Shane Lowry – enjoys the moment – photo Getty Images
The event might have been reduced to just 54 holes as a result of play being suspended to honour the passing of Queens Elizabeth 11, but the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, still managed to produce some record scoring and stunning golf as Ireland’s Shane Lowry produced a final round of 65 to win by one over Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, the latter of who had three hours earlier reeled off a final round of 62 to take the lead.
It was a day when several of those out early began to challenge for the lead, held overnight by Patrick Hovland and Soren Kjeldsen.
Patrick Reed was the first to make a statement when is final round of 62 swept him to the lead before the leaders had even teed off but as the day wore on it would be Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry who emerged as the players most likely to take the title.
Rahm’s 62 had given him the lead but with so many birdies on offer over the closing nine at Wentworth, Lowry and McIlroy, who were playing in the fourth and third last second to last groups of the day, had many opportunities remaining to move ahead.
Lowry stood on the 18th tee at 16 under and after failing to birdie the first of the two par five finishing holes (the 17th). At that point he was one ahead of McIlroy and Rahm. His approach from 215 yards finished 15 feet from the hole at the par five last and set up a chance to perhaps take the title there and then.
His putt missed and so he would be forced to wait and see if McIlroy could eagle the last and force a playoff. The recently crowned FedEx Cup Champion’s approach finished just over 20 feet from the hole and, after much surveying, his putt looked as if it might just fall before coming to rest on the edge of the hole and he was one behind Lowry.
Only Thomas Detry could possibly affect the outcome but that would require him holing a shot from the fairway bunker at the last and that was never going to happen and so Lowry emerged the winner of the European Tour’s most prized title.
Lowry pockets €1,351,000 (A$2 million) and moves to 5th in the race to Dubai standings, McIlroy still well on target to win the Race to Dubai title, having the lead over Viktor Hovland at this stage.
Jokingly, after the result was confirmed, both Lowry and McIlroy embraced with Lowry perhaps summing things up when he suggested to McIlroy that he had ‘won enough already.’
“It means a lot,” said Lowry later. “It’s been a good year but felt like I’ve been close a few times and felt like I’ve only got a few tournaments left this season and wanted to try and win one, and obviously this one is right up at the top the list.
“I love it here and I’ve contended in the past, and even going down the back nine today, I was like, the bad shots that I’ve hit over the years in contention actually started to creep into my head and it’s amazing what this game does.
“I’m so happy. Honestly words can’t put into how happy I am, how much this means to me and how much I love this tour and how much I love this tournament. I’m the happiest man in the world right now.
“This is a great start (to Ryder Cup qualification). Obviously, I want it make the team and I want to make it easy for Luke. I feel like I can be a good addition to the team and we can go to Rome and challenge and win that Ryder Cup back. I’m very excited that I’ve made some good points this week and I’m hoping in the next few months to make the team automatically and go to Rome in 12 months.”
Scott Hend finished as the leading Australian when he tied for 32nd and earned €56,000. Maverick Antcliff was 42nd and tied with Jason Scrivener, Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott.
Anthony Quayle resumes Japan Tour campaign
Anthony Quayle – photo and article courtesy of Japan Tour
Australia’s Anthony Quayle is finally back in Japan after three months to resume his pursuit of an elusive JGTO title, starting with this week’s ¥100,000,000 ANA Open Golf Tournament at Sapporo Golf Club in Hokkaido.
The 28-year-old, who finished a laudable tied-15th in his debut at The Open in July, played no part in the last six Japan Tour events after the Tour’s restarted in early August.
Quayle was in the United States instead to try his luck at securing a US PGA Tour card through its secondary’s Korn Ferry Tour Finals, where a total of 25 berths were up for grabs.
However, Quayle ended his campaign in the three-legged Finals, which concluded with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship on Sept 4, without making any cut.
Quayle had nevertheless cherished the opportunity and believes these invaluable experiences will stand him in good stead for the challenges ahead.
