Golf Events from the Weekend 26th October 2014

This week USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to Georgia for the McGladrey Classic and it was played on the Seaside Course, Sea Island, Georgia. It carried a large prize purse of US $5,600,000 for the taking. Chris Kirk (USA) was the defending Champion and was keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steven Alker (NZL) also gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Robert Streb (USA) who scored rounds of 69-1, 66-4, 68-2 and a final round of 63-7 which was the low round of the day and included nine birdies and four in a row on the back nine and he finished the 72 holes on 266-14. But Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) scored rounds of 68-2, 64-6, 69-1 and a final round of 65-5 for a 72 hole total of 266-14 also. And Will MacKenzie (USA) scored rounds of 65-5, 68-2, 65-5 and a final round of 68-2 for a 72 hole total of 266-14 also. So those three players headed back to the par four, 18th hole for the first playoff hole. 

 

Robert Streb (USA) in action during the final round

Will MacKenzie (USA) drew number one from the USPGA Tour Officials hat and teed off first and lost his drive slightly to the right hand side in the rough. Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) teed off next and he too put his drive straight down the middle of the fairway. Robert Streb (USA) teed off last and put his drive right down the centre of the fairway. Will MacKenzie (USA) hit his second shot first and he lost it to the right and it found the front right hand green side bunker. Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) played his second shot next and he landed it about twenty feet past the flag stick leaving him an outside chance for his birdie. Robert Streb (USA) played his second shot last and he struck a good mid iron that came up about twenty feet short of the flag stick on the green. Will MacKenzie (USA) played his third shot first from the right hand green side bunker. He struck a poor shot to the pin tucked on the left hand side of the green and it came up twenty five feet short of the hole. Robert Streb (USA) played his third shot next with his putt that was from twenty feet short of the cup. He struck a good putt under the circumstances but it miss on the left and left a tricky four footer for his par. Will Mackenzie (USA) then putted for his par from twenty five feet and he struck a very good putt that just missed on the right hand side and he tapped in for his bogey five. He knew that he would more than likely be eliminated from the playoff now. Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) now had a twenty foot birdie putt to win his maiden USPGA Tour event. He struck a very good putt that just missed on the right hand side and he tapped in for his par four. Robert Streb (USA) then calmed his nerve and rolled in his four footer for his par four. So Robert Streb (USA) and Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) both headed to the par three, 17th hole for the second playoff hole and Will MacKenzie (USA) was eliminated. 

So to the second playoff hole which was the par three, 17th hole. Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) teed off first and landed his tee shot with his short iron on the green to the left about twenty feet from the flag stick. Robert Streb (USA) played next and he struck an awesome seven iron which never left the flag stick and landed pin high about four feet to the right of the flag stick. Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) now knew that holing his twenty foot left to right breaking birdie putt was now crucial if he was going to extend the playoff to a third hole. He struck a very good putt but it just missed on the right hand side of the cup and he easily tapped in for his par three. It now left Robert Streb (USA) a great chance to win his maiden USPGA Tour event of his career. And he didn’t disappoint as he easily rolled the four foot putt in for his birdie two!! Then he high fived and hugged his caddie, Steve Catlin in celebration!! And then his wife, Maggie then came on to the green to give him a hug and kiss to celebrate the win with him as well. When interviewed by the golf channel reporter he said “He was so grateful to gain his maiden USPGA Tour win at this tournament” and he was “Very happy he now gets to play in his very first Master Tournament next April because that has always been on his bucket list to play in one of them before his career was finished”.  

 

Maggie his wife on the left and Robert Streb (USA) on the right poses with the McGladrey Classic Trophy he won!!

Robert Streb (USA) earned US $1,008,000 for the win and moved to second position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,178,733 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. Ben Martin (USA) still leads that list with US $1,194,400 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. Robert Streb (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 600 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far and he is 48 points in front of the player in second position who is Ben Martin (USA) with 552 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the win here. He will happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 63-7 which included nine birdies and two bogeys and as I mentioned earlier it was the low round of the day. 

Robert Streb (USA) was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He played college golf at Kansas State University. He graduated in 2009 and turned professional. Robert Streb (USA) played on the NGA Pro Golf Tour in 2010 and 2011 and the Web.com Tour in 2012. He won his first event on the Web.com Tour at the Mylan Classic in September. And as I mentioned earlier Robert Streb (USA) earned his maiden USPGA Tour win at the 2014 McGladrey Classic. Let’s hope this win gives him the confidence to keep on improving and perhaps win his second event in the 2014/15 season as well? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season and FedEx Cup.  

Coming in tied for second position at 266-14 after 72 holes and losing on the second playoff hole was Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe); he earned US $492,800 for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $546,595 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 245 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to fourth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 308 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish which was the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 64-6. But he will be a little disappointed he wasn’t able to birdie the two playoff holes when he had chances to do so. Brendon de Jonge (Zimbabwe) played on the Nationwide Tour from 2004 to 2006 and 2008. He earned his 2007 USPGA Tour card at Qualifying School. He finished 155th on the money list in 2007, losing his tour card. In 2008 he finished second on the Nationwide Tour money list and earned his 2009 USPGA Tour card. He did this by winning the Xerox Classic and recording a runner up finish and three third place finishes. He won the 2008 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year. Brendon De Jonge (Zimbabwe) finished 139th on the money list in 2009, which initially gave him conditional status for 2010. He earned a full tour card through USPGA Tour Qualifying School. In 2010 Brendon De Jonge (Zimbabwe) had his most successful year to date, with 7 top ten finishes taking him to 34th on the money list. He has gone very close to winning on the USPGA Tour in recent years but has yet to achieve the elusive maiden win. Perhaps it will happen in the 2014/15 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup.  

