Weekly Wrap - Week 26

LPGA

Tournament: KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Dates: 25-28 June

Course: Hazeltine National Golf Club

Purse: USD $13 million

Ozzies in the field: Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson, Gabbi Ruffels, Lydia Ko (NZ)

The Ozzie big guns of Green and Lee failed to fire and it was Karis Davidson who topped the list of Ozzies at the US PGA. Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, and Cassie Porter missed the cut. The hot pre-tournament favourite Nelly Korda also didn’t rise to the occasion although she did finish in a tie for eighth and had her chances but the putter did not cooperate. The winner was Haeran Ryu who came from ten back after the first round to win her first Major.

1st Haeran Ryu - USD $1,950,000

T12 Karis Davidson - $210,000

T15 Lydia Ko - $175,907

T24 Grace Kim - $111,294

T48 Robyn Choi - $45,924

MC Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Gabbi Ruffels, Cassie Porter

DP World Tour

Tournament: Italian Open

Dates: 25-28 June

Course: Circolo Golf Torino

Purse: USD $3.0M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzie, Ryan Peake, Anthony Quayle, Connor McKinney, Jack Buchanan, Dan Hillier (NZ), Kazuma Kobori (NZ), Elvis Smylie

Ozziegolf was on the ground at Golf Circolo for the Italian Open. We caught up with Anthony Quayle before thie first round Our interview with him can be read here.

The main constant of this year’s Italian Open was the extreme heat. This was the same as last year at Argentario and surely the DP World Tour must rethink the summer schedule and take the June tournaments to the Nordic venues and play central Europe outside the scorching heat of June. And guess what, it isn’t going to get any better.

Despite the heat the Italian crowds came out to watch their heroes Eduardo and Francesco Molinari, and Guido Migliozzi. Eduardo M. did not disappoint on day one as he set a new course record eight under but that would be the end of his glory as he finished the tournament on seven under in a tie for 48th. His more credentialed brother Francesco, 2018 Open Champion failed to make the cut. His day 1 & 2 playing partner, Patrick Reed, 2018 Masters champion, did make the cut but did not feature on the front pages of the leaderboard.

Joaquin Niemann looked like the winner leading into the final day but he did not count on the driven inspiration of Eugenio Chacarra, a man who has not been shy of this ambition to get to the PGA Tour. Chacarra closed with a final day 64 to win by five shots. This was his third DP World Tour win and his second in just three weeks. The win takes him to third on the OOM (but first of the non exempt players) and almost certainly guarantees him one of the season end tickets to the PGA Tour.

Best of the Australasians was Kazuma Kobori at T19 and then Jack Buchanan at T35. David Micheluzzi will be pleased to see some weekend golf but the run of bad form continues for Connor McKinney.

Popular podcast co-host Eddie Pepperell played some of his best golf for the year with a stretch of 56 holes bogey free. A slightly errant drive on his fifth last hole of the tournament cost him a couple of shots but his approach play was at times sublime and if the putter had worked a little better he would have been right at the top of the leaderboard. Good signs indeed for the Pepperell and perhaps a return to something close to the form that took him to two wins and major appearances.

1st Eugenio Chacarra – €448,169

T19 Kazuma Kobori - €30,317

T35 Jack Buchanan - €18,243

T41 Elvis Smylie - €15,817

T60 David Micheluzzi - €7,249

MC Jason Scrivener, Daniel Hillier (NZ), Anthony Quayle, Ryan Peake, Connor McKinney

Epson Tour

Tournament: Island Resort Championship

Dates: 26-28 June

Course: Sweetgrass Golf Club, Harris, MI

Purse: USD $225,000

Ozzies in the field: Jennifer Elliot, Caitlin Peirce, Jess Whitting, Fiona Xu (NZ)

Another solid outing for Jennifer Elliot who was the leading Ozzie at T24 . Kaleiya Romero gets the job done this week in a playoff after losing in a playoff last week. Romero beat China’s Liqi Zeng on the first playoff hole.

1st Kaleiya Romero – USD $ 33,750

T24 Jennifer Elliot $2,360

T39 Caitlin Peirce - $ 1,359

MC Jess Whitting, Fiona Xu (NZ)

LET

Tournament: Tipsport Czech Ladies Open

Dates: 26-28 June

Course: Royal Beroun Golf Club, Czech Republic

Purse: €350,000

Ozzies in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Steph Bunque, Sarah Kemp, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Momoka Kobori (NZ), Belinda Ji

It was oh so close for Justice Bosio this week. Playing in the 3rd last group on Sunday Bosio produced a scintillating round of eight under to be the clubhouse leader on 18 under par. Out on course in the final group with two holes to play were Lisa Pettersson level with Bosio on 18 under and Noor Komulainen at 17 under. Pettersson parred in to match Bosio and Komulainen birdied her last four holes to join the two leaders which meant a three way playoff for the title. It was Komulainen who prevailed with her fifth birdie in a row on the first playoff hole to claim the title. It was the Finish players first win after fourteen years on tour and it was an emotional winner joined by her daughter at the victory ceremony.

