Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood the stars of day one – Courtesy of Getty Images
Europe has defied the odds, bouncing back from an early opening day deficit to lead the Ryder Cup at the end of day one.
The Europeans will take a 5-3 lead into the second day of the event at Le Golf National after losing the morning Fourball match-ups 3-1.
The Europeans whitewash of the Americans 4-0 in the afternoon Foursomes sent signals to the Americans that if they want to successfully defend their 2016 victory and take the Ryder Cup back to the USA they have a lot of work and soul searching to do.
The shining light for Captain Thomas Bjørn’s European side was the performance of Open Champion Francesco Molinari and 2017 Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood. The pair defeated Patrick Reed and Tiger Woods 3&1, avoiding the possibility of a whitewash in the first session as seen at Hazeltine in 2016.
That same pair easily accounted for Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in their afternoon Foursome match.
European captain Thomas Bjorn was understandably delighted with the turnaround and singled out the pairing of Fleetwood and Molinari as the catalyst for the team’s afternoon heroics.
But while that combination was the shining light of the morning for the Europeans all of the pairings excelled in the afternoon
“It was a bit of a roller coaster ride, to be honest. We were obviously disappointed with this morning. I think a couple of guys came in and felt like they couldn’t get out of the matches what they wanted. There was a good feeling about going out and trying to do something this afternoon, pretty much the way before I got on the golf course, to be honest. So it was a great afternoon.
“This morning session could easily have finished 2-2, but it could also have been a whitewash the other way, and obviously that makes a difference; that [Fleetwood & Molinari] stand up in the end and holes the putts on 15, 16, 17 to win the match when it really matters. It gives them belief, but also gives their teammates hope.”
It was the first ever occasion that a European aside had won all four matches in a foursomes session and the first time since 1989 that such has been achieved in any session.
A no doubt shell-shocked US captain, Jim Furyk, was putting as positive a spin as possible on the result of day one but there will be a lot of soul searching over the next 12 hours as the combinations for tomorrow afternoon foursomes are resorted in an endeavour to establish more successful combinations.
“You know, you’ve got to look at it, we played for eight points so far out of 28. The event’s still pretty young. We’ve got one more team format tomorrow and then the singles. Eight out of 28, you know, pretty small percentage of this golf tournament been played.
“In medal play, you can shoot 68 and 78, and you’re down ten shots and you’ve got to try to make that up for the next three days, right. In match play, you can make a 10 on a hole and the other guy makes a 3 and you only lose one hole. You can make that up the very next hole. Kind of the same thing with these matches, you lose 6&5, you lose 2&1, it’s still the same result, correct?
“We have to shore things up, and I’m guessing we’ll switch things up in the afternoon tomorrow. We’ve already been thinking about that.”
While all match outcomes now become crucial, the most interest tomorrow morning will be the rematch between Americans Woods and Reed and the unbeaten Fleetwood and Molinari. The Americans will be keen to atone for their loss on day one.
The modern era Ryder Cup has often proved to be a roller coaster over the opening two days so all is not lost for the Americans but there is a little doubt a shot was fired across the bows of the side that is on paper at least the strongest of the two.
Scores
Is this a new Australian era on the PGA Tour?
This week sees the debut of Australians Cameron Davis and Curtis Luck as cardholders on the PGA tour, the pair in the field for the opening event of the wraparound 2018/2019 PGA Tour season, the Safeway Open in Napa in California.
The former Australian Amateur and current Australian Open Champion, Davis, and the 2016 US, Asia Pacific Amateur and Eisenhower Trophy Championship winner, Luck, both earned the right to play on the world’s biggest golfing stage when securing their cards via the recent Web.Com Tour Finals and appear set for significant careers.
23 year old Davis has already showcased his considerable talent in the paid ranks with his brilliant win in the Australian Open at the Australian Golf Club last year and his victory on the Web.Com Tour earlier this season, his powerful game expected to be suited to the style of golf he will face week in week out on the PGA tour.
