First of all hello, I haven't posted here for a wee while (December 13), so all the very best of luck to you all for 2018 with health and happiness at the top of the list !!
Yesterday Brooke Henderson capped off a solid year winning the Bobby Rosenfeld award as Canada's female athlete of the year for the second time, with 35 of 63 votes. She had 2 wins and 8 top 10's, was 6th on the money list with over $1.5m, and ended up 13th in the world rankings.
She and Adam Hadwin were atop the Canadian pro stories. Adam of course had his best PGA season with his first win in March at the Valspar Championhip after shooting a magical 59 in the desert at La Quinta at the old Bob Hope. He qualified for the Masters (T36), played in the Presidents Cup, got married, went on honeymoon and bought a new house !!
Probably the biggest story for golf, came at the end of the year in the Bahama's where Tiger held his annual Hero World Challenge, a golfing holiday for 18 invitees which Tiger turned into world wide news by playing decently and declaring himself fit to return to golf in 2018.
For me this year was all about young guns showing up to take win after win in the absence of any dominant play by the big 4 of Jordan Spieth (Open Championship), Rory McIlroy (injury), Jason Day and Dustin Johnson, who all had their moments but didn't dominate.
Justin Thomas was the biggest winner of those new young guns, winning the Fed Ex Cup along with 5 tournaments including the PGA Championship, shooting 59 at the Sony in Hawaii, and setting a US Open single round record of 63 at Erin Hills, and of course was part of the USA Team that routed the Internationals at the Presidents Cup. He begins this season in Hawaii ranked #3 in the world.
Sergio Garcia had his career year with that final majors break through winning the Masters, and finally getting married and his wife is expecting their first baby.
Other young guns who won big time were Sergio's countryman Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka (US Open), Jordan Spieth (Open Championship), MacKenzie Hughes (RSM Classic Nov. 2016), Kim Si Woo (Players), Xander Schauffele (Greenbrier, Tour Championship), Bryson DeChambeau (John Deere) just to name a few.
England's Tommy Fleetwood hung on to win the Race to Dubai by a shot over Justin Rose who was the hottest golfer in the world during October and November with 3 wins.
On the LPGA the Asian girls were atop the leaderboard more than any other nationality, but it was American Lexi Thomson who won the CME Race to the Globe despite missing a 2 foot putt, but will be remembered for losing the ANA Inspiration by a television viewer who emailed in to say she hadn't marked a tap in putt accurately.
Another big story as a result is that world golf authorities have since created a ruling banning the outcome of tournaments to be decided by television viewers call or writing in.
Despite the phenomenal games of so many of the young guys who all just hit the present day ball miles, making most par 5's obsolete, TV ratings for golf have not reflected their brilliance, so Tiger's announced return has the PGA Tour, their sponsors and all the TV networks giddy. His persona win or lose draws an extra 30% of viewers who simply don't tune in whatever shape his game is in.
Whether this is good or bad for the game is debateable and that's one of the things I will be doing in 2018.
There are 6 Canadians playing exempt on the PGA Tour next year, Graham DeLaet, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, MacKenzie Hughes, Ben Silverman, Corey Connors and David Hearn who does not have exempt status but will get into around 15 events.
So the 2018 season which began with the wrap around back in October resumes in Hawaii at Kapalua on January 4 and I'll be back with a preview in the New Year.
All the best my friends,
Bryan Angus
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Golf Notes for a wintery December 13th
Christmas is just a dozen days away, winter has finally arrived with the thermometer in and around -12*c, and the first snowfall has insured a white Christmas. Golf continues down under where it is summer, and on the European/Sunshine tour in South Africa, but by in large most pros are off until 2018.
Q SCHOOL: All four Canucks at Web.com Q school earned status of some sort. Ryan Yip from Calgary T10th at -18 (73-65-67-65), so he starts 2018 with guaranteed starts for the first 12 events meanwhile Albin Choi from Toronto and Stuart Macdonald from Vancouver T23 -16, while Seann Harlingten also from Vancouver T30th -15.
Those 3 Choi, Macdonald get exempt status for the first eight events: .
LOU MARSH: Joey Votto had another banner year for Cincinnati at 1st base and he was awarded this year's Lou Marsh trophy.
