Byeong Hun An – file photo
If Ernie Els needed any guidance in finalising his International Presidents Cup side, then he could have done worse than witnessing the opening round of the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Nine Bridges event on Jeju Island in Korea today.
Byeong Hun An, Joaquin Niemann, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Emiliano Grillo and Dylan Frittelli have all made good starts to the US$9.75 million event, all five surely amongst considerations, at least, for one of Els’ captain’s picks on Monday November 4th.
Jason Day and Joaquin Niemann are likely already a lock for a place although they probably needed to at least play well in these next two weeks but An and Im are very much in the group just a level below as perhaps are Grillo and Frittelli so their performances this week and in Japan next week are crucial.
28 year old An leads the event at the completion of the opening round by one shot over Niemann with Day another shot back and alone in 3rd place after his round of 66.
Im is tied for 9th one behind Day while Grillo is another shot back.
Others to start the event well and who might yet be considerations are Dylan Frittelli who is six shots from the lead.
Niemann, perhaps, secured his place with his recent win on the PGA Tour but he needed to keep playing well and this is likely enough to solidify his ticket to Royal Melbourne.
Jason Day was probably always going to get one of the picks but he needed to play well after his recent lengthy break from tournament golf and today was the perfect way to display his readiness.
I’m pleased, but I’m a little bit disappointed about 18 because I hit a nice drive down there, had 8 iron in my hand and short sided myself,” said Day
“But I think overall it’s a great start and I think to be able to capitalize on a day like we had today because we’re not used to the wind being down like it was.
“I’m excited to see how the rest of the week goes. Last week, I spent a lot of time with Col (Colin Swatton, his coach). He came and he was in for the week. I was actually working with him that week and things are looking good. I feel good about the game, so hopefully things keep going the way they did today.”
Im was Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour and having won a Korean Tour event last week he has again started well with a round of 68 to be knocking on the door once again.
Grillo recovered from a slow start with a closing nine of 32 to be close enough if good enough over the final 54 holes. He, too, will need something special over the next two weeks, having missed his last two cuts and is perhaps on the outside looking in but something special this week or next and you never know.
Frittelli has been playing well in the new season and did win on the PGA Tour in July so a good finish here or in Japan might be good enough.
The final decisions will of course be made by Ernie Els but he must be delighted that those in the mix are showing the appropriate form at just the right time.
Day heads the Australians at 6 under with Cameron Smith just one behind after his round of 67, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones 72 and Won Joon Lee 74.
Scores
Ryan Fox Shares French Open Lead
File Photo: Ryan Fox – Henry Peters
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox continued his climb from a mid-season slump by taking a share of the lead at the Amundi Open de France at Le Golf National in Paris.
Fox’s opening round of 65 has him tied with South African George Coetzee on a golf course where he has performed well previously. In 2017 Fox finished 6th at this same event and venue against a stronger field than the one he faces this week.
After his breakthrough European Tour win in Perth earlier this year, Fox missed seven consecutive cuts before a solid week at the Open Championship began to turn things around and a top twenty finish in Italy last week was further proof that his game was getting back to the high level he produced in patches in 2017 and 2018.
“I’m pretty happy,” said Fox. “This is a golf course that can kick you pretty quickly. I played really solid today. Holed some putts. Played those tough holes, that closing stretch, really well. I could have potentially grabbed a couple more on those last four, which is always a bonus, but very happy to walk away with a 65 around here.
“You’ve got to drive it really well. For the most part I did a really good job of keeping it in play. A couple holes I hit poor tee shots and I managed to scramble and make pars from there, which is nice. But yeah, you just keep yourself out of trouble.”
Although the prizemoney this week is significantly less than that of previous years at the French Open, it is nonetheless and important week for Fox as he looks to force his way into the top 50 in the Race to Dubai rankings (he is currently 55th) and earn a start at the season ending DP World Tour Championship Dubai in late November.
There are still several events in which he can do so but if he can take advantage of this good start then things become easier for the 32-year old from Auckland.
Fox and Coetzee lead by one over American, Kurt Kitayama, Frenchman, Benjamin Herbert, and Scot, Richie Ramsay.
Victorian, Deyen Lawson, struggling for survival on the European Tour, is the next best of the Australasians after his opening round of 68 left him in a share of 13th place, Jason Scrivener is 25th, Lucas Herbert 50th, Nick Cullen 65th with Jake McLeod and Sam Brazel further back.
