Shinnecock Hills – photo courtesy of USGA / John Mummert
The US Open begins Thursday at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton in New York, the golf course playing host to the event for the 5th occasion and remains the only venue to have staged the event in three separate centuries.
Shinnecock Hills first held the event in 1896 in what was then just the second ever staging of the US Open and subsequently played host in 1986, 1995 and 2004.
The seaside layout is often exposed to wind given that it lies adjacent to Long Island Sound and thus opens the door to perhaps a different range of golfers to whom the conditions might best suit.
The weather forecast for the week has relatively gentle winds however so the links influence might well be reduced somewhat although seaside golf can be a lottery in that regard.
While the demands of the golf course might differ from those typically experienced at the US Open, the demands of winning perhaps the game’s most significant championship does not and it takes a gritty, patient type of player to pass the examination of a US Open test.
Let’s take a look at the leading players in the field and assess their chances of challenging for the richest total purse in the game (US12 million and a first prize of US$2,160,000.)
Dustin Johnson
Johnson already has a US Open title to his name and has generally played the event well. He was runner-up in 2015 prior to his win in 2016 and interestingly, given the links style layout he will be exposed to this week, has regularly played The Open Championship well. Johnson is in fine form at present as his six-shot victory at last week’s FedEx St Jude Memphis Classic would suggest and it is hard not to be excited about his prospects of a second major championship title. Some would say it is hard to back up after a win but Johnson is an unflappable type and more than capable of doing so.
Justin Thomas
Thomas will play just his 4th US Open with a best of 9th last year at Erin Hills. He continues to play well in 2018 and although he lost his world number one standing to Johnson last week he has been outside the top twenty only twice in 11 starts this year. If I had a concern about Thomas it would be his lack of form on this type of golf course environment but he gets better each year and so his best US Open showing is not beyond him but I prefer others in terms of winning chances.
Justin Rose
It is hard not to like the way Rose is playing right now having won in Fort Worth two starts ago and then finished 6th at the Memorial. His form at the US Open however is mixed having missed as many cuts as he has made including the last two although he did of course win at Merion. His form on these windy, open, links style golf courses such as that he will face this week is hardly convincing either so while his current form is not in dispute there is reason to steer away from him.
Rory McIlroy
This will be McIlroy’s 10th start in a US Open, one of which he won by eight shots in 2011. He missed the cut in each of the last two years but in theory it should be a golf course that suits his style of play having regularly played well on Open Championship style links layouts. McIlroy appears to be timing his run nicely with impressive weeks at the BMW PGA Championship and again at Memorial so there is a lot to like about his chances.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth has been below his best in recent weeks but with three major championships to his name in such a relatively short career there is little doubting his liking of the big stage. He won this event at Chambers Bay in 2015 and is the current Open Championship titleholder suggesting this style of course will not be a problem. His current form is a concern however.
Brooks Koepka
Koepka was the 2017 US Open champion and after a hand injury earlier this year he appears to have his game heading in the right direction ahead of defending his title. He finished runner-up in Forth Worth recently and was 11th at the Players Championship and although a little disappointing last week in Memphis his game is in good shape for the task ahead. Importantly he has proven to himself and the world that he can win a major. He was also 4th in this event in 2014 when not the player he is now and has done well at the Open Championship on this style of golf course.
Jon Rahm
Rahm is one of the game’s most consistent players having missed only one cut in the last twelve months and having finished 4th at the Masters in April and 5th at his last start in Fort Worth then his game appears to be in good enough shape to do well this week. Rahm will surely win major championships in the years ahead but whether he is yet ready is debatable.
Jason Day
At his best Jason Day can win this event but the question is whether he will bring his best to Shinnecock Hills. He has won twice in 2018 and did finish 5th at the Players Championship so it would seem his game is not far from where it needs to be. Day has a great record at the US Open having finished inside the top ten in five of seven starts including two runner-up finishes. If he was to win this week he would become only the second Australian after David Graham to win two different major championships. His chances are good.
