Tour following last week’s Hong Kong Open and the first for the Japan Tour.
Despite the presence of higher world ranked ranked players, Justin Rose, Matt Kuchar and Henrik Stenson, the man on whom most eyes will be focused this week is the brilliant Thai golfer, Jazz Janewattananond, who is the defending champion and, by some margin, the leading player on the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit.
The 24-year old is generally considered as Asia’s next big thing and it will be a surprise if he is not amongst the contenders come Sunday, especially given he won his last two events of 2019 and finished 4th at last week’s Hong Kong Open.
American Express and Abu Dhabi Betting Prospects
This week our betting thoughts focus on the American Express Championship in Calfornia and the Abu Dhabi Championship in the Middle East where the appears to be some good odds provided we can snare a winner.
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Cameron Smith’s PGA Tour Breakthrough in Honolulu
Cameron Smith – photo Bruce Young
He might have missed out on a piece of Australian golfing history a few weeks ago, when trying for three Australian PGA Championships in succession, but today, Queenslander, Cameron Smith, created some of his own golfing history when winning his first individual title on the PGA Tour.
Cameron Smith won the Sony Open with a playoff victory at the first extra hole over American Brendan Steele at the Sony Open in Honolulu.
The victory was made even sweeter given, that through two holes on Thursday, Smith was 4 over par after a bogey, triple bogey to start his week.
In damp and windy conditions on the final day, Smith began the final round three shots behind Steele, the margin reduced to just one when Smith birdied the first hole and Steele bogeyed the 2nd.
By the time the pair had reached the 17th tee, however, Steele was two ahead but a missed green at the par three led to a bogey and he stood on the 18th tee just one ahead of Smith, Webb Simpson and Ryan Palmer who were playing in the group ahead.
When Palmer lost a ball at the last and dropped a shot and Simpson was unable to birdie the par five, the stage was left to Smith and Steele to determine the winner.
Both found the fairway from the tee but with the green within reach both would miss their target, Smith finding the front left bunker and Steele pull hooking a driving iron well left of the green.
Steele secured a drop from the stands between he and the flag and pitched to 25 feet. Smith on the other hand hit a beautiful bunker shot from 30 yards to 8 feet and when Steele missed his birdie attempt Smith made no mistake and so it was into extra time.
The 10th was the hole to decide the winner and, although Smith missed the fairway, he hit a superb pitch from 110 yards to 15 feet. Steele had found the fairway but from shorter range made a mistake in judgement and flew the green.
He was unable to get up and down and so all Smith need to do was 2 putt from 15 feet which he was able to do.
Smith earns US$1.18 million for his win and moves to 31st in the world ranking, still below his previous best of 24th earlier in 2019 but a victory that will assist in his moving considerably higher given the knowledge he has that he can win on the PGA Tour.
“I didn’t feel like I played particularly well,” said Smith. “I just made the putts that I had to make, and you know, those up and downs to kind of keep the momentum going a little bit I managed to get up and down. It was a struggle all day, though. The conditions were wet and a little bit windy this morning.”
Cameron Davis made it a good week for yet another former Australian Amateur Champion when he recorded his best PGA Tour finish when sharing 9th place in the event and earning his biggest cheque in tournament golf (US$179,000)
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