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Two more Australian men have been added to this month’s US Open field in New York.
Curtis Luck and Matt Jones were notified of their inclusion today, bringing to nine the total number of Aussies to tee it up at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck from 17-20 September.
They will join compatriots Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith, Jason Day, Lucas Herbert, Scott Hend and amateur Lukas Michel in the rescheduled second major championship of the disjointed 2020 calendar.
The final members of the 144-strong field will be determined after this week’s US PGA Tour Championship, but because of the global pandemic, it will not feature qualifiers as normal, only players “exempt” by specific categories.
Luck, 24, was added to the field courtesy of his win in the recent Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship that put him in the top five of the Korn Ferry Tour finals rankings completed on Monday.
It will be the West Australian’s first US Open after he forewent the 2017 edition to turn professional, thereby giving up the status he’d earnt with his victory at the previous year’s US Amateur.
The 2020 tournament will be Jones’ fifth tilt at a US Open crown and third in succession, but he’s yet to make a cut in the event regarded as the toughest annually.
Shooting 30-over for four rounds and finishing dead last in the second of the PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoffs events doesn’t jar like it could when you have been through what Marc Leishman has.
“It’s a whole lot better than sitting next to your wife in an intensive care unit waiting for her to die.”
The Victorian is just one of two Australians who have advanced to the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta this week – the other being Sony Open champion Cameron Smith – but would need a stunning form reversal to become the first Aussie to claim the FedEx Cup.
In seven events since the resumption post the COVID-19 suspension Leishman’s best finish is a tie for 40th at the Memorial Tournament and it was a struggle again at the BMW Championship where Olympia Fields Country Club kept all but seven players over par.
Starting with a 10-over 80 on day one, Leishman was a further 17-over for the following two rounds before salvaging a semblance of positivity with a final round of 3-over 73, hopeful that better ball-striking and improved relationship with his putter can carry into the Tour Championship.
And if it doesn’t, Leishman has more than enough perspective to know that bad golf is not the worst life can get.
The 36-year-old keeps a photo on his phone of wife Audrey taken when recovery appeared unlikely. On life support five years ago fighting off sepsis, she was given little chance of survival.
It’s a photo that Leishman couldn’t bring himself to take just a day earlier, such was the grim and heartbreaking image that faced him.
“I couldn’t take it because I thought, If she dies, I don’t want to remember her like this,” Leishman revealed.
“She looked worse the day before in the picture that I didn’t take than the next day.
“The next day she actually looked a little bit like herself when I took the photo but the day before she looked like a balloon.”
Which is why the affable Aussie can find positives in such challenging times as a professional.
“It’s a tough game. We all know that. Take the good with the bad,” Leishman told PGA TOUR media following his final round.
“This is why you celebrate your wins so hard because you’re going to have times like this. You hope you don’t, but it’s a hard game and you’ve got to take the good with the bad.
“I’m going through a rough patch at the minute but hoping to turn that around next week for sure.
“When you’re playing like this, it’s pretty easy to get down on yourself. I won’t say I haven’t got down on myself a few times, but at the end of the day it’s golf.
“If this is the worst thing that’s ever going to happen to me in my life, I’ll be all right.
“It’s a bad few weeks – few months, whatever it might be – but I’ve been through a lot worse than this off the course.
“I’m still in the TOUR Championship. If I have a good week next week, a lot can happen. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
On the course, Leishman hopes to use a layout more accommodating to his preferred shot-shape off the tee to deliver a career-best performance at East Lake.
The Warrnambool native has qualified for the 30-man field four times since 2009 with a best finish of 21st two years ago.
“Today was a little better but still not where I want to be. Baby steps. Just got to get back to where I was,” said Leishman, who will begin the Tour Championship nine shots adrift of FedEx Cup leader Dustin Johnson.
“Could be I found something with my putting today, which was good. I struck it a lot better. Next week I’ll be able to hit some more drivers, which will be good, and I like the greens there next week.
“(Olympia Fields) is a tough golf course. Didn’t set up great for me. A few too many trees on the left there off the holes you’ve got to hit drivers.
“There’s a lot of 2-irons for me on holes where I would like to hit driver but I couldn’t because I fade it.
“I haven’t played well on that course (East Lake) either, but I feel like I’m due there. Things are starting to turn around with how it went today.”