What a couple of weeks for Bosio who finished T5 last week at the Dutch Ladies Open and now T2 in Czech Republic. Bosio came close to winning on LETAS and also lost a couple of playoffs on that tour last year so perhaps need to win in regulation !

1st Noor Komulainern - €52,500

T2 Justice Bosio - €26,250

T6 Amelia Garvey (NZ) - €9,450

T24 Kirsten Rudgeley - €3,733

T24 Momoka Kobori (NZ) - €3,733

MC Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Sarah Kemp, Steph Bunque, Belinda Ji

LETAS

Tournament: Swedish PGA Championship

Dates: 26-28 June

Course: Sweden

Purse: €

Ozzies in the field: Hanee Song (NZ), Jordan O’Brien, Wenyung Keh (NZ)

There’s nothing like starting your pro career by winning the first tournament you enter. Just like Ozzie Hanna Reeves, Sweden’s Elsa Svensson had turned pro two weeks prior to the event and won by two shots over Swiss play Natalie Armbruester.

Best of the Australasians was Hanee Song (NZ) at T42.

1st Elsa Svensson - €8,000

T42 Hanee Song (NZ) - €353

T49 Wenyung Keh (NZ) - €260

MC Jordan O’Brien

PGA Tour

Tournament: Travelers Championship

Dates: 25-28 June

Course: TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, CT

Purse: USD $20 million

Ozzies in the field: Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Ryan Fox (NZ)

Not often that we get a Monday playoff but that’s what happened this week on the OGA Tour. Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler came back to TPC *** Monday to paly one hole only as Hovland made is eight footer for birdie and Scheffler missed his 4 footer handing Hovland his eighth PGA Tour victory.

Best of the Ozzies was Jason Day at T55.

1st Viktor Hovland – USD $3.6M

T55 Jason Day - $44,250

T62 Min Woo Lee - $41,500

T65 Adam Scott – 40,500

T66 Ryan Fox (NZ) - $39,500

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: Memorial Health Championship pres. by LRS

Dates: 25-28 June

Course: Panther Creek Country Club, Springfield, IL

Purse: USD $1 million

Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson, Aaron Baddeley

Canadian Drew Nesbitt captured his first KFT win with a closing round of 5 under par to claim a one stroke victory over Cole Sherwood.

1st Drew Nesbitt – USD $180,000

MC Rhein Gibson, Aaron Baddeley

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: DICK'S Open

Dates: 26-28 June

Course: En-Joie Golf Club, Endicott, NY

Purse: USD $

Ozzies in the field: Steve Allan, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Matthew Goggin, Richard Green, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, Craig Hocknell, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Michael Wright, Brendan Jones (1st alternate)

Not this week for the Ozzies as Dicky Pride won in a playoff over Padraig Harrington. An emotional Price said the win was a personal validation as he had only on==won once on the PGAT Tour and KFT and this, his second win on the Champions Tour takes the old guys title this week.

Berst of the Ozzies was Richard Green in eighth position.

1st Dicky Pride – USD $330,000

8th Richard Green - $70,400

T11 Matt Googgin - $48,400

T14 Greg Chalmers - $38,500

T29 Michael Wright - $17,380

T32 Steve Allan - $14,520

T40 Rod Pampling - $10,560

T40 Mark Hensby - $10,560

T45 Craig Hocknull -

T45 Scott Hend - $7,480

T76 John Senden - $1,276

T77 David Bransdon - $1,144

Hotel Planner Tour

Tournament: Blot Open de Bretagne

Dates: 25-28 June

Course: Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André, France

Purse: €300,000

Ozzies in the field: Haydn Barron, Quinnton Croker, Hayden Hopewell, Sam Jones (NZ)

JLPGA

Tournament: EARTH MONDAMIN CUP

Dates: 25-28 June

Course: Camellia Hills Country Club, Chiba

Purse: Y400,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Lion Higo

KLPGA

Tournament: McColl·Mona Yongpyong Open with SBS Golf

Dates: 26-28 June

Course: Birch Hill

Purse: KRW 1,000,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Claire Shin