The final player to tie for second position and losing on the first playoff hole as I mentioned earlier was Will Mackenzie (USA); he too earned US $492,800 for his efforts and moved to seventh position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $492,800 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 245 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to seventh position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 245 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first round 65-5 which saw him tied for the lead and his third round 65-5 as well. But he will be disappointed with his bogey five on the first playoff hole that cost him the tournament. Will MacKenzie (USA) played on several mini-tours shortly after turning pro. He played on the Golden Bear Tour in 2003 and finished ninth on the money list. The next year (2004), he played the Hooters Tour and finished third on the money list with three wins. He also played on the Nationwide and Canadian Tours. 2005 was his rookie season on the USPGA Tour. His first win came in 2006 at the Reno-Tahoe Open in his 47th career start on the USPGA Tour. He won the 2008 Viking Classic in a three-way playoff on the second hole over Marc Turnesa (USA) and Brian Gay (USA). In 2013, Will MacKenzie (USA) played the entire season on the Web.com Tour, finished 40th on the money list, and regained his USPGA Tour privileges through the Web.com Tour Finals. In the 2014 USPGA Tour, he finished second at the Valero Texas Open and fourth at the Valspar Championship. Let’s hope this great result can led to big things for the rest of the 2014/15 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Coming in tied for fourth position at 268-12 after 72 holes was Ken Duke (USA); he earned US $220,500 for his efforts and moved to twenty second position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $233,148 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 109 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty fourth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 112 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third and final rounds that were both 66-4s. Ken Duke (USA) after turning professional in 1994, Ken Duke (USA) bounced around the world playing mini-tours and on the Asian Tour, South American Tour, and the Canadian Tour. In 1999, he won twice on the Canadian Tour and led their Order of Merit. Ken Duke (USA) first played on what was then the Nike Tour in 1995 and qualified for the USPGA Tour in 2004, but failed to keep his card and returned to the Nationwide Tour. In 2006 he finished at the top of the Nationwide Tour money list and won the BMW Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs, which regained his playing rights on the USPGA Tour for 2007. After a slow start to the 2007 season, Ken Duke (USA) hit a run of good form in the spring, with four consecutive top 10 finishes, elevating Duke into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings. At the 2011 Nationwide Tour Championship, Ken Duke (USA) secured his USPGA Tour card with a win. He jumped from 36th on the Tour's money list to seventh. On June 23, 2013, in his 187th start and after three runner-up finishes in his career, Ken Duke (USA) broke through to win his maiden event on the USPGA Tour at the Travelers Championship. He beat Chris Stroud (USA) with a birdie on the second extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. He entered the final round two shots back of the leaders, but shot a final round 66 to take the lead in the clubhouse before Chris Stroud (USA) chipped in on the final green to force a playoff. In the playoff, after both players made par on the first extra hole, Ken Duke (USA) played his approach to within three feet. Chris Stroud (USA), who was about 30 feet away, could not make a birdie, leaving Ken Duke (USA) to convert from three feet for his maiden USPGA Tour victory. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten’s in the weeks ahead and perhaps his second USPGA Tour win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Also tied for fourth position was Russell Henley (USA); he too earned US $220,500 for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty four position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $220,500 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 109 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 109 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 63-7 which was the low round of the day. Russell Henley (USA) made his professional debut at the Nationwide Tour's Soboda Golf Classic in September 2011. A year later, he won the Chiquita Classic, defeating Patrick Cantlay (USA) and Morgan Hoffmann (USA) in a playoff. In October 2012, he won his second title of the year at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. On the 72nd hole, he made a 25-foot putt for birdie to force playoff against B.J. Staten (USA). He made par on the first playoff hole to earn the win. He graduated from the Web.com Tour (as the Nationwide Tour would later be named), to the USPGA Tour, by finishing third on the money list in 2012. Russell Henley (USA) became the first USPGA Tour rookie to win on his debut in 12 years with a record-setting performance at the 2013 Sony Open in Hawaii. He finished at 24-under-par, 256, breaking by four shots the Sony Open scoring record. It was the second-lowest score for a 72-hole tournament in USPGA Tour history, two shots behind Tommy Armour III (USA) at the Valero Texas Open in 2003. The win gave Russell Henley (USA) an invitation to the 2013 Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship. On March 2, 2014, Russell Henley (USA) won his second USPGA Tour title at the Honda Classic. In difficult conditions on Sunday, Russell Henley (USA) shot a two-over-par round of 72 to make it into a four-man playoff with Russell Knox (Scotland), Rory McILroy (NIR) and Ryan Palmer (USA). At the first playoff hole, the par-five 18th, Russell Henley (USA) was the only one of the four players to find the green in two. Russell Knox (Scotland), Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Ryan Palmer (USA) all failed to get down in two, leaving Russell Henley (USA) to hole from three feet for victory. He climbed into the world's top 50 as a result of this win and qualified for the 2014 Masters Tournament. This finish will give him confidence to have another awesome season and a feel he will achieve his third USPGA Tour win this season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup.  