Cameron Smith guaranteed his spot at the Tour Championship with a final round of 69 to finish tied 20th at Olympia Fields while Adam Scott missed out, a final round of 5-over 75 resulting in a fall of 22 places on the final leaderboard.
Tiger Woods is Jason Day’s new swing coach. Kind of.
One of only three Australian players to ascend to No.1 in the world rankings, Day is eyeing off a return to those lofty heights without the assistance of his long-time coach and mentor Colin Swatton.
Top 10 in four of his past five starts, Day enters this week’s BMW Championship ranked 35th in the world and 50th in the FedExCup and in need of another strong finish to push his way into the top 30 who will contest the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Not since a troubled teen found solace in the resident golf coach at Hills International College has Day managed his golf swing without Swatton’s assistance but he has recently turned to the man who inspired his dream to play professional golf for some expert advice.
Like Day, Woods has ongoing back issues that need constant physical therapy and an accommodating golf swing that he is self-managing. As such, the 35-year-old Queenslander believes that right now the 15-time major champion has insights that can help.
“It’s just really difficult for me to at least go around and talk to any coaches or the potential of having a coach but I actually have been talking to Tiger about his swing and what he’s been through,” said Day.
“I think he has the best swing out there in regards to especially the iron swing. It’s amazing.
“He’s gone through some back issues and I think he’s doing a lot of good things to try and alleviate his pain, obviously what he’s going through right now in regards to his back.
“I just feel like I’ve asked questions and he’s willing to answer them and I’m trying to make changes right now in my swing.
“I’ve asked Tiger about certain things in his swing. Obviously I’m still playing against Tiger but he’s very open to me about the golf swing because of the specific questions that I’ve tried to ask him, like trying to get back into your right hip on the backswing which will tidy up certain things in the golf swing that I’m trying to work on, and then a few more questions in there.
“But I am trying to take a little bit more ownership in my golf swing.”
Five years ago a win at the BMW Championship was the culmination of an extraordinary run of form that saw Day win four of six events – including his lone major championship triumph at the 2015 US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits – and didn’t finish worse than 12th in nine straight tournaments.
Save for his missed cut a week ago at The Northern Trust in Boston, Day has shown a return to that type of consistency to rise 28 spots in the rankings in the space of five events but is determined to play his way into the Tour Championship after falling short a year ago.
“I’ve always kind of wanted to put myself in the top 30 and try and give myself at shot at winning the FedEx Cup,” said Day, one of four Australians who will contest the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago.
“The last two seasons have been a little bit disappointing but the good thing is that I’m playing a lot better now leading into this week.
“I feel like the game is in a good spot. The great thing about this week is there’s no cut so you don’t have to worry about that.
“Obviously if you’re playing good golf you never worry about it but it’s always great to get four rounds under your belt and know that even if you do get off to kind of a rough start you can get yourself back into the tournament.
“I’m looking forward to this week.”
Not even a career-low round by Victorian David McKenzie was enough to upstage Champions Tour debutant Phil Mickelson who rattled off five-straight birdies on his way to the opening round lead at the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National.
Runner-up at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational just a month ago and still ranked No.54 in the world, Mickelson wasted no time in turning his attention to the over-50s circuit after his PGA TOUR season came to a close with a missed cut at The Northern Trust.
Mickelson turned 50 on June 16 and made an immediate impression amongst the Champions Tour elite in a rare Monday start, starting his five-hole birdie run at the par-4 13th and taking sole possession of the lead at 10-under with a sublime tee shot at the short par-3 17th.
Earlier he had birdied four of his first five holes to burst out of the blocks as he set about surpassing the 9-under par round of 62 posted earlier by McKenzie.
On fire. ?
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 24, 2020
David McKenzie breezes through the first round with a bogey-free 62. pic.twitter.com/VVSRRMtt7t
It was a continuation of the form resurgence McKenzie displayed in shooting 65 in the final round of the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge to finish tied for 11th and established a new career low.
“I don’t think I’ve shot 10 (under) in a tournament round. I’ve shot 10 in other rounds, but not in a tournament round,” McKenzie explained post-round.
“If I wanted to find another couple, I probably could, but that would be a little bit greedy.
“I’ll take 62, it’s a nice start and see where we go.
