After what can only be described as a horror start to 2015 Steven Bowditch built on some good play at last week’s Heritage tournament to produce his best finish since October last year.

Coming off a run of seven missed cuts in nine starts the
Queenslander produced rounds of 68-67-71-66 in weather interrupted Zurich
Classic of New Orleans.

The T12 finish was his best since the Fry’s.com tournament
at the end of last year but more importantly signals his first consecutive made
cuts since January.

The turnaround began at Hilton Head last week when he opened
poorly but shot three straight sub-par rounds to work his way up the leaderboard.

Bowditch finished second to fellow Queenslander Jason Day in
the race for top Australian honours but will likely take more positives from
the week than the world number six.

After taking a share of the 54-hole lead Day lost just
enough momentum Sunday to fall down the leader board on a 33-hole day which saw
Justin Rose capture the title.

Poor weather meant lift clean and place was in play at the
TPC Louisiana course which saw scores plummet, the cut coming at 5-under-par
through 36 holes.

The hot scoring continued over the weekend and with just
three indifferent shots in the final round Day lost his chance at a second
title for 2015.

A poor drive at the par-5 second led to a costly bogey and a
three putt at the 8^th cost another shot. But it was another flared
drive at the 15^th hole which proved the fatal blow, his third bogey
of the day so late in the round being one from which he couldn’t recover.

Day will be disappointed with those mistakes as he heads to
the WGC Matchplay this week to defend his title but will also understand there
was a lot more positive than negative to come from the week.

On a course where he has had little success in the past it
was a disciplined effort at TPC Louisiana which rewards a style of play Day is
less comfortable with.

The 26-year-old thrives in difficult conditions where pars
are hard earned while the Zurich Classic, particularly this week, was a
birdie-fest.

Of the rest of the Australian contingent Cameron Smith was
impressive again making his second consecutive cut and shooting under par each
day.

Like Day the low scoring shootout is not Smith’s preferred
style of play but with plenty of confidence from his performance last week
11-under and T45 was a good result.

Smith needs to earn the equivalent of the 125^th
ranked player on the 2014 PGA TOUR money list to be given special temporary
membership and with his cheque for $22,770 at the weekend is $324,307 short.

Nicholas Thompson set the mark for 125th last year with
US$713,377 and Smith now has two invitations left to add to his $389,070 and
match a feat last achieved by reigning Masters champion Jordan Spieth in 2013.

Marc Leishman was the only other Australian to make the cut
and given the circumstances of his return is to be applauded for his play.

He was clearly rusty in a first round 74 but caught fire
Friday and was 10-under through 17 holes when play was called for the day.

An ugly bogey at the par-5 18^th to start Saturday
stopped the momentum and while he was under par each of the final two rounds
was never a genuine contender.

The Zurich Classic was Leishman’s first tournament back
since wife Audrey became gravely ill the week prior to the Masters.

Leishman was forced to withdraw from the year’s first major
but says the health scare has given him a new perspective on the game.

The low scoring saw five Australians miss the cut, John
Senden and Greg Chalmers missing by one with Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Percy,
Jarrod Lyle and Scott Gardiner well out of the scoring.

Robert Allenby withdrew after the second round for unknown
reasons despite making the cut on the number.