Photo Victor Perez – Getty Images
The 54 hole cut has been made at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Scotland with England’s Matthew Southgate and Frenchman Victor Perez tied at the top of the leaderboard at 20 under par.
Each player in the field has thus far played one round at each of the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns and for those who survived the very low cut of 9 under par they will return to St Andrews for the final round on Sunday.
For both Perez and Southgate, tomorrow represents an opportunity for a breakthrough victory on the European Tour.
Both players missed the cut at their last European Tour starts so this performance represents a significant turnaround in fortunes although 13 players are within five shots heading into the final round and so they will need to keep pressing forward if that breakthrough victory is to eventuate.
The pair leads by two over England’s Paul Waring but lurking just another shot back is Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren and American Tony Finau.
Perez, who lives with his partner in nearby Dundee, will be vying for a first European Tour victory in his rookie season, having graduated from the European Challenge Tour last year. The 27-year-old carded an eight under 64 at Kingsbarns Golf Links which included a run of five successive birdies.
Southgate, meanwhile, is making his 140th appearance on Tour and the closest he has come was a share of second place at the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. The 30-year-old signed for a seven under 65 at the Old Course after finishing with a birdie at the ninth, his 18th.
“My swing feels very solid,” said Soutgate. “I feel very happy in my own head at the minute and playing with such a clear mind and just easy swing thoughts. The biggest job tomorrow is going to be keeping me in check rather than the golf swing. I’m hitting the ball fantastic the first three days, so there’s no reason why I can’t shoot another good score.
“Someone is going to post a good number, so it’s going to take a good score to get the win. I’m so passionate about winning tournaments and being here at the Home of Golf, tomorrow is going to be a difficult one to just keep myself in check and keep producing what I have done the first three days.”
“It was awesome,” said Perez. “Bit windier today. Out of all the courses, we got a bit fortunate to play here today, being a bit wider off the tee. Maybe the guys at Carnoustie would have been the tougher course today.
But it was probably Finau who summed up the week to date the best.
“It’s very cool to be at the Home of Golf. “The Old Course, there’s nothing like it. So, to be able to tee it up tomorrow and play and have a chance to win a golf tournament here is going to be something special.”
It has not been a good week for the large Australasian contingent in the field with only New Zealander Ryan Fox, of the 16 who started the event, surviving to play the final round.
Fox though has slowly lost ground after what had been an excellent start to the event when he opened with a round of 64 on Thursday. A third round of 73 cost him a lot of ground and he now finds himself in 32nd place and nine shots from the lead.
Australians Jason Scrivener and Wade Ormsby frustratingly missed the chance to advance by just one shot and Min Woo Lee by two.
Scrivener did, however, make it into the final day Pro-Am field of 20 teams when he and partner Andrew White combined for a third round of 61 at St Andrews.
Whitney Hillier Finds Purple Patch of Form
Whitney Hillier – Ladies European Tour
What a couple of weeks it has been for West Australia’s Ladies European Tour golfer golfer, Whitney Hillier.
Last week at the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open in Spain she holed in one during her second round of the event in Sitges in Spain which led to a round of 66 and in Thursday’s opening round of this week’s Hero Women’s Indian Open she shared the lead after the opening round.
Her 7th place finish last week was just her 2nd top ten of the season and moved her to 42nd on the Ladies European Tour money list but she has a chance to improve that position considerably after her opening round of 67 in Gurugram.
“I shot five-under today,” said the 28 year old Hillier. “I made six birdies and I bogeyed the first hole, so I actually got that back pretty quickly. Overall I’m really happy with my performance today. I hit my irons well and gave myself lots of birdie chances.
“The course is looking great, as well. Last time I was here it was 2015 and it has changed a lot since then. It is very, very impressive. It’s a beautiful golf course and one of the best in the world, I think.”
Hillier shares the lead with Englishwoman, Meghan MacLaren.
Interestingly Hillier was not the only Australian female professional to hole in one last week. Sarah Kemp produced a similar feat o
n the LPGA Tour in a tournament in Indianapolis.
Jason Scrivener Starts Well in Spain
Jason Scrivener – file photo
Perth’s Jason Scrivener heads the eight Australians at the European Tour’s Open de Espana in Madrid, the West Australian in a share of 9th place and four from the leader, Kristian Krogh Johannessen.
Scrivener, currently in 57th place in the Race to Dubai Rankings, continues his push to be in the field for the season ending DP World Championship in Dubai in late November but in order to be so he needs to be inside the top 50.