“It has a little bit of a feel like Australia. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed it so I just like the way that it sits and feels. It’s a really comfortable sort of golf course.”
If there was excitement amongst commentators and fans about Mickelson joining the seniors, his peers know that he will bring a new level of showmanship to the Champions Tour.
“It’s exciting for all the tour,” said McKenzie.
“Anytime you can have someone who’s still competitive on the main tour as Phil is, it’s always fun to see how he comes out and goes and see how you compete against him.”
As you would expect of such a low score the statistical analysis of McKenzie’s round makes for very pleasant reading.
He missed just one green in regulation all day and needed just 27 putts, his round transformed from good to great with a run of three straight birdies from the 14th hole.
McKenzie wasn’t the only high-flying Aussie on day one with Rod Pampling posting 7-under 64 to sit three shots behind Mickelson, the highlight of his round a run of three consecutive birdies from the third hole.
West Australian Stephen Leaney is the only other Aussie in the field this week and began his tournament with a 1-under 70.
With a clutch up-and-down on the 72nd hole, Curtis Luck outlasted the field to win the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, finishing the week at 11-under 273.
“Yeah, it’s actually a really deep breath of relief,” Luck said after the win.
“Golf’s really tough. It’s probably not gone 100 percent to plan with the way I wanted to when I turned pro, but yeah, I’ve just stuck with it and I’m still working hard.
“Obviously, to get a win out here is massive because not only does it give me status for the next couple years out here on the Korn Ferry Tour, it just shows that I’m able to compete, which is nice.”
Luck, who held the 36- and 54-hole leads at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course, emerged victorious from a crowded leaderboard that saw five players tied for the lead at one point on Sunday.
Entering the final round with a one-stroke advantage, Luck couldn’t seem to find his rhythm on the front nine.
After seven consecutive pars, he dropped a shot at the par-3 eighth to fall back to 10-under.
On No. 11, he dropped another shot with his second bogey of the day and fell off the top of a crowded leaderboard.
“Yeah, it was a tough day from start to finish,” he said. “Unfortunately, I made a couple of bogeys, but I just rolled with them and dug deep to finish.”
Following pars on Nos. 12-14, Luck made his charge back up the leaderboard with a birdie on No. 15. At the par-4 16th, he drained a lengthy birdie attempt to regain the solo-lead at 11-under.
The drama would unfold on No. 18 as Luck found himself one stroke ahead of playing partner Cameron Young on the tee box. Theo Humphrey and Taylor Montgomery had each posted the clubhouse lead at 10-under 274.
Luck’s drive on the 18th hit off a tree but still managed to find the fairway. Young, who began the day one stroke off the lead, took an aggressive line, leaving himself a short pitch shot into the 439-yard par-4.
Luck’s approach missed the green right and found the greenside bunker leaving him a difficult up-and-down. From just short of the green, Young stuck his second shot inside 7-feet leaving him a great look for birdie.
After a difficult bunker shot, Luck faced a 7-foot par putt to post 11-under for the week but was still outside Young’s birdie attempt. As he had done all week, the Australian drained the par attempt, leaving Young with a chance to force a playoff. Despite his best effort, Young’s putt slid past the hole and secured Luck the win.
“Yeah, it was an intense hole,” Luck said of No. 18. “I thought I hit a good tee shot down there and just clipped one of those trees and shot it out backwards into the fairway. And I just, I hit a poor iron shot. I wasn’t trying to do anything special, just middle of the green and hit a poor iron shot.
“Fortunately, yeah, I made a wicked up‑and‑down and put the pressure back on Cam, who as I said, I’m certain that if I missed, with how good a player Cam is, he would have rolled that thing straight in and shut us all out.”
With the victory, Luck moved to 18th on the points list. He also put himself in great position to secure one of the five spots in the 2020 U.S. Open awarded at the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship Series.
Next week, the Tour travels to Evansville, Indiana, for the final event of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship Series, the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.
Little about Cameron Davis’ pre-round routine today seemed to offer the Australian much confidence.
Not that it mattered.
Despite some early nerves in his FedEx Cup Playoffs debut, the Sydneysider showcased supreme nerve in posting a seven-under 64 in the first round at TPC Boston. The 25-year-old will enter round two tied atop the leaderboard with Harris English, Kevin Streelman and Russell Henley, with seven others one shot behind.
