Weekly Wrap - Week 49

Image courtesy of Golf Australia

WEEK 49 – WEEKLY WRAP

DP World Tour and AUS PGA Tour

Tournament: Crown Australian Open

Dates: 4 December – 7 December

Course: Royal Melbourne (composite)

Purse: AUD $2.0M

Rory McIlroy arrived at Royal Melbourne and so did over 100,000 fans. What a glorious week of golf it was. And whilst Rory did not feature at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday his presence was felt across the tournament. Always the entertainer McIlroy left the crowd with one last hurrah as he sank a raking birdie putt on his last hole. The fans cheered as if he had won the tournament.

But it was an up-and-coming star who stole the show and took home the Stonehaven Cup. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen showed nerves of steel to make an almost impossible up and down on the 18th leaving Cam Smith to hole a five-footer for par and take the pair back down the 18th for sudden death playoff. But it was not to be as Smith’s putt edged past the hole and Neergard-Petersen was the Champion.

Adam Scott must keep his putter stored in the freezer it runs so cold. The indefatigable Ozzi star could not sink a putt on Sunday and despite that finished fifth and earned a start at next year’s Open championship. Elvis Smylie’s charge did not eventuate and the Ozzie young gun finished T8.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 1 – AUD $340,000

Cam Smith 2nd - $220,000

Adam Scott 5th – $84,800

Daniel Hillie (NZ) 6th - $70,000

Elvis Smylie 8th - $50,000

LPGA

Tournament: LPGA Final Qualifying Stage

Dates: 4 December – 8 December

Course: Magnolia Grove GC Alabama

Purse:

Ozzies in the field: Jennifer Elliot, Hira Naveed,

As we go to print play has been suspended in round three. The tournament has been reduced from five rounds to four. Helen Briem currently leads. Ozzies Jennifer Elliot and Hira Naveed need to step on the gas to get into the top twenty-five.

PGA Tour

Tournament: Hero World Challenge

Dates: 4 December – 7 December

Course: Albany GC

Purse: $20M

Ozzies in the field: NIL

With the Australian Open dominating golf news downunder I’m not sure there was anyone from this region watching Tigers event. For the record Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama picked up the winner’s cheque of USD$1.0M after beating Alex Noren in a playoff. No Ozzies were in the field.

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: Q School 2nd Stage

Dates: 4 December – 5 December

Course: 5 venues across USA

Ozzies in the field: Trav Smythe, Harrison Endycott, Harry Hillier (NZ), Rhein Gibson, Maverick Antcliff, Grant Booth, Kevin Yuan

Two of the venues experienced enough severe weather to reduce those venues to 54 holes. The call to suspend and eventually cancel the final rounds was made when players were on course and several had made a charge into the qualifying spots. Unfortunately, the whole of the final rounds was scrapped and the tournaments reverted to the 54 hole scores.

Of the Australasian contingent only Trav Smyth survived to advance his Q School journey to Final stage which starts December 11 at TPC Sawgrass and TPC Country Club, Florida. Only five PGA Tour cards are up for grabs but the next 20 get good status on Korn Ferry and 20-40 also will get plenty of KFT starts. After that it will be a bit unsure for starts so making the top 40 is the goal.

Travis Smyth T4

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: Skechers World Champions Cup

Dates: 4 December – 7 December

Course: Feather Sound Country Club, Florida

A modified version of the Ryder cup for the Seniors. It’s USA v Europe v Internationals. Six players per team, including a playing Captain, compete over modified fourball, foursomes and then finish with straight out singles matches to determine the winning team. Team Europe, captained by Darren Clarke, came out on top ahead of the Internationals with team USA third. Ozzie Mark Hensby and Kiwi Steve Alker played for the Internationals.

DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour

Tournament: Nedbank Golf Challenge

Dates: 4 December - 7 December

Course: Gary Player Country Club

Purse: USD $6.0M

Ozzies in the field: NIL

Even Rory McIlroy could not believe this tournament is scheduled against the Australian Open whose reigning champion chose the riches of the Nedbank over defending his title at one of the best courses in the world.

It was a good week for Scandinavian golfers on the DP World Tour this week as Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan secured his second career win at the Sun City event. Reitan led by five going into the last day and despite only even par final round scraped home by a shot over Dan Bradubury and Jayden Schaper. No Ozzies in this field.

Kristoffer Reitan 1 – USD $1,025,000

Legends Tour

Tournament: MCB Mauritius Legends

Dates: 5 December 7 December

Course: Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius

Ozzies in the field: Scott Hend, Michael Campbell (NZ), Mark Brown (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)

In the final event of the season Englishman Greg Owen claimed his first victory on the Legends Tour with a one shot win over Darren Fichardt and Jeev Mikha Singh. Leading by five late in the round Owen eventually needed to birdie the last to claim the win.

There was plenty to play for on the OOM. Scott Hend was the overall winner. Top 10 places secure full paying rights for next season plus entry into all three Senior Majors and a co-sanctioned PGA Tour Champions event Portugal. Top 20 also secure their card and entry to the Senior Open and Senior PGA championship. The only Ozzie to make the top 20 was Scott Hend.

Greg Owen 1

Michael /Campbell (NZ) T5

Scott Hend T26

Mark Brown (NZ) T26

Michael Long(NZ) T46

WPGA Tour

Tournament: NSW Open Regional Qualifier Narrabri

Dates: 1 & 2 December

Course: Narrabri GC

Purse: AUD $50,000

Ozzies in the field:

Justice Bosio fresh off a great Rookie season on LETAS took her first pro win at the Narrabri event. Bosio at -4 won by four shots over Caitlin Peirce with Abbie Teasdale, Hannah Reeve, and Kristalle Blum a further shot back sharing third place.

Justice Bosio 1 – AUD $7,500

Caitlin Peirce 2 - $5,000

Abbie Teasdale T3 - $3,000

Hannah Reeve T3 - $3,000

Kristalle Blum T3 - $3,000