With 8 top 10's and 2 wins Brooke Henderson was on the ballot but was in strong competition with the likes of Votto, Sid Crosby, Rachel Homan (curler) and Alex Harvey (skier), and I'm sure her day will come.
BEST CANADIAN AMATEURS: Josh Whalen (22) (Napanee) and Maddie Szeryk (21) (dual citizen), are Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2017
Josh was 3rd at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, T6 at the Sunnehanna Amateur and had six NCAA top-20s in his senior year with the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Maddie won for the 3rd year in a row winning the B.C. Women’s Amateur and Women’s Western Amateur Championships, as well as the NCAA’s Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational playing for Texas A&M.
NO MORE TV VIEWER CALLINS: Every governing body out there finally got together and have come up with a new set of protocols for video review when applying the Rules of Golf. Basically you can stop calling in if you think you saw a ball move a hair or any other minor infraction. Here's what they are doing.
Assign one or more officials to monitor the video broadcast of a competition to help identify and resolve Rules issues as they arise
Discontinue any steps to facilitate or consider viewer call-ins as part of the Rules decision process
In addition, they have approved the adoption of a Local Rule to eliminate the additional two-stroke penalty for failing to include a penalty on the score card when the player was unaware of the penalty.
TIGER'S RETURN: Whatever your opinion is of Tiger Woods, the biggest news for the pro game, in particular for the PGA Tour and it's sponsors is that during the off season he competed adequately at his Hero World Challenge, came through the 4 rounds without pain, and as such will be announcing his playing schedule for 2018 at some time soon.
TV ratings dropped by 30% in his absence, and that 30% who don't normally watch golf will be paying attention whenever he gets back. Despite their collective brilliant play, the new crew, Rory, DJ, Rickie, Jordan, Jason etal simply don't move the needle and while they are all better than Tiger by now, the affect and the size of his shadow is something we will be debating again next year, as his mere presence will become more important than the guys who are actually winning the event.
Bryan Angus
Q SCHOOL: All four Canucks at Web.com Q school earned status of some sort. Ryan Yip from Calgary T10th at -18 (73-65-67-65), so he starts 2018 with guaranteed starts for the first 12 events meanwhile Albin Choi from Toronto and Stuart Macdonald from Vancouver T23 -16, while Seann Harlingten also from Vancouver T30th -15.
Those 3 Choi, Macdonald get exempt status for the first eight events: .
LOU MARSH: Joey Votto had another banner year for Cincinnati at 1st base and he was awarded this year's Lou Marsh trophy.
With 8 top 10's and 2 wins Brooke Henderson was on the ballot but was in strong competition with the likes of Votto, Sid Crosby, Rachel Homan (curler) and Alex Harvey (skier), and I'm sure her day will come.
BEST CANADIAN AMATEURS: Josh Whalen (22) (Napanee) and Maddie Szeryk (21) (dual citizen), are Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2017
Josh was 3rd at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, T6 at the Sunnehanna Amateur and had six NCAA top-20s in his senior year with the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Maddie won for the 3rd year in a row winning the B.C. Women’s Amateur and Women’s Western Amateur Championships, as well as the NCAA’s Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational playing for Texas A&M.
NO MORE TV VIEWER CALLINS: Every governing body out there finally got together and have come up with a new set of protocols for video review when applying the Rules of Golf. Basically you can stop calling in if you think you saw a ball move a hair or any other minor infraction. Here's what they are doing.
In addition, they have approved the adoption of a Local Rule to eliminate the additional two-stroke penalty for failing to include a penalty on the score card when the player was unaware of the penalty.
TIGER'S RETURN: Whatever your opinion is of Tiger Woods, the biggest news for the pro game, in particular for the PGA Tour and it's sponsors is that during the off season he competed adequately at his Hero World Challenge, came through the 4 rounds without pain, and as such will be announcing his playing schedule for 2018 at some time soon.
TV ratings dropped by 30% in his absence, and that 30% who don't normally watch golf will be paying attention whenever he gets back. Despite their collective brilliant play, the new crew, Rory, DJ, Rickie, Jordan, Jason etal simply don't move the needle and while they are all better than Tiger by now, the affect and the size of his shadow is something we will be debating again next year, as his mere presence will become more important than the guys who are actually winning the event.