“My swing was a little sloppy and I wasn’t hitting the ball very solid on the range,” Davis said. “And then to start on the back nine very strong and hit a lot of good quality shots, I feel really proud of the way I dug in and did a really good job of just planning my shots out and committing to some lines and getting a couple birdies early on in that stretch. Definitely eased the tension a little bit and let me keep going.”
Davis, who tied for 15th last week at the Wyndham Championship, could secure his position in next week’s BMW Championship with a strong result over the next three days. He arrived in Boston at 91st in the FedExCup standings and needing a tie for 20th or better to advance to Chicago.
So far, so good.
Click here to read the remainder of the article thanks to Australian Golf Digest.
When you’re on, you’re ON.@CamDavisGolf with his 8th birdie of the day to take the solo lead @TheNTGolf.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/H2z3FiBqXy
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 20, 2020
Step into the ring with Mike Tyson. Take the court and challenge Michael Jordan one-on-one. Get on the starting blocks and look to your left at a smiling Usain Bolt.
Whatever chance you thought you had going in instantly evaporates.
At the turn of the century, Tiger Woods’ mere presence at a golf tournament made other players reevaluate their chances of winning, including our very own Adam Scott.
It’s been almost 17 years since Scott turned potential into a maiden PGA TOUR title at the 2003 Deutsche Bank Championship and he returns to TPC Boston this week – along with five fellow Aussies – for the opening event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, The Northern Trust.
As is his custom at the business end of the season – even a truncated one such as this – Woods is in attendance, courtesy in large part due to his victory at the ZOZO Championship in Japan late last year.
When Scott was establishing himself as one of the elite young players in the game Woods had won seven of the past 16 major championships and the ‘Tiger-effect’ was at full force.
“Looking back on it now, it’s hard to remember exactly the influence, attention and intimidation that Tiger drew to golf tournaments but it was significant to every player that was out here,” concedes Scott, the 2013 champion in this event at Liberty National.
“If anyone was playing at that time and they were being honest there’s no doubt he made a big difference.
“I think I would have told myself to come up with a strategy to block out exactly what Tiger was doing and making us all kind of feel slightly inferior to him.”
Scott enters the FedEx Cup playoffs in 36th position courtesy of his victory at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, third of the Aussies behind Marc Leishman (14th) and Cameron Smith (30th) with Jason Day (45th), Matt Jones (86th) and Cameron Davis (91st) chasing a share of the FedEx Cup bounty along with Kiwi Danny Lee.
Tied for 22nd in his tournament return at the US PGA Championship a fortnight ago, the 40-year-old Queenslander has the same career goals that he had at 23 and despite the years quickly passing by still believes they are achievable.
“I never really had Jack Nicklaus’s major record pinned up on my boardroom wall or anything but I always felt like a real legend of the game was a five-time Major Champion and I still feel that’s relevant,” said Scott.
“That’s not to take anything away from players who have won multiple majors and had incredible careers, but you know, there can only be so many legends of the game. You have to draw the line somewhere and that’s what I think about in my head and my goals, and I feel like I want to win multiple majors.
“Five still seems pretty clear to me. That’s a pretty tough goal. I only have a few years to do it but I still think something like that would be fantastic.”
As for the player other players fear today, Scott said no one can compare to Tiger Woods but there is one in particular who makes his presence known on the leaderboard.
“It’s very, very hard to compare anyone to Tiger. There are a lot of incredible players today but only one comes along every once in a while with an influence like Tiger Woods.
“In fairness, Justin Thomas, when his name is on the leaderboard, he seems like a very good closer. I know he’s had a couple close calls, but that’s what happens when you’re up there all the time, you lose a couple. But he’s winning a lot.
“Justin Thomas to me seems like a guy who really has it dialed and is a threat. He can sneak his way up when hasn’t had a great week, or he can dominate a tournament from the get-go, so he’s certainly putting it all together.”