After a solid start to the year Scrivener’s form in recent weeks has been well below his best but this is an encouraging start to an event which could play a role in his fortunes later in the year.
Scrivener raced to the turn in 30 in his opening round but lost momentum with a homeward nine of 37 although his round of 67 has him well placed heading into tomorrow’s second round.
European Tour rookies Jake McLeod and Deyen Lawson recorded rounds of 68 to be tied for 18th, while Dimi Papadatos and Brett Rumford were the next best of the Australians after their rounds of 1 under 70.
Norway’s Johannessen leads by one over Spanish player Adri Arnaus but amongst the group just two off the lead are defending champion Jon Rahm and his fellow Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello.
Golf Betting Thoughts for October 2nd
Jon Rahm – hot favourite to defend his national open title in Madrid.
This week we take a look at the PGA Tour’s Shriners Hospitals for Children event in Las Vegas, the European Tour’s Open de Spain in Madrid and the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic in Dallas.
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Marc Leishman’s Weekend Magic Earns 3rd Place in California
Two weeks ago Marc Leishman was forced to withdraw from the recent Military Tribute at Greenbrier following an injury caused by a wayward shot from a pro-am partner but he has bounced back in style with a 3rd place finish at the Safeway Open in California.
Leishman’s final round of 65 at the Silverado Country Club was the equal best of the day and improved the Victorian golfer 19 places from his overnight standing to record his equal best finish of the 2019 season.
Leishman only just made the cut on Friday but he stormed through the field over the weekend with rounds of 67 and 65 to finish in outright 3rd place and three shots behind the winner Cameron Champ.
It was a good week overall for the Australians with Cameron Percy continuing his fine start to the season with a share of 7th place and Adam Scott fighting back after leading early then fading on Friday and Saturday before a final round of 68 saw him finish 17th.
For Cameron Percy he has now earned US$377,000 in three events since regaining his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
Aaron Baddeley and Rhein Gibson finished tied for 33rd.
For the winner, Champ, one of the game’s longest hitters, it was his second victory on the PGA Tour and comes 11 months after his win at the Sanderson Farms Championship which was his second start on the PGA Tour.
Champ birdied his final hole to win by one over Canadian Adam Hadwin, birdies at the final three holes by Hadwin forcing Champ to fight to the end after holding a commanding lead with just a few holes to play.
The 24-year old Californian’s victory was an emotional one as he juggled contention in his home state with the terminal illness of his grandfather.
“Not matter if I win one more tournament or ten more tournaments this will be the greatest win of my career,” said Champ reflecting on the timing of the victory and his close association with his grandfather.
Improved Showing For Sarah Kemp In Indianapolis
Sarah Kemp – file photo LET
After a fast start to the 2019 season had re-established her status on the LPGA Tour, NSW’s golfer Sarah Kemp has struggled on the LPGA Tour since but a 15th place finish at this week’s Indy Women In Tech Championship in Indianapolis is her best finish since a 10th place finish at the Australian Women’s Open and will ensure her status for the 2020 season.
Kemp tied with fellow Australian Su Oh for that 15th placed finish and although the pair finished a massive 13 shots behind the runaway winner, M.J Hur, it was a solid week for both.
Victoria’s Oh has been in good form in the latter half of the season after missing six consecutive cuts earlier in the year and although yet to win on the LPGA Tour she has been twice runner-up and that breakthrough win appears not too far away.
Of the other Australians, Katherine Kirk was 5th and Hannah Green 65th while New Zealand’s Lydia Ko finished 31st.
The winner Hur led from her opening round of 63 and completed her second win of the season and her 4th on the LPGA Tour.
Hur won by four shots over Nanna Koerstz Madsen with Marina Alex another two back in third place.
Perez’s Maiden Win Comes at Home of Golf
Photo courtesy of Getty Images
Victor Perez claimed his maiden European Tour title, the Frenchman becoming the first rookie to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews Old Course, just 15 miles from the place he currently calls home, Dundee.
It was a tense battle throughout as the 27-year-old locked horns with his playing partner Matthew Southgate, having both shared a two-stroke lead heading into the final day. Perez was one stroke behind the Englishman heading into the back nine despite a flawless two under front nine.
A dropped shot at the par three 11th meant he dropped further off the pace but a birdie at the par five 14th for the 2018 European Challenge Tour graduate, and a bogey for Southgate, meant a two-shot swing had them level going down the stretch.