“It’s nice to be back after some good performances overseas. The course is in amazing condition and it’s good to see some familiar faces again,” said Quayle.
Despite his absence, the 27-year-old remains the highest-placed international member in the season-long JGTO Money Rankings, having cashed in ¥38,933,319 from nine appearances that were greatly boosted by his strong performance at The Open.
But Quayle had also impressed on several occasions, particularly finishing runner-up to Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent at the Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open in May.
Quayle also posted another pair of top-10 results, tying for sixth at the ISPS HANDA Championship and finishing outright fourth at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship.
Competing in his fourth full season, Quayle’s best overall finish came during the 2019 season when he ended his campaign in 29th spot.
LIV Golf moves to Illinois for 5th event
Cameron Smith in practice at Rich Harvest Farms this week – photo Jonathan Ferrey LIV Golf Via Getty Images
LIV Golf moves to Illinois this week for the fifth of its eight series in 2022, the ultra-private and appropriately names Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove an hour west of Chicago, hosting the event.
Australians Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Wade Ormsby and Jed Morgan are amongst the field of 48 who will battle for the US$20 million individual and US$5 million teams’ prize purse.
Smith and Leishman will play their second LIV event while for Jones, Ormsby and Morgan, they have played all four to date.
Smith has US$1,012,000 following his debut 5th place in Boston earlier this month, Jones has US$746,000, Ormsby US$569,000, Jed Morgan US$554,000 and Leishman US$160,000 for his midfield debut finish in Boston.
Dustin Johnson with US$9,962,000 in individual and team earnings in the four events to date will again be the favourite to add another US$4.75 million to those earnings, $4 million available to the individual winner and another US$750,000 to a member of the winning team.
New Zealand’s Sam Jones shares medallist honours at US Mid-Am
Erin Hills Golf Club Wisconsin – photo Steve Gibbons USGA
New Zealand’s Sam Jones has shared medallist honours at the US Mid-Amateur Championship at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin following the completion of the 36 holes stroke-play phase of the USGA event.
The US Mid-Amateur Championship is for golfers 25 year or over and typically includes post college players who have remained amateur.
Jones, who recently competed as part of the three-man New Zealand team at the Eisenhower Trophy in Paris, produced consecutive rounds of 67 to share the honours with American Jake Shuman.
Australian Harry Bolton also made it into the leading 64 players to face the match play tomorrow finishing 53rd and gaining his place after a birdie at the first extra hole of a playoff between 17 players for seven remaining positions.
Left hander, Jones, from Taranaki in New Zealand’s North Island, attended college at the University of West Georgia in the US until Covid forced him to remain in New Zealand in recent times but as a former New Zealand Amateur Champion and the winner several other events in his homeland, the big hitter is emerging as one of New Zealand’s best amateurs.
A member of the relatively obscure Manaia Golf Club near Hawera in Taranaki, Jones returned to the US earlier this year but still remembers his background in the game.
“We have a pretty little country course down there. Manaia is the name of it. It’s 6,000 yards long and we’ve got one greenkeeper that works up to 40 hours a week. Humble beginnings, I guess, but playing on a track like this (Erin Hills) is amazing.”
Former champion, Lukas Michel of Victoria, Australia missed making it into the match play field of 64 by a large margin.
Shane Lowry holds off Rory McIlroy to win BMW PGA
Shane Lowry – enjoys the moment – photo Getty Images
The event might have been reduced to just 54 holes as a result of play being suspended to honour the passing of Queens Elizabeth 11, but the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, still managed to produce some record scoring and stunning golf as Ireland’s Shane Lowry produced a final round of 65 to win by one over Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, the latter of who had three hours earlier reeled off a final round of 62 to take the lead.
It was a day when several of those out early began to challenge for the lead, held overnight by Patrick Hovland and Soren Kjeldsen.
