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In-form Nathan Barbieri earned his fifth win for 2024 thanks to a bogey-free 5-under-par 66 at the Howeston Pro-Am in Brisbane today.
Barbieri held off three players – Matt Millar, Cameron John and James Conran – by a single stroke as he continues to build towards the new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season which begins with the PNG Open in August.
The winner of Final Stage of Qualifying School in April has converted that form into two adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victories in Western Australia, the WA PGA Foursomes Championship, plus a runner-up finish in last week’s Redcliffe Pro-Am.
He’s now climbed to No.3 on the National Pro-Am Order of Merit for 2024.
John and Conran threatened to match Barbieri’s 66 as they came to the end of their rounds.
John, the winner of The National Tournament presented by BMW on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia earlier this year, played his final six holes in 6-under-par, while Conran birdied the 12th, 14th, 15th and 16th.
Millar’s round included six birdies and two bogeys.
The shot of the day came from Queenslander Will Bruyeres who aced the 279m par-4 third hole.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Beginning his day on the 10th tee, Barbieri picked up a birdie on the par-5 12th hole before the highlight of his round, an eagle on the 247m par-4 14th where he hit the green with a three-wood.
He rounded out his opening nine with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
The New South Welshman’s second nine featured eight pars plus a crucial two on the par-3 sixth.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It’s only my second time here and the last time it was blowing 50kph. It’s an interesting golf course,” Barbieri said.
“I played pretty good all day and didn’t really miss too many greens, holed a few putts here and there.
“Five-under won here last year so I knew it would be around that mark.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66: Nathan Barbieri (NSW)
67: Matthew Millar (ACT), Cameron John (Vic), James Conran (NSW)
68: Samuel Slater (Qld), Chris Duke (Qld), Caleb Bovalina (Vic)
69: Zachary Maxwell (Qld), Lawry Flynn (Qld); Andrew Kelly (Vic), Christopher Wood (Qld), Lucas Higgins (NSW), Dylan Gardner (Qld)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series continues its stay in the Brisbane region with the Zigcrete Constructions Windaroo Lakes Pro-Am tomorrow followed by the Breakas Beach Resort Vanuatu Virginia Pro-Am on Thursday.
It is time for the final major championship of 2024 for the over-50 crowd, with the PGA TOUR Champions and Legends Tour combining at The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex.
The best players in senior golf, including 13 Australians, three Kiwis and one Fijian, head for Carnoustie in Scotland, and here is all you need to know.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Alex Cejka (GER)
PRIZEMONEY: US $2,850,000
LIVE SCORES: www.europeantour.com/legends-tour/
TV COVERAGE: The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEST.
Round One: Thursday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
Round Two: Friday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
Round Three: Saturday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 9:30pm–3am (Fox Sports 505/Kayo)
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
STEVEN ALKER
Age: 52
The lowdown: An eight-time PGA TOUR Champions winner, including one victory earlier this year, Alker is always one of the favourites heading into the majors.
The Kiwi has played three of the four grand slam events in 2024 with a worst return of T12 at the US Senior Open, and arrives fresh off a share of seventh at the Senior Players earlier this month.
Alker similarly has a strong record at The Senior Open, including a T11 last year and tie for third a year earlier, and chasing the season-long Charles Schwab Cup title, a good week here would go a long way.
STEVE ALLAN
Age: 50
The lowdown: New to the world of over-50s golf, the Victorian has shown plenty in his debut year in America on the PGA Tour Champions where Allan has seven top-25 finishes so far in 2024.
The majors haven’t been the happiest hunting ground so far for the 2002 Australian Open winner this year, however, having played extensively in Europe early in his career and with his Sandbelt golf background, expect Allan to have a good week here.
A hard worker and terrific putter, Allan will find plenty of fairways and his ball flight control in the wind will be a major positive this week.
STUART APPLEBY
Age: 53
The lowdown: It has been a busy 2024 for Appleby on the PGA TOUR Champions where the Cohuna product’s second half of the season has yielded some impressive results.
Finishing in the top-25 seven times this year, including as runner-up at the Insperity Invitational, Appleby has more than enough links and Open Championship experience to go well at Carnoustie, including a reputation as a top-class ball striker.
MICHAEL CAMPBELL
Age: 55
The lowdown: Lightly raced in racing parlance, the Kiwi winner of the 2005 US Open is a lover of links golf and regular contender when playing that style of golf so don’t count him out this week.