Also tied for fourth position was the defending champion Chris Kirk (USA); he too earned US $220,500 for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty four position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $220,500 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 109 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for twenty sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 109 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 66-4. Chris Kirk (USA) turned professional in 2007. He played on the Nationwide Tour from 2008 to 2010. He won the Fort Smith Classic and the Knoxville News Sentinel Open in 2010. Chris Kirk (USA) finished second on the 2010 Nationwide Tour money list to earn his 2011 USPGA Tour card, despite sitting out the last event of the season. Early in the season, he finished second to Phil Mickelson (USA) at the Shell Houston Open. Chris Kirk (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event in 2011, the Viking Classic, which was played the same weekend as The Open Championship. The victory automatically qualified him for the 2011 USPGA Championship, where he finished tied for 34th position. He earned his second win at the 2013 McGladrey Classic. The win qualified Chris Kirk (USA) for his first Masters Tournament; the Viking Classic was an alternate event and not eligible for a Masters invitation. On September 1, 2014, Chris Kirk (USA) won the second event of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston to jump from 17 in FedEx Cup rankings to first. He will gain lots of confidence from this finish and it was a great defence of his title. I’m sure his fourth USPGA Tour win will come very soon and perhaps it will be in the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

The final player to tie for fourth position was Kevin Kisner (USA) he too earned US $220,500 for his efforts and moved to 14th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $296,664 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 109 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 14th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 169 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made three cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came this week. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 65-5. Kevin Kisner (USA) played on the mini-tours (NGA Hooters Tour and Tarheel Tour) and from 2007 to 2009, winning three times. He also played in six Nationwide Tour events in 2009. He played the Nationwide Tour full-time in 2010, winning once at the Mylan Classic. He finished the year in eleventh position on the money list and earned his 2011 USPGA Tour card. Kevin Kisner (USA) failed to earn enough money on the USPGA Tour in 2011 to retain his card (181st on money list), but finished tied for eleventh at qualifying school to earn his card for 2012. He again failed to retain his card, finishing 167th on the money list, and missed earning a card in qualifying school by one stroke. He returned to (the now renamed) Web.com Tour in 2013 and won the Chile Classic in March. He finished 13th on the 2013 Web.com Tour regular season money list to earn his 2014 USPGA Tour card. Let’s hope he can build on this great start he has had so far this season and have more top ten finishes and perhaps even achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup. 

Rounding out the top ten in tied for eighth position at 269-11 after 72 holes was Kevin Chappell (USA); he earned US $156,800 for his efforts and moved to tied for 33rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $156,800 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for 42nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 78 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his final round 65-5. But he would only be content with his third round 70 even par. Kevin Chappell (USA) turned professional the day after the 2008 Palmer Cup and has played mainly on the Nationwide Tour trying to earn enough money to gain status on Tour. A stand out result early in his career on the USPGA Tour was at the 2008 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am where he finished tied for sixth position. Kevin Chappell (USA) won his first professional event at the 2010 Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae on the Nationwide Tour, winning by one stroke over David Hearn (Canada) after a final round of 65. He finished the year ninth on the money list and earned his 2011 USPGA Tour card. At the 2011 Valero Texas Open, Kevin Chappell (USA) finished tied for second behind Brendan Steele (USA) after a bogey on the 17th hole put him one stroke behind. This was Kevin Chappell's (USA) best ever career finish on the USPGA Tour. In 2011, he also qualified for the U.S. Open Championship, his first ever Major Championship appearance and shot a 66 on Sunday to finish in a tie for third place and ensure himself of entry into the 2012 U.S. Open. Kevin Chappell (USA) finished tied for tenth at his second consecutive U.S. Open Championship in 2012; it was his only top-10 finish of 2012 and he finished the season 125th on the money list, earning the last available Tour card based on season earnings. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win in the 2014/15 season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and FedEx Cup.  