22 year old Luck (see photo above) is not blessed with quite the same power as Davis although he is more than adequate in that regard and is considered by those who have watched him through the latter stages of his amateur career and early stages in professional golf to be a craftsman and artist in his field.
Luck’s brilliant season in 2016 where he claimed three of the World’s most significant amateur titles has set him up for a professional career and while he has yet to win in the paid ranks he did win the 2016 West Australian Open as an amateur and has finished 5th in a PGA Tour event while playing on invite.
Both players will be keen to make a fast start to their PGA Tour careers in order that they avoid any re-rank issues which kick in early in the New Year but they certainly have the pedigree and experience, even at this early stage, to do well.
Cameron Davis with his Australian Amateur trophy – Golf Australia
They join fellow Australians Aaron Baddeley, Brett Drewitt, John Senden and Matt Jones in this week’s field, Jones too playing his way back onto the PGA Tour through the Web.Com Tour Finals while for Baddeley and Drewitt they Monday qualified for the event after recording rounds of 65 and securing one of the four places in the field available through that process.
Baddeley and Drewitt missed out on making the top 25 during the Web.Com Tour Finals but have rebounded with an impressive effort just to get a start this week.
The $US6.4 million event is played at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa in California.
Europeans overcome early deficit to take Ryder Cup lead
Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood the stars of day one – Courtesy of Getty Images
Europe has defied the odds, bouncing back from an early opening day deficit to lead the Ryder Cup at the end of day one.
The Europeans will take a 5-3 lead into the second day of the event at Le Golf National after losing the morning Fourball match-ups 3-1.
The Europeans whitewash of the Americans 4-0 in the afternoon Foursomes sent signals to the Americans that if they want to successfully defend their 2016 victory and take the Ryder Cup back to the USA they have a lot of work and soul searching to do.
The shining light for Captain Thomas Bjørn’s European side was the performance of Open Champion Francesco Molinari and 2017 Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood. The pair defeated Patrick Reed and Tiger Woods 3&1, avoiding the possibility of a whitewash in the first session as seen at Hazeltine in 2016.
That same pair easily accounted for Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in their afternoon Foursome match.
European captain Thomas Bjorn was understandably delighted with the turnaround and singled out the pairing of Fleetwood and Molinari as the catalyst for the team’s afternoon heroics.
But while that combination was the shining light of the morning for the Europeans all of the pairings excelled in the afternoon
“It was a bit of a roller coaster ride, to be honest. We were obviously disappointed with this morning. I think a couple of guys came in and felt like they couldn’t get out of the matches what they wanted. There was a good feeling about going out and trying to do something this afternoon, pretty much the way before I got on the golf course, to be honest. So it was a great afternoon.
“This morning session could easily have finished 2-2, but it could also have been a whitewash the other way, and obviously that makes a difference; that [Fleetwood & Molinari] stand up in the end and holes the putts on 15, 16, 17 to win the match when it really matters. It gives them belief, but also gives their teammates hope.”
It was the first ever occasion that a European aside had won all four matches in a foursomes session and the first time since 1989 that such has been achieved in any session.
A no doubt shell-shocked US captain, Jim Furyk, was putting as positive a spin as possible on the result of day one but there will be a lot of soul searching over the next 12 hours as the combinations for tomorrow afternoon foursomes are resorted in an endeavour to establish more successful combinations.
“You know, you’ve got to look at it, we played for eight points so far out of 28. The event’s still pretty young. We’ve got one more team format tomorrow and then the singles. Eight out of 28, you know, pretty small percentage of this golf tournament been played.
“In medal play, you can shoot 68 and 78, and you’re down ten shots and you’ve got to try to make that up for the next three days, right. In match play, you can make a 10 on a hole and the other guy makes a 3 and you only lose one hole. You can make that up the very next hole. Kind of the same thing with these matches, you lose 6&5, you lose 2&1, it’s still the same result, correct?
“We have to shore things up, and I’m guessing we’ll switch things up in the afternoon tomorrow. We’ve already been thinking about that.”