A mercurial ball striker, Campbell will be more than comfortable if the wind gets up and is experienced around Carnoustie, where he played two Opens for a best return of T57.
GREG CHALMERS
Age: 50
The lowdown: Chalmers has continued to impress with his knack of pre-qualifying into events, or turning a start into another the following week on the PGA TOUR Champions in his debut.
Letting his Twitter followers in on his early experience of a practice round, and plenty of lost balls, already this week, Chalmers’ renowned sense of humour will be a major string in his bow at Carnoustie where sometimes all a player can do is laugh.
Another with experience in the UK, Chalmers has plenty of power to use, as well as his renowned ability with the flatstick.
PETER FOWLER
Age: 65
The lowdown: The seemingly ageless Fowler continues to work harder than his much younger contemporaries and will be loving the opportunity to tee it up in another senior major championship.
Known as having the only short game that could rival the great Seve Ballesteros in their primes, Fowler continues to own a wedge game, and especially bunker play, the envy of his competitors that will be a significant advantage here.
Highly experienced in this part of the world, Fowler’s best chance could come if the Scottish summer turns nasty.
RICHARD GREEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: Currently fifth on the PGA TOUR Champions season-long points list, Green continues to show up big time at the majors in 2024 with four top-20s, including a runner-up and third place.
Spending much of his pre-50 career in Europe, and living on the Bellarine Peninsula, links golf and wind is nothing new for the left-hander who will enter this week as one of the favourites again here.
Adding to Green’s chances is his share of fourth at the regular Open Championship held at Carnoustie back in 2007.
SCOTT HEND
Age: 50
The lowdown: Still mixing it with the “flat bellies” of the main Tours of the world, Hend is one of the bigger Australasian chances here this week.
Remaining long off the tee, Hend will have no trouble in the wind in Scotland, while his ball striking remains of high quality.
Leading the standing on the European Legends Tour, Hend has played one senior major in 2024, with the Queenslander finishing in a tie for fourth at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
MARK HENSBY
Age: 53
The lowdown: As he was in his main Tour career, Hensby continues to be the quiet achiever of the Australians playing regular senior Tour golf, with the 53-year-old recording 10 top-25 finishes on the PGA TOUR Champions so far in 2024.
Tied for 14th at the Kaulig Companies Championship a few weeks back, Hensby will be full of confidence and has the game to do well on the links of Carnoustie.
The Tamworth product is another with previous experience at Carnoustie where he missed the cut in 2007, however Hensby showed plenty of comfort in his two other Open Championship starts.
MICHAEL LONG
Age: 55
The lowdown: Playing on the European Legends Tour, the lanky New Zealander is a sneaky good chance this week at Carnoustie.
Currently inside the top-20 of the rankings on the Legends Tour, Long shared 20th a few weeks back at the Swiss Open and his mix of growing up in New Zealand and much of his adult life in Western Australia suggests windy conditions won’t faze Long.
DAVID MCKENZIE
Age: 56
The lowdown: Full of experience since turning 50, McKenzie is another with a grounding in Melbourne and Victorian golf that should translate well here.
Finishing tied for 25th at this event last year, McKenzie’s form so far this year has been solid in his limited opportunities and if his putter is hot he can certainly be a factor late in the piece.
JASON NORRIS
Age: 51
The lowdown: Earning his place thanks to a win at the Australian PGA Seniors Championship at Richmond last year, Norris is perhaps one of the smoky chances here for anyone outside of Australia.
Playing plenty of golf in Europe over his career, Norris is long for the over-50 crowd and plays the game with incredible creativity that will hold him in good stead this week at Carnoustie.
Tied for 15th in Switzerland earlier this month, Norris will relish the chance to show his wares and potentially open up more playing opportunities with a good week.
PETER O’MALLEY
Age: 59
The lowdown: Spending most of his time on the farm these days rather than playing competitive golf, O’Malley is still a tremendous hitter of the golf ball and his exploits in Scotland are legendary.
A winner of the Scottish Open with a final day charge, O’Malley will enjoy his return and despite little lead-in form to go by, windy conditions and the need for precision will suit the New South Welshman, who will hope the putter heats up.
ROD PAMPLING
Age: 54
The lowdown: Two-times a winner on the PGA TOUR Champions, including the SAS Championship in 2023, Pampling’s form so far this year has been up and down, though his ball striking bodes well for this week.
