The respective winners flank tournament host Ewan Porter
The inaugural staging of the Junior 6’s Invitational at the Cronulla Golf Club in Sydney was completed yesterday and already the talk turns to next year’s event and expanding on the tournament’s successful debut.
The brainchild of former two-time Nationwide Tour winner, Ewan Porter, himself a member of the Cronulla Golf Club during his amateur days, the event was administered by the Cronulla Golf Club along with Porter and Gold Coast based professional Peter Shaw and consisted of 36 holes of stroke-play over the opening two days followed by a rapid fire series of six hole knockout matches.
The respective male and female fields were restricted to players 17 years of age and under.
The leading eight players from the stroke-play phase played off on the final afternoon to determine the winners of both the girls’ and boys’ competitions.
West Australian Hayden Hopewell defeated current Australian Junior Champion Elvis Smylie of the Gold Coast in their final to win what he described as his most important title in his young career to date.
“My game plan for the super 6’s was to go for everything, don’t hold back and have no regrets,” said Hopewell.
“It paid off. I ended up being nine under for the 15 holes.
“This win is definitely up there. I won the Jack Newton (International) last year. I’m proud to be the inaugural winner.”
The finals would see both the Australian Boys and Girls Junior Champions defeated with RACV Royal Pines based Korean, Hye Park, who holds the Australian and NSW Junior Amateur titles along with the Queensland Amateur Championship, going down to Concord Golf Club (Sydney) Belinda Ji in the Girls’ event.
It’s an amazing win for me,” said Ji
“I haven’t really played anything like this before, so it feels special to win.”
Both players earn starts at their respective NSW Opens in November and March (girls)
Porter was delighted with the initial staging of the event is especially pleased with the base formed for future growth.
“I was really pleased how the event came together so well in its first year and with the opportunity to build on that then I see a great future for an event which is so close to my heart,” he said.
“The Cronulla Golf Club played such a role in my early golfing days and that the trophy for the Strokeplay phase in both the girls and the boys events was named after my Dad (Norm), who passed away a year ago, made the event even more special.”
Big Payday for David McKenzie in North Carolina
David McKenzie – photo Henry Peters
52-year old Australian golfer, David McKenzie, has recorded his best ever finish on the USPGA Tour Champions after producing a final round of 63 at the SAS Championship in Cary in North Carolina.
McKenzie recovered from an early bogey today to produce a closing nine of 6 under 31 to finish just one shot behind American Jerry Kelly
McKenzie’s previous best was when 3rd at the Rapiscan event in early 2018 and the Pacific Links Bear Mountain event in late 2017, the latter of which occurred even before becoming a full member of the Champions Tour.
McKenzie also earned his biggest cheque in professional golf by winning US$184,000 today and moving to 37th on the Charles Schwab Cup money list.
The Victorian won several lesser events during his regular tour career, a runner-up finish at the Australian Masters in 2004 perhaps one of his best finishes in a Australasian Tour event.
He began his career in the over fifties with a top ten finish at the Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl in 2017 and worked his way onto the Champions Tour with a series of a good finish and by earning partial status at the Tour School later that year.
Another of McKenzie’s contemporaries, Rod Pampling, also had a good week when he finished 12th this week while Stephen Leaney, in his first year on the Champions Tour after earning full status at last year’s Tour School, was 56th.
Pampling, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, was playing just his second event on the Champions Tour courtesy of his career money list standing having also finished 16th two weeks ago on debut, mixing play on both tours at present.
Darren Beck’s Australasian Tour Breakthrough in Kalgoorlie
New South Welshman, Darren Beck, has won his first PGA Tour of Australasia event with a two-shot victory over long-time leader, Jarryd Felton, at the WA PGA Championship at the Kalgoorlie Golf Course in Kalgoorlie.
Beck’s final round of 69 was enough to edge him one clear of joint 54-hole leader, Felton, with Gold Coast based West Australian, Michael Sim, another two shots back and alone in in 3rd place.