While all match outcomes now become crucial, the most interest tomorrow morning will be the rematch between Americans Woods and Reed and the unbeaten Fleetwood and Molinari. The Americans will be keen to atone for their loss on day one.
The modern era Ryder Cup has often proved to be a roller coaster over the opening two days so all is not lost for the Americans but there is a little doubt a shot was fired across the bows of the side that is on paper at least the strongest of the two.
Scores
Audio Betting Guide Ryder Cup Week
With two or three of our selections performing well last week in various events around the world, this week we take a look a the Ryder Cup, the Tokai Classic on the Japan Tour and the Pure Insurance event on the Champions Tour.
Denny McCarthy ($17) was a good return at the Web.Com Tour Championship and Billy Horschel ($26) and Eddie Pepperell ($19) were others who provided a return for those betting each way.
Click below for this week’s thoughts.
The Ryder Cup – Bring It On
The Ryder Cup has become not only the greatest contest and spectacle in the world of golf it is now firmly entrenched as one of the sporting world’s most eagerly anticipated encounters.
From the near ashes of the regular defeats experienced by a Great Britain then Great Britain and Ireland side from the events inception in 1927 until the introduction of Continental Europe into the fold in 1979, the event has grown to the point where the outcome in any given year is never a given.
In the period between 1927 and 1977 the USA side dominated, winning 18 of the 22 encounters and sharing honours in another. Great Britain and Great Britain and Ireland (the side embraced Ireland in 1973) won on only three occasions during that period.
Since 1979, however, when Spain’s Severiano Ballesteros and Antonio Garrido brought a Continental European flavour to the side for the first time, the European side has won on ten occasions and lost 8 with one tied.
In fact, since and including 1985 when four Spaniards and Germany’s Bernhard Langer strengthened their side even further, Europe have won ten of the sixteen encounters and drawn one.
Not only has the growing strength of continental European players play its role, but so too has the emergence and greater self belief of British and Irish stars such as major champions Nick Faldo, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam amongst others.
Clearly the introduction of players from Europe in 1979 and, in turn, their elevation to the elite of the game however has served to provide Europe with domination in this second Ryder Cup era and created one of the most watched events in sport.
In 2018 the Americans are, on paper for what it is worth, again the favourites but as has so often been shown in the encounters since 1985 that factor is of little importance in the heat and passion that has become synonymous with such.
In 2018, six of the USA side are inside the current top ten in the latest World Ranking as the event gets underway while only one is outside the top 20.
Of the Europeans, they have only four inside the world’s top ten but perhaps tellingly they have six of their team ranked outside the top 20 in the world.
The factors that will balance this discrepancy to a large extent however are the essentially home ground advantage the European side will have, that most have played Le Golf National in Paris on many occasions and that despite the contrasting nationalities and cultures within the European side they have been regularly able to capitalise on the David verses Goliath mentality that can so often work in the favour of the underdog.
Both sides carry rookies, three (Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Justin Thomas) amongst the Americans while Europe have five Ryder Cup Debutantes in their line-up. Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrell Hatton, Alexander Noren and Thorbjorn Olesen face the heat of Ryder Cup for the very first occasions and while no doubt excited to be in the team they must now perform at a level of intensity they will have never experienced previously.
Despite the fact that neither side holds any real emotional ties to those of us down here in the southern hemisphere that this event captures our attention perhaps more than any other tells the story of a sporting contest that has captured the attention not only those from the participating regions but the golfing and sporting world as a whole.
Friday can’t come quickly enough.
Ryder Cup fever
Peter Lonard gets Champions Tour opportunity
That a player of the quality of Peter Lonard struggles to earn starts on the Champions Tour tells the story of just what a hard school it is in which to even get the chance to play.
The two time Australian Open, three-time Australian PGA, two time Australian Masters Champion, a PGA Tour event winner (Heritage Classic) and the accumulator of more than US$9.5 million in his PGA Tour career is forced, like most others, to go through the very egalitarian process of accessing the Champions Tour.