Long considered a top iron player, Pampling has plenty of experience at Carnoustie, including a T27 finish in 2007 and holding the lead of the 1999 Open Championship after the first round before feeling the full “Carnastie” effect on day two.
JOHN SENDEN
Age: 53
The lowdown: There have been signs of the Queenslander’s best in 2024, including with his lone top-10 of the season at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship, and if Senden can drop the one round above 73 each event he is a chance this week.
Another of the well regard ball strikers from Australia in this generation, Senden played a handful of Opens in his regular Tour career, with one of his best finishes coming at Carnoustie in 2007.
VIJAY SINGH
Age: 61
The lowdown: Still outworking almost everyone in professional golf, Singh will have taken plenty from his seventh place finish at the US Senior Open late last month at a course that highlights the same skills as Carnoustie.
A senior major champion, Singh owns some of the most significant links experience in the field of the players from outside the UK, and if the putter behaves, the Fijian should be right in this one.
MICHAEL WRIGHT
Age: 50
The lowdown: The last of the Australasians into the field after qualifying at Panmure Golf Club on Monday, Wright is another of the Aussies loving life after 50 on the golf course.
A true journeyman during his career, Wright has recorded three top-25s on the PGA TOUR Champions in his debut season this year, with the most recent coming in his last start at the Kaulig Companies Championship where the Queenslander shared seventh.
Possessing plenty of power, Wright’s ball flight control will be a significant asset this week if the wind gets up.
THE COURSE
Famous for its fearsomeness, Carnoustie Golf Links welcomes a senior major for the third time this week having hosted The Open Championship eight times and AIG Women’s Open twice.
Home to three courses, it is the Championship Course that will test the field this week, with the original 10 hole course designed by Allan Robertson with the help of Old Tom Morris, who returned to create the 18 hole layout in 1867.
Arguably the most difficult course on The Open Rota, Carnoustie is known for its relatively tight fairways in comparison with many links, while the famed ‘Barry Burn’ cuts its way through the course, and particularly the 18th hole, where Jean Van de Velde famously came unstuck in 1999.
The winner of the Claret Jug, Paul Lawrie is in the field this week, so too Van de Velde, and 2007 Open Champion Padraig Harrington.
Are you interested in volunteering at either of the two marquee events of this summer’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia?
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Golf Australia are calling for golf-lovers and enthusiasts to volunteer at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne in November-December 2024, as well as tournaments in Perth and regional Victoria.
Volunteers are the heartbeat of these tournaments in Australia.
The PGA Championship will be held at the famous Royal Queensland in Brisbane from 21 to 24 November where Min Woo Lee thrilled the crowds and won the championship last year (pictured above).
The Open is to be held at Kingston Heath and The Victoria Golf Club from 28 November to 1 December, with both courses hosting on the first two days and Kingston Heath hosting on the third and fourth day.
As has been the case in Melbourne in 2022 and Sydney in 2023, the tournament has an inclusive format with men’s, women’s and All Abilities championships played on the same stage at the same time.
Both tournaments are part of the DP World Tour and will boast a field of the best players in the world.
Potential volunteers can also put their hand up for the Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula, the Gippsland Super 6 and the Webex Players Series event in Perth.
Applications for volunteering at our major events and tournaments are managed through the volunteer management system, Rosterfy.
The process is two-step:
He is one of only three Australian men to reach the summit of the Official World Golf Rankings and Jason Day believes he has identified the next Aussie No.1.
Day returned home to Ohio on the back of his tie for 13th at The Open Championship at Royal Troon but we will be back in Europe next week to make his Olympic Games debut at Le Golf National.
He will be joined in the Australian team by reigning BMW Australian PGA champion Min Woo Lee, who will celebrate his 26th birthday the day after attending the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on Friday.
A three-time winner on the DP World Tour and one of world golf’s most magnetic personalities, Lee has the game that can take him to the very top of world golf, according to Day.
“He’s an amazing player,” said Day, the world No.1 for 51 weeks.
“I met him when he was a young junior player a while back, I think in 2016 or 2017, something like that.
“I’ve always kind of kept up with his career, especially when he played on the European Tour, now he plays on the PGA Tour.
“Hits it a long way, has a tremendous short game, and he’s a good putter.