Bryan Angus
Thursday, December 7, 2017
4 Canadians at final stage of Web.com Tour Q School
Web.com Q School leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/webcom/leaderboard.html
Four Canadians are in the field for the final stage of the Web.com Q school starting today in Chandler, Arizona at the Whirlwind Golf Club.
They are Albin Choi from Toronto, Seann Harlingten and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver, and Calgary’s Ryan Yip.
The winner will earn full exempt for the 2018 regular season and those finishing second through 10th (including ties) receives exempt status for the first 12 events of 2018. Finishers 11th through 45th, plus ties, will receive exempt status for the first eight events, while the remainder of the field receives conditional status.
Bryan Angus
Four Canadians are in the field for the final stage of the Web.com Q school starting today in Chandler, Arizona at the Whirlwind Golf Club.
They are Albin Choi from Toronto, Seann Harlingten and Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver, and Calgary’s Ryan Yip.
The winner will earn full exempt for the 2018 regular season and those finishing second through 10th (including ties) receives exempt status for the first 12 events of 2018. Finishers 11th through 45th, plus ties, will receive exempt status for the first eight events, while the remainder of the field receives conditional status.
Bryan Angus
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Mike Weir finishes Australian PGA T15
Australian PGA final leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2017096/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Two young Aussies went to a playoff to decide the winner of the Australian PGA on the Gold Coast early this morning (EST)and it was Cameron Smith from Queensland winning it with a par 4 on the 2nd hole after Jordan Zunic made a bogey 5.
It was Smith's first European Tour victory in only his 11th European Tour start. He has one PGA Tour win.
I've been chronicling Mike Weir's progress here all week and he saved the best for last with a sparkling bogey free -5 67 to T15 at -8. He went out in -2 34 and came in with -3 33 for the 67. His 5 birdies brought his total for the week to 15 and the $15,000 he won was not as important as the way he handled the RACV Royal Pines course.
This was his highest finish on the European Tour going all the way back to 2009 when he was 10th at the US Open. It was his 7th event on the European Tour this year. For his 2017 Schedule click here http://www.mikeweir.com/schedule
I'm sure he is delighted to end this 2017 season on such a positive note as he heads home for Christmas.
Bryan Angus
Two young Aussies went to a playoff to decide the winner of the Australian PGA on the Gold Coast early this morning (EST)and it was Cameron Smith from Queensland winning it with a par 4 on the 2nd hole after Jordan Zunic made a bogey 5.
It was Smith's first European Tour victory in only his 11th European Tour start. He has one PGA Tour win.
I've been chronicling Mike Weir's progress here all week and he saved the best for last with a sparkling bogey free -5 67 to T15 at -8. He went out in -2 34 and came in with -3 33 for the 67. His 5 birdies brought his total for the week to 15 and the $15,000 he won was not as important as the way he handled the RACV Royal Pines course.
This was his highest finish on the European Tour going all the way back to 2009 when he was 10th at the US Open. It was his 7th event on the European Tour this year. For his 2017 Schedule click here http://www.mikeweir.com/schedule
I'm sure he is delighted to end this 2017 season on such a positive note as he heads home for Christmas.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Mike Weir T28 at Australian PGA Championship
Australian PGA Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2017096/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Don't look now, but Mike Weir is having a very nice week down under with rounds of 73 69 71 -3 total he is T28, not threatening the leader, Aussie Jordan Zunic at -17, however a solid week none the less.
He's had 10 birdies through 3 rounds and 7 bogey's with all the rest pars as he heads into the final round.
You can watch this on the Golf Channel later tonight as they are 15 hours ahead of EST.
Bryan Angus
Don't look now, but Mike Weir is having a very nice week down under with rounds of 73 69 71 -3 total he is T28, not threatening the leader, Aussie Jordan Zunic at -17, however a solid week none the less.
He's had 10 birdies through 3 rounds and 7 bogey's with all the rest pars as he heads into the final round.
You can watch this on the Golf Channel later tonight as they are 15 hours ahead of EST.
Bryan Angus
3 Canadians battling to advance at LPGA Q School
LPGA Tour Q School leaderboard https://qs.lpga.com/q-school/
Later today a 72 hole cut will be made at this LPGA Tour school final stage for the low 70 and ties and then after the final round on Sunday the top 20 will get full status for next year while those finishing at 21 to 45 will get conditional status.