In five Champions Tour events which Lonard has been afforded starts through various means, he has earned a cheque, finishing 3rd on debut behind Bernhard Langer and Corey Pavin at the 2017 Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl and in the other events he has been able to access he has finished no worse than 26th but he remains without the necessary status to play the tour on a regular basis.
Lonard missed out on qualifying at last year’s Champions Tour Q School but given that only five players gained a card through that process it was never an easy task and he will again tackle that demanding examination later this year.
Two weeks ago, Lonard missed out on pre-event qualifying for the Champions Tour event in Michigan, losing out on one of five spots when beaten in a playoff after shooting 5 under par.
This week he again missed out in pre-event qualifying for the Sanford International in Sioux Falls in South Dakota but has managed to get a start from the reserve bench following the late withdrawal of Scott Verplank and now gets the opportunity to play his 6th Champions Tour event.
It would seem for Lonard, whose game appears ready-made for success on the Champions Tour, the opportunity to build continuity of play will allow him to fulfill his considerable promise at this level.
This, after all, is just his just fifth event of any type in the last six months so the chance to play competitively once again is a much sought after one for the now 51 year old Sydneysider.
Audio Golf Betting September 20th
Betting this week focuses on the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup finale, the Tour Championship in Atlanta, the Portugal Masters on the Algarve Peninsula and the Web.Com Tour’s Tour Championship in Florida.
Both Tour Championships are shaping as potentially career altering weeks for different reasons while the Portugal Masters sees the return to competitive golf of Sergio Garcia.
Important Web.Com Tour finale for Australians
Just under two years after turning professional, Cameron Davis has both an Australian Open and PGA Tour card to his name.
The 2018 Web.Com Tour season comes to a close this week with the playing of the Web.Com Tour Championship in Atlantic City in Florida where eight Australians will fight for not only the title and the US$180,000 first prize but the right to play the PGA Tour in 2019.
Two of those eight, Cameron Davis and Curtis Luck, are all but assured of a ticket to the big-time next season but, for all eight, the week provides the opportunity to either improve their current standing for 2019 or force their way onto the PGA Tour.
The leading 25 players from the four event Web.Com Tour Finals at the completion of this week’s event- after those already qualified through the regular season have been deducted – at the Atlantic Beach Country Club near Jacksonville in Florida’s north-east earn the right to play on golf’s most lucrative tour and so there will be many tournaments within a tournament and a lot of anxiety as the week progresses.
Despite missing the cut last week Sydney’s Cameron Davis is currently in 7th position in the race for one of the 25 cards. While already assured of graduation, another good week on top of his 3rd place finish three starts ago will enhance his prospects of plenty of early season starts.
West Australian Curtis Luck dropped two places last week and is currently in 16th place. His total of US$41,000 has historically been enough to get the job done and although mathematically possible to be gazumped this week he appears safe. A cut made would certainly be enough.
Victorian Aaron Baddeley sits precariously in 20th position. The final total required is very much a moving feast as a player not only has to rely on his own efforts but those of others although a top 30 would appear to be enough for Baddeley to regain full PGA Tour status.
Baddeley does enjoy the luxury, if that is what it can be called, of partial status on the PGA tour courtesy of a 132nd placing on this year’s FedEx Cup standings. The chance to regain full status however will assist his cause in 2019 and so his performance this week is important.
Baddeley’s fellow Victorian, Cameron Percy, is currently sitting in 44th place of the 150 players eligible to play ‘The Finals’ and needs another US$26,000 or so to be guaranteed a card for 2019. On that basis a top 11 finish might be enough so the Victorian faces a big task this week.
Lismore’s Rhein Gibson is currently 58th in the standings and a finish inside the top 7 this week appears necessary for him to be on his way back to the PGA Tour where he played two years ago.
NSW’s golfer Brett Drewitt began well at last week’s Boise Open but struggled over the weekend to finish 43rd. He now appears to need a finish inside the top 6 or better to return to the PGA Tour where he played in 2017.
Queenslander John Senden is playing his way back into competitive golf after a break away from the game to attend to his son’s illness. He played several PGA Tour events in 2018 without any real success and therefore needs a big finish this week if he is to return to the PGA Tour where the former Australian Open Champion has previously won on two occasions.