“The good thing about him is he’s young. Once he starts to develop all the other parts of his game, he’s probably, I would say, our next best Australian player to try and get to No.1, just because of the talent.”
Sitting just five spots behind Day at No.36 in the world rankings, Lee is one win from assuming the mantle as Australia’s highest-ranked male golfer.
Given he was a teenager playing the Junior Interstate Series for Western Australia when Adam Scott and Jason Day were fighting it out at The Masters in 2013, it is rarefied air that Lee is just now becoming accustomed to breathing.
“To think that I can now call Adam Scott and Jason Day friends is amazing,” said Lee, who missed the cut at Royal Troon.
“They’ve been amazing. We always try to play practice rounds and stuff.
“It’d be amazing to be the top-ranked player in the world from Australia. That’d be very special.
“Still feel like I’m a kid, but our goal is to be the best player in the world.
“If that comes, to represent Australia and be the No.1 would be a very special and proud moment.”
Both Day and Lee will make their Olympic debuts in Paris, Lee to be joined by older sister Minjee in representing the green and gold.
Minjee is already a two-time Olympian, Min Woo thrilled that he will join such an illustrious group.
“Like anything we do as brother and sister, it’s very special,” he said.
“My sister has been in every event and every team event for Australia so she’s just been waiting on me.
“I guess time has come which is very exciting for the family.”
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Australian journeyman Bryan Wearne and youngster Cameron Bell have shared the trophy at this year’s PGA Professionals Championship of Victoria at Keysborough Golf Club.
Both players finished with matching scores of 2-under 71, one shot ahead of defending champion Grace Lennon who finished alone in third amongst Victoria’s best Vocational PGA Professionals.
Based at X-Golf Preston, Bell made a fast start, with three birdies in a row starting on the 15th. He gave all three shots back after making the turn however, before he saved the day with two late birdies.
Starting on the 10th, Wearne, from Growling Frog, was 2-over through nine holes before finding four birdies on his second nine. If not for a solitary bogey on the par-4 sixth hole, the trophy would’ve have been his alone.
While Wearne and Bell took the top prize, the top-15 players at Keysborough have won their way to the $70,000 National PGA Professionals Final at Heritage Golf and Country Club in October.
Full list of qualifiers:
It came with some unexpected nerves yet Will Florimo’s breakthrough adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory at the Reside Communities Pacific Pro-Am could not have been more fitting.
Playing at Pacific Golf Club where he is a member and has played pennants in the past, Florimo shot 4-under 68 to edge another outstanding field by a single stroke, Edward Donoghue, Dylan Gardner and Brett Rankin sharing second with rounds of 3-under 69.
Florimo earned status for the upcoming Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season at Qualifying School in April and will start his campaign at PNG next month buoyed by a maiden win at his home club.
Despite the familiarity of the venue, Florimo admitted that he arrived at the course with a sense of expectation.
“I said to my wife this morning, I was actually a little bit nervous playing at home, which was weird,” he said.
“Obviously I’ve had a big year with Q School both here and Asia and obviously my first proper starts the last few weeks.
“This was probably the first one that I’ve actually had a little bit of jitters driving here this morning, so awesome to actually get it done.”
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
A birdie at the par-4 fourth was the ideal way for Florimo to start his round but he was back to level par one hole later after a dropped shot at five.
Five straight pars followed before Florimo unleashed a back-nine birdie barrage.
He made three straight birdies from the par-5 11th and closed out a back nine of 5-under 31 with two further birdies at 17 and 18.
Conscious of where he stood on the leaderboard playing his final hole – the par-3 third – Florimo hit his tee shot to the meaty part of the green, a three-putt bogey shaving his advantage to a single shot.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was playing different to probably what it normally does with how firm and ridiculously fast it is out there,” Florimo said.
“I felt like I knew where I needed to leave it to a lot of those trickier pins. Even 18, I played as a three-shotter par 5. I know that pin, that’s our pennant pin where it was, so I knew where I had to leave the wedge shot and left it 10 feet under the hole.
“Those sorts of ones was where I felt like I had a bit of an edge.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Will Florimo 68
T2 Edward Donoghue 69
T2 Dylan Gardner 69
T2 Brett Rankin 69
T5 Deyen Lawson 70
T5 Michael Sim 70
T5 Cameron John 70
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series stays in Brisbane on Wednesday for the Howeston Pro-Am at Howeston Golf Course before moving on to Windaroo Lakes on Thursday and Virginia on Friday.