Patrick Reed was the first to make a statement when is final round of 62 swept him to the lead before the leaders had even teed off but as the day wore on it would be Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry who emerged as the players most likely to take the title.
Rahm’s 62 had given him the lead but with so many birdies on offer over the closing nine at Wentworth, Lowry and McIlroy, who were playing in the fourth and third last second to last groups of the day, had many opportunities remaining to move ahead.
Lowry stood on the 18th tee at 16 under and after failing to birdie the first of the two par five finishing holes (the 17th). At that point he was one ahead of McIlroy and Rahm. His approach from 215 yards finished 15 feet from the hole at the par five last and set up a chance to perhaps take the title there and then.
His putt missed and so he would be forced to wait and see if McIlroy could eagle the last and force a playoff. The recently crowned FedEx Cup Champion’s approach finished just over 20 feet from the hole and, after much surveying, his putt looked as if it might just fall before coming to rest on the edge of the hole and he was one behind Lowry.
Only Thomas Detry could possibly affect the outcome but that would require him holing a shot from the fairway bunker at the last and that was never going to happen and so Lowry emerged the winner of the European Tour’s most prized title.
Lowry pockets €1,351,000 (A$2 million) and moves to 5th in the race to Dubai standings, McIlroy still well on target to win the Race to Dubai title, having the lead over Viktor Hovland at this stage.
Jokingly, after the result was confirmed, both Lowry and McIlroy embraced with Lowry perhaps summing things up when he suggested to McIlroy that he had ‘won enough already.’
“It means a lot,” said Lowry later. “It’s been a good year but felt like I’ve been close a few times and felt like I’ve only got a few tournaments left this season and wanted to try and win one, and obviously this one is right up at the top the list.
“I love it here and I’ve contended in the past, and even going down the back nine today, I was like, the bad shots that I’ve hit over the years in contention actually started to creep into my head and it’s amazing what this game does.
“I’m so happy. Honestly words can’t put into how happy I am, how much this means to me and how much I love this tour and how much I love this tournament. I’m the happiest man in the world right now.
“This is a great start (to Ryder Cup qualification). Obviously, I want it make the team and I want to make it easy for Luke. I feel like I can be a good addition to the team and we can go to Rome and challenge and win that Ryder Cup back. I’m very excited that I’ve made some good points this week and I’m hoping in the next few months to make the team automatically and go to Rome in 12 months.”
Scott Hend finished as the leading Australian when he tied for 32nd and earned €56,000. Maverick Antcliff was 42nd and tied with Jason Scrivener, Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott.
Sarah Kemp records best finish of season in Cincinnati
Sarah Kemp – photo LPGA Tour Getty Dylan Buell
Australian Sarah Kemp has finished 8th in the LPGA Tour’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati and, in doing so, recorded her best finish of 2022 and very importantly has moved her 12 places to 88th on the Race to The Globe standings.
The top 100 at the end of the season earn top priority status for 2023 so this week’s effort has helped Kemp in the quest to retain full playing privileges for next season.
Kemp was unable to finish off a good start to her final day, a back nine of 37 resulting in her slipping to 8th place but the US$43,500 and the Race to the Globe points will be most welcome.
Seven events remain on the LPGA Tour calendar ahead of the Tour Championship so there is still time for Kemp to consolidate her position inside the top 100, but this week’s performance will be a boost of confidence ahead of the final stretch.
Hannah Green was the only other Australian to make the cut this week and finished 24th.
The tournament was won by American Ally Ewing who won her third LPGA Tour title with a one shot win over Xiyu Lin.
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Hovland and Kjeldsen lead at Wentworth as Min Woo Lee flirts with 59
Viktor Hovland – chasing 3rd European Tour title – photo Getty Images
With the BMW PGA Championship reduced to 54 holes following the decision by the tour’s management to honour the passing of Queens Elizabeth 11, play got underway early on Saturday at Wentworth in Surrey with several players still to complete round one ahead of an early start for those looking to get round two underway.
