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The Australian golf community is calling on golf clubs around Australia to dedicate a members’ day to the memory of Jarrod Lyle and help raise much-needed funds for Challenge, a charity devoted to supporting children and families living with cancer.
Because of COVID-19, the campaign has been postponed from August and September to run in October and November, and will culminate in Yellow Day on Friday 4 December at the Australian PGA Championship.
Having been diagnosed with cancer three times throughout his life, Jarrod Lyle understood the hardship that young people and their families face when battling this disease.
For many years Jarrod was an ambassador for Challenge, a not-for-profit organisation that supports children and families living with cancer and aims to lighten the cancer journey for the whole family, 365 days of the year.
“I would like to encourage all golf fans and golf clubs to get behind the #DoingItForJarrod campaign so that Challenge can continue to not only honour all that Jarrod Lyle was, but also continue his mission to support other families living with cancer,” said David Rogers, chief executive officer of Challenge.
“Jarrod truly believed in the work of Challenge and spent all of his adult life supporting Challenge’s mission.”
In Jarrod’s memory, the PGA of Australia, Golf Australia and Challenge united to create a special fundraising event that could be enjoyed by the entire golf community.
This campaign, #DoingItForJarrod, is now an annual event throughout the country and sees many courses and club members swathed in yellow in support of Jarrod and Challenge.
Golf Australia interim chief executive Rob Armour was delighted to assist in keeping Jarrod’s passion and intentions alive.
“Many Australians know Jarrod was a great player, but I think those in the golf community came to learn that he was an even greater champion off the course,” Armour said.
“Working as a united community around the country, there’s no better way for us all to ensure his desire to help those in trouble lives on. We ask all clubs – especially those touched by cancer – to get involved in #DoingItForJarrod again this year.”
All clubs that participate in #DoingItForJarrod in 2020 will be entered into the draw to win an invitation to play alongside golf’s best in the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour co-sanctioned Australian PGA Championship Pro-Am to be held in December at Royal Queensland Golf Club, incorporating the featured ‘Yellow Day’ fundraiser.
“Yellow Day was a true highlight of the Australian PGA Championship in 2019 and we are excited to turn Royal Queensland into a sea of yellow this December,” said Gavin Kirkman, chief executive of the PGA of Australia.
“It was incredible to see hundreds of golf clubs around Australia support this great cause in 2019 and the PGA is honoured to once again partner with Challenge and Golf Australia to be a part of this important initiative in 2020.
“PGA Professionals working in clubs around the country have thrown their support behind #DoingItForJarrod days and we look forward to seeing them bring their clubs together throughout October and November.”
Creating yellow-themed events, encouraging club members to don yellow and selling Challenge merchandise at your club are just some of the ways you can help raise money. All donations are tax-deductible.
“In 2019 more than 200 golf clubs around Australia participated in the inaugural #DoingItForJarrod campaign, resulting in an incredible $200,000 raised,” said Briony Lyle, Jarrod’s wife.
“With the help of golf clubs around Australia once again in 2020, we hope to continue raising money to support a cause that was so close to Jarrod’s, and my, heart.”
All monies raised through #DoingItForJarrod will go towards a special legacy, Jarrod’s Gift, that has been created by Challenge in Jarrod’s honour.
You can help Challenge by donating directly, or purchasing clothing and pins carrying the Leuk the Duck symbol Jarrod Lyle wore as a Challenge ambassador, by visiting www.challenge.org.au.
To register your club for #DoingItForJarrod in 2020, or for further information, please visit the Challenge website.
Will you be #DoingItForJarrod in 2020?
The first World Golf Championships event since lockdown. The resumption of both the Champions Tour and LPGA Tour. The continuing abridged seasons of the PGA TOUR, European Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.
Golf’s back baby and the Aussies are everywhere.
In a year in which we wondered what golf could possibly be played as the world grapples with how to cope with coronavirus, six separate professional events on the game’s largest tours is a sight for sore eyes.