Adam Scott will celebrate his 45th birthday with a 25th consecutive appearance at The Open Championship after finishing in a tie for 10th at Royal Troon.
American Xander Schauffele became the first male player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 to win two major championships in the same year with what he described as the “best round I’ve played”, a bogey-free 6-under 65 earning a two-stroke win to go with his US PGA Championship triumph at Valhalla in May.
Four back at the start of the final round, Scott drew to within two with early birdies at the first and third holes but a bogey at five stalled his hopes of a Sunday charge.
He would lament a poor swing on 10 tee that resulted in a second dropped shot, his even-par 71 enough to clinch a top-10 finish and secure an exemption into the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush from July 17-20, 2025.
Scott has played every Open Championship since his debut at St Andrews in 2000 shortly after turning professional and will enjoy a dual celebration as his 45th birthday falls on the eve of Round 1.
While disappointed that he was unable to mount a charge deep into the final round, Scott reflected on a productive fortnight in Scotland that included a runner-up finish at the Genesis Scottish Open.
“Yesterday gave me a glimmer of hope, but it would have had to be a super- hot front nine,” Scott conceded after the sixth top-10 finish of his Open career.
“I made a bad swing on 10 and paid the price, made a mess of that.
“It’s hard to really sum up. I played fairly well this week. Didn’t do well in the toughest conditions. That’s how it goes.
“There’s still the Presidents Cup to look forward to. Hopefully I’m in a good spot to play my way on to that team now.
“That’s kind of the goal through the FedEx Cup upcoming.”
Final thoughts from @AdamScott after another great week at #TheOpen. pic.twitter.com/9PFme74VmM
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) July 21, 2024
Fellow Queenslander Jason Day regained much of the ground he lost in Round 3 with a 3-under 68 to finish in a tie for 13th while Kiwis Daniel Hillier (72) and Ryan Fox (67) also finished inside the top 25.
Scott wasn’t the only Australian to end the week inside the top 10.
Sarah Kemp closed with a round of 70 to be tied seventh at the LPGA Tour’s Dana Open in Ohio and Grant Booth matched his best result on the PGA Tour of Americas with a tie for eighth at the Bromont Open in Quebec.
Photo: Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
Results
The Open
Royal Troon, Troon, Scotland
1 Xander Schauffele 69-72-69-65—275 €2,846,593.60
T10 Adam Scott 70-77-66-71—284 €291,576.89
T13 Jason Day 73-68-76-68—285 €228,339.66
T19 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 76-71-68-72—287 €161,949.75
T25 Ryan Fox (NZ) 73-73-76-67—289 €114,430.00
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 73-76—149 €11,340.46
MC Min Woo Lee 71-80—151 €9,458.04
MC Elvis Smylie 76-75—151 €9,458.04
MC Jasper Stubbs (a) 80-72—152 ———
MC Michael Hendry (NZ) 74-78—152 €8,034.74
MC Cam Smith 80-74—154 €8,034.74
PGA TOUR
Barracuda Championship
Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood Cse), Truckee, California
MC Jason Scrivener 9-0—9
MC Aaron Baddeley 2-(-1)—1
MC Tim Wilkinson (NZ) 1-(-4)— -3
LPGA Tour
Dana Open
Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio
1 Chanettee Wannasaen 66-65-66-67—264 $US262,500
T7 Sarah Kemp 68-67-69-70—274 $38,232
T33 Grace Kim 71-68-73-67—279 $11,160
MC Hira Naveed 71-73—144
MC Robyn Choi 73-70—143
MC Sarah Jane Smith 71-72—143
MC Karrie Webb 76-73—149
MC Su Oh 76-76—152
WD Stephanie Kyriacou 74-74—148
Ladies European Tour
Dutch Ladies Open
Hilversumsche Golf Club, Netherlands
1 Jana Melichova 70-68-67—205 €45,000
T21 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 68-75-70—213 €3,684
T52 Kelsey Bennett 71-72-75—218 €1,067.14
T64 Whitney Hillier 72-72-78—222 €765
MC Amy Walsh 72-75—147
Korn Ferry Tour
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Missouri
1 Matt McCarty 65-67-65-66—263
T15 Karl Vilips 67-70-67-66—270
MC Brett Drewitt 71-68—139
MC Curtis Luck 69-70—139
MC Dimi Papadatos 72-71—143
MC Rhein Gibson 66-77—143
MC Steven Bowditch 76-74—150
PGA TOUR Americas
Bromont Open
Golf Chateau-Bromont, Québec
1 Ryan Burnett 67-65-64-62—258 $US40,500
T8 Grant Booth 66-67-65-67—265
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 67-70—137
MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 74-70—144
Epson Tour
Twin Bridges Championship
Pinehaven Country Club, Guilderland, New York
1 Lauren Stephenson 66-66-72—204 $US35,625
T17 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 75-70-68—213 $2,925
T26 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 73-70-71—214 $2,206
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 76-75—151
Challenge Tour
Euram Bank Open
GC Adamstal, Ramsau, Austria
1 Frank Kennedy 65-66-65-71—267 €43,200
MC Blake Windred 68-72—140
MC Hayden Hopewell 71-70—141
MC Jeff Guan 75-69—144
Adam Scott showed early signs of a final flurry but it was American Xander Schauffele who was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year at The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Scott trailed 54-hole leader Billy Horschel by four strokes entering the final round on the back of a round of 5-under 66 on Saturday.
