Australians, Minjee Lee and Su Oh, have both made impressive starts at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA event in New Taipei City, Lee just one off the first round lead held by Korean Mi Jung Hur and defending champion Nelly Korda.
The round was played in at times wet and windy conditions but the scoring remained good with 28 players breaking par.
Lee has a good record in this event including a runner-up finish last year and today she produced a back nine of 4 under 32 to get within one of the overnight lead, her only hiccup coming at the 7th hole which she bogeyed.
“Yeah, definitely. I mean, I played pretty well,” said Lee when asked to assess her round. “I just sort of made a couple soft mistakes here and there. I guess the difference between me having a like really, really good round and just like an average round is that.
“I’m just trying to eliminate those and have a good score.”
Oh is playing the event for the fourth time with a best to date of 20th on debut three years ago. Her round was impacted by a double bogey at her 9th hole but, that aside, it was an encouraging start as she chases her first top ten since a runner-up finish at the Meijer Classic in June.
Lee is on her own in 3rd place while Oh is in a share of 4th place.
Katherine Kirk is in 60th place while Hannah Green continues her indifferent recent form after winning in August to be tied for 69th after her round of 76 which included five dropped shots in two consecutive holes early in her round.
The leader Hur has generally struggled in this event in the past but it was a different matter today with a bogey free round of 66 to lead by one.
Golf Betting Thoughts for November 7th
Three events come under the spotlight this week as we assess the chances at the European Tour’s Turkish Airlines Open, the LPGA Tour’s Toto Classic in Japan and the Japan Tour’s Heiwa PGM Championship.
click to listen
Maverick Antcliff earns European Tour card
Photo courtesy of the Asian Tour
The remarkable consistency of 26-year old Queensland golfer, Maverick Antcliff on the China Golf Tour in 2019 has been rewarded in the form of a European Tour card for 2020.
The series, which consists of 11 events, saw Antcliff win on three occasions, finish runner-up once and record four other top tens in his eleven starts and finish atop the money list, thus qualifying for a full European Tour card for events beginning at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in late November.
The former Hills International Academy in Jimboomba attendee, who also played collegiate golf for Augusta State in the US, turned professional in 2017 following an amateur career which saw him win the prestigious Rice Planters amateur event in the US amongst others.
In his third season on the China Tour, Antcliff has taken his game to another level in 2019 and with a European Tour card in his back pocket then more can be expected.
Antcliff also played the Asian Tour in 2018 but has focused all his attention on both the Asian and China Tours this year.
McIlroy passes US$50 million with WGC HSBC victory
Rory McIlroy has defeated Xander Schauffele in a playoff to secure his 18th PGA Tour title and his third World Golf Championship event, the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai, taking his PGA Tour earnings beyond US$50 million in the process.
Schauffele needed to birdie the 72nd hole to force the playoff before McIlroy was able to birdie the first hole of extra time to take the title and the US$1,745,000 first prize.
McIlroy was unable to birdie the 72nd hole but a stunning approach to the same hole in extra time set up a two-putt birdie and the win.
Louis Oosthuizen had a piece of the lead at various stages throughout the final day but he was unable to hold off the playoff pair although finished on his own in third place and two shots from the playoff.
Adam Scott finished as the leading Australian when he tied for 11th, producing yet another strong finishing round of 67.
With final Presidents Cup selections named in the next few days, Sungjae Im, Byeong Hun An and Patrick Reed have done their respective chances no harm with solid weeks.
Near miss for Minjee Lee in Taiwan
Defending champion, Nelly Korda, did exactly that when she successfully held on to win the LPGA Tour’s Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA event in Taipei City, surviving a playoff to defeat Australia’s Minjee Lee and Germany’s Caroline Masson.
Not only did Korda win, but Lee had also finished runner-up last year so there was a little bit of déjà vu about the result which saw Korda win her third LPGA Tour title having also won the Women’s Australian Open earlier this year.
Korda appeared to have control of the event with five holes to play but three bogeys in four holes late in her round saw the American and Lee needing to birdie the par 5 last to draw level with Masson who, playing with the pair, had moved ahead with consecutive birdies at the 15th and 16th and the demise by Korda.
Lee’s fellow Australian, Su Oh, tied for 8th, Katherine Kirk 55th and a struggling Hannah Green 74th.
The LPGA now moves to Japan for the final event of their Asian swing, the TOTO Classic.
Another top ten for Brendan Jones in Japan
Canberra’s Brendan Jones has finished 7th the Mynavi ABC Championship in Hyogo Prefecture, an eagle at the last hole by the 44-year old improving him from 19th overnight to finish six shots behind the winner, Jung Gon Hwang or Korea.
Jones is in 12th place on the 2019 Japan Tour money list with A$650,000, much of that coming when winning the opening domestic event on the Japan Tour season, the Token Homemate Cup.
Jones’ fellow Australian, David Bransdon, recorded one of his better finishes of the season when he, too, eagled his final hole for a round of 68 to finish tied for 13th.
Sydney raised, Won Joon Lee, finished 22nd, Japan Tour rookie, Dylan Perry, was 42nd while New Zealander Mike Hendry was 32nd.
For the winner, Hwang, it was his 4th Japan Tour title although his first for nearly four years.
David Bransdon contends in Japan
Victorian David Bransdon is just two shots from the lead at the halfway stage of the Japan Golf Tour’s Mynavi ABC Championship near Kobe.