Although 2011 champion Adam Scott has decided to wait an extra week to make his return at the US PGA Championship next week, five Aussies are teeing it up in the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational in Tennessee.
Among them is Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion and world No.73 Lucas Herbert who is making his second appearance in a WGC event this year having finished tied for 58th at the Mexico Championship.
With the European Tour resuming last week, Herbert had to choose whether he headed to the UK or the US, his place in the field for the US PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park making it something of a no-brainer.
While a number of Aussie golfers have become accustomed to post-COVID tournament conditions, this week will represent a new experience for our ladies and over-50s.
With Hannah Green a notable absentee, there are four Australians lining up in the LPGA Tour’s Drive-on Championship in Ohio while on the Champions Tour Stephen Leaney, Peter Lonard and David McKenzie all return at The Ally Challenge in Michigan.
Round 1 tee times AEST
World Golf Championships
FedEx St Jude Invitational
TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee
*2am Matt Jones, Andrew Landry, Sebastian Soderberg
2.20am Lucas Herbert, Corey Conners, Kevin Streelman
2.50am Marc Leishman, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen
3.20am Cameron Smith, Brandt Snedeker, Victor Perez
3.30am* Jason Day, Matthew Wolff, Graeme McDowell
Defending champion: Brooks Koepka
Past Aussie winners: Craig Parry (2002), Adam Scott (2011)
Top Aussie prediction: Marc Leishman
TV schedule: Exclusive to GolfTV
European Tour
Hero Open
Forest of Arden Marriott Hotel and Country Club, Birmingham, England
5.55pm Scott Hend, Benjamin Hebert, Nicolas Colsaerts
6.05pm Michael Campbell, Graeme Storm, Jamie Donaldson
7.20pm Ryan Fox, Sam Horsfield, Louis de Jager
8pm Jason Scrivener, James Morrison, Johannes Veerman
9.45pm Min Woo Lee, Mikko Korhonen, Ross Fisher
10.40pm Maverick Antcliff, Wil Besseling, Daan Huizing
11.20pm Jake McLeod, Ricardo Santos, Sean Crocker
Defending champion: Darren Clarke (2002)
Past Aussie winners: Robert Allenby (1996), Peter O’Malley (2001)
Top Aussie prediction: Min Woo Lee
TV schedule: Live 9pm-11pm Thursday, 12am-3am Friday; 9pm-11pm Friday, 12am-3am Saturday; 9.30pm-2am Sunday; 9pm-1.30am Monday on Fox Sports 503.
PGA TOUR
Barracuda Championship
Tahoe Mountain Club, (Old Greenwood Cse), Truckee, California
12.11am Cameron Davis, Johnson Wagner, Arjun Atwal
12.22am* Cameron Percy, Richy Werenski, Sam Saunders
12.55am Aaron Baddeley, Branden Grace, Vaughn Taylor
5.11am* Tim Wilkinson, John Merrick, Patrick Rodgers
5.33am* Greg Chalmers, Martin Trainer, Ted Potter Jr
5.55am* John Senden, David Hearn, Alex Noren
6.50am* Rhein Gibson, Chris Couch, Derek Bayley
Defending champion: Collin Morikawa
Past Aussie winners: Geoff Ogilvy (2014), Greg Chalmers (2016)
Top Aussie prediction: Cameron Davis
TV schedule: Live 9am-11.30am Friday; Live 9am-11.30am Saturday; Live 9am-12pm Sunday; 9am-12pm Monday on Fox Sports 503.
LPGA Tour
Drive-on Championship
Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio
Aussies in the field: Minjee Lee, Sarah Kemp, Sarah Jane Smith, Katherine Kirk
Top Aussie prediction: Minjee Lee
TV schedule: Live 11pm-1.30am Friday; Live 6.30am-9am Sunday; Live 7am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 503.