With early birdies at one and three, Scott threatened to make a charge for the Claret Jug that he craves so deeply but bogey at the par-3 fifth quelled much of his forward momentum.
Scott ultimately closed with an even-par round of 71 to finish tied for 10th, fellow Australian Jason Day closing with a round of 3-under 68 to climb into a share of 13th just one shot back of Scott.
Runner-up at the Genesis Scottish Open, Scott is buoyed by a fortnight in Scotland that he hopes will propel him into the Presidents Cup team and a deep run in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
“After the 10th it was kind of over,” was Scott’s summation. “In the end I was too far back.
“Yesterday gave me a glimmer of hope but it would have had to be a super-hot front nine.
“It was good solid golf. I made a bad swing on 10 and paid the price, made a mess of that.
“It’s hard to really sum up. I played fairly well this week. Didn’t do well in the toughest conditions.
“That’s how it goes.
“There’s still the Presidents Cup to look forward to, hopefully I’m in a good spot to play my way on to that team now.
“That’s kind of the goal through the FedEx Cup upcoming.”
The next assignment for Day is a gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
Lamenting not handling the brutal conditions thrown at him better during Saturday’s third round where he fell from a tie for seventh to outside the top 30, Day will head home for a week before joining Min Woo Lee at Le Golf National.
“Troon is a serious test of golf,” said Day.
“I always love coming and playing The Open Championship. It’s just a thrill.
“I just didn’t putt as well as I’d hoped to yesterday and didn’t score well. I played good but
didn’t score well.
“To be honest, I feel like the game is kind of moving in the right direction.
“There’s a lot of good positive things moving out of this week going into Paris.”
The US PGA champion at Valhalla in May, Schauffele was flawless in a final round of 6-under 65.
Starting Sunday one back of Horschel, Schauffele began patiently, picking off five straight pars as others around him found early birdies.
Back-to-back birdies at six and seven saw him enter the fray but it was his birdie on 11 – the only player in the final round to do so at the hole named ‘The Railway’ – sparked his winning run.
He separated himself from the field with further birdies at 13, 14 and 16, burning the left edge of with a birdie putt on the 72nd hole to win by two from Justin Rose (67) and Horschel (68).
Photo: Luke Walker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
He counted himself out after signing for a 66 yet Australian Adam Scott will start the final round just four shots off the lead at The Open Championship at Royal Troon.
As 36-hole leader Shane Lowry came back to the fold with back-nine struggles on his way to a 6-over 77, those out early cashed in on the benign conditions to rocket up the leaderboard.
Scott was among those, climbing an astonishing 44 places with a round of 5-under 66 to be in a tie for 10th at even par.
American Billy Horschel (69) made bogey and English qualifier Daniel Brown (73) double-bogey on the final hole to make the margin manageable, Horschel the outright leader through 54 holes at 4-under.
It was a margin Scott had assumed would be insurmountable when he finished hours earlier.
“I’m probably not going to be in the mix, let’s be honest,” was the 2013 Masters champion’s honest appraisal. “I’m likely seven to nine shots behind, I would guess.
“If I am, then that’s a bonus, but I’m going to need wind and everything to be in my favour to kind of be in the mix.