By the end of the day, and with now just one round to play, it would be veteran Soren Kjeldsen who shared the lead with Viktor Hovland but lurking just one back is a group of three players including the leader of the Race to Dubai Rory McIlroy.
47 year old Dane, Kjeldsen, bogeyed his opening hole in round two but was near faultless from there with seven birdies and an eagle for a round of 64.
The four-time European Tour winner is currently ranked 605th in the world and after a season to date which has yielded just one finish inside the top 40, he has been struggling to reach the levels he had earlier in his career.
Norway’s Hovland, at 24 years of age, is 23 years the junior of Kjeldsen and is currently ranked # 10 in the world with three PGA Tour victories and two DP World Tour victories to his name already in a relatively young career.
It is, however, McIlroy who will start the favourite to win this event tomorrow.
Just two weeks after his success in the USPGA Tour Championship and the Fed Ex Cup, McIlroy is chasing a second victory in this event having won in 2014 and also finishing runner-up in 2018.
Jason Scrivener leads the Australians, the Perth golfer making his first cut in now six attempts in the DP World Tour’s flagship event.
Scrivener is three shots from the lead and in a share of 11th place heading into tomorrow’s final round.
Also making his first cut in the event is Scrivener’s fellow Perth resident, Min Woo Lee, who was on a 59 watch until at 10 under par with two par 5’s to finish at Wentworth, he bogeyed the 17th after finding the trees on the demanding driving hole and finished with an unofficial course record equaling 62. His effort was unofficial due to lift clean and place.
It was, though, a remarkable bounce back for Lee, who after an opening round of 76 and missing out on gaining PGA Tour status last week must have been wondering when things might improve. They did, and in a hurry.
Lee is now six shots from the lead and tied for 34th with amongst others Queensland’s Maverick Antcliff.
Adam Scott 49th and Scott Hend 48th also made the cut.
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Sarah Kemp fighting hard to retain LPGA Tour status
The New South Welshwoman finds herself in a share of 4th place and three from the leader, Jeongeun Lee6 at the halfway stage of the US$1.75 million event.
Kemp has just one top ten to her name in 2022, has missed two of her last three cuts and is currently in 100th place in the Race to the Globe rankings so if she can capitalise on her fine start here, it will play a key role in retaining the right to play the LPGA Tour again in 2023.
“I played really solid again, especially on the front,” said Kemp. “I started to get a little tired. I said to Lisa kind of with about five or six to play, I feel myself getting a little tired.
“I left a couple putts out there and had the bogey on 17. We said at the beginning of the day, let’s get to double digits, so I’m not really disappointed at all. Goal ticked.
“I sort of need a good week. I hate saying that word, but…Well, I don’t need it this week, but I need one in the next sort of four or five events. It would be great to have it this week, but I’m not putting too much pressure on myself because I feel like I’m playing good.
“If it doesn’t happen this week I’ve got some good chances coming up. I was speaking to my coach, John Serhan, in Australia, and I told him, I’m not panicking because I’m playing great. So, he knows.
“I call him when I’m not playing well and I feel like I really need some help, but I actually feel like I’m — I know where the ball is going to go, and so that’s really a nice place to be.”
“Yeah, kind of keep doing the same thing as I have the first two days, and, yeah, we’ll see how it goes.”
Hannah Green is some six shots behind Kemp and in a share of 26th.
Of the other Australians, Minjee Lee, Sarah Jane Smith and LPGA Tour rookie, Karis Davidson, missed the cut. Lee was unable to fully recover from her opening round of 76 and the leader of the Race to the Globe missed her first weekend of the year.
Lee also withdrew from the recent CP Women’s Open in Canada.
BMW PGA Championship play suspended following Queen’s passing
Jason Scrivener leads the Australasians after an opening round of 66 – file photo
The passing today of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11 has resulted in the suspension of the opening day’s play and that of day two at the DP World Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour making the following statement.