Also tied for eighth position was Fabian Gomez (Argentina); he too earned US $156,800 for his efforts and moved to tied for 33rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $156,800 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for 42nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 78 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 66-4. Fabian Gomez (Argentina) won his first Nationwide Tour event at the 2010 Chitimacha Louisiana Open. He finished the year 12th on the money list and earned his 2011 USPGA Tour card. That season, his best result was seventh at the Puerto Rico Open, 15th at the St.Jude Classic and 18th at the Viking Classic. In 2012 he returned to the Nationwide Tour. He finished second at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open, seventh at the South Georgia Classic and tenth at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open. He finished 55th on the Nationwide Tour money list. Later he finished tenth at the USPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament to regain his USPGA Tour card for the 2013 season. In 2013, Fabian Gómez (Argentina) finished second at the Puerto Rico Open, 16th at the RBC Canadian Open and 21st at the AT&T National. He finished 133th on the FedEx Cup standings, so he lost his USPGA Tour card. On the 2014 Web.com Tour, Fabian Gómez (Argentina) finished second at the Stomebrae Classic, fourth at the United Leasing Championship and tenth at the Albertsons Boise Open. He finished 23rd in the regular season earnings, which earned him a USPGA Tour card for the 2014/15 season. Let’s hope he can gain lots of confidence from this finish and have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for eighth position was Andrew Svoboda (USA); he too earned US $156,800 for his efforts and moved to twenty third position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $224,814 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 18th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 126 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were consecutive 66-4s. But he will be disappointed with his final round 71+1 especially his back nine 38+3 that cost him his chance of winning his maiden USPGA Tour event. Andrew Svoboda (USA) played on the Hooters Tour from 2005 to 2009, winning once. He played on the Web.com Tour from 2010 to 2012. He earned his 2013 USPGA Tour card by finishing twenty first on the Web.com Tour money list in 2012. He played on the USPGA Tour in 2013, but also played a few events on the Web.com Tour as he struggled on the USPGA Tour. He won the 2013 Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Web.com Tour in August. He finished in 25th position on the 2013 Web.com Tour regular season money list to earn his 2014 USPGA Tour card. He then won the second event of the Web.com Tour Finals, the Chiquita Classic. Andrew Svoboda (USA) has qualified for the U.S Open Championship four times with a best finish of tied for 71st in 2008. His best finish on the USPGA Tour is tied for second at the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the next few tournaments he plays. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for eighth position was Mark Wilson (USA); he too earned US $156,800 for his efforts and moved to tied for 33rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $156,800 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 78 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for 42nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 78 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his 66-4 in the second round. Mark Wilson (USA) won for the first time on the USPGA Tour at the Honda Classic in March 2007, where he triumphed in a four-way playoff. He won the tournament on the third extra hole after being tied with Jose Coceres (Argentina), Camilo Villegas (Columbia) and Boo Weekley (USA) at 5-under-par. This victory lifted Mark Wilson (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career. Mark Wilson (USA) has since won the 2009 Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii and the 2011 Waste Management Phoenix Open where he triumphed in a playoff against Jason Dufner (USA). The Sony Open victory earned Mark Wilson (USA) his first trip to the Masters Tournament. Mark Wilson (USA) earned his fifth USPGA Tour victory at the 2012 Humana Challenge, holding off the challenge of Robert Garrigus (USA), Johnson Wagner (USA), and John Mallinger (USA) by two strokes. He finished at 24-under-par, helped by a second round 62 which included eight birdies and an eagle. With the win, he moved to a career high of 40th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The following month, Mark Wilson (USA) enjoyed a good run at the WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship where he made it all the way to the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Hunter Mahan (USA), 2&1. He did however win the consolation match to finish third, defeating world number three Lee Westwood (England), 1 up. In his run for the semi-finals, Mark Wilson (USA) beat Bo Van Pelt (USA) (3&2), Robert Rock (England) (3&2), Dustin Johnson (USA) (4&3) and Peter Hanson (Sweden) (4&3). This was Mark Wilson’s (USA) best showing at a WGC event and he moved to a career high 24th in the world ranking. Let’s hope he can achieve more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps achieve his sixth USPGA Tour win. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.

The best New Zealand golfer in the field was Steve Alker (NZL) and he scored rounds of 69-1 in the first round which was good, and a very second round of 67-3, an average third round of 71+1 and a very good final round of 67-3 for a 72 hole total of 274-6 and he tied for 32nd position. He earned US $29,057.78 for his efforts and moved to 83rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $42,822 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 35 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for 74th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 47 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has make two cuts and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second and final rounds which were both 67-3s. But he will be disappointed with his third round which was 71+1. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the next few events he plays in and even achieve some top ten finishes. 

Danny Lee (NZL) was the next best of the New Zealand Golfers in the field and he scored rounds of 75+5 in the first round which was shocking and included an 8 on the par four, 16th hole but he had a good second round of 69-1 even par for a 36 hole total of 144+4 and he missed the cut by a four shots. He currently lies in tied for 114th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $16,046 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He currently lies in tied for 108th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 22 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be very disappointed with his first round 75+5 but happy with his second round 69-1 but knew his first round 75+5 ruined his chances of making the cut. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the coming weeks and have some top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. 

The final New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored rounds of 69-1 in the first round which was very good, then a poor second round of 78+8 for a 36 hole total of 147+7 and was disqualified. He currently lies in 125th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $12,480 earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. He currently lies in 124th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 5 points earned from the three events he has played to date this season so far. From the three events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first round 69-1, but he will be disappointed with his second round 78+8 and disqualified himself. Let’s hope he can make more cuts in the weeks ahead and even achieve some top ten finishes. 

Next week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the first leg of two tournaments in the Asia Swing and it is the CIMB Classic and is played on the Kuala Lumpur Golf & CC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It carries a huge prize purse of US $7,000,000 for the taking. Ryan Moore (USA) is the defending champion and will be keen to defend his title. Steve Alker (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Danny Lee (NZL) are likely to gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 30th October. I will report back who won the trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the thirteenth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 52nd week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his third place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf one week ago and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship three weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team four weeks ago and six weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and seven weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and eight weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and nine weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and eleven weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and twelve weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also 14 weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.59 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for 38th position in the Japan Open one week ago and tied for ninth position six weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and seven weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and eight weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and nine weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and eleven weeks ago tied for 15th position finish at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.18 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Jim Furyk (USA) who is fresh off his fourth place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf one week ago and four weeks ago being a part of the losing USA Ryder Cup Team and six weeks ago he tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola with 7.42 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Sergio Garcia (Spain) who is fresh off being part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team four weeks ago and six weeks ago tied for ninth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and seven weeks ago he tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship and nine weeks ago tied for 57th position at The Barclays and eleven weeks ago tied for 36th position at the 96th PGA Championship and he also finished solo second position twelve weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 14 weeks ago he tied for second position at the 143rd Open  Championship with 7.34 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who was fresh off his runner up finish at the Volvo World Match Play Championship one week ago and four weeks ago being part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team and seven weeks ago he tied for twenty third position at the BMW Championship and eight weeks ago finished in tied for 26th position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and nine weeks ago he finished in 38th position at The Barclays and he finished in tied for fourth position at the 114th U.S. Open Championship 19 weeks ago and also finished tied for second at the BMW International Open 17 weeks ago and also finished in tied for 39th position at the 143rd Open Championship 14 weeks ago and eleven weeks ago finished in tied for third position at the 96th PGA Championship with 7.28 Official Golf World Ranking Points; Steven Alker (NZL) is in his fourth week of his second spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for 32nd position at the McGladrey Classic this past week on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips one place and falls to tied for 258th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.72 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember “When it is breezy, Swing easy”!!

Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com, golfchannel.com

Golf Events from the Weekend 19th October 2014

This week the USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup headed to Las Vegas for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open and it was played on the TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nevada. It carried a huge prize – purse of US $6,200,000 for the taking. Webb Simpson (USA) was the defending Champion and was keen for back to back titles. Danny Lee (USA), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steve Alker (NZL) also gained starts as well. And it was the golfer by the name of Ben Martin (USA) who scored rounds of 68-3, 66-5, 62-9 and a final round of 68-3 for a 72 hole total of 264-20 and he won by two shots for his maiden win of his career on the USPGA Tour. He earned US $1,116,000 for the win and moved to the top of the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $1,116,000 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) is currently second on that list with US $1,080,000 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. Ben Martin (USA) also earned 500 FedEx Cup Points for the win and moved to tied for first position in the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 500 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. The other player tied for first position is Sang – Moon Bae (South Korea) with 500 points as well. From the two events Ben Martin (USA) has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that was the win here. Ben Martin (USA) will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 62-9 which was the equal low round of the day. 

Ben Martin (USA) played a steady final round under the circumstances of taking a two shot lead into the final round. He scored 68-3 which included a front nine of 35 even par with a lone birdie on the par four, second hole and a lone bogey on the par five, eighth hole and he made the turn at minus 17 and was leading by four shots. Kevin Streelman (USA) went out in 34-1 and made the turn at minus 13 and was four shots behind the leader. 

 

Ben Martin (USA) tees off during the final round

Ben Martin (USA) played holes ten to 14 in one over par and had fallen back to minus 16 and was now only leading by a single shot. Kevin Streelman (USA) played holes ten to 14 in two under par and moved to minus 15 and now was only one shot behind the leader. Ben Martin (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in three under par which included driving the short par four, 15th hole and two putting for his birdie. Then he hit the par five, 16th hole in two shots and holed his 46 foot eagle putt!! He moved to minus 19 and was leading by one shot heading to the par four, 72nd tee. Kevin Streelman (USA) played holes 15 to 17 in three under par and that included making three straight birdies in a row!! He moved to minus 18 and was still one shot behind the leader heading to the par four, 72nd tee. 

Kevin Streelman (USA) who was playing a couple of groups ahead of the leaders only could manage a par at the par four, 72nd hole and finished the 72 holes at minus 18 and finished two shots behind the winner. Ben Martin (USA) hit a brilliant drive down the par four, 72nd hole which found the centre of the fairway and left him with just a short iron to the green. He then stuck a very good short iron for his second that came to rest about twenty feet from the flag stick. As he walked up to the green he now knew if he could two putt he would secure his maiden USPGA Tour victory. After studying the line carefully with his caddie he hit an excellent putt that broke exactly how he planned from left to right and fell right in the centre of the cup for his birdie three. He scored an amazing 33-3 on his back nine which included playing the final four holes in four under par!! He finished the 72 holes at minus twenty to win by two shots. After he holed the winning putt he gave his caddie, Alex Boyd a huge high five and huge to celebrate the win!! Then his wife, Kelly came on to the 72nd green to give him a hug and kiss to celebrate as well!!

 

Ben Martin (USA) embraces his wife, Kelly as he walks off the 72nd green after holing the winning putt!!

When interviewed by the golf channel reporter he said “He was very happy to achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win and was very happy with the awesome finish he was able to produce after his slow start to the back nine”. As an amateur, Ben Martin (USA) played in three Major Championships and was the runner-up at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship. Having turned professional in 2010, he won in his second professional event, and finished runner-up at qualifying school for the USPGA Tour at the end of the year. In 2011 on the USPGA Tour, Ben Martin (USA) made the cut in 12 of 25 events and failed to earn enough money to retain his card for 2012 season. He played on the Web.com Tour in 2012 and 2013, picking up his first tour win at the 2013 United Leasing Championship. He finished second on the 2013 Web.com Tour regular season money list to earn his 2013/14 USPGA Tour card. On October 19, 2014, Ben Martin (USA) (As I mentioned earlier) played the last four holes in 4-under-par, including a 46-foot eagle putt on the par five, 16th hole to earn his first career USPGA Tour win at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open by two strokes over Kevin Streelman (USA). Ben Martin (USA) will gain a lot of confidence from this win and I feel his second win could come this season as well. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season.  

 

Ben Martin (USA) poses with the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open Trophy he won!!