As it stands. Lorie Kane, Jennifer Ha, Samantha Richdale and Augusta James will not make the cut.
That leaves Maude Aimee LeBlanc 72 69 73 -3 total and currently -1 today T11, Brittany Marchand 73 74 75 +1 total, but at -5 today through 12 holes T36, and Elizabeth Tong 76 72 75 +5 total and at -2 today, T70
The cut is projected at +5
You can follow their progress on the scoring link I have provided, but it looks like Maude and Brittany for sure with Elizabeth right on the cut line.
The leader, running away with it is Japan's Nasa Hataoka a -12.
Bryan Angus
Later today a 72 hole cut will be made at this LPGA Tour school final stage for the low 70 and ties and then after the final round on Sunday the top 20 will get full status for next year while those finishing at 21 to 45 will get conditional status.
As it stands. Lorie Kane, Jennifer Ha, Samantha Richdale and Augusta James will not make the cut.
That leaves Maude Aimee LeBlanc 72 69 73 -3 total and currently -1 today T11, Brittany Marchand 73 74 75 +1 total, but at -5 today through 12 holes T36, and Elizabeth Tong 76 72 75 +5 total and at -2 today, T70
The cut is projected at +5
You can follow their progress on the scoring link I have provided, but it looks like Maude and Brittany for sure with Elizabeth right on the cut line.
The leader, running away with it is Japan's Nasa Hataoka a -12.
Bryan Angus
Tiger Woods looks fit enough to make a return to competitive golf
Hero World Challenge leaderboard
https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/hero-world-challenge/leaderboard.html
This week I have had several people, who never mention golf to me when we are talking sports, say something like " Hey, I see Tiger is playing again and doing good eh"
That my friends is all you need to know. It doesn't matter who else is playing, where or why. These people are not big sports fans, are from all over the world, but they pay attention when they hear about Tiger, and as a result are paying attention to golf.
So for the record with rounds of 69 68 he is at -7 down in the Bahamas at what is billed as the Hero World Challenge, and he is was five shots behind the leader who incidentally is Charley Hoffman 69 63 -12.
He's looking fit, swinging well, playing some great shots, missing a few as well and seems after a couple of rounds to be able to return to play instead of needing to recover and that is the biggest news of the week.
Hero is a burger giant in the who boast they are made with free-range, grass-fed, 100% traceable, 100% Canadian, 100% Angus beef.
A "World Challenge" is hardly the case, with 18 invited and available guys on holiday playing an exhibition with no cut. So this is all about Woods and via the Golf Channel who rely on Tiger for their ratings, his every move is being scrutinized, analyzed, but never criticized...
Heck even his caddie, veteran Joe LaCava spoke with more reporters than Hoffman after the round, and he had this to say to sum things up.
“I said at the beginning of the week, I hope he wins. It’s great for the game of golf. Hopefully, I can stop him from winning this week. But anytime he’s in contention, or even playing the golf tournaments, it brings a buzz to golf that we all need.
Bryan Angus
https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/hero-world-challenge/leaderboard.html
This week I have had several people, who never mention golf to me when we are talking sports, say something like " Hey, I see Tiger is playing again and doing good eh"
That my friends is all you need to know. It doesn't matter who else is playing, where or why. These people are not big sports fans, are from all over the world, but they pay attention when they hear about Tiger, and as a result are paying attention to golf.
So for the record with rounds of 69 68 he is at -7 down in the Bahamas at what is billed as the Hero World Challenge, and he is was five shots behind the leader who incidentally is Charley Hoffman 69 63 -12.
He's looking fit, swinging well, playing some great shots, missing a few as well and seems after a couple of rounds to be able to return to play instead of needing to recover and that is the biggest news of the week.
Hero is a burger giant in the who boast they are made with free-range, grass-fed, 100% traceable, 100% Canadian, 100% Angus beef.
A "World Challenge" is hardly the case, with 18 invited and available guys on holiday playing an exhibition with no cut. So this is all about Woods and via the Golf Channel who rely on Tiger for their ratings, his every move is being scrutinized, analyzed, but never criticized...
Heck even his caddie, veteran Joe LaCava spoke with more reporters than Hoffman after the round, and he had this to say to sum things up.