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama appears to be playing well again after an injury issue having finished inside the top twenty at his last two starts. He finished 10th on debut in this event in 2013 and runner-up last year behind Koepka. He has played well enough at Open Championship venues for that style of golf course not to bother him this week so a good showing is expected of the young man destined to be Japan’s first major championship winner at some stage.
Paul Casey
Has developed into an outstanding player in 2018 with a series of very consistent finishes on the PGA Tour. His issue is a very ordinary record at the US Open with just one top ten in 14 starts, that coming when 10th at nearby Bethpage Black in 2009. He is however playing some of his best golf at present and might be one for longer odds.
Patrick Reed
Reed appears to be taking a while to adjust to being Masters Champion and has played only three events since. Disappointing final round last year at Erin Hills costs him a very good result but while he can’t be dismissed I prefer others.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler is arguably one of the best players in the game without a major to his name but typically plays the bigger events well including when runner-up and 5th in this event in recent years. He has three runner-up finishes in major championships and appears close to where he needs to be to again challenge. He has been runner-up at the Open Championship and won a Scottish Open so the style of golf he will encounter this week is not a concern or him. His last start produced a top ten at the Memorial and of course he did finish runner-up at the Masters in April.
Marc Leishman
Leishman continues to go quietly about his business and handles the big time in the unflappable manner required of US Open Champions. Leishman has several nice finishes to his name in 2018 including when runner-up in Dallas and when 9th at the Masters. His recent record at the Open Championship is very good and coming from where he does in Australia a windy week would bother him less than others. Would appear to be a chance for a very good week.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood has played the US Open on only two occasions making the cut in both and last year finishing a very impressive 4th. The Englishman has continued to play well since and has developed into a world class player reaching as high as world # 10 a few weeks ago and is now 12th. He finished 7th at the Players Championship a few weeks ago and has many other solid finishes in Europe and the US this year.
Henrik Stenson
Stenson might not win that often but he puts himself in contention on a regular basis and has done so for much of this year. I see him as a good chance to contend this week and if he can contend then he can potentially win. His liking for links golf culminated in an Open Championship win in 2016 and his credentials are good for a second major championship.
Branden Grace
Grace has a good record at the US Open having finished 5th and 4th in recent years and his form at present is very good having finished 3rd with a final round of 62 at the recent AT&T Byron Nelson Championship. Is the sort of player who could well win this event and could be considered a good chance at longer odds.
Audio Betting Guide – US Open and Meijer LPGA Classic
Dustin Johnson in action during US Open practice – Courtesy of USGA Darren Carroll
The focus of this week’s golf betting rests largely on the US Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York but there is also an LPGA Tour event in Grand Rapids in Michigan.
In this audio piece we take a look at both events, assess some of the chances and try and find a winner.
Good luck with your betting this week and enjoy the US Open.
Jason Day Upbeat Ahead of US Open
Jason Day speaks to the media today – photo courtesy of USGA / Ben Solomon
Jason Day starts this week’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills as Australia’s leading chance on paper and today he talked to the media on his thoughts ahead of Thursday’s start to the second major of the year.
Day has one of the best US Open records of any player in recent years with five top tens in his last seven starts including two runner-up finishes, the first of those coming on debut in the event in 2011.
Day last played at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago and although a little disappointing there his season overall in 2018 has been outstanding and he is expected by many to be one of the contenders this week.
Day has been in New York for several days and is enjoying what he sees of a layout he is playing for the first time this week but his preparation suggests he will be ready for the challenge.
“I got in here Saturday night and played 18 holes on Sunday, 9 holes yesterday,” said Day.
“I did a little bit of chipping and putting today, and I’ll probably play nine holes again tomorrow. I’m Just trying to get as much experience on it because, obviously, Sunday was the first time I’ve ever actually stepped foot on the grounds.