Korn Ferry Tour
Pinnacle Bank Championship
The Club at Indian Creek, Omaha, Nebraska
9.50pm Jamie Arnold, Marcelo Rozo, Carl Yuan
10.01pm* Steven Alker, Chase Wright, Eric Axley
10.45pm Brett Coletta, Scott Gutschewski, George Cunningham
11.40pm Nick Voke, JT Griffin, Ryan Siegler
3.20am* Mark Hensby, Lee Hodges, Grant Hirschman
4.48am* Ryan Ruffels, Michael Arnaud, Zach Cabra
4.59am* Brett Drewitt, Matt Ryan, Stuart Macdonald
Defending champion: Kristoffer Ventura
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Jamie Arnold
Champions Tour
The Ally Challenge
Warwick Hills G&CC, Grand Blanc, Michigan
Aussies in the field: Stephen Leaney, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling
Defending champion: Jerry Kelly
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Rod Pampling
TV schedule: 3.30pm-5pm Saturday; Live 4am-6.30am Sunday; Live 5am-7am Monday on Fox Sports 503.
* Starting from 10th tee
This year’s Australian Open has been postponed due to uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 105th edition of the Australian Open was to be played at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath in November.
But public health considerations had been the main reason behind making the decision to postpone.
“It’s disappointing to have to come to these sorts of decisions. Given the uncertainty around international travel restrictions and the impact of COVID-19 around the world, we have put the health and safety of all those who bring this tournament to life first,” Nick Dastey, Tournaments Director Australasia, said.
“We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to find a suitable date early next year.”
Coupled with the pandemic, Golf Australia’s General Manager of Golf Operations Simon Brookhouse said the rescheduling of the major championships, particularly the Masters from 12-15 November, provided challenges in assembling a world-class field.
“Unfortunately, it is not a simple matter of whether or not we could co-ordinate any international stars to visit,” Brookhouse said.
“The uncertainty of the quarantine requirements for any players coming from outside Australia needed to be considered. These requirements would undoubtedly have an impact on our homegrown heroes before they would be able to consider playing, too.”
The decision means the Australian All Abilities Championship, which features the top 12 players on the World Rankings for Golfers with a Disability, will also be delayed as the tournament is played as part of the Australian Open field.
The PGA, Golf Australia and the event partner, Sportfive, and the Victorian Government would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates when any additional information is available.
The European Tour was back in full flight this weekend with a handful of our pros heading to work in Newcastle.
Western Australia’s Jason Scrivener led the way as he cracked the top 30 for third time on the European Tour in 2020 but it was New Zealand’s Ryan Fox that made the biggest impression upon his return to the UK.
Following back-to-back rounds of -4, an even-par third round threatened to push the Kiwi down the leaderboard but a fourth round response earned the 2019 ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Player of the Year his second top 10 finish for 2020.
The LPGA’s secondary circuit, the Symetra Tour, headed to Michigan to mark the return of women’s professional golf following the layoff.
Aussie duo Steph Na and newly-minted pro Julienne Soo both finished T42 as they resume their charges at a 2021 LPGA Tour card.
Also in the US, the Korn Ferry Tour moved to Missouri but only New South Welshman Jamie Arnold could make the weekend’s action on the back of an opening 65.
But our #AussieOfTheWeek came from the world’s biggest tour as Sydneysider Cam Davis ground out a brilliant week to finish T12.
Davis was one of eight to players to break 70 for all four rounds, the Monash CC member achieving that feat for the third time in his PGA TOUR career.
Hitting 83 per cent of greens in regulation and finding 86 per cent of fairways off the tee, Davis was at his best and left us no option but to award him another #AussieOfTheWeek honour!