The 46-year old, who is currently 48th on the 2019 Japan Tour money list, is in his third year on the Japan Tour but to date he has a best of only 4th place, that coming at the Kansai Open early in his first season in 2017.
His rounds of 68 and 69 this week, however, have him in a share of third place behind Korean Min Gyu Cho and Japan’s Hiroshi Iwata.
Bransdon has won twice in lesser events on the PGA Tour of Australasia but perhaps even more meritorious performances came when 5th at this year’s Vic Open in Australia which was a European Tour event and when runner-up at the 2015 NZ Open.
This weekend therefore offers an opportunity to improve his standing on the Japan Tour and perhaps contend for the title in the $A2 million (equiv) event.
Brendan Jones and Won Joon Lee are the next best of the Australians, that pair tied for 19th at 5 under and three shots behind Bransdon.
Adam Scott two from lead in Shanghai
Matthew Fitzpatrick – Getty Images
Adam Scott is just two shots from the halfway lead at the WGC HSBC Championship in Shanghai, a second round of 69 leaving him sharing third place behind only leader Matthew Fitzpatrick and second placed Rory McIlroy.
Scott was out in even par but three birdies on the way home took him within striking distance of the lead.
Matthew Millar, who earned his place in this prestigious and lucrative event through his runner-up finish on the Australasian Tour money list last year, is, along with Cameron Smith, the next best placed Australian in 32nd place.
Jake McLeod was 42nd, Scott Hend 50th and Daniel Nisbet 77th.
Fitzpatrick leads by one over McIlroy, McIlroy’s eagle at the last today reminding all of his presence and prospects of a first win in this event.
Fitzpatrick enjoys a good record at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai with three top twenties in five starts.
Lee and Oh close enough if good enough in Taiwan
Minjee Lee – file photo
Australians Minjee Lee and Su Oh are two and three shots respectively behind the halfway lead at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA event in Taipei City, both players adding second rounds of 67 to be trailing the leader, Mi Jung Hur, who leads by one over the defending champion Nelly Korda.
Lee finished runner-up in this event behind Korda last year and with consecutive rounds of 67 appears to have a found a real comfort zone at the Miramar Golf Country Club layout.
Oh began he round with a bogey but recovered quickly to turn in 34 and added three more birdies on the way home to get within three and appears a growing threat for the weekend.
Hur has consecutive rounds of 66 to her name and after sharing the first round lead she birdied five of her first six holes to establish a break.
The defending champion Korda clawed back some of the ground late win the day with consecutive birdies to finish and her chances of a successful defence appear very good.
Other Australians in the field are Katherine Kirk in 40th place and Hannah Green in 63rd position.
New Zealander Lydia Ko’s woes continue finishing the opening 36 holes in 58th place.
Haotong Li leads but Adam Scott poised in Shanghai
Haotong Li – Getty Images
Chinese golf’s number one male player, Li Haotong, has the lead at the WGC HSBC Championship in Shanghai, the 24 year old producing seven birdies and an eagle in his round of 64 to lead by one over France’s Victor Perez with Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele another shot back and tied for 3rd.
Scott got within one of the lead before a bogey at the last but he has made an excellent start, just one short of his previous best opening round in the event when eventually finishing 8th in 2012.
Canberra’s, Matthew Millar, has taken advantage of the start he earned in the lucrative event via his position on the Australasian Tour’s money list last year by opening with a round of 69 to be tied for 14th, he too dropping a shot at the last but a fine start nonetheless.
Jake McLeod and Cameron Smith had rounds of 2 under 70, Scott Hend 75 and Daniel Nisbet 77.
With final Presidents Cup selections to be made early next week, several International Presidents Cup contenders have put up their hand for the consideration of Ernie Els.
Korean Sungjae Im at 6 under, Canadian Corey Conners at 5 under and Korean Byeong Hun An at 3 under have all staked a claim for final consideration.
Minjee Lee again in contention in Taiwan
Australians, Minjee Lee and Su Oh, have both made impressive starts at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA event in New Taipei City, Lee just one off the first round lead held by Korean Mi Jung Hur and defending champion Nelly Korda.
The round was played in at times wet and windy conditions but the scoring remained good with 28 players breaking par.
Lee has a good record in this event including a runner-up finish last year and today she produced a back nine of 4 under 32 to get within one of the overnight lead, her only hiccup coming at the 7th hole which she bogeyed.
“Yeah, definitely. I mean, I played pretty well,” said Lee when asked to assess her round. “I just sort of made a couple soft mistakes here and there. I guess the difference between me having a like really, really good round and just like an average round is that.
“I’m just trying to eliminate those and have a good score.”
Oh is playing the event for the fourth time with a best to date of 20th on debut three years ago. Her round was impacted by a double bogey at her 9th hole but, that aside, it was an encouraging start as she chases her first top ten since a runner-up finish at the Meijer Classic in June.
Lee is on her own in 3rd place while Oh is in a share of 4th place.
Katherine Kirk is in 60th place while Hannah Green continues her indifferent recent form after winning in August to be tied for 69th after her round of 76 which included five dropped shots in two consecutive holes early in her round.
The leader Hur has generally struggled in this event in the past but it was a different matter today with a bogey free round of 66 to lead by one.