“But the course is in great shape. I think the USGA and the greens staff have done a phenomenal job leading up to this week, and I know that we’ve had great weather. So obviously, you can see by the fescue, how healthy it is.
“I love this golf course. I think they’ve done a great job with the renovations. I think they’ve done a good job with setting up the golf course as well. With the width of it, it doesn’t look crazy, like — off the tee, it looks narrow. When you get on the fairways, it’s very wide, or in some parts can be wide.”
Day talked of the shape his game and mindset is in and spoke positively of his chances.
“I feel good. I mean, obviously, coming off a win at Wells Fargo was a great win, obviously. I haven’t played that tournament too much, and I know that I’ve had good experiences there, and I finally went there and, obviously, going off what happened at the PGA last year, I didn’t finish it off and had a poor 18th hole.”
Day of course made a blunder at the final hole at the Wells Fargo venue during the PGA Championship last year so was delighted to put those memories to bed with his recent win
“But being able to get across the line and get my 12th (PGA Tour title), I’m just trying to keep ticking the boxes. This year’s been a good start to the year. I know that I feel ready for another Major win, and hopefully it’s this week.”
Day talked about returning to the top of world ranking a mantle he last held in February of 2017 having held it in two stretches over a total of 50 weeks.
“Yeah, definitely. It’s more of a mindset, I think, more so than anything else.
“I think if I want to be the best player in the world, I’ll be the best player in the world. And that’s more the mindset that I have to take. I mean, a golf career is kind of like this (indicating), you know, and for me, how I work, that’s just my mindset.
“If I want to put my mind to something, I know that there’s pretty much nothing people can do about it. Because if I put my mind to it, it’s going to happen.
“I feel like it’s always easier chasing to get to No. 1 than it is to get there and stay there. Right now, I’m chasing a guy that’s playing phenomenal golf. Dustin just won last week, and he got back to the top of the world rankings again.
“He’s very dominant in the way he plays with regards to how far he hits it and all that stuff. I feel like, when things are going my way and I’m doing the right things, I feel like my game is just like that as well.”
Varying degrees of US Open hope for nine Aussies
Jason Day and Tiger Woods during practice today – courtesy of USGA / Chris Keane
An eclectic mix of Australians take on Shinnecock Hills and the game’s leading players this week when the US Open is played on Long Island in New York.
The Australian line-up consists of three players who qualified through the various performance criteria set out by the USGA, the other six through Sectional Qualifying at a series of venues across Britain, Japan and the USA.
Australians have only two US Open titles to their credit, those coming with David Graham’s victory in 1981 and Geoff Ogilvy’s in 2006, although they have been runner-up on seven other occasions, Jason and Greg Norman Day twice and Stephen Leaney, Bruce Crampton and Kel Nagle one each.
In 2018 Jason Day and Marc Leishman offer genuine hope of another victory, Adam Scott an outside chance while perhaps the others have done well to make the field.
Let’s look at how they shape up bearing in mind that each is likely to consider success in different ways.
Jason Day
Seven starts at the US Open has provided five top tens for the Queenslander, two of those runner-up finishes and the manner in which he has performed this year suggests that impressive record could well continue this week. He has shown a capacity to play the sort of golf course he will be presented with this week at Shinnecock Hills well and appears on paper and logically as the most likely of the Australians.
Marc Leishman
Has the game and the demeanour to capture a major championship at some stage of his career. His record at the US Open is not as good as it has been in other major championships but his form in 2018 has been solid including when runner-up in Dallas two weeks ago. Leishman’s background and his relative success at Open Championship venues and /or in windy conditions suggests this week could well be an opportunity for Leishman contend and perhaps do even better.