PGA TOUR
3M Tournament
TPC Twin Cities, Minnesota
Won by Michael Thompson at -19 by two strokes
T12 – Cam Davis, -14, 67-66-69-68
T23 – Aaron Baddeley, -12, 66-73-69-64
T26 – Danny Lee, -11, 67-68-69-69
MC – John Senden, E, 72-70
MC – Cam Percy, +2, 74-70
MC – Greg Chalmers, +4, 77-69
MC – Rhein Gibson, +10, 72-80
Korn Ferry Tour
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Highland Springs Country Club, Missouri
Won by Max McGreevy at -21 by one shot
T21 – Jamie Arnold, -13, 65-70-68-72
MC – Brett Drewitt, -3, 71-70
MC – Harrison Endycott, -2, 75-67
MC – Mark Hensby, +7, 74-77
MC – Steven Bowditch, +14, 81-77
European Tour
Betfred British Masters
Close House GC, England
Won by Renato Paratore at -18 by three shots
T8 – Ryan Fox, -11, 67-67-71-68
T29 – Jason Scrivener, -5, 70-69-71-69
T67 – Jake McLeod, +3, 69-70-71-77
MC – Maverick Antcliff, +1, 70-73
MC – Scott Hend, +2, 69-75
MC – Min Woo Lee, +4, 73-73
Symetra Tour
Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship
Battle Creek Country Club, Michigan
Won by Ruixin Liu at -13 by two shots
T42 – Julienne Soo, +1, 73-71-73
T42 – Steph Na, +1, 70-72-75
Queensland’s Scott Hend and Kiwi Ryan Fox have been given an unexpected boost ahead of the start of the European Tour’s six-week UK swing after being granted exemptions to play in the US Open at Winged Foot in September.
Hend and Fox are two of a seven-strong Australasian contingent who have entered the European Tour’s ‘bubble’ for this week’s Betfred British Masters with the majority playing their first tournament in more than four months.
Those who follow Hend on social media will know it has been an eventful few months managing the challenge of COVID-19-induced lockdowns while Fox was holed up in New Zealand, social distancing on the back of a boat his preferred way to fill in the days as he awaited professional golf’s return.
So cool to get the email and the confirmation. Thanks @asiantourgolf for the opportunity. Going to be fantastic. @privateestatefx @RaimondiGolf @EuropeanTour @PGAofAustralia @GolfAust @USGA @WingedFoot_GC pic.twitter.com/TIq8Djp3c6
— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) July 16, 2020
But neither Hend nor Fox had to hit a shot in anger to earn a US Open call-up with Hend’s runner-up finish on the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit and Fox’s ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit win last year securing their spots in a year when normal US Open qualifiers are not possible.
And there are more spots up for grabs for those playing the European Tour’s UK swing.
The USGA has confirmed that the top 10 aggregate points earners in a mini Order of Merit and who are otherwise not exempt at the conclusion of the fifth event of the UK stretch – the Wales Open at Celtic Manor – will be exempt for the rescheduled US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club on September 17-20.
It’s an additional incentive for the likes of 2020 Vic Open champion Min Woo Lee, West Australian Jason Scrivener, Maverick Antcliff and Jake McLeod who have all taken up the opportunity to resume their seasons in the UK.
Other Aussies to have secured their place in the US Open field where they will attempt to emulate Geoff Ogilvy’s Winged Foot triumph of 14 years ago are Adam Scott (top 10 2019 US Open), Lukas Michel (winner of 2019 US Mid-Amateur), Jason Day (winner of 2015 US PGA Championship), Marc Leishman (qualifiers for 2019 Tour Championship), Cameron Smith (top 70 in Official World Golf Ranking as at March 15) and Lucas Herbert (top 70 in Official World Golf Ranking as at March 15).
With the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational and three majors on the horizon, the PGA TOUR moves to Minnesota this week for the second hosting of the 3M Open with six Aussie and two Kiwis taking part while the Korn Ferry Tour is in Missouri for the Price Cutter Charity Championship.