Coming in solo second position at 266-18 after 72 holes was Kevin Streelman (USA); he earned US $669,600 for his efforts and moved to third position on current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $669,600 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 300 FedEx Cup points for his efforts and moved to tied for third position on the current 2014/15 USPGA FedEx Cup Points list standings with 300 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 63-8. But he will be disappointed with his first round 71 even par that put him behind the eight ball. Kevin Streelman’s (USA) first year on the USPGA Tour was 2008, after he finished 14th at the 2007 qualifying school. He has kept his place on USPGA Tour every year since then, through 2014. He tied for the lead after the first round of the U.S. Open Championship in 2008, and entered the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in March 2009. In his 153rd USPGA Tour start in March 2013, Kevin Streelman (USA) gained his first victory at the Tampa Bay Championship. He won his second in June 2014 at the Travelers Championship, one stroke ahead of runners-up K.J. Choi (South Korea) and Sergio Garcia (Spain). Kevin Streelman (USA) set a USPGA Tour record by closing out his final round with seven consecutive birdies. He has made a great start to the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season and I’m sure his third win will come very soon. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in solo third position at 268-16 after 72 holes was Russell Knox (Scotland); he earned US $421,600 for his efforts and moved to fifth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $433,720 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 190 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 192 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his first three rounds that were all in the mid 60s especially his first round 65-6. But he will be disappointed with final round 70-1. Russell Knox (Scotland) played on the NGA Hooters Tour from 2008 to 2010, picking up two victories in the process. He joined the Nationwide Tour in 2011 and picked up his first victory on tour in July at the Chiquita Classic. He eventually finished 12th on the Nationwide Tour money list and gained his full USPGA Tour card. His first USPGA Tour event was the 2011 Transitions Championship but he failed to make the cut. His first USPGA Tour event as a full member was the 2012 Sony Open in Hawaii where he missed the cut by a single stroke. He made only 12 cuts in 23 events in 2012 and finished in 143rd position on the money list to remain conditionally exempt on the USPGA Tour for 2013. He split time between the USPGA Tour and Web.com Tours in 2013. He played in the Web.com Tour Finals and finished 20th to earn his USPGA Tour card for 2014. On July 26, 2013, Russell Knox (Scotland) shot a 59 in the second round of the Albertsons Boise Open on the Web.com Tour. After an impressive start to his 2014 season, Russell Knox (Scotland) came close to winning his maiden USPGA Tour title at the Honda Classic, eventually losing to Russell Henley (USA) in a four-man playoff that also included Rory McIlroy (NIR) and Ryan Palmer (USA). This to date is his best career finish on the USPGA Tour. Let’s hope he can finish in the top ten in the next events he plays in and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Coming in tied for fourth position at 269-15 after 72 hole was Brooks Koepka (USA); he earned US $256,266.67 for his efforts and moved to sixth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $424,267 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 115 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to fifth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 193 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved two top ten finishes which includes the one here. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 64-7. Brooks Koepka (USA) was born in Wellington, Florida. He played college golf at Florida State University where he won three events and was a three-time All-American. He qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open while still an amateur. After missing the cut in the U.S. Open, Brooks Koepka (USA) turned professional and began playing on the Challenge Tour in Europe. He won his first event in September at the Challenge de Catalunya. In 2013 he had his second victory on the Challenge Tour, winning the 2013 Montecchia Golf Open. He followed this a month later with his third win, at the Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana, where he set the tournament record, 260 (−24), and won by a record 10 strokes. Three weeks later he had his third win of the year at the Scottish Hydro Challenge. With those three wins, he earned his European Tour card for the remainder of the 2013 season and for the full 2014 season. The day after his third Challenge Tour win of 2013, Brooks Koepka (USA) qualified for the 2013 Open Championship. Brooks Koepka (USA) made his debut as a member of the European Tour (he played in three events prior to promotion to membership) at the Scottish Open, finishing tied for 12th. In his first event of the 2014 USPGA Tour, Brooks Koepka (USA) led after the second and third rounds of the Frys.com Open. He finished tied for third. At the U.S. Open Championship, he collected a fourth-place finish, which earned him his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season and his first Masters Tournament invitation. Later he ended up 15th at the USPGA Championship. He was nominated for the USPGA Tour Rookie of the Year award. I feel his maiden USPGA Tour win can’t be too far away and maybe it will happen this season? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