Adam Scott
Scott just crept into the field to play his 17th consecutive US Open through Sectional Qualifying ten days ago. There has never been a lot to get excited about by Scott’s US Open performances although a 4th place in 2015 was impressive enough. Importantly his chances this week however is that Scott has been building continuity of late playing more regularly as he worked hard to earn a place in the field and his effort to do just that suggests his game is in reasonable shape. A new local caddie is another intriguing aspect of the week for Scott.
Cameron Smith
Smith appears to be out of sorts with his game at present and that is a concern. He has shown however with a 4th place finish in 2015 at Chambers Bay and a 5th place finish at this year’s Masters that the big stage does not faze him. If he can regain some of the form he is capable of then he might have another good week but having missed his last three cuts the chances of the Queenslander are under a cloud.
Matt Jones
Jones has only two starts in the event, both of which ended in him not making the weekend, so his record in the event leaves a lot to be desired. So too has his form in 2018 although in recent weeks there appears to have been improvement and just making the field has been an achievement for the former Sydneysider.
Aaron Baddeley
Baddeley also made the field via Sectional Qualifying and now plays his 10th US Open although there is little to get excited about amongst his previous nine starts. He has a best of 13th and no other top twenties and having missed three of his last four cuts this year then his chances of anything better appear slim.
Lucas Herbert
Victorian Herbert played his way into the field last week and continues to impress in the early stages of his professional career. This will be the first of two majors Herbert will play in 2018 having also qualified to play the Open Championship. It is clearly too early for him to expect any better than a cut made, if that, but he has done well to be playing on this stage so early in his career.
David Bransdon
Bransdon is in the field courtesy of Sectional Qualifying in Japan and although this is a significantly higher level than which he competes in regularly it offers the Victorian a great opportunity to test his game against the world’s best.
Jason Scrivener
West Australian Scrivener managed to play his way into the field through Sectional Qualifying in England and gets his chance to play a first major championship. He is an impressive young player who won the NSW Open late in 2017 and although he has hardly set the world on fire in 2018 this is a great chance to see just where his game is at against the game’s elite.
2018 US Open Form Guide
Shinnecock Hills – photo courtesy of USGA / John Mummert
The US Open begins Thursday at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton in New York, the golf course playing host to the event for the 5th occasion and remains the only venue to have staged the event in three separate centuries.
Shinnecock Hills first held the event in 1896 in what was then just the second ever staging of the US Open and subsequently played host in 1986, 1995 and 2004.
The seaside layout is often exposed to wind given that it lies adjacent to Long Island Sound and thus opens the door to perhaps a different range of golfers to whom the conditions might best suit.
The weather forecast for the week has relatively gentle winds however so the links influence might well be reduced somewhat although seaside golf can be a lottery in that regard.
While the demands of the golf course might differ from those typically experienced at the US Open, the demands of winning perhaps the game’s most significant championship does not and it takes a gritty, patient type of player to pass the examination of a US Open test.
Let’s take a look at the leading players in the field and assess their chances of challenging for the richest total purse in the game (US12 million and a first prize of US$2,160,000.)
Dustin Johnson
Johnson already has a US Open title to his name and has generally played the event well. He was runner-up in 2015 prior to his win in 2016 and interestingly, given the links style layout he will be exposed to this week, has regularly played The Open Championship well. Johnson is in fine form at present as his six-shot victory at last week’s FedEx St Jude Memphis Classic would suggest and it is hard not to be excited about his prospects of a second major championship title. Some would say it is hard to back up after a win but Johnson is an unflappable type and more than capable of doing so.
Justin Thomas
Thomas will play just his 4th US Open with a best of 9th last year at Erin Hills. He continues to play well in 2018 and although he lost his world number one standing to Johnson last week he has been outside the top twenty only twice in 11 starts this year. If I had a concern about Thomas it would be his lack of form on this type of golf course environment but he gets better each year and so his best US Open showing is not beyond him but I prefer others in terms of winning chances.