Round 1 tee times (AEST)
PGA TOUR
The Northern Trust
TPC Boston, Norton, Massachusetts
9.53pm Jason Day, Brendan Steele, Adam Hadwin
10.04pm* Marc Leishman, Abraham Ancer, Dustin Johnson
10.37pm Matt Jones, Cameron Tringale, Rickie Fowler
2.22am Danny Lee, Mackenzie Hughes, Jim Herman
2.44am* Adam Scott, Matthew Wolff, Tyler Duncan
2.55am* Cameron Smith, Viktor Hovland, Ryan Palmer
3.17am* Cameron Davis, Tommy Fleetwood, Jason Kokrak
Defending champion: Patrick Reed
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Crampton (1970), David Graham (1976), Wayne Grady (1989), Adam Scott (2013), Jason Day (2015)
Top Aussie prediction: Jason Day
TV schedule: Live 5am-9am Friday, Saturday; Live 4am-8am Sunday; Live 2.30am-8.30am Monday on Fox Sports 503.
European Tour
ISPS HANDA Wales Open
The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales
6.28pm Michael Campbell, Aaron Rai, John Catlin
7.01pm Ryan Fox, Brandon Stone, Wilco Nienaber
8.23pm Jake McLeod, Ugo Coussaud, Ewen Ferguson
11.02pm Min Woo Lee, Lucas Bjerregaard, Adri Arnaus
11.46pm Jason Scrivener, Guido Migliozzi, Marcus Kinhult
12.08am Zach Murray, Ben Evans, Philip Eriksson
Defending champion: Joost Luiten (2014)
Past Aussie winners: Scott Strange (2008)
Top Aussie prediction: Jason Scrivener
TV schedule: Live 10.30pm-12.30am Thursday, 1.30am-4.30am Friday; Live 10.30pm-12.30am Friday, 1.30am-4.30am Saturday; 12pm-2pm Sunday; Live 8.30pm-1am Sunday on Fox Sports 503.
Korn Ferry Tour
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
OSU Golf Club (Scarlet Cse), Columbus, Ohio
10.14pm Curtis Luck, Joshua Creel, Patrick Fishburn
10.25pm* Brett Coletta, Mito Pereira, Nicholas Thompson
11.20pm Harrison Endycott, JT Griffin, Kevin Roy
11.31pm Nick Voke, Stephen Franken, KK Limbhasut
3.30am Jamie Arnold, Kyle Jones, John Chin
3.52am* Ryan Ruffels, Zach Wright, Bobby Bai
4.14am Brett Drewitt, Matt Atkins, Robby Ormand
Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Jamie Arnold
TV schedule: Live 3am-5am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 505; 2pm-3.30pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 4.30am-7am Monday on Fox Sports 505.
Champions Tour
Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Big Cedar Lodge
Buffalo Ridge, Ridgedale, Missouri
1.25am* Rod Pampling, Kent Jones, Ken Duke
1.30am David McKenzie, Bob Estes, Brad Bryant
3.31am* Stephen Leaney, Robin Byrd, Shane Bertsch
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Top Aussie prediction: Stephen Leaney
TV schedule: Live 6am-8am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; 9am-11am Saturday and Sunday on Fox Sports 507.
* Starting from 10th tee
Rod Pampling turned 50 earlier this year which gave him eligibility to play on the PGA Champions Tour, and the Queenslander is not about to miss his chance to make a mark.
Pampling closed with the low round of the day at Firestone Country Club, a 66, to jump into a top-five finish in the Senior Players Championship, a major, ending up just five shots back from the winner, American Jerry Kelly.
It is Pampling’s fourth top-10 finish in his first six starts on the veterans’ tour and he is surely not far away from a win.
He stands out as the #AussieOfTheWeek on the golf tours of the world.
Meanwhile six Australians have qualified for the playoffs on the PGA TOUR by finishing inside the top 125 on the Fedex Cup points list across the 2019-20 season.
Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith (who have all won tournaments this season), Jason Day, Matt Jones and Cameron Davis will tee it up in the first of the playoff events, the Northern Trust, in Boston this week trying to become the first Aussie to win the FedEx Cup.
For 25-year-old Sydney product Davis, it is a first-ever appearance in the playoffs, and he celebrated with a T15 performance at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina that was notable for a trio of 65s to finish.
Davis, the 2017 Australian Open champion, began his tournament with consecutive double bogeys after hitting water balls at Greensboro Country Club. But he refused to yield, shooting 18-under par for the remainder of the tournament.
While Kiwi Lydia Ko led the Australasian contingent with a T12 finish at the Ladies’ Scottish Open, Perth’s Hannah Green and Minjee Lee both warmed up for this week’s Women’s British Open by finishing locked together in a tie for 16th behind American Stacy Lewis.