Jones Leads Japan Open as Scott Struggles
Brendan Jones – file photo courtesy of PGA of Australia
Canberra golfer, Brendan Jones has won fifteen titles in his eighteen years on the Japan Tour but, to date, the most prestigious event in Japanese golf, the Japan Open, has eluded him.
Today, he set about changing that with an opening round of 3 under 68 at the Hoga Golf Club in Fukuoka in southern Japan to lead the event by one.
Jones leads over one of Japan’s rising stars, Rikuya Hoshino, with another four Japanese players at 1 under par, only six players in total breaking par on the demanding Koga Golf Club layout.
Jones has managed to win events such as the Crowns and the Visa Taiheiyo Championship but he has typically had a love hate relationship with national open.
There has been the occasional top ten, in fact he has been 3rd (at this venue 11 years ago) and 4th previously but if he was to become just the third Australian to win the event it would continue what has been a remarkable and yet understated career which has him as the leading foreign career money earner in Japan.
Craig Parry and Paul Sheehan are previous Australian winners and Graham Marsh and Terry Gale have finished runner-up but the significant title continues to remain elusive.
Jones was out in the afternoon field on day one and recorded six birdies and three bogeys in his round and tomorrow gets the chance for an early morning tee time to hopefully increase his lead.
Brad Kennedy and Matthew Griffin are the next best of the Australians but they are six shots from the lead and tied for 33rd.
The surprise of the day was the 5 over par round of one of the event’s pre-tournament favourites, Adam Scott, leaving him tied for 72nd place.
The News is Good For Ernie Els at C.J. Cup
Byeong Hun An – file photo
If Ernie Els needed any guidance in finalising his International Presidents Cup side, then he could have done worse than witnessing the opening round of the PGA Tour’s CJ Cup Nine Bridges event on Jeju Island in Korea today.
Byeong Hun An, Joaquin Niemann, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Emiliano Grillo and Dylan Frittelli have all made good starts to the US$9.75 million event, all five surely amongst considerations, at least, for one of Els’ captain’s picks on Monday November 4th.
Jason Day and Joaquin Niemann are likely already a lock for a place although they probably needed to at least play well in these next two weeks but An and Im are very much in the group just a level below as perhaps are Grillo and Frittelli so their performances this week and in Japan next week are crucial.
28 year old An leads the event at the completion of the opening round by one shot over Niemann with Day another shot back and alone in 3rd place after his round of 66.
Im is tied for 9th one behind Day while Grillo is another shot back.
Others to start the event well and who might yet be considerations are Dylan Frittelli who is six shots from the lead.
Niemann, perhaps, secured his place with his recent win on the PGA Tour but he needed to keep playing well and this is likely enough to solidify his ticket to Royal Melbourne.
Jason Day was probably always going to get one of the picks but he needed to play well after his recent lengthy break from tournament golf and today was the perfect way to display his readiness.
I’m pleased, but I’m a little bit disappointed about 18 because I hit a nice drive down there, had 8 iron in my hand and short sided myself,” said Day
“But I think overall it’s a great start and I think to be able to capitalize on a day like we had today because we’re not used to the wind being down like it was.
“I’m excited to see how the rest of the week goes. Last week, I spent a lot of time with Col (Colin Swatton, his coach). He came and he was in for the week. I was actually working with him that week and things are looking good. I feel good about the game, so hopefully things keep going the way they did today.”
Im was Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour and having won a Korean Tour event last week he has again started well with a round of 68 to be knocking on the door once again.
Grillo recovered from a slow start with a closing nine of 32 to be close enough if good enough over the final 54 holes. He, too, will need something special over the next two weeks, having missed his last two cuts and is perhaps on the outside looking in but something special this week or next and you never know.
Frittelli has been playing well in the new season and did win on the PGA Tour in July so a good finish here or in Japan might be good enough.
The final decisions will of course be made by Ernie Els but he must be delighted that those in the mix are showing the appropriate form at just the right time.
Day heads the Australians at 6 under with Cameron Smith just one behind after his round of 67, Marc Leishman and Matt Jones 72 and Won Joon Lee 74.