“I said at the beginning of the week, I hope he wins. It’s great for the game of golf. Hopefully, I can stop him from winning this week. But anytime he’s in contention, or even playing the golf tournaments, it brings a buzz to golf that we all need.
Bryan Angus
Thursday, November 30, 2017
LeBlanc moves to T4 at LPGA Tour School final stage
LPGA Tour Q School leaderboard https://qs.lpga.com/reports/?tourn=0021&report=https://qs.lpga.com/tic/tmscores.cgi?tourn=0021~season=2017~params=P*2ESC02~
Maude Aimee LeBlanc 72 69 -3 has moved up into a T4 after 2 rounds at LPGA International in Daytona Beach in this final stage of the LPGA Tour School as she attempts to gain full status for the 2018 season.
She is just 3 shots off the lead held by American Marissa Steen who is at -6 71,67.
The other Canadians aren't going so well. Brittany Marchand 73 74+3, Elizabeth Tong 76 72 +4, Augusta James 74 74 +4, Samantha Richdale 73 77 +6, Jennifer Ha 76 82 +12, Lorie Kane 78 82 +16.
Top 70 and ties will make the cut on Saturday.
Bryan Angus
Maude Aimee LeBlanc 72 69 -3 has moved up into a T4 after 2 rounds at LPGA International in Daytona Beach in this final stage of the LPGA Tour School as she attempts to gain full status for the 2018 season.
She is just 3 shots off the lead held by American Marissa Steen who is at -6 71,67.
The other Canadians aren't going so well. Brittany Marchand 73 74
Mike Weir is playing this week in the Australian PGA Championship
European Tour Australian PGA Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2017096/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Summer is in full blast down under in Australia and so is the Australasian tour, last week in Sydney it was the Emirates Australian Open won by Aussie Cameron Davis.
This week they are playing the Australian PGA Championship on the RACV Royal Pines Resort course in a city called Gold Coast which is in the state of Queensland, southeast of the state capital Brisbane, on the east coast.
That's where you will find our own Mike Weir, who will turn 48 in May, and has an OWGR of 1928. He continues to play top competitive golf here and there wherever he gets an invitation as a past major winner, the 2003 Masters of course.
He played and finished T35 back in August at the Fiji International organized in part by his friend Vijay Singh who you will remember beat Mike in that memorable 2004 Canadian Open at the Abbey on the 3rd playoff hole.
He also shows up from time to time on invitation in Europe and plays over here each year at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and the Northern Trust which he won twice at Riviera, amongst others. After taking time away from the game in 2015 to be with his daughters after his divorce from his wife Bricia and to get fit and healthy again he has returned with their blessing to resume his career.
His net worth is estimated at $32.5m. Weirsy as he is known to one and all is in that twilight zone of pro golf, late 40's waiting until he turns 50 on May 12, 2020 to join the Champions Tour, if in fact he decides to do that, and I suspect he will.
He needs reps under competitive conditions, and he won't get that until he turns 50, unless he catches lightning in a bottle and wins. He says the injuries to his left elbow tendon and wrist have "derailed his career", forcing him to change his swing with a few coaches including David Leadbetter.
He has exhausted his 2 career money list exemptions, and his major medical exemption for the PGA Tour.
As for this week Sergio Garcia is the highest ranked player and he is T3 after an opening -5 67 a shot behind 2 Aussies, Jordan Zunic and Adam Bland, both with 66's.
Bryan Angus
Summer is in full blast down under in Australia and so is the Australasian tour, last week in Sydney it was the Emirates Australian Open won by Aussie Cameron Davis.
This week they are playing the Australian PGA Championship on the RACV Royal Pines Resort course in a city called Gold Coast which is in the state of Queensland, southeast of the state capital Brisbane, on the east coast.
That's where you will find our own Mike Weir, who will turn 48 in May, and has an OWGR of 1928. He continues to play top competitive golf here and there wherever he gets an invitation as a past major winner, the 2003 Masters of course.
He played and finished T35 back in August at the Fiji International organized in part by his friend Vijay Singh who you will remember beat Mike in that memorable 2004 Canadian Open at the Abbey on the 3rd playoff hole.
He also shows up from time to time on invitation in Europe and plays over here each year at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and the Northern Trust which he won twice at Riviera, amongst others. After taking time away from the game in 2015 to be with his daughters after his divorce from his wife Bricia and to get fit and healthy again he has returned with their blessing to resume his career.