Justin Rose
It is hard not to like the way Rose is playing right now having won in Fort Worth two starts ago and then finished 6th at the Memorial. His form at the US Open however is mixed having missed as many cuts as he has made including the last two although he did of course win at Merion. His form on these windy, open, links style golf courses such as that he will face this week is hardly convincing either so while his current form is not in dispute there is reason to steer away from him.
Rory McIlroy
This will be McIlroy’s 10th start in a US Open, one of which he won by eight shots in 2011. He missed the cut in each of the last two years but in theory it should be a golf course that suits his style of play having regularly played well on Open Championship style links layouts. McIlroy appears to be timing his run nicely with impressive weeks at the BMW PGA Championship and again at Memorial so there is a lot to like about his chances.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth has been below his best in recent weeks but with three major championships to his name in such a relatively short career there is little doubting his liking of the big stage. He won this event at Chambers Bay in 2015 and is the current Open Championship titleholder suggesting this style of course will not be a problem. His current form is a concern however.
Brooks Koepka
Koepka was the 2017 US Open champion and after a hand injury earlier this year he appears to have his game heading in the right direction ahead of defending his title. He finished runner-up in Forth Worth recently and was 11th at the Players Championship and although a little disappointing last week in Memphis his game is in good shape for the task ahead. Importantly he has proven to himself and the world that he can win a major. He was also 4th in this event in 2014 when not the player he is now and has done well at the Open Championship on this style of golf course.
Jon Rahm
Rahm is one of the game’s most consistent players having missed only one cut in the last twelve months and having finished 4th at the Masters in April and 5th at his last start in Fort Worth then his game appears to be in good enough shape to do well this week. Rahm will surely win major championships in the years ahead but whether he is yet ready is debatable.
Jason Day
At his best Jason Day can win this event but the question is whether he will bring his best to Shinnecock Hills. He has won twice in 2018 and did finish 5th at the Players Championship so it would seem his game is not far from where it needs to be. Day has a great record at the US Open having finished inside the top ten in five of seven starts including two runner-up finishes. If he was to win this week he would become only the second Australian after David Graham to win two different major championships. His chances are good.
Hideki Matsuyama
Matsuyama appears to be playing well again after an injury issue having finished inside the top twenty at his last two starts. He finished 10th on debut in this event in 2013 and runner-up last year behind Koepka. He has played well enough at Open Championship venues for that style of golf course not to bother him this week so a good showing is expected of the young man destined to be Japan’s first major championship winner at some stage.
Paul Casey
Has developed into an outstanding player in 2018 with a series of very consistent finishes on the PGA Tour. His issue is a very ordinary record at the US Open with just one top ten in 14 starts, that coming when 10th at nearby Bethpage Black in 2009. He is however playing some of his best golf at present and might be one for longer odds.
Patrick Reed
Reed appears to be taking a while to adjust to being Masters Champion and has played only three events since. Disappointing final round last year at Erin Hills costs him a very good result but while he can’t be dismissed I prefer others.
Rickie Fowler
Fowler is arguably one of the best players in the game without a major to his name but typically plays the bigger events well including when runner-up and 5th in this event in recent years. He has three runner-up finishes in major championships and appears close to where he needs to be to again challenge. He has been runner-up at the Open Championship and won a Scottish Open so the style of golf he will encounter this week is not a concern or him. His last start produced a top ten at the Memorial and of course he did finish runner-up at the Masters in April.
Marc Leishman
Leishman continues to go quietly about his business and handles the big time in the unflappable manner required of US Open Champions. Leishman has several nice finishes to his name in 2018 including when runner-up in Dallas and when 9th at the Masters. His recent record at the Open Championship is very good and coming from where he does in Australia a windy week would bother him less than others. Would appear to be a chance for a very good week.
Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood has played the US Open on only two occasions making the cut in both and last year finishing a very impressive 4th. The Englishman has continued to play well since and has developed into a world class player reaching as high as world # 10 a few weeks ago and is now 12th. He finished 7th at the Players Championship a few weeks ago and has many other solid finishes in Europe and the US this year.