Beck, whose only other victories as a professional came when winning an event on the Asian Tour in Brunei ten years ago and two events on the then Von Nida Tour earlier, surprised many with his bounce-back from an opening nine of 39 to record a final nine of 30 to edge clear of Felton.
“It feels great. It was a little nerve-wracking five or six holes in,” Beck said.
“There was a big change in scores. I birdied the 12th (hole) and Felts (Jarryd Felton) bogeyed so it quickly turned round. I thought I was playing for second for a while there.
“It just feels good to keep it together and finish the way I did. The putter was just unbelievable so I can’t explain how good that felt.”
Felton had been in or near the lead throughout but the Perth golfer was unable to hold out Beck, 17 years his senior.
Sim, one of the stars of the Nationwide Tour in 2009 when wining three times and playing his way to the PGA Tour, produced a final round of 67 to grab third place ahead of NSW’s golfer Robert Hogan.
New South Wales golfer, Blake Windred, who turned professional this week, impressed by finishing 8th in his debut in professional golf.
Australasians well off the pace in Italy
Matthew Fitzpatrick leader – Getty Images
Three Australians and one New Zealander live to fight another day at the Italian Open in Rome but if they are to have a chance of a week of any significance they have a lot of work to do over the final 36 holes.
Lucas Herbert (28th) and Wade Ormsby, Jason Scrivener and New Zealander Ryan Fox (44th) have survived the halfway cut at the Olgiata Golf Club.
The services of Sam Brazel, Scott Hend and Michael Campbell will not be required over the weekend.
Herbert brilliantly recovered from an opening round of 74 with a round of 65 today to move to 3 under par and within seven of the leader, Matthew Fitzpatrick, although an opening nine of 31 had promised event better.
Herbert needs a good finish over the next few weeks as he is currently in 118th place in the Race to Dubai Rankings with only the top 110 regaining their European Tour status for 2020 and so a strong finish this weekend will go a long way towards that goal.
Fitzpatrick leads by one over Denmark’s Joachim B Hansen but two shots back is a group of five in 3rd place including Justin Rose.
“Just a really solid day,” said the Englishman. “I figured out something with my irons after the second hole. I just needed to get a little bit more loft on it going back, something I’ve been working on since Wentworth, really. Just felt much more comfortable with my irons once I was out there. That certainly showed. Only missed one green after that.
“I think I got to seven under par and I thought, now I’m sort of in the mix, really, which is obviously where you want to be. I did feel the way I played on the front nine, I was able to push it on the back nine, certainly, to get to 10 under.
“It’s been a little while, Germany, which was back in June, that I was challenging and then Sweden. When you’re in these kind of positions, it’s always exciting. That’s why you play the game, and I look forward to the weekend.”
Australasians Featuring at Bridgestone Open
David Bransdon – One of several Australasians within touch of the lead
There is a strong Australasian presence at the top of the leaderboard at the Japan Golf Tour’s Bridgestone Open near in Chiba near Tokyo, six currently inside the top twenty six and within six shots of the lead at the completion of 36 holes.
Brad Kennedy heads that group at 8 under and three from the leader, the defending champion and one of the game’s hottest players at present, Shugo Imahira.
The event is being played just east of Tokyo and the biggest concern for tournament organisers over the weekend is the looming arrival of Typhoon Hagibis which is likely to play havoc with the event.
With the likelihood of round three being washed out and only a chance of the final round being played then it may be that the 36 hole results will be the final outcome although that has yet to be decided.
Kennedy has yet to record a top ten in twelve starts this season on the Japan Tour but three birdies to finish his round today have opened the door for something significantly better.
Fellow Australians Brendan Jones, David Bransdon and Adam Bland along with New Zealander Michael Hendry make up the group of Australians within striking distance.
Matthew Griffin is another shot back while Dylan Perry and Won Joon Lee have also made the cut but are well back.