Green birdied the opening three holes of the final round and jumped on to the leaderboard before fading on the back nine, but her performance was encouraging given a five-month absence from tournament golf.
Meanwhile, Lee began the final round five shots back from the lead and with a chance, before a disappointing back nine undid her earlier efforts.
The Women’s British Open is this week at Royal Troon.
PGA TOUR
Wyndham Championship
Sedgefield Country Club, North Carolina
Won by Jim Herman at -21 by one shot
T15– Cameron Davis, -14, 71-65-65-65
T37 – Matt Jones, -8, 68-67-72-65
MC – Danny Lee, 69-69
MC – Aaron Baddeley, 73-70
MC – Greg Chalmers, 70-73
MC – John Senden, 73-71
MC – Tim Wilkinson, 74-71
MC – Rhein Gibson, 74-73
WD – Cameron Percy, 71-WD
LPGA Tour
Ladies’ Scottish Open (co-sanctioned with Ladies European Tour)
Renaissance Club, North Berwisk
Won by Stacy Lewis at -5 in a playoff
T12 – Lydia Ko, -1, 70-72-67-74
T16 – Hannah Green, even, 72 -72 -70-70
T16 – Minjee Lee, even, 68-73-70-73
T39 – Katherine Kirk, +5, 72-73-73-71
MC – Sarah Kemp, 76-73
MC – Su Oh, 73-76
MC – Whitney Hillier, 75-77
MC – Stephanie Kyricacou, 78-76
MC – Sarah Jane Smith, 77-79
European Tour
Celtic Classic
Celtic Manor, Wales
Won by Sam Horsfield at -18
T14 – Jake McLeod, -11, 65-69-69-70
T14 – Jason Scrivener, -11, 69-69-65-70
T31 – Maverick Antcliff, -8, 68-71-70-67
T39 – Scott Hend, -7, 75-65-68-69
57 – Ryan Fox, -4, 69-71-68-72
72 – Min Woo Lee, +3, 68-71-71-76
MC – Michael Campbell, 71-71
MC – Zach Murray, 79-87
PGA Champions Tour
Senior Players Championship
Firestone Country Club, Ohio
Won by Jerry Kelly at -3 by two shots
T5 – Rod Pampling, +2, 68-73-75-66
T16 – Stephen Leaney, +7, 76-76-66-69
T48 – David McKenzie, +15, 75-71-76-73
Symetra Tour
Founders Tribute
Longbow Golf Club, Indiana
Won by Sarah White at -15
T11 – Robyn Choi, -7, 70-70-69
T18 – Hira Naveed, -6, 73-70-67
MC – Stephanie Na, 74-71
MC – Julienne Soo, 75-72
Korn Ferry Tour
Boise Open
Hillcrest Country Club, Indiana
Won by Stephan Jaegar at -22 by two shots
T48 – Harrison Endycott, -9, 70-68-72-65
MC – Curtis Luck, 73-66
MC – Steven Alker, 72-67
MC – Ryan Ruffels, 69-70
MC – Bret Coletta, 70-72
MC – Brett Drewitt, 70-73
Rising star Min Woo Lee has one eye on the evolving Australasian summer schedule as he aims to use an Order of Merit victory to join the elite of world golf.
Buoyed by a tie for sixth in his third start since joining the European Tour bubble in the United Kingdom, Lee enters this week’s Celtic Classic with a valuable shot of confidence, the first of two successive events that will be played at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, host venue of the 2010 Ryder Cup.
The Australian contingent has been bolstered by the arrival of Victorian Zach Murray with Lee and fellow long bomber Ryan Fox drawn to play together for the opening two rounds.
It is another massive week for Australia’s touring professionals with the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open welcoming Hannah Green for her first start since the COVID-19 pandemic and Stephanie Kyriacou playing her first event in Europe since winning the Geoff King Motors Classic at Bonville Golf Resort by seven strokes in February.
Like Kyriacou, Lee guaranteed his immediate future with a co-sanctioned European Tour win on home soil earlier in the year, his peerless display at the Vic Open ensuring his status for the next two years at least.
Lee’s victory at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links also catapulted him to second on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and the 22-year-old admitted that the Aussie calendar will be closely monitored as he plots his schedule for the remainder of the year.