Scores
Betting Thoughts for October 17th
Alex Noren – one of the chances in France this week
This week we take a close look at the PGA Tour’s CJ Open in Korea, the LPGA Tour event in Shanghai and the French Open in Versailles near Paris.
Good luck with your investments.
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Busy Australian Summer for Adam Scott
Photo – Adam Scott on a previous visit to the Australian Open
The announcement today that Adam Scott will play the Australian Open in Sydney in early December ensures a busy summer of golf for the Queenslander.
With Scott committing to the Australian PGA Championship earlier in the year and heading the International side for the Presidents Cup, the 39 year old will play three consecutive events in Australia in December.
It will be his busiest Australian schedule since 2013 when he triumphantly returned from his Masters breakthrough to win the Australian PGA Championship, the World Cup of Golf with Jason Day and to play the Australian Open in which he lost narrowly to Rory McIlroy.
The 2009 Stonehaven Cup winner and long-time Aussie fan favourite will make a 14th appearance in his national championship.
Scott, who is this week playing the Japan Open, will be returning home following a solid 2019 campaign, including three consecutive top-10 finishes in the recent FedEx Cup playoffs.
“I’m really looking forward to playing at The Australian Golf Club again and giving myself a chance at a second Stonehaven Cup,” Scott said of the 5-8 December tournament.
“Sydney is front of mind for me at the moment as we’ve also just announced a scholarship program with the University of Sydney.”
Scott has a remarkable Australian Open record. The nine-time Presidents Cup star has only once finished outside the top 15 in 13 previous appearances – including six top-fives – and his stroke average over 51 tournament rounds is an extraordinary 70.27 with his win coming at the nearby New South Wales Golf Club.
Scott’s signature adds even more class to an already stellar field that boasts fellow Aussie favourites Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.
It includes four-time major champ Ernie Els, Open Championship hero Louis Oosthuizen and in-form European Tour stars Paul Casey and Sergio Garcia, as well as Presidents Cup debutant, CT Pan.
Sky Sport Becomes NZ Open Presenting Sponsor
Millbrook Resort – Host venue for the 2020 NZ Open
New Zealand’s premier golfing event, The New Zealand Open, is delighted to announce a new long-term partnership agreement, whereby current broadcast partner Sky Sport will also be the Presenting Sponsor for the event.
Sky Sport have supported the New Zealand Open as its broadcast partner since the tournament’s move to Queenstown eight years ago.
New Zealand Open Tournament Chairman John Hart is delighted to have Sky and the Sky Sport team continue their support and invest in the future of the tournament.
“It’s pleasing to have such an iconic New Zealand company providing support for our tournament,” said Mr. Hart
“Sky have been there from the start of our involvement with the event, and to now see them grow their part in the tournament is both reassuring and gratifying.
“This commitment from Sky allows us to continue planning for a positive long-term future for the tournament, as we strive to become one of the world’s pre-eminent Pro-Am events.”
Sky Chief Executive Martin Stewart says Sky is delighted to be supporting the New Zealand Open which has become a staple in the New Zealand sporting calendar.
“Sky has been broadcasting this special event for a number of years. It’s been fantastic to see how this tournament has grown into one of the leading events in the country in that time. We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with the team at the New Zealand Open and its partners to take it to the next level.”
The tournament will now be known as The New Zealand Open, Presented by Sky Sport.
Below: the Sky Sport production team at the 2019 NZ Open
Australasians Chasing LPGA Tour Dream
Becky Kay – one of Australia’s best performed amateurs of late gets her chance
The LPGA Tour continues its search for new recruits when Stage 2 of its qualifying gets underway in Venice in Florida later today.
Amongst the field of 185 vying for a minimum of 30 positions in next month’s Q Series finals at Pinehurst Resort are five Australians and one New Zealander who play 72 holes at the Plantation Golf and Country Club.
Queenslander Robyn Choi had status on the LPGA Tour this season but such has been her indifferent form that she is required to start again at Stage 11.
Former Pepperdine University golfer Hira Naveed of Perth, New South Wales golfers Soo Jin Lee and Celina Juan and Queenslander Becky Kay also get their chance having advanced from Stage 1 in August while New Zealand’s Julianne Alvarez, a star during her time at the University of Washington, looks to join her fellow countrywoman, Lydia Ko, as the only New Zealanders on the LPGA Tour.
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.”