File Phot0- Brad Kennedy – Getty Images
Jarryd Felton Moves Three Clear in Kalgoorlie
Jarryd Felton- PGA of Australia
24-year old West Australian Jarryd Felton has the lead at the halfway mark of the West Australian PGA Championship at the Graham Marsh designed Kalgoorlie Golf Course, the two-time Australasian Tour event winner opening up a three-shot lead over his nearest rival Darren Beck.
Felton, who shared the overnight lead with New South Welshman Jordan Junic, added a second round 67 to overtake the early day two leader, Beck, and extend his lead to three by the time he finished his round.
Felton missed the cut at the recent Alfred Dunhill Links event in Scotland but he has played this golf course well previously finishing 5th on two occasions.
Beck has struggled in the six events he has played on the Australasian Tour in 2019, missing the cut in three of the six events he has played but he, too, produced a round of 67 to be Felton’s nearest pursuer heading into the weekend in the Tier 2 A$137,000 event.
Justin Warren is one shot behind Beck while first round co-leader Junic and NSW’s Robert Hogan are tied for 4th.
Two of the more senior players in the field, Peter Lonard and Brett Rumford are nicely positioned in 6th place at 6 under and just three shots out of second place, Rumford continuing his recovery from wrist surgery late last year while Lonard who has played well in senior golf events when he has played is well placed.
SCORES
Betting Prospects for October 10th
Three events come under our betting spotlight this week. The PGA Tour is in Houston for the Houston Open, the European Tour is in Rome for the Italian Open and the Japan Tour is in Chiba for the Bridgestone Open.
Last week we gained small returns with Jon Rahm in Spain and I thought were home with course specialist Patrick Cantlay in Las Vegas so surely we are due for a better return.
Click below to listen
Inaugural Junior 6 Champions Decided
The respective winners flank tournament host Ewan Porter
The inaugural staging of the Junior 6’s Invitational at the Cronulla Golf Club in Sydney was completed yesterday and already the talk turns to next year’s event and expanding on the tournament’s successful debut.
The brainchild of former two-time Nationwide Tour winner, Ewan Porter, himself a member of the Cronulla Golf Club during his amateur days, the event was administered by the Cronulla Golf Club along with Porter and Gold Coast based professional Peter Shaw and consisted of 36 holes of stroke-play over the opening two days followed by a rapid fire series of six hole knockout matches.
The respective male and female fields were restricted to players 17 years of age and under.
The leading eight players from the stroke-play phase played off on the final afternoon to determine the winners of both the girls’ and boys’ competitions.
West Australian Hayden Hopewell defeated current Australian Junior Champion Elvis Smylie of the Gold Coast in their final to win what he described as his most important title in his young career to date.
“My game plan for the super 6’s was to go for everything, don’t hold back and have no regrets,” said Hopewell.
“It paid off. I ended up being nine under for the 15 holes.
“This win is definitely up there. I won the Jack Newton (International) last year. I’m proud to be the inaugural winner.”
The finals would see both the Australian Boys and Girls Junior Champions defeated with RACV Royal Pines based Korean, Hye Park, who holds the Australian and NSW Junior Amateur titles along with the Queensland Amateur Championship, going down to Concord Golf Club (Sydney) Belinda Ji in the Girls’ event.
It’s an amazing win for me,” said Ji
“I haven’t really played anything like this before, so it feels special to win.”
Both players earn starts at their respective NSW Opens in November and March (girls)
Porter was delighted with the initial staging of the event is especially pleased with the base formed for future growth.
“I was really pleased how the event came together so well in its first year and with the opportunity to build on that then I see a great future for an event which is so close to my heart,” he said.
“The Cronulla Golf Club played such a role in my early golfing days and that the trophy for the Strokeplay phase in both the girls and the boys events was named after my Dad (Norm), who passed away a year ago, made the event even more special.”
Impressive PGA Tour Debut for Queensland Amateur Jack Trent
Jack Trent – photo UNLV
Cameron Smith might well have finished as the leading Australian at this week’s Shriners Hospitals for Children open in Las Vegas but it was a fellow Queenslander who stole the Australian limelight.