Round 1 tee times AEST
European Tour
Betfred British Masters
Close House Golf Club, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
4pm Michael Campbell, Justin Walters, Benjamin Poke
5.10pm Scott Hend, Jamie Donaldson, Ashley Chesters
5.50pm Min Woo Lee, Pablo Larrazabal, Andy Sullivan
6.40pm Maverick Antcliff, Rikard Karlberg, Aaron Cockerill
9.50pm Jason Scrivener, David Drysdale, Rasmus Hojgaard
10.20pm Ryan Fox, Thomas Detry, Matthew Southgate
11.30pm Jake McLeod, Darius van Driel, Clément Sordet
Defending champion: Marcus Kinhult
Past Australasian winners: Greg Turner (1997), Robert Allenby (1996), Greg Norman (1981 and 1982), Graham Marsh (1979), Bob Charles (1972)
Top Aussie prediction: Jason Scrivener
TV schedule: Live 9pm-11pm, 12am-3am Wednesday and Thursday; 10.30pm-3am Friday; 10pm-2.30am Saturday on Fox Sports 503.
PGA TOUR
3M Open
TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota
10.10pm* Cameron Davis, Chris Stroud, Chase Seiffert
10.50pm Cameron Percy, Scott Stallings, Brendon de Jonge
11.20pm John Senden, Nick Watney, Rafa Cabrera Bello
11.30pm Rhein Gibson, Peter Uihlein, Peter Kuest
3.30am* Greg Chalmers, Patton Kizzire, Austin Cook
4.20am Aaron Baddeley, Chris Kirk, Parker McLachlin
4.30am Tim Wilkinson, JJ Spaun, Wyndham Clark
4.30am* Danny Lee, Johnson Wagner, Robby Shelton
Defending champion: Matthew Wolff
Top Aussie prediction: Aaron Baddeley
TV schedule: Live 4.30am-8.30am Friday and Saturday; 3am-9am Sunday; 3am-8am Monday.
Korn Ferry Tour
Price Cutter Charity Championship
Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Missouri
10.10pm* Steven Alker, Adam Svensson, George Cunningham
10.52pm* Mark Hensby, Eric Axley, Max McGreevy
3.51am Jamie Arnold, Billy Kennerly, Joshua Creel
4.02am Steven Bowditch, Ben Silverman, Mark Blakefield
4.33am* Nick Voke, David Skinns, Shane Smith
4.44am* Harrison Endycott, Zach Zaback, Trevor Sluman
5.15am Brett Drewitt, Daniel Sutton, George Kneiser
Defending champion: Harry Higgs
Past Australian winners: Anthony Painter (1998), Cameron Percy (2014)
Top Aussie prediction: Jamie Arnold
A host of Australians young and old teed it up for a second straight week in Texas as the Korn Ferry Tour moved to the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio.
A 69-68 weekend lifted Ryan Ruffels to his best result on the US’s development circuit since February, helping him climb inside the top 50 on the Korn Ferry Tour money list.
The European Tour and secondary Challenge Tour joined forces again in Austria this week and Australia’s lone Professional Deyen Lawson flew the flag once more.
The former Curlewis Golf Club PGA Trainee rocketed out of the blocks on Thursday, an opening 63 enough for a share of the first-round lead.
If not for a triple-bogey on the 71st hole resulting in T18 finish, Lawson would have notched his first top 10 since last year’s Australian Open.
On the PGA TOUR, Muirfield Village hosted the world’s best for the second straight week and ‘Jack’s Place’ proved to be a stern test.
Some back nine drama on Sunday didn’t prevent Jon Rahm from sealing his fourth PGA TOUR victory in four years and claiming the World No.1 ranking for the first time.
But if it weren’t for the runaway Spaniard, Jason Day would have been in the thick of things after another brilliant performance in his adopted home of Ohio.
The Queenslander backed up last week’s T7 with a gritty T4 finish at Muirfield Village, where he is a member, while continuing to battle lingering back issues.
For racking up back-to-back top 10s for the first time since February 2019, we’re elated to hand Day back-to-back #AussieOfTheWeek titles!