His net worth is estimated at $32.5m. Weirsy as he is known to one and all is in that twilight zone of pro golf, late 40's waiting until he turns 50 on May 12, 2020 to join the Champions Tour, if in fact he decides to do that, and I suspect he will.
He needs reps under competitive conditions, and he won't get that until he turns 50, unless he catches lightning in a bottle and wins. He says the injuries to his left elbow tendon and wrist have "derailed his career", forcing him to change his swing with a few coaches including David Leadbetter.
He has exhausted his 2 career money list exemptions, and his major medical exemption for the PGA Tour.
As for this week Sergio Garcia is the highest ranked player and he is T3 after an opening -5 67 a shot behind 2 Aussies, Jordan Zunic and Adam Bland, both with 66's.
Bryan Angus
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
LeBlanc leads Canadian scoring at LPGA Tour Q school
LPGA Tour qualifying school https://qs.lpga.com/reports/?tourn=0021&report=https://qs.lpga.com/tic/tmscores.cgi?tourn=0021~season=2017~params=P*1SRC01~
There are seven Canadian women playing this week at LPGA International in Daytona Beach Florida, the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying school led by Maude Aimee LeBlanc who is T30 at E 72, four shots off the lead.
A cut of the low 70 and ties will be made on Saturday.
Follow their scores on the link above, they are Lorie Kane +6 78, Jennifer Ha +4 76, Samantha Richdale +1 73 T45, Augusta James +2 74, Brittany Marchand+1 73 T45, and Elizabeth Tong +4 76 along with LeBlanc.
Bryan Angus
There are seven Canadian women playing this week at LPGA International in Daytona Beach Florida, the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying school led by Maude Aimee LeBlanc who is T30 at E 72, four shots off the lead.
A cut of the low 70 and ties will be made on Saturday.
Follow their scores on the link above, they are Lorie Kane +6 78, Jennifer Ha +4 76, Samantha Richdale +1 73 T45, Augusta James +2 74, Brittany Marchand
Bryan Angus
Tiger haters....your main man is back..
Hero World Challenge leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/hero-world-challenge/leaderboard.html
For all the Tiger haters out there.. your main man is back.. again, albeit at his own personal 18 man Hero World Challenge hit and giggle in the Bahamas, well after the real season is over and with no schedule for a return to the main tour.
As always he looks fabulously fit, huge arms, firm abs, all of which belie all the knee and back surgeries, plus other ailments that along with his personal humiliation have led to his demise.
In his press conference he said he is "excited to be able to use a club for something other than a crutch and to be able to play the game he loves so dearly with his friends in a competitive setting". He says he is finally pain-free and swinging well.
For all you haters out there, no one can deny Tiger Woods was golf for over a decade Now, virtually off the world rankings he once owned, ranked 1,193rd in the world he is back in the headlines, as he always is, and that for many that was the problem.
I for one as you know railed against the blanket coverage my colleagues lavished upon him for the sake of ratings and at the expense of the game or tournament he was playing. It drove the haters crazy that he was the news even when he shot 84, never mind who was leading. His shadow was simply to big.
Well his era is over, and the game has continued to grow and flourish in the emergence of his absence with a slew of young super stars like Rory, Rickie, Justin, Jason etal. But remember they are all prospering in the wake of his historic career.
Love him or hate him, there as usual will be many thousands who will flip the channel over to see how Tiger is doing, or what he is doing in his little tournament in the Bahamas, when normally they never would.... and that is good for golf.
Bryan Angus
For all the Tiger haters out there.. your main man is back.. again, albeit at his own personal 18 man Hero World Challenge hit and giggle in the Bahamas, well after the real season is over and with no schedule for a return to the main tour.
As always he looks fabulously fit, huge arms, firm abs, all of which belie all the knee and back surgeries, plus other ailments that along with his personal humiliation have led to his demise.
In his press conference he said he is "excited to be able to use a club for something other than a crutch and to be able to play the game he loves so dearly with his friends in a competitive setting". He says he is finally pain-free and swinging well.
For all you haters out there, no one can deny Tiger Woods was golf for over a decade Now, virtually off the world rankings he once owned, ranked 1,193rd in the world he is back in the headlines, as he always is, and that for many that was the problem.