Senden is languishing in 77th position on the Finals money list and therefore needs a top five 5 finish or better this week to regain PGA Tour status.
Victorian Stuart Appleby has also struggled in the Finals missing two of three cuts and he also now finds himself needing a top 5 finish this week.
A lot therefore is at stake for the Australians, the chance to reach the pinnacle of tournament golf a huge incentive to play to the best of their ability.
For those unable to reach that all important top 25 they face, in the main, a year on the Web.Com Tour where purses are typically just 10% of those available on the PGA Tour.
Curtis Luck Graduates to PGA Tour
On top of the earlier success of Australians Cameron Davis and Matt Jones in the Web.Com Tour Final Series, Curtis Luck and Aaron Baddeley have today all but assured themselves of fully exempt status on the PGA Tour next season by finishing well enough at the Albertsons Boise Open in Idaho to be guaranteed of a place in the top 25 by the completion of next week’s season ending Web.Com Tour Championship.
Birdies at two of his final two holes of the final day at the Hillcrest Golf Club has seen Luck finish in a share of 24th this week and, now in a projected 16th position in the Final Series, he can look ahead with excitement to the possibility of playing on the big stage next year.
Baddeley finished 17th this week and is currently 20th in the projected standings and while not yet completely safe he would appear to need only to make the cut in next week’s Tour Championship in Atlantic Beach in Florida to be on his way back to the PGA Tour.
Baddeley already had limited status on the PGA Tour courtesy of finishing 132nd on the FedEx Cup standings in 2018 but the chance to regain fully exempt status will assist in scheduling and in earning starts in events he might not otherwise have been able to.
Luck was of course the US Amateur and Asia Pacific Amateur Champion in 2016 and has long promised big things in the game. He made the cut as an amateur on debut at the Masters in 2017 immediately before turning professional and has always impressed as a craftsman and an artist in terms of his golfing skills.
He has another event next week to improve his standing in the Web.Com Tour Finals but to a large extent it is a case of mission accomplished.
Baddeley should get there but he will be keen to play well next week.
Katherine Kirk heads Australians at Evian Championship
Katherine Kirk leads the Australasians after day one
The final of five majors on the LPGA Tour is underway in the magnificent Evian Les Baines in France where the Evian Championship will produce a major champion for the 6th time on Sunday.
The event became a major in 2013 after years as one of, and at times, the most lucrative of LPGA Tour events and for five of the six who became major champions at the Evian Masters this was their first major title.
Early leaders this year are Spain’s Carlotta Ciganda and Puerto Rican rookie, Maria Torres, that pair one ahead of American Austin Ernst.
Canadian Brooke Henderson is next along with Korean So Yeon Ryu and 2018 LPGA Tour breakout player Nasa Hataoka.
Three Australians, Rachel Teske (now Hetherington), Wendy Doolan and Karrie Webb have won the event although none while the event has had major championship status and with Katherine Kirk the only one of the six Australians under par after round one their chances of that stat improving are already under pressure.
Katherine Kirk is well enough placed in 7th position at 2 under par 69 but Perth’s Minjee Lee, who has had such a brilliant season in 2018, was round in 1 over 72, Sarah-Jane Smith 73, Sarah Kemp 74, Hannah Green 77 and Su Oh a surprising 79.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, for whom this event became the first of two majors to date, never recovered from a slow start and she is also at 1 over 72 and in a share of 41st place.
With the cut appearing as if it will fall around the 4 over mark tomorrow there is still plenty of hope for the down under brigade but there is much work to do.
Audio Golf Betting Guide September 13th
This week we take a look at the Evian Championship in France, the third event of the Web.Com Tour Finals in Boise in Idaho and the KLM Open in The Netherlands.
Last week by backing a couple of favoured players we went close to winning a multi when coupling up Matthew Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose in Switzerland and Philadelphia but near enough is not good enough as far as the betting agencies are concerned.
Let’s see how this week’s selections go.