Weekly Wrap - Week 7

Image courtesy of LIV Golf

WEEK 7 – WEEKLY WRAP

Week 7 – The party bus rolled in to Adelaide and rocked all week. A redemption story for the ages for AK and another Ripper win. The effervescent Charlie Hull took the win in Riyadh and a first win in almost three years at Pebble Beach.

LET

Tournament: PIF Saudi Ladies International

Dates: 11-14 February

Course: Riyadh GC

Purse: USD $5.0M

Ozzies in the field: Kelsey Bennett, Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Hira Naveed, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Momoka Kobori (NZ)

Charlie Hull came from three shots back at the start of the final round to win by a shot over Japan’s Akai Iwai. Hull was in the fourth last group and had to wait for the overnight leaders to come home but no one could catch her. Hull leads the OOM after this 1st event but probably wont’ make another appearance on an LET Event until The Amundi Evian Championship in July (Hull is currently not entered into the LPGA co-sanctioned Aramco event in early April.) This means plenty of opportunity for full time LET players to earn points towards the coveted number one spot.

Ozzie Kelsey Bennett carded the equal second best final round with a six under 66 to finish in a tie for 12th. A great start to the season for Bennett as she banks the biggest cheque of her career and starts her quest for a top ten finish on the OOM. Kiwi Amelia Garvey finished T39 and Hira Naveed was T61. Other Ozzies Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard and Kiwi Momoka Kobori all missed the cut.

Charlie Hull 1st – USD $630,624

Kelsey Bennett T12 - $80,847

Amelia Garvey (NZ) T39 - $24,703

Hira Naveed T61 - $10,527

Kirsten Rudgeley MC

Madison Hinson-Tolchard MC

Momoka Kobori (NZ) MC

Charley Hull winner of PIF Saudi Ladies International- image courtesy of LET

LIV Golf

Tournament: LIV Adelaide

Dates: 12-15 February

Course: The Grange GC (composite)

Purse: USD $30M

Ozzies in the field: Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Elvis Smylie

Ozziegolf was on the ground in Adelaide at the magnificent Grange Golf Club. The atmosphere on and off course grew as the week progressed and rose to an amazing crescendo with the win of Anthony Kim. A redemption story for the ages. In the team event Ripper GC made it two from two for the season.

The story of the week however was Anthony Kim. From not even having a visa to enter the country on Monday to holding aloft the winners trophy on Sunday was quite a journey. Add to that his recruitment to the 4Aces on Tuesday and it was quite a week for the former PGA Tour star. This win comes 15 years after his last victory on the PGA Tour and follows many years of well documented trauma and downfall through a journey of addiction and mental health issues. AK stared down two of the games giants, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau to claim victory in Adelaide.

Footnote: As a long time sceptic about LIV Golf but first time attendee at a LIV Golf tournament I walked away completely converted. What a showcase of golf and entertainment. I don’t think it is something that you would want to attend every week but as part of the golf landscape it was an amazing experience.

When the golf oldies were leaving the grounds after play there were thousands of young people streaming into the venue for the after golf party. The set-up, infrastructure and on course facilities were first class. It was the best organised golf tournament I have ever attended.

Anthony Kim 1st – USD $4.0M

Lucas Herbert T6 - $650,000

Cam Smith T8 - $442,500

Marc Leishman T8 - $442,500

Elvis Smylie T27 - $177,500

Ripper GC - $3.0M

Ripper GC celebrate their team win at LIV Adelaide - image courtesy LIV Golf

WPGA

Tournament: Ford NSW Women’s Open Qualifier Moss Vale

Dates: 12-13 February

Course: Moss Vale GC

Purse: AUD $50,000

The course record at Moss Vale took a beating. Victorian Kono Matsumoto equalled it on day one with a seven under 66 and then eventual winner Jessica Bang went one better on the second day of the tournament with an eight under 65 to eventually win by five shots. American Annika Borrelli birdied the last hole to grab the second qualifying spot for the Ford NSW Open.

Jessica Bang 1st - $7,500

Annika Borrelli 2nd - $5,000

Jessica Bang - image courtesy Golf Australia

PGA Tour

Tournament: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Dates: 12-15 February

Course: Pebble Beach Golf Links

Purse: USD $20M

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

Colin Morikawa had his seventh PGA Tour victory and his first in almost three years at the Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday. After a stumbling bogey on 17 slipped him back to equal leader with Ozzie Min Woo Lee, and Sepp Straka, Morikawa coolly birdied the 72nd hole to take the win.

A really good week for Min Woo Lee who breaks back into the top 50 in the world and climbs up to 31st on the OWGR

Colin Morikawa 1st – USD $3.6M

Min Woo Lee T2 - $1.76m

Jason Day T24 - $162,000

Ryan Fox (NZ) T24 - $162,000

Colin Morikawa wins AT&T at Pebble Beach

PGA Tour Champions

Tournament: Chubb Classic

Dates: 13-15 February

Course: Tiburon Golf Club (Black Course)

Purse: USD $1.8M

Ozzies in the field: Michael Wright, Rod Pampling, Steve Allen, Mark Hensby, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Matthew Goggin, Brendan Jones, Matthew Goggin (Monday Q)

Michael Wright had a great chance to have his first win on this tour but an average one under par last round left him one shot behind eventual winner David Toms. The winner had an even worse day than Wright with two double bogeys in his first six holes. Whilst he evened those out with four birdies he still needed a fifth birdie on the 72nd hole to clinch the victory.

David Toms 1st – USD $270,000

Michael Wright T2 - $132,000

Rod Pampling T7 - $54,900

Steve Allen T15 - $29,700

Mark Hensby T32 – 11,610

Stuart Appleby T38 - $9,360

Greg Chalmers T46 - $5,490

Richard Green T46 - $5,490

Matthew Goggin T54 - $4,140

Brendan Jones T57 - $3,690

David Toms wins the Chubb Classic

Hotel Planner Tour & Sunshine Tour

Tournament: NTT DATA Pro-Am

Dates: 12-15 February

Course: Fancourt Golf Estate

Purse: ZAR 7,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Austin Batista, Sam Jones (NZ)

South African MJ Daffue gets his first win on the Sunshine Tour winning by four shots over countryman Bryce Easton, Kieran Vincent from Zimbabwe, American Hunter Logan and Irishman Max Kennedy. Tied with American Hunter Logan playing in the last group Daffue sealed the deal with an eagle on the 72nd hole. Logan unfortunately put a ball in the water and took double bogey to join three others in second place. The win moves Daffue to 3rd on the OOM behind MJ Viljoen and Will Enefer.

MJ Daffue 1st - €58,427

Austin Batista MC

Sam Jones (NZ) MC

MJ Daffue wins the biggest trophy of the week

Amateur Tournaments

Australia is still winless in this event with our best finisher this year being Jazzy Roberts who finished in an admirable tied third place. The winner was Korean Yunseo Yang who beat her countrywomen Soomin Oh by eight shots. The win gets Yang entry into ‘the AIG Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship and The Chevron Championship as well as elite championships such as the Hana Financial Group Championship, Women’s Australian Open, The Women’s Amateur Championship and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.’ (* R&A)