PGA TOUR
Memorial Tournament
Muirfield Village GC, Ohio
Won by Jon Rahm at -9 by three shots
T4 – Jason Day, -4, 73-66-72-73
T40 – Marc Leishman, +6, 72-75-71-76
T68 – Cameron Smith, +13, 74-72-76-79
MC – Jason Scrivener, +8, 74-78
WD – Danny Lee
Korn Ferry Tour
TPC San Antonio Championship
TPC San Antonio – Oaks Course, Texas
Won by Davis Riley at -16 by two shots
T18 – Ryan Ruffels, -8, 71-72-69-68
T40 – Harrison Endycott, -4, 70-72-69-73
MC – Steven Bowditch, +2, 75-71
MC – Jamie Arnold, +3, 72-75
MC – Rhein Gibson, +4, 70-78
MC – Robert Allenby, +5, 75-74
MC – Brett Drewitt, +6, 74-76
MC – Brett Coletta, +6, 74-76
MC – Curtis Luck, +9, 76-77
European Tour
Euram Bank Open
GC Adamstal, Austria
Won by Joel Stalter at -14 by two shots
T18 – Deyen Lawson, -6, 63-69-72-70
In a true ‘Open for the ages’ there can only be one winner, and he’s an understated gent from Brunswick in Melbourne.
On Sunday night Fox Sports will broadcast ‘The Open For The Ages’, a joint initiative between the R&A and Sky Sports UK that has collated more than 300 pieces of archive footage from past Championships at St Andrews dating back to 1970 to determine golf’s ultimate Open champion at the game’s spiritual home.
Only two Australians have ever won The Open across the Old Course of St Andrews but it is Peter Thomson’s record both in the championship and at the course that would provide the blueprint to his own design philosophy that makes his case compelling.
Given that the R&A have only gone back as far as 50 years to the 1970 Open Championship – where at 40 years of age Thomson finished tied for ninth as Jack Nicklaus claimed his second consecutive Open at St Andrews – Thomson may not feature heavily in the broadcast but his record is unlikely to ever be equalled.
From the time he finished runner-up to South African great Bobby Locke in the 1952 championship at Royal Lytham, Thomson didn’t finish worse than second in seven consecutive Opens.
He won three in succession from 1954 – including the 1955 championship at St Andrews – was second again in 1957 at St Andrews and won his fourth Open in the space of five years at Lytham in 1958.
When great friend Kel Nagle triumphed over Arnold Palmer at the Old Course in 1960 Thomson was eight strokes back in a tie for ninth before claiming his fifth Open title at Royal Birkdale in 1965, second only to Harry Vardon for the most wins in golf’s oldest and most revered championship.
In 1978 at 48 years of age Thomson again showed his affinity for St Andrews when he finished tied for 24th and his final appearance at the championship came fittingly at the Old Course in 1984.
“I never got the chance to meet Peter Thomson but obviously I know his record,” said Marcus Fraser, an Open participant on six occasions and a contender in the final round at St Andrews in 2015.
“When you think about it it’s pretty amazing.
“To win five of them and be runner-up in three others is just crazy.
“I don’t care what era it is, that was the best players anywhere in the world at that time.
“It’s just amazing. It’s perhaps the most impressive record of anyone.”
Such was the reverence that Thomson was held by anyone who played The Open, Aussies would clamour for the chance to play a practice round with the five-time champion and pick his brain for any morsel of knowledge he cared to share.
The likes of Bruce Devlin, David Graham and Rodger Davis all benefited from spending some of their preparation in Thomson’s presence, his grace and confident ease conveying god-like status on the British links.
In the 50-year span that ‘The Open For the Ages’ covers we witnessed three Australian victories – Greg Norman’s triumphs at Muirfield in 1986 and Royal St George’s in 1993 along with Ian Baker-Finch’s brilliant weekend to win at Birkdale in 1991.
Norman and Baker-Finch both finished top-10 in the 1984 and 1990 Opens at St Andrews but the closest an Aussie has come to winning at the Old Course since Nagle did so in 1960 was Marc Leishman in 2015, the Victorian finishing tied at the top with Zach Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen before falling short in the four-hole aggregate playoff.
