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Positive memories of less than 12 months ago and a solid start to 2019 have James Marchesani primed to lead the Aussie charge at this week’s Suzhou Open, the latest tournament of the PGA TOUR Series-China season.
Positive memories of less than 12 months ago and a solid start to 2019 have James Marchesani primed to lead the Aussie charge at this week’s Suzhou Open, the latest tournament of the PGA TOUR Series-China season.
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Marchesani is one of eight Aussies teeing it up at Suzhou Jinji Lake International Golf Club with Troy Moses, Christopher Wood, Charlie Dann, Tim Stewart, Aaron Wilkin, James Grierson, Hayden Webb and New Zealand’s Sam An also in the field.
Tied for 28th in his last start at the Nantong Championship, Marchesani was also fifth at the Haikou Championship which places him in 32nd position on the Order of Merit. He can build on that with a return to the Suzhou Jinji Lake International Golf Club where he was tied for 18th last September with rounds of 70-69-71-70.
Christopher Wood is the leading Australian on the Order of Merit coming into the Suzhou Open in 24th position, two top-10 finishes and a tie for 15th at the Nantong Championship putting him in a strong position heading into the second half of the season.
Troy Moses had to come through qualifying in order to earn a place in the field this week, his round of 3-under 67 good enough for second on Monday and his first PGA TOUR Series-China event of the year.
Moses has played twice this year on the China Tour with a best finish of tied for 10th at the Wuhan Optics Valley Open.
While the majority of the golf world’s attention is focused on the US Open this week the European Challenge Tour is in France this week for the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open at Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club, Jordan Zunic the lone Australian in the field.
When play was suspended on Saturday at the Haikou Championship on the PGA TOUR Series-China, James Marchesani was leading the tournament at Sunac 3KM Golf Club by three strokes.
When play was suspended on Saturday at the Haikou Championship on the PGA TOUR Series-China, James Marchesani was leading the tournament at Sunac 3KM Golf Club by three strokes.
When he made a double-bogey on the 16th hole of his third round shortly after the resumption of play on Sunday morning, that lead had disappeared and he began his final round one shot back from China’s Zheng Ouyang.
The Victorian also held a share of the 36-hole lead following a second round that also spilled over into the next day but couldn’t keep pace across the 24 holes he had to play on Sunday, signing for a final round of even-par 72 to finish in outright fifth position, three shots behind the winner, America’s David Kocher.
A birdie at the seventh hole kept Marchesani in the mix but a costly double-bogey at the par-3 eighth saw him make the turn at 1-over for his round.
Birdies at 10 and 13 reignited his hopes of a repeat of his 2017 Clearwater Bay Open triumph until another dropped shot at the par-3 17th left him three shots short of the playoff.
Byrden Macpherson and Max McCardle both logged top-20 finishes at 3 and 2-under respectively for the week with Kevin Yuan a further shot back in a tie for 26th.
Kiwi Ryan Chisnall fired a 4-under par round of 68 on Sunday to move up into a tie for 39th with Sunshine Coast rookie Charlie Dann the only other Australian to make the cut.
Haikou Championship
Sunac 3KM Golf CLub, Haikou, China
5 James Marchesani 69-70-70-72—281
T17 Bryden Macpherson 73-73-70-69—285
T19 Max McCardle 70-73-72-71—286
T26 Kevin Yuan 72-72-73-70—287
T39 Ryan Chisnall 70-77-75-68—290
T42 Charlie Dann 70-74-74-73—291
MC Corey Hales 73-78—151
MC Luke Toomey 73-80—153
MC Aaron Wilkin 73-80—153
MC Tim Stewart 72-81—153
MC Hayden Webb 73-81—154
WD Christopher Wood