I for one as you know railed against the blanket coverage my colleagues lavished upon him for the sake of ratings and at the expense of the game or tournament he was playing. It drove the haters crazy that he was the news even when he shot 84, never mind who was leading. His shadow was simply to big.
Well his era is over, and the game has continued to grow and flourish in the emergence of his absence with a slew of young super stars like Rory, Rickie, Justin, Jason etal. But remember they are all prospering in the wake of his historic career.
Love him or hate him, there as usual will be many thousands who will flip the channel over to see how Tiger is doing, or what he is doing in his little tournament in the Bahamas, when normally they never would.... and that is good for golf.
Bryan Angus
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Day falters, Cameron Davis charges to win Australian Open
Emirates Australian Open final scoreboard http://www.golf.org.au/scores
Cameron Davis lived the dream for four and a half hours at The Australian today, and he is now an Emirates Australian Open champion.
Davis, the 22-year-old Sydney player who has had a difficult first year as a professional, bolted around the layout in just 64, the lowest round of the day by three shots, to post -11 closing it with a birdie from close range at the 18th hole.
He then waited on the practice range as a string of players behind him tried to match his score. Another Sydneysider, Matt Jones, had a long eagle putt at the last to force a playoff, but burned the hole and was left a shot away.
But the closest was Sweden’s Jonas Blixt, who hit his third shot at the par-five 18th to the fringe of the green, just four metres beyond the cup with a chance to force a playoff but he left his birdie attempt just short, and had to settle for T2 with Jones.
Davis, a product of the Roseville and Monash golf clubs in Sydney’s northern beaches, emerged from the New South Wales elite amateur programs and becomes the youngest Australian winner since Aaron Baddeley in 2000 at 19 years old. He earns a start in the Open Championship at Carnoustie and may find himself with a few invitations to play around the world and now he will head to the final stage of the Web.com Tour school.
Jordan Spieth closed with 67 and smiled and said all the right things to the huge crowds that came to see him play.
As for Jason Day he began the final round with a one-shot lead but fell away to be virtually out of contention through the 13th hole ultimately carding +2 73 to finish fifth on his return to the national championship. His last win world wide, was at the Players in 2016.
He just played poorly, hitting six fairways and just seven greens on a day when he felt that any score in the 60s would have won it for him.
"It’s obviously a little bit disappointing to come out and not finish it, but I’ve just got to kind of look back on it and see what I need to do for next time, because you can’t be perfect all the time and I played three terrific rounds actually, the first three rounds, and I just didn’t put it together on Sunday"
Martin Blake @theAustralian
Cameron Davis lived the dream for four and a half hours at The Australian today, and he is now an Emirates Australian Open champion.
Davis, the 22-year-old Sydney player who has had a difficult first year as a professional, bolted around the layout in just 64, the lowest round of the day by three shots, to post -11 closing it with a birdie from close range at the 18th hole.
He then waited on the practice range as a string of players behind him tried to match his score. Another Sydneysider, Matt Jones, had a long eagle putt at the last to force a playoff, but burned the hole and was left a shot away.
But the closest was Sweden’s Jonas Blixt, who hit his third shot at the par-five 18th to the fringe of the green, just four metres beyond the cup with a chance to force a playoff but he left his birdie attempt just short, and had to settle for T2 with Jones.
Davis, a product of the Roseville and Monash golf clubs in Sydney’s northern beaches, emerged from the New South Wales elite amateur programs and becomes the youngest Australian winner since Aaron Baddeley in 2000 at 19 years old. He earns a start in the Open Championship at Carnoustie and may find himself with a few invitations to play around the world and now he will head to the final stage of the Web.com Tour school.
Jordan Spieth closed with 67 and smiled and said all the right things to the huge crowds that came to see him play.
As for Jason Day he began the final round with a one-shot lead but fell away to be virtually out of contention through the 13th hole ultimately carding +2 73 to finish fifth on his return to the national championship. His last win world wide, was at the Players in 2016.
He just played poorly, hitting six fairways and just seven greens on a day when he felt that any score in the 60s would have won it for him.