Also tied for fourth position was Webb Simpson (USA); he too earned US $256,266.67 for his efforts and moved to 14th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $256,266.67 earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 115 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 16th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 115 points earned from the one event he has played to date this season so far. From the one event he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round 65-6. Webb Simpson (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2009 season after gaining his card at the 2008 USPGA Tour Qualifying School where he finished in tied for seventh position. He has kept his card for the next year every season since. His best season to date so far came in the 2011 where he finished in second position on the Money List with US $ 6,347,353 earned from the twenty six events he played in and that includes two wins. He has recorded four wins in his career so far and they are the 2011 Wyndham Championship, 2011 Deutsche Bank Championship, 2012 U.S. Open Championship (Maiden Major Championship) and 2013 Shriners Hospital for Children Open. I feel his fifth win will come in the 2014/15 season. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for fourth position was Jimmy Walker (USA); he too earned US $256,266.67 for his efforts and moved to 13th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $269,107 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 115 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to 14th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 123 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his third round 62-9 which was the equal low round of the day. Jimmy Walker (USA) has been playing the USPGA Tour fulltime since the 2006 season. But spent the years 2007 and 2008 back on the then Nationwide Tour. Since 2009 season he has kept his card for the next year every season since. The 2013/14 USPGA Tour season was his Major break out season for Jimmy Walker (USA) who won his maiden USPGA Tour event at the 2013 Frys.com Open, after nine years and 188 USPGA Tour starts. He won by two strokes over Vijay Singh (Fiji) after shooting 62-66 over the weekend. The win gave him an exemption into the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and earned him his first trip to The Masters Tournament and a USPGA Tour card until the end of 2016. Jimmy Walker (USA) also entered the world's top 50 for the first time. Jimmy Walker (USA) opened up 2014 finishing tied for 21st at his first visit to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. The following week in January 2014, he earned his second USPGA Tour win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He birdied four of the final six holes and shot a final round 63 to win by one stroke over Chris Kirk (USA). Five weeks later, in early February 2014, Jimmy Walker (USA) won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro – Am by one stroke over Dustin Johnson (USA) and Jim Renner (USA). He had a six-stroke advantage going into the final round, but shot a two-over-par 74 on Sunday and needed to hole a five-foot par putt on the 18th for the victory. This was his third victory of the 2014 season in just eight starts, after previously going 187 events without a victory. With his win, Jimmy Walker (USA) became the leader on the 2014 money list, FedEx Cup standings, and Ryder Cup point’s standings. He also raised his Official World Golf Ranking to 24th. A tied for eighth finish at the 2014 Masters Tournament raised his ranking to 19th, and ensured him an invitation into the 2015 tournament. He went on to post top-ten finishes at two other majors, a tied for ninth at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, and a tied for seventh at the 2014 PGA Championship. His highly successful season earned him a spot on the 2014 US Ryder Cup Team, another personal first. Jimmy Walker (USA) went as high as 17th in the OWGR during the 2014 season. I am sure his fourth win isn’t too far off either. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.

Rounding out the top nine in tied for seventh position at 270-14 after 72 holes was Tony Finau (USA); he earned US $193,233 for his efforts and moved to ninth position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $310,833 earned from the two events he has played to date this year so far. He also earned 85 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tenth position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 144 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event and this was his first top ten finish of his USPGA Tour career. He will be happy with his first, second and final rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his second round that was 65-6. But he will be slightly disappointed with his third round 70-1 which included a terrible triple bogey seven on the par four, eleventh hole. Tony Finau (USA) was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Although he had a college scholarship offers in basketball, he turned professional at the age of 17 and began playing on mini-tours including the Gateway Tour, NGA Hooters Tour, and National Pro Tour. He played on the PGA Tour Canada in 2013, making seven cuts in eight starts. He finished tied for third at the 2013 Web.com Tour qualifying school to earn his Web.com Tour card for 2014. He won his first event in August 2014 at the Stonebrae Classic. He finished 12th in the Web.com Tour Finals to earn his USPGA Tour card for the 2014–15 season. Tony Finau (USA) and his brother Gipper competed on the Golf Channel’s The Big Break in 2009. Tony Finau (USA) finished second on Big Break Disney Golf. He is the cousin of basketball player Jabari Parker. Tony Finau (USA) is of Tongan and American Samoan descent, the first person of such ancestry to play on the USPGA Tour. Let’s hope he can continue on this fine form in the weeks ahead and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win? I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.  

Also tied for seventh position was David Hearn (Canada); he too earned US $193,233 for his efforts and moved to 17th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $205,353 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 85 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty first position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 87 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made two cuts and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his second, third and final rounds that were in all the 60s especially his second and third rounds that were 66-5s but he will only be content with his first round 70-1. David Hearn (Canada) turned professional late in 2001. He was named the Canadian Tour Rookie of the Year in 2002. In the 2008 U.S. Open Championship, he missed the cut by two strokes. David Hearn (Canada) made his first cut in a major championship at the 2013 U.S. Open, finishing tied for 21st. In June 2013, David Hearn (Canada) finished in a tie for second at the John Deere Classic, after losing in a three-man playoff, which also included Zach Johnson (USA), to Jordan Spieth (USA). After all three players had pared the first and second extra holes, David Hearn (Canada) had two opportunities at the third and fourth extra holes to seal the win, but could not hole either of the makeable putts. The playoff ended at the fifth extra hole when Jordan Spieth (Canada) made par to David Hearn (Canada) and Zach Johnson's (USA) bogeys. This was David Hearn's (Canada) best finish to date on the USPGA Tour, beating his previous tie for fifth at the 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Let’s hope David Hearn (Canada) can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead and perhaps achieve his maiden USPGA Tour win this season? I wish him all the best for the rest of 2014/15 USPGA Tour season. 

The final player to tie for seventh position was Scott Piercy (USA); he too earned US $193,233 for his efforts and moved to 19th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $193,233 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 85 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to twenty second position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 85 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved one top ten finish that came at this event. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all in the 60s especially his first three rounds that were all 67-4s. Scott Piercy (USA) made an encouraging start to his USPGA Tour career, recording five top-twenty finishes in his first six starts, and this run of form elevated Scott Piercy (USA) into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings in March 2009. He finished the season ranked 90th on the money list to retain his tour card. In 2010, Scott Piercy (USA) slipped and finished 136th, as a result losing some of his status for 2011. In 2011, Scott Piercy (USA) won his first USPGA Tour event at the Reno-Tahoe Open. He won his second USPGA Tour title in 2012 at the RBC Canadian Open by one stroke over Robert Garrigus (USA) and William McGirt (USA). As a result, he earned a place in the following week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and was therefore unable to defend his Reno-Tahoe Open title. The RBC Canadian Open win also allowed Scott Piercy (USA) entry into 2013 Masters Tournament, his first. Scott Piercy (USA) is rarity on the USPGA Tour for his use of the "ten finger" or baseball grip. Let’s hope he can have more top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. I wish him all the best for the rest of the 2014/15 season.  