“You can’t really complain about 66, but when you’re so far back, you kind of need every one possible.
“I think I got what I deserved out there. I played some fairly good golf and didn’t make too many errors.”
Two birdies out of the blocks was the ideal start for Scott as Royal Troon provided a window for the early groups to make an impression on the leaderboard.
He made a two at the par-3 fifth and a fourth front-nine birdie at the par-4 seventh to go out in 4-under 32.
His lone bogey at 15 was wedged between birdies at 14 and 16 as rain made conditions challenging for the later groups.
Runner-up a week ago at the Genesis Scottish Open and runner-up at Royal Lytham in 2012, Scott earned himself a Sunday sleep-in with the knowledge that his best golf in the final round might be enough to win the Claret Jug.
“To win golf tournaments, not many guys are winning not playing very well,” said the 44-year-old.
“To beat all these players, you have to be there, and a few guys every week are on doing that. The rest are making up the numbers.”
Tied for seventh at the halfway mark, Jason Day was one of many players to struggle in the rainy afternoon.
While fellow Queenslander Scott started with two birdies, Day began his day with two bogeys but birdied the par-5 fourth and the treacherous ‘Postage Stamp’ eighth to be even par through nine.
But, like so many around him, the back nine bit hard as Day came home in 5-over 40 for a round of 5-over 76 and tie for 33rd.
There were mixed fortunes, too, for the two Kiwis who made the cut, Daniel Hillier (68) climbing 39 spots and into a tie for 15th as Ryan Fox (76) dropped into a tie for 70th.
Photo by Luke Walker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
Jason Day has produced the equal low-round of the day on Friday at Royal Troon, a 3-under 68, to sneak inside the top-10 after 36-holes at the 152nd Open Championship.
Runner-up last year at Royal Liverpool, Day is 1-under for the Championship, six shots back of leader Shane Lowry.
The rest of the Australian contingent struggled on day two, with Adam Scott unable to keep things going from his positive start, carding a 6-over 77 today to slip into a share of 54th, just inside the cut-line.
Also unable to find the game he had on day one was Min Woo Lee, who’s 9-over 80 today means the West Australian will unfortunately not feature in the weekend play at Troon.
Trio of Elvis Smylie, Jasper Stubbs and Cam Smith all improved on day two, but it was a long way back from their tough starts, and all have missed the cut.
Stubbs, who’s exemptions from winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur have now come to a close, can hold his head high. Bouncing back today from his 9-over start, with a 1-over 72.
3-under on his front-nine, Stubbs looked like he might be able to claw himself back, however it was not to be. The young Melbourne amateur will undoubtably take endless lessons away from his week at Troon regardless.
A strong contender for the highlight of Day’s second round may well be the fact that he did not have a single blemish on his card. Three birdies and 15 pars is a scorecard many would have taken at the start of the day.
“I played really nice today and I’d like to play like that over the next two days, but I’ve just got to kind of take it one shot at a time,” said Day.
Day made back-to-back birdies on holes two and three to start the day but had to wait until hole 13 for his next, and final birdie, unlikely in itself.
“It was tough conditions yesterday, but this morning it sat down for us — it was still a little bit windy out there, but it sat down for us through 12 holes, kind of,” he said.
“Then, yeah, it was nice birdieing on 13 out of the rough there, then just kind of nice and steady.”
Although happy to be in contention at the halfway mark, Day acknowledges that the weekend at a major championship is a different challenge completely.
“It’s going to be difficult,” he said.
“We’re going to have rain tomorrow from what the forecast is. I know the wind is going to be a little bit down because of the rain, but once you’re dealing with that type of element, the ball starts to kind of square off everywhere.
“Then we’re back to some wind on Sunday, so it’s just like you kind of just wake up and take it as you’re going along the round because the guys in the morning won’t have better weather conditions than what I’ll have or vice versa. We might turn around.
“So just kind of try to get myself in contention on Sunday, and then anything happens on Sunday.”
The 152nd Open Championship is live onFox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Australasian scores:
T7 Jason Day -1
T38 Ryan Fox (NZ) +4
T54 Daniel Hillier (NZ) +5
T54 Adam Scott +5
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) +7
MC Min Woo Lee +9
MC Elvis Smylie +9
MC Michael Hendry +10
MC Jasper Stubbs (a) +10
MC Cameron Smith +12
(Photo by Luke Walker/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