"It’s obviously a little bit disappointing to come out and not finish it, but I’ve just got to kind of look back on it and see what I need to do for next time, because you can’t be perfect all the time and I played three terrific rounds actually, the first three rounds, and I just didn’t put it together on Sunday"
Martin Blake @theAustralian
Journeyman Aussie Wade Ormsby wins UBS Hong Kong Open
European Tour UBS Hong Kong Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2017095/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
It wasn't pretty but when they added up all the scores Wade Ormsby prevailed from a dramatic final day in Fanling to claim his first European Tour title at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
It wasn't pretty but when they added up all the scores Wade Ormsby prevailed from a dramatic final day in Fanling to claim his first European Tour title at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The Australian entered the fourth round a shot behind SSP Chawrasia and when he turned in level-par 34, he was four behind his Indian rival.
In one of many turning points Chawrasia who had led all the way, triple-bogeyed the ninth to bring a host of players back into contention and Ormsby held a two-shot lead as he stood on the 18th fairway at Hong Kong Golf Club.
In the group behind, Rafa Cabrera Bello birdied the 17th to pile on the pressure and a closing three-putt bogey from Ormsby left the duo in a tie at -11.
Cabrera Bello then put his second shot in the bunker at the front of the final green and when he failed to get up and down, the title was Ormsby's.
In one of many turning points Chawrasia who had led all the way, triple-bogeyed the ninth to bring a host of players back into contention and Ormsby held a two-shot lead as he stood on the 18th fairway at Hong Kong Golf Club.
In the group behind, Rafa Cabrera Bello birdied the 17th to pile on the pressure and a closing three-putt bogey from Ormsby left the duo in a tie at -11.
Cabrera Bello then put his second shot in the bunker at the front of the final green and when he failed to get up and down, the title was Ormsby's.
Alexander Björk, Paul Peterson and Julian Suri finished alongside Cabrera Bello T2 at -10.
Ormsby played his first season on the European Tour in 2004 after coming through the Qualifying School and he has done that four times since in a career that has also seen him struggle with injury at times but with this victory the 37 year old will now have an exemption until 2020. He hadn't won in 264 tournaments.
"It means a lot to me," said a tearful Ormsby. "I've played a lot of golf in Europe, everywhere, and a few bumps along the way but it's pretty cool to get a win this late in your career. I didn't think it would take this long but first one's always pretty special. I said at the start of last year, I want to play a Major and win a tournament before my career is done so I've done both those things this year. I'm really happy about that.
europeantour.com
"It means a lot to me," said a tearful Ormsby. "I've played a lot of golf in Europe, everywhere, and a few bumps along the way but it's pretty cool to get a win this late in your career. I didn't think it would take this long but first one's always pretty special. I said at the start of last year, I want to play a Major and win a tournament before my career is done so I've done both those things this year. I'm really happy about that.
europeantour.com
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Jason Day revives 2017 season in Sydney
Emirates Australian Open leaderbaord http://www.golf.org.au/scores
Jason Day has returned home to Australia and after 3 rounds is looking more like the young man who in 2015 shot to #1 in the world than the shadow of himself so far in 2017. He leads the Emirates Australian Open after rounds of 66 68 69 -10 at the Australian Club in Sydney
Remember 2015 when after cruising to victory at the BMW Championship, he became the hottest player on the PGA Tour and the world #1. The 6 shot win at Conway Farms was Day's fourth win in six starts dating back to the RBC Canadian Open, and it bumped former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy to No. 2 while Jordan Spieth dropped to No. 3.
Well those days are gone but maybe his return down under has turned his game around.
Jordan Spieth continues to be one of the few top players to travel down under as a past champion and he has shot 70 71 70 -2 T13..
Bryan Angus
Jason Day has returned home to Australia and after 3 rounds is looking more like the young man who in 2015 shot to #1 in the world than the shadow of himself so far in 2017. He leads the Emirates Australian Open after rounds of 66 68 69 -10 at the Australian Club in Sydney
Remember 2015 when after cruising to victory at the BMW Championship, he became the hottest player on the PGA Tour and the world #1. The 6 shot win at Conway Farms was Day's fourth win in six starts dating back to the RBC Canadian Open, and it bumped former world No. 1 Rory McIlroy to No. 2 while Jordan Spieth dropped to No. 3.
Well those days are gone but maybe his return down under has turned his game around.
Jordan Spieth continues to be one of the few top players to travel down under as a past champion and he has shot 70 71