Henrik Stenson
Stenson might not win that often but he puts himself in contention on a regular basis and has done so for much of this year. I see him as a good chance to contend this week and if he can contend then he can potentially win. His liking for links golf culminated in an Open Championship win in 2016 and his credentials are good for a second major championship.
Branden Grace
Grace has a good record at the US Open having finished 5th and 4th in recent years and his form at present is very good having finished 3rd with a final round of 62 at the recent AT&T Byron Nelson Championship. Is the sort of player who could well win this event and could be considered a good chance at longer odds.
Golf Betting This Week
This week we take a look at three events in which betting is available through most agencies, namely the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis in Tennessee, the Shoprite LPGA Classic in Galloway in New Jersey and the Shot Clock Masters near Vienna in Austria.
We assess the leading chances and the Australians in each event and isolate those players who could do well.
All care and no responsibility of course and please bet responsibly.
The Glorious Uncertainty of Golf
Perhaps this is one of the reasons we love the heat of tournament golf so much – waiting for an accident to happen or waiting to applaud and acknowledge a convincing winner.
Today, on day four of the US Women’s Open in Birmingham in Alabama, we had both during various stages of the final round.
22 year old Thai star and former world number one Ariya Jutanugarn threatened to self-implode over the final nine holes of the female game’s greatest championship allowing a seven shot 63 hole lead disappear before eventually winning a playoff over Korean golfer Hyo Joo Kim.
As we have seen over many years and in indeed even in more recent years there are some very good examples of no lead being safe in the final stages of a major championship.
Greg Norman’s demise over the closing round of the 1996 Masters is one that sticks in the mind of most Australians who felt that one of their own was finally going to secure the Green Jacket.
Norman of course had a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo heading into the final round that year but would eventually lose and given that he had not recorded a finish outside the top twenty in his previous ten majors, six of those finishes inside the top 6 his demise was almost unfathomable.
The eventual margin between Norman and Faldo was five shots so an unbelievable 11 shots turnaround between two of the game’s occurred that day.
Adam Scott led by four with four holes to play at the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes but would eventually lose by one to Ernie Els.
Rory McIlroy took a four-shot lead into the final round of the 2011 Masters and was still ahead at the turn but a triple bogey at the 10th and a double bogey at the 12th, which he four-putted, saw him eventually finish with a round of 80, tied for 15th and ten shots from winner Charl Schwartzel, a fourteen shot swing.
They are but a few examples of how a lead at times can be too great. On occasions the larger the lead the greater it is to manage as the mindset required to stay in front is so different from playing with the pressure off and coming from behind.
Today Jutanugarn led by four over Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith heading into the final round and with an outward nine of 32 and struggles from Smith, the engraver could have been forgiven for starting to write Jutanugarn’s name on the trophy right then. After all it is a long name and was going to take some time and he would have been tempted to start his work.
Then came the triple bogey at 10, the bogey at 12 and the two closing bogeys and when combined with a rock solid round of 67 by Kim that lead was gone in a flash and the playoff was needed.
To her absolute credit however Jutanugarn hit two beautiful bunker shots on holes 3 and 4 of the playoff and when Kim finally succumbed the title went to the Thai.
Not only was Jutanugarn tough when she needed to be she showed tremendous class and respect for her fellow competitors often clapping the efforts of her playing partner in regulation, Sarah Jane Smith, but producing similar gestures during the playoff against Kim.
Jutanugarn won many hearts today for overcoming a gut wrenching demise that could potentially have scarred her for life, but also for the class she showed as a brilliant, tough and yet respectful competitor.
Golf can give with one hand and very quickly take with the other but today Ariya Jutanugarn was rewarded in every respect and deservedly so.
So You Fancy A US Open Start?
For every one of the 156 players who will tee it up at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills in two weeks-time another 59 will have entered the event and not made it into the field.