Southgate’s missed par putt at the 17th was decisive as Perez edged ahead and two pars at the famous final hole at the Home of Golf earned Perez – who lives in Dundee with his partner Abigail – a career-changing victory as he moved to 17th in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
Southgate could console himself with an important outright second place finish which secures his European Tour card for 2020 season after a disappointing season up to this point.
Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, won the team prize in the unique Pro-Am event alongside partner Ogden Phipps II, pipping Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry to the title.
“It’s really hard to describe right now,” said Perez.
“I feel like the emotions were really high all day, and really cold, windy, long day out there. I felt like I was able to battle. Matt played amazing. I was expecting some of the guys to charge, and we were fortunate in a it was a one-on-one battle on the back nine and was able to make that birdie on 14 that really pulled me back, and then just held strong till the end. I was fortunate it was my time today.
“The format is awesome. I think it’s a chance for the amateurs to see from inside the ropes and connect with the players, which is something that they strive and they love to do and chat with us and ask what clubs we hit and why and all these kind of questions. I think it’s really cool that we can give back those people, as well.
“Obviously there’s nothing like a win. The confidence that you get from getting it done, it’s so difficult at this level to win. Being my first year, I’m obviously delighted.”
Ryan Fox was the only Australasian to make the cut but after a fine start to the week he eventually finished in 54th place.
The European Tour now moves to Madrid for this week’s Spanish Open.
SCORES
Karl Vilips heads Australians at Asia Pacific Amateur
Karl Vilips – photo Justin Falconer Golf Australia
US based Perth golfer, Karl Vilips, has finished as the leading Australian at the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship near Shanghai in China, the 18 year old recovering from a slow start to the event to finish in a share of 8th place in his first appearance in the prestigious event for the leading male amateurs in the Asia Pacific region.
Vilips moved past Australia’s long-time leading player this week, Blake Windred, who struggled to a final round of 76 after sharing the lead into the final day.
Windred was on the back foot early on day four, two bogeys early were followed by a brief fightback before a double bogey at the 9th. He would then drop shots at his last three holes to finish 13th.
Vilips, who later this year will head the International side in the Junior Presidents Cup, is scheduled to play collegiate golf at Stanford University in California in 2020 but he is already accumulating quite a record in amateur golf having won several significant junior events and in 2018 the Southern Amateur Championship.
Windred finished in 13th place while fellow Australians Nathan Barbieri and David Micheluzzi were 18th, Jack Thompson 21st and Kyle Michel 54th.
Harry Hillier was the best of the New Zealanders when he finished 18th.
The winner of the tournament was China’s Yuxin Lin who defeated the defending champion Takumi Kanaya at the second extra hole of a playoff to win the event for the second occasion having also won in 2017 in Wellington in New Zealand.
“It definitely means a lot to me, especially this week, winning at home is certainly huge for me and for China golf, as well. I’m just really honored to be alongside Hideki as a two-time winner,” said Lin, who turns 19 in two weeks.
The 18th hole had proven troublesome for Lin, who played the hole in four over par over his last three rounds.
“I was having a little trouble with the 18th three days in a row. We knew there were extra holes coming up and stepping on the 18th again wasn’t a great feeling for me. And especially that lie off the tee shot, in the first extra hole, definitely not what you wanted.
“But at least everything turned out pretty well, so pretty satisfied,” added the world No. 114, who clinched his first AAC title with an impressive birdie-eagle finish at Royal Wellington Golf Club in New Zealand.
“I didn’t really think about the win. I was just trying to play some good golf out there. I made some mistakes throughout the round but stayed patient the whole time.
“It really matters a lot playing against the best amateur in the world right now, and especially to be able to get that win is definitely huge. Obviously, Takumi is a great player. It gives me a lot of confidence to be able to compete with the No. 1 player in the world in extra holes.”
Lin gets to play the Masters and the Open Championship in 2020 having also played those events in 2018 as a result of his win at the Royal Wellington Golf Club.
It was China’s fourth victory in the event which has been running since 2009.
The winner Yuxin Lin – photo courtesy of AAC Golf
Brendan Jones Finishes 9th at Panasonic Open
The winner Toshi Muto – Asian Tour
Brendan Jones has finished in 9th place at the Panasonic Open near Osaka in Japan, a final round of 1 under par 70 giving the 44 year old Canberra golfer just his second top ten of the Japan Tour season although his other was a victory in the opening event of the domestic season.
Jones earned 4.2 million yen (A$57,000) for his finish and moves to 11th on the Japan Tour money list.