The ongoing management of the coronavirus outbreak has made scheduling incredibly difficult with the Australian Open postponed and the Australian PGA Championship currently slated to be played at Royal Queensland from 3-6 December.
The change in scheduling has prompted a move to a wrap-around season that will conclude in March 2021 but the leading two players as at December 31, 2020 will receive the exemptions into the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship next February, another potentially critical step in Lee’s development.
“It’s important. There are a lot of opportunities in the Order of Merit so I’m looking forward to playing the tournaments and the big Aussie events that count,” said Lee, currently $16,040 behind leader Brad Kennedy.
“I’m not sure what the schedule is going to be like but it’s definitely going to be a consideration for me.
“I haven’t played a major yet but it could be a way to get the majors into my schedule.”
The security of his European Tour exemption allows Lee to play with a sense of freedom and aggression but he is determined to prove that his Vic Open triumph was no one-hit wonder.
“It was definitely nice to get a win under the belt but it’s not where I want to stop,” said Lee.
“Your swing changes every week depending on the feels on the range and on the course but mentally it’s definitely helpful.
“It’s also a release of a bit of pressure. You’re out there trying to get your card and now that I’ve got it for a couple of years it’s definitely a big help.
“You can go and send it out there and not have to play too conservatively which is nice.”
A surprise, socially-distanced celebration for his 22nd birthday on July 27 somewhat broke the monotony of life in the bubble, a lack of variety in the dining room the main complaint of a young man spoiled by his grandmother’s Korean cooking when home in Perth. (‘Food’ even has its own Stories highlight on Lee’s Instagram page.)
There are games of Call of Duty against fellow European Tour players such as Aussies Jake McLeod and Zach Murray and South African Haydn Porteous and there is a new look that he says has been well received thus far.
“The visor was just a change. There’s no ‘visor power’,” Lee said of his new headwear choice.
“I didn’t look at anyone and decide I wanted to try it, I just kind of wanted to give it a go.
“As soon as I started wearing it there were a few compliments at the golf course back home and thought I would bring it out to the tour.
“It worked out last week so hopefully keep it going.”
Round 1 tee times (AEST)
European Tour
Celtic Classic
The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales
5.28pm Min Woo Lee, Ryan Fox, Jorge Campillo
5.50pm Jason Scrivener, Thomas Pieters, Adri Arnaus
6.39pm Michael Campbell, Jbe Kruger, Gavin Moynihan
9.29pm Scott Hend, David Drysdale, Jamie Donaldson
11.13pm Jake McLeod, Steven Tiley, Lee Slattery
11.46pm Maverick Antcliff, Zach Murray, Ashley Chesters
Top Aussie prediction: Jason Scrivener
TV schedule: Live 9pm-11pm, 12am-3am Thursday and Friday; Live 12am-4am Sunday; Live 11.30pm-4am Sunday on Fox Sports 503.
PGA TOUR
Wyndham Championship
Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina
9.10pm John Senden, Patrick Rodgers, Scott Harrington
9.40pm Greg Chalmers, Tyler Duncan, Jason Dufner
10.20pm* Danny Lee, Bronson Burgoon, Doc Redman
10.30pm Tim Wilkinson, Lucas Glover, Bud Cauley
10.50pm Rhein Gibson, Nelson Ledesma, Vince Covello
2.15am* Aaron Baddeley, Peter Malnati, Zac Blair
2.25am* Cameron Davis, Fabián Gómez, Henrik Norlander
3.25am* Cameron Percy, Chesson Hadley, Sam Burns
3.35am* Matt Jones, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Denny McCarthy
Past Australian winners: Steve Elkington (1990)
Defending champion: JT Poston
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Davis