In order to create a sense of authenticity to the broadcast hundreds of digital corrections have been made to clips including the removal of caddies and playing partners from original footage and the introduction and removal of golf balls on greens to ensure that the viewer feels what they are watching is actually happening.
The winner of The Open For The Ages has been determined by a fan vote, which registered more than 10,000 responses, and a data model developed in partnership with NTT DATA that utilises this fan vote along with player career statistics and historical data from The Open to calculate the Champion.
‘The Open For The Ages’ will be shown from 8pm on Sunday night on Fox Sports 503.
Jason Scrivener makes his PGA TOUR debut at this week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in what he hopes will become a permanent move across the Atlantic.
A practice round with Jason Day and Bubba Watson.
A money match with England’s Matt Wallace to fire the competitive juices that have sat dormant for four months.
Sharing the stage with Tiger Woods in his return to tournament golf.
A meeting with the greatest major champion of all time and tournament host, Jack Nicklaus. Hopefully.
It’s all part of Jason Scrivener’s preparation ahead of his PGA TOUR debut at this week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in what he hopes will become a permanent move across the Atlantic.
The West Australian finished the 2019 European Tour season 32nd on the moneylist and ranked 152nd in the world, his continuing progression and his management company Wasserman’s close ties with tournament director Dan Sullivan paving the way for an invitation to one of the PGA TOUR’s most revered events.
It is known unofficially as Nicklaus’s tournament and for Scrivener provides the ideal introduction to what life on the PGA TOUR looks like, even in its current COVID-19 impacted state.
The 31-year-old played both the US Open and WGC-HSBC Champions events in 2018 and is excited to once again see how his game stacks up against the best players on the planet.
“I’m excited for sure. Any time you can get to play on the big stage is great for your game,” Scrivener said.
“It’s been four months without a tournament for me so it’s jumping straight back into the deep end.
“I’ve loved playing in Europe and I really enjoy that but any time you can play in these big events it’s great for your game.
“I feel like the last few years I’ve progressed and gone to the next level.
“I’ve kind of hovered around that 130-150 in the world mark and to take my game to the next level I’ve just got to play as many of these big events as possible really.”
Born in South Africa, Scrivener moved to Perth with his family at age 10 and soon set his sights on golf’s richest tour.
The 2007 Australian Boys Junior champion turned professional in September 2010 and wasted no time in making his intentions known, signing up to play in the First Stage of PGA TOUR Qualifying School in Dallas, Texas.
Almost a decade later he returns to the US to play his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event but with the confidence gained from five full seasons building his game on the European Tour.
“That’s what everyone aspires to, to be able to play on the PGA TOUR,” admits Scrivener, who has been drawn to play with Austrian Bernd Wiesberger and China’s Haotong Li in the opening two rounds.
“I love Europe but the PGA TOUR is obviously the biggest stage in golf.
“I did go to PGA TOUR Q-School early in my career and that didn’t work out.
“I kind of decided that Europe was the route because I just wasn’t ready.
“It’s given me amazing opportunities. I’ve been able to play with the best players in the world, played some big events and worked my way slowly up the ranks.
“I don’t feel uncomfortable this week. I feel like it’s any other tournament really because I’ve rubbed shoulders with all these guys before.
“It’s nothing too different. Obviously it’s on a bigger stage and I haven’t played a PGA-sanctioned event before so there are a few little differences but apart from that I’ve played with all these guys before.
“Europe has been great from that point of view.”
And while his intention is to fly to the UK and join the European Tour ‘bubble’ from Monday ahead of the six-week stretch of UK-based tournaments starting with next week’s British Masters, Scrivener is already eyeing off a permanent move to the PGA TOUR.
“I’m planning on playing the British Masters next week but obviously things change,” said Scrivener, the 2017 NSW Open champion.