“On behalf of our members and everyone connected with the European Tour group and the BMW PGA Championship, it is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
She truly was an inspiration to people the world over.
Out of respect for Her Majesty and the Royal Family, play has been suspended at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club for the remainder of Thursday and flags at Wentworth Club will be lowered to half-mast.
Furthermore, no play will take place at the BMW PGA Championship on Friday and the golf course and practice facilities will be closed.
Further updates on the resumption of play will be provided in due course.
Our deepest sympathies and condolences are with the Royal Family at this time.”
There were just a few players still on the course at the Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey when the announcement was made with Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland and Andy Sullivan leading the way following opening rounds of 8 under par 64.
From an Australian perspective however was the start made by Perth’s Jason Scrivener whose opening round of 66 has him in a share of 5th place just a few days after being unable to gain access to the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour Finals.
Queenslanders Maverick Antcliff and Adam Scott and Victorian Lucas Hebert are at 3 under 69 and in a share of 25th place and Scott Hend in 51st place at 2 under 68.
The ongoing impact on the event of the sad news of the passing of one of the world’s great monarchs is yet to be determined, but the 2022 BMW PGA Championship will be forever remembered as a golf event disrupted by such an historic moment in world affairs.
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Ryan Fox and Lucas Herbert unlucky to miss Presidents Cup selection
Ryan Fox – seen here when runner-up at the Irish Open, unlucky to miss selection – photo Getty Images
The upheaval caused by the switch to Liv Golf by the likes of Cameron Smith, Joacquin Niemann, Marc Leishman, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen and others has created even further issues for an International Presidents Cup Team trying to find a way to be, at least, competitive against an American side at Quail Hollow later this month.
International team Captain Trevor Immelman’s already demanding task has been made even more so by the depletion in the ranks and so he has been forced to turn to some unlikely calls in terms of replacements.
The automatic qualifiers were Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, Corey Conners, Mito Pereira and Adam Scott, that group joined by Immelman’s selections Taylor Pendrith, Sebastian Munoz, Si Woo Kim, Cam Davis, Christian Bezuidenhout and K.H. Lee.
Unlucky not to have been selected are New Zealand’s, Ryan Fox, whose current world ranking has him in 7th place amongst those eligible for selection.
Fox has played sparingly of late and missed the cut at his last appearance at the European Masters last week but his form in June and July was first class and he can be considered unlucky.
So too was Australia’s Lucas Herbert who would have been 9th in terms of world ranking amongst those eligible for selection and a 15th place at his last start at the BMW Championship must surely have put him right in line for consideration as would several other good performance on the PGA Tour in 2022.
The task of winning the Presidents Cup for just the second time since its inception in 1994 just became that much harder for an International side that will carry eight Presidents Cup rookies into battle in Charlotte on September 22nd.
Lucas Herbert – a 13th place finish at the PGA Championship must have given him a chance – photo PGA of America
So nearly a dream LIV debut in Boston for Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith in action in Boston – photo LIV Golf Getty Images
Cameron Smith has come within one shot of joining Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and Anirban Lahiri in a playoff at his very first event as a LIV Series golfer, a bogey at his 17th hole costing him the chance of making a dream start to his switch to LIV Golf.
Smith began the third and final round five shots behind Talor Gooch and four behind Johnson but with two holes to play he was tied for the lead before a missed fairway at his 17th hole (the first of the International Oaks Course layout as the Australian started from the 3rd in this shotgun start format) led to a bogey.
It was an impressive final round of 63 for Smith but one short of the playoff won by Johnson with a 35 birdie eagle putt across the green at the first extra hole. Lahiri and Niemann tied for 2nd.
Smith, though, will still earn US$1,012,000 for his share of 4th place with Lee Westwood.
Other Australians were Matt Jones, Marc Leishman and Jed Morgan who tied for 26th while Wade Ormsby was 43rd.
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