The best New Zealand golfer in the field was Steve Alker (NZL) and he scored rounds of 70-1 in the first round which was good, and a good second round of 69-2, a good third round of 70-1 and a good final round of 70-1 for a 72 hole total of 279-5 and he tied for 56th position. He earned US $13,764 for his efforts and moved to tied for 94th position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US$13,764 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He also earned 12 FedEx Cup Points for his efforts and moved to tied for 92nd position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 12 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has make one cut and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his four rounds this week that were all under par especially his second round 69-2. Let’s hope he can make some cuts in the next few events he plays in and even achieve some top ten finishes. 

Danny Lee (NZL) was the next best of the New Zealand Golfers in the field and he scored rounds of 70-1 in the first round which was good, and a average second round of 71 even par for a 36 hole total of 141-1 and he missed the cut by a single shot. He currently lies in   tied for 83rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $16,046 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He currently lies in tied for 79th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 22 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be only content with his two rounds this week that were both in the low 70s. Let’s hope he can make some more cuts in the coming weeks and have some top ten finishes in the weeks ahead. 

The final New Zealand golfer in the field was Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and he scored rounds of  68-3 in the first round which was very good, then a poor second round of 74+3 for a 36 hole total of 142 even par and he missed the cut by two shots. He currently lies in 103rd position on the current 2014/15 USPGA Tour Money list standings with US $12,480 earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. He currently lies in 100th position on the current 2014/15 FedEx Cup Points list standings with 5 points earned from the two events he has played to date this season so far. From the two events he has played to date this season so far he has made one cut and achieved no top ten finishes. He will be happy with his first round 68-3, but he will be disappointed with his second round 74+3 that ruined his chance of making the cut. Let’s hope he can make more cuts in the weeks ahead and even achieve some top ten finishes. 

Next week USPGA Tour and FedEx Cup heads to Georgia for the McGladrey Classic and it is played on the Seaside Course, Sea Island, Georgia. It carries a large prize purse of US $5,600,000 for the taking. Chris Kirk (USA) is the defending Champion and will be keen to defend his title. Danny Lee (NZL), Tim Wilkinson (NZL) and Steven Alker (NZL) are likely to gain starts as well. It starts on Thursday 23rd October. I will report back who won the trophy next week.

So to the Top 5 on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list this week and coming in at Number One Position for the twelfth week of his fifth spell of his career and for the 51st week of his career in total is Rory McILroy (NIR) fresh off his third place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf this past week and he also tied for second position at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship two weeks ago and was part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team three weeks ago and five weeks ago tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and six weeks ago he finished in tied for eighth position at the BMW Championship and seven weeks ago tied for fifth position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and eight weeks ago finished in twenty second position at The Barclays and ten weeks ago winning at the 96th PGA Championship and eleven weeks ago won WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and also 13 weeks ago winning the 143rd Open Championship with 11.48 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Two is Adam Scott (Australia) fresh off his tied for 38th position in the Japan Open last week and tied for ninth position five weeks ago at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and six weeks ago tied for eight position at the BMW Championship and seven weeks ago finished in 16th position at Deutsche Bank Championship and eight weeks ago he tied for 15th position at The Barclays and ten weeks ago tied for 15th position finish at the 96th PGA Championship with 8.33 Official World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Three is Jim Furyk (USA) who is fresh off his fourth place finish at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf this past week and three weeks ago being a part of the losing USA Ryder Cup Team and five weeks ago he tied for second position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola with 7.51 Official Golf World Ranking Points; coming in at Number Four is Sergio Garcia (Spain) who is fresh off being part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team three weeks ago and five weeks ago tied for ninth position at the Tour Championship by Coca – Cola and six weeks ago he tied for fourth position at the BMW Championship and eight weeks ago tied for 57th position at The Barclays and ten weeks ago tied for 36th position at the 96th PGA Championship and he also finished solo second position eleven weeks ago at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 13 weeks ago he tied for second position at the 143rd Open  Championship with 7.45 Official World Ranking Points and rounding out the top 5 on the Official Golf World Ranking Points list standings this week is Henrik Stenson (Sweden) who was fresh off his runner up finish at the Volvo World Match Play Championship this past week and three weeks ago being part of the winning European Ryder Cup Team and six weeks ago he tied for twenty third position at the BMW Championship and seven weeks ago finished in tied for 26th position at the Deutsche Bank Championship and eight weeks ago he finished in 38th position at The Barclays and he finished in tied for fourth position at the 114th U.S. Open Championship 18 weeks ago and also finished tied for second at the BMW International Open 16 weeks ago and also finished in tied for 39th position at the 143rd Open Championship 13 weeks ago and ten weeks ago finished in tied for third position at the 96th PGA Championship with 7.41 Official Golf World Ranking Points; Steven Alker (NZL) is in his third week of his second spell being the highest ranked New Zealand Golfer in the world after his tied for 56th position at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open this past week on the USPGA Tour. This week he slips four places and falls to 257th position on the Official World Golf Rankings Points list standings with 0.72 Official Golf World Ranking Points.

Remember a missed putt can never be recovered!!

Source: Pgatour.com, Official World Golf Rankings, wikipedia.org, Google search engine, europeantour.com