“If I can play well here and the opportunity pops up to play another PGA TOUR event then I’ll grab that.
“I’m in no rush to go home to Australia because of the two-week hotel quarantine. I’ll take it week to week and probably just be a gypsy for the rest of the year.”
As for that meeting with Mr Nicklaus, Scrivener says he has much to thank the ‘Golden Bear’ for.
“He was out there today but I didn’t get to meet him,” he said.
“Hopefully we’ll cross paths at some stage and I can thank him for the invite.”
The Queensland Golf Industry is excited to bring you their very first ‘virtual’ Golf Industry Awards to be broadcast on Tuesday 14 July.
The PGA of Australia, Golf Australia, Golf Course Superintendents Association of QLD and Golf Management Australia will come together to celebrate the achievements of the QLD Golf Industry in 2019, highlighting the contributions of the sport’s finest athletes, volunteers, administrators, staff, courses and facilities across the state.
Joining the broadcast will also be defending Australian PGA Champion and world number 10 Adam Scott who will give us an insight into being back in the Sunshine State during restrictions, and where we might expect to see him for the remainder of 2020.
We hope you will join us as we go live on YouTube and on PGA TV from 7pm AEST. Join the conversation and upload your celebratory snaps on your social channels using the hashtag #QGIawards.
Date: Tuesday 14 July, 2020
Time: Tune in live at 7pm (AEST) via the video link below
Where: Your home, golf club or with a group of friends anywhere via the pga.org.au on your phone, tablet or PC
Dress: Formal up top, casual down the bottom
A full list of all of the finalists can be found by clicking here with the below additional awards also being presented during the broadcast:
Sick of playing the blame game, Jason Day has credited a positive mindset and an improved putting performance for logging just his second top-10 finish in more than 12 months at the Workday Charity Open in Ohio.
After dropping a shot at the second hole of his final round Day rattled off three straight birdies to right the ship, adding three more birdies in a 5-under 67 that lifted him into a tie for seventh, eight shots back of playoff combatants Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.
Morikawa claimed his second PGA TOUR title at the second playoff hole after the pair drained monster putts on their first trip down Muirfield Village’s 18th hole but Day showed that his upward trajectory is well timed ahead of golf’s biggest events of a shortened 2020 season.
The TOUR stays at Muirfield Village this week for the Memorial Tournament and then two weeks later the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational precedes the US PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
Despite a top-five finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, Day went into the Workday Charity Open ranked No.63 in the world but believes a change in mindset will deliver stronger results in the near future.
“It’s funny, when you’re going through a bit of a rough patch, you start to blame other things other than yourself,” Day said after climbing 12 spots on the leaderboard on Sunday.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to have a hard look at yourself and understand the attitude isn’t helping the game out at all. So you may as well just try and fix that, and that’s obviously the first thing that you try and do. The attitude was a lot better.
“I felt like I was just trying to play the victim role a little bit too much especially because I haven’t played that great coming back after the break and then a bunch of missed cuts, and my body is sore.
“I just don’t want to play that role. I want to take it for what it is and just get on with it.”
Regarded as one of the best putters on the planet when he rose to No.1 in the Official World Golf Ranking Day’s flatstick fragilities have contributed to his fall out of the top 50.
Ranked 111th in Strokes Gained: Putting at the start of the week, Day delivered his best putting performance of the season and was finally rewarded for months of hard work.
“I’m the most excited I have been in a long time with my putting,” said Day.
“Usually I’ve been in the top 10 putting every year, and this year I’ve been 171st. When there’s that big of a margin between where you usually are, there’s a lot of opportunities that are missed.
“Today was a nice indication of where my putting is actually starting to progress into.
“I’ve been working very, very hard. I’ve been trying to bust my butt over the last two months to try and get ready for this.”
Matt Jones climbed 15 spots in the FedEx Cup with a tie for 14th with Kiwi Tim Wilkinson the only other Australasian player to qualify for all four rounds, finishing tied for 31st.