TV schedule: Live 4am-8am Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Fox Sports 503
Korn Ferry Tour
Albertsons Boise Open
Hillcrest Country Club, Boise, Idaho
12.36am* Ryan Ruffels, Dan McCarthy, Tag Ridings
12.47am* Brett Drewitt, Conrad Shindler, Yuwa Kosaihira
4.52am Steven Alker, Jared Wolfe, Adam Svensson
5.36am* Brett Coletta, Kevin Dougherty, Derek Ernst
5.47am* Curtis Luck, Paul Haley II, Greg Yates
6.20am* Harrison Endycott, Sebastián Vázquez, Brandon Wu
Past Australian winners: Greg Chalmers (2005)
Defending champion: Matthew NeSmith
Top Aussie prediction: Ryan Ruffels
TV schedule: 12pm-1.30pm Friday, Saturday; Live 7am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 503
Champions Tour
Bridgestone Senior Players Championship
Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio
11.55pm* David McKenzie, Duffy Waldorf, David Frost
1am Rod Pampling, Mark Calcavecchia, Dudley Hart
1.35am* Stephen Leaney, Jesper Parnevik, Shaun Micheel
Defending champion: Retief Goosen
Past Australian winners: Stewart Ginn (2002)
Top Aussie prediction: Rod Pampling
TV schedule: Live 1am-4am Friday; 1am-3.30am Saturday; 5am-8am Sunday; 4.30am-7am Monday on Fox Sports 507
Ladies European Tour
Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
The Renaissance Club, North Berwick
5.25pm Stephanie Kyriacou, Yu Liu, Diksha Dagar
5.47pm Whitney Hillier, Jasmine Suwannapura, Tonje Daffinrud
5.58pm Sarah Jane Smith, Alena Sharp, Hannah Burke
6.09pm Katherine Kirk, Emma Nilsson, Liz Young
6.20pm Sarah Kemp, Amy Olson, Gerina Piller
9.05pm Hannah Green, Beth Allen, Charlotte Thomas
12.34am Lydia Ko, Pernilla Lindberg, Yui Kawamoto
1.07am Minjee Lee, Anne Van Dam, Nasa Hataoka
Defending champion: Mi Jung Hur
Past Australian winners: Rebecca Artis (2015)
Top Aussie prediction: Minjee Lee
TV schedule: Live 9pm-1am Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Fox Sports 505
* Starting from 10th tee
Western Australians Min Woo Lee and Jason Scrivener burst out of the blocks in England but it was the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open champ who ground out a sensational T6 result this week.
His big sister, Minjee Lee, backed up last week’s outright third result on the LPGA Tour with an outright fourth in Ohio as the women’s major season looms.
But major championship golf is officially back – and so is our newest #AussieOfTheWeek Jason Day.
The Queenslander notched his fourth straight top 10 result against the world’s best, while also securing a sixth career top 10 in the PGA Championship in just 11 starts.
So to hitting form at the right time, we congratulate Jason on another #AussieOfTheWeek gong!
PGA TOUR
PGA Championship
TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California
Won by Collin Morikawa at -13 by two shots
T3 – Jason Day, -10, 65-69-70-66
T22 – Adam Scott, -4, 68-70-70-68
T43 – Cam Smith, E, 71-69-70-70
T71 – Danny Lee, +4, 69-71-74-70
MC – Marc Leishman, +2, 70-72
MC – Lucas Herbert, +3, 73-70
MC – Matt Jones, +5, 70-75
LPGA TOUR
Marathon LPGA Classic
Highland Meadows Golf Club, Ohio
Won by Danielle Kang at -15 by one shot
4 – Minjee Lee, -13, 68-67-68-68
T65 – Katherine Kirk, +1, 71-66-71-77
MC – Sarah Kemp, +4, 71-75
MC – Sarah Jane Smith, +6, 75-73
European Tour
English Championship
Hanbury Manor, England
Won by Andy Sullivan at -27 by seven shots
T6 – Min Woo Lee, -16, 64-67-70-67
T14 – Jason Scrivener, -14, 64-69-66-71
T19 – Ryan Fox, -13, 67-67-66-71
T44 – Scott Hend, -10, 71-66-70-67
MC – Maverick Antcliff, -4, 66-72
MC – Jake McLeod, -3, 69-70
Korn Ferry Tour
WinCo Foods Portland Open
Pumpkin Ridge GC, Oregon
Won by Lee Hodges at -11 by two shots
T11 – Brett Drewitt, -6, 70-71-67-70
T22 – Ryan Ruffels, -4, 71-63-74-72
T37 – Steven Alker, -2, 68-65-73-76
T37 – Harrison Endycott, -2, 70-71-68-73
T48 – Jamie Arnold, E, 72-69-70-73
MC – Curtis Luck, +1, 74-69
MC – Brett Coletta, +5, 75-72