Such is the appeal of the United States’ national open championship. For many American golfers especially, an appearance at the US Open is the holy grail of their golfing lives, most with little hope of achieving such.
When entries closed in early April 9049 hopefuls had signed up to perhaps be part of golfing history, for some just the chance to play would be more than enough while for others their aspirations are significantly higher.
Now bear in mind that those entering either need to be a professional golfer or have a USGA handicap of 1.4 or better, highlighting the standard required at the end of the filtering process just to tee it up.
Some 54 players are already exempt into the final field through a range of qualifying criteria while some were exempt from the Local Qualifying stage where the bulk of aspirants begin their journey at any one of more than 100 venues across the USA.
Those not in the field but exempt from Local Qualifying tackle what is known as Sectional Qualifying on June 4th when ten venues across the USA and one in Europe (one in Japan has already been played) filter out the final 100 or so remaining golfers to walk the fairways of the magnificent Shinnecock Hills on Long Island.
One look at those still hoping to get a start when Sectional Qualifying gets under way over 36 holes on Monday June 6th tells the story of the egalitarian nature of this event. No favours are given and none asked although there is one small category open to the USGA where discretion or ‘a special exemption’ is a consideration.
Retief Goosen is a two-time winner of the US Open but that counts for nothing now as he lines up in the hope of making the field for the 19th occasion. The last of his two wins interestingly came at Shinnecock Hills in 2004 on a controversial golf course layout, controversial because those setting up the course that year took it to its limits and beyond.
Goosen, though, is back to try and get another crack at a golf course that clearly means so much to him.
Geoff Ogilvy’s (above photo) ten year exemption for his 2006 victory at Winged foot has run out and he will be in the field in Memphis on Monday trying to play his way into an event that has to a large extent shaped his golfing career.
Adam Scott is the winner of 13 PGA Tour titles in addition to many others around the world including of course his major breakthrough at the 2013 Masters. The 37 year old Queenslander, though, will be required to fight for one of the remaining positions unless of course he can play very well this week at the Memorial and move inside the world top 60.
If there by June 11th Scott will make the field so either a good week this week at Muirfield Village, one last bid at next week’s FedEx St Jude Classic or success at the Sectional Qualifying in Ohio on Monday where he is currently entered will allow him to play his 17th consecutive US Open.
Other Australians who will line up at the various venues over 36 holes on Monday include Robert Allenby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Davis, Curtis Luck, Matt Jones, James Nitties, Aaron Baddeley and Greg Chalmers along with New Zealanders Danny Lee and Steve Alker will take their chances in what is essentially a 36 hole sprint on June 4th.
The qualifying process is uncompromising but then so too is the event itself.
Audio Preview US Women’s Open
Photo – 18th Shoal Creek courtesy of USGA
This week’s US Women’s Open at Shoal Creek in Birmingham in Alabama showcases the best of women’s golf in every respect. It carries the most significant title, the richest purse and as a result the strongest field on a demanding layout made even longer by recent storm activity in the area.
I take a look at the field and discuss the Australasian challenge.
The Memorial tournament – an audio preview of the chances
Marc Leishman has a lot to like about his chances this week
This week’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin near Columbus in Ohio has attracted a good field as players either finalise their US Open preparations or find a way to get into the field for the second major of the year.
Here I take a look at some of the chances and assess the Australians and just how they might play
The Von – His Legacy Lives On
Just a few days over eleven years ago Norman Von Nida passed away peacefully at his aged care home on the Gold Coast, his life celebrated soon after in Brisbane by what was a massive gathering of family, friends and industry folk.
Over the last seven or so years of Norman’s life I became close to him and four years prior to his passing put together an audio tribute to him which included his thoughts and many other key figures in his golfing life having their say on the contribution he made to their lives.
It is a piece that is timeless and hopefully highlights to those who weren’t already aware just what an impact he had on the game in Australia and on the lives of many people including my own.