Jason Norris 34th, Brad Kennedy 37th and Andrew Dodt 50th were the other Australians to make the cut in the event jointly sanctioned between the Japan and Asian Tours.
The tournament was won in emphatic style by Toshinori Muto who won by four Shugo Imahira, Imahira recording his 10th top ten finish of the season.
Imahira finished alone in second place with another in form golfer, Ryo Ishikawa, one further back.
For Muto, it was his 7th Japan Tour win although his first since 2015. Consecutive weekend rounds of 64 saw him draw clear to win almost as he liked by an impressive margin over two quality players.
54 Hole Cut Made at Alfred Dunhill Championship
Photo Victor Perez – Getty Images
The 54 hole cut has been made at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Scotland with England’s Matthew Southgate and Frenchman Victor Perez tied at the top of the leaderboard at 20 under par.
Each player in the field has thus far played one round at each of the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns and for those who survived the very low cut of 9 under par they will return to St Andrews for the final round on Sunday.
For both Perez and Southgate, tomorrow represents an opportunity for a breakthrough victory on the European Tour.
Both players missed the cut at their last European Tour starts so this performance represents a significant turnaround in fortunes although 13 players are within five shots heading into the final round and so they will need to keep pressing forward if that breakthrough victory is to eventuate.
The pair leads by two over England’s Paul Waring but lurking just another shot back is Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren and American Tony Finau.
Perez, who lives with his partner in nearby Dundee, will be vying for a first European Tour victory in his rookie season, having graduated from the European Challenge Tour last year. The 27-year-old carded an eight under 64 at Kingsbarns Golf Links which included a run of five successive birdies.
Southgate, meanwhile, is making his 140th appearance on Tour and the closest he has come was a share of second place at the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. The 30-year-old signed for a seven under 65 at the Old Course after finishing with a birdie at the ninth, his 18th.
“My swing feels very solid,” said Soutgate. “I feel very happy in my own head at the minute and playing with such a clear mind and just easy swing thoughts. The biggest job tomorrow is going to be keeping me in check rather than the golf swing. I’m hitting the ball fantastic the first three days, so there’s no reason why I can’t shoot another good score.
“Someone is going to post a good number, so it’s going to take a good score to get the win. I’m so passionate about winning tournaments and being here at the Home of Golf, tomorrow is going to be a difficult one to just keep myself in check and keep producing what I have done the first three days.”
“It was awesome,” said Perez. “Bit windier today. Out of all the courses, we got a bit fortunate to play here today, being a bit wider off the tee. Maybe the guys at Carnoustie would have been the tougher course today.
But it was probably Finau who summed up the week to date the best.
“It’s very cool to be at the Home of Golf. “The Old Course, there’s nothing like it. So, to be able to tee it up tomorrow and play and have a chance to win a golf tournament here is going to be something special.”
It has not been a good week for the large Australasian contingent in the field with only New Zealander Ryan Fox, of the 16 who started the event, surviving to play the final round.
Fox though has slowly lost ground after what had been an excellent start to the event when he opened with a round of 64 on Thursday. A third round of 73 cost him a lot of ground and he now finds himself in 32nd place and nine shots from the lead.
Australians Jason Scrivener and Wade Ormsby frustratingly missed the chance to advance by just one shot and Min Woo Lee by two.
Scrivener did, however, make it into the final day Pro-Am field of 20 teams when he and partner Andrew White combined for a third round of 61 at St Andrews.
Adam Scott falls off pace at Safeway Open
Adam Scott was unable to maintain the pace of his opening round of 65 at the Safeway Open at the Silverado Golf Club in Napa in California, a second round of 73 leaving the 39-year old six shots off the pace of Bryson DeChambeau who leads by two over Nick Watney.
Scott had shared the opening round lead with Andrew Landry but, after a birdie at the first, he soon lost momentum and eventually finished one over for the day and 6 under for the tournament at the halfway stage.
Scott was not helped by poor tee shots at the 17th and 18th holes which led to a bogey and a missed birdie opportunity at the last and he now faces a big task over the weekend to reel in the leaders.
A resurgent and now injury free Cameron Percy is the next best Australian along with Aaron Baddeley, the pair just one shot behind Scott and tied for 22nd.
Marc Leishman and Rhein Gibson also made the cut but are well back.
DeChambeau is playing the event for the third occasion having finished 17th in his last visit two years ago and having missed the cut in his opening event of the new PGA Tour season in White Sulphur Springs last week this is a welcome return to form.