20 year old amateur, Jack Trent, who earned a start in the event courtesy of winning a collegiate event earlier this year as an attendee at the University of Nevada, produced an outstanding debut in a PGA Tour event by firstly making the cut then recording a final round of 68 to finish in a share of 29th.
His effort was dampened a little by a double bogey at his 72nd hole but he will look back on the week with the most positive of memories including his practice round with fellow Queenslander, Adam Scott, earlier in the week.
“Yeah, that was a special moment,” said Trent referring to his round with Scott. “I think I was more nervous on the first tee with him than at the tournament. Really super guy, really chilled, relaxed, easy to talk to; beautiful swing as well. He made it really easy and comfortable for me starting off the week, yeah.”
Trent actually finished ahead of Scott this week after Australia’s leading ranked player quadruple bogeyed his 4th hole today after visiting a native vegetation area. Scott slipped 34 places with his round of 74 to finish 42nd.
The manner in which he handled such a significant milestone in his career (a PGA Tour debut) augurs well for Trent who also made it to the match play stages of the US Amateur two months ago.
Smith’s last round of 65 earned him a share of 13th and is a positive rebound from a missed cut in his last start at the Sandersons Farms Championship.
Matt Jones tied with Trent for 29th and Aaron Baddeley was 37th.
The event was won by Kevin Na who parred the second extra hole of a playoff against Patrick Cantlay to win for the second time at the TPC Summerlin. Both players had parred the first extra hole before Na sealed his 4th PGA Tour title despite a near disastrous triple bogey at his 10th hole today.
The PGA Tour will now move to Humble in Texas for the re-scheduled Houston Open.
SCORES
Scrivener 7th as Rahm Successfully defends in Spain
John Rahm – Getty Images
Jason Scrivener has finished as the leading Australian at the Open de Espana in Madrid, recording his best European Tour finish in eight months with a 7th place finish at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.
Scrivener finished ten shots from the winner, Jon Rahm, who successfully defended his 2018 title when winning by five shots over fellow countryman Rafa Cabrera Bello.
Scrivener will now move to 57th in the Race to Dubai Rankings but in order for him to make the field for the season ending DP Dubai World Championship in November he needs to be inside the top 50 so has further work to do over the next six weeks or so.
30-year old Scrivener, born in South Africa but raised in Perth in Western Australia, won €34,000 (A$55,000) although after beginning his round with consecutive birdie at the first and second holes there was a period where it might have been an even better week.
Dimi Papdatos was the next best of the Australians when he finished 23rd, Brett Rumford was 30th, Jake McLeod 49th and Deyen Lawson 55th.
Rahm will improve to perhaps as high as 4th in the world ranking subject to the final standings at the PGA Tour event in Las Vegas to be completed later in the day.
Rahm took a five-shot lead into the final day and although frustrated early in his round things began to move forward when he eagled the 4th hole to establish an unassailable lead.
It was Rahm’s second win of the 2019 season to go with his victory at the Irish Open and runner-up finishes at the BMW PGA Championship and Andalucia Masters and sweeps him to the top of the Race to Dubai rankings.
Scores
Whitney Hillier Records Best Finish in Two Years
Hillier in action today – Ladies European Tour
West Australian Whitney Hillier today recorded her best result in nearly two years when she finished 4th at the Ladies European Tour’s Hero Women’s Indian Open.
The 28-year old from the Joondalup Golf Club in Perth was unable to capitalise fully on her fast start to the week, when leading through 36 holes, but the €20,000 she collected for her impressive week will move her to 19th place on the Ladies European Tour money list.
Hillier has yet to win in professional golf but she has been twice 3rd on the Ladies European Tour and now 4th and following a 7th place finish last week her form appears to be finding consistency.
Hillier finished five shots behind the winner Christine Wolf of Austria who was in turn three shots ahead of Marianne Skarpnord.
Queenslander Becky Kay, one of Australia’s best amateurs before turning professional recently finished 37th on her debut as a professional.
Kay is schedule to attend the Second Stage of LPGA Tour qualifying in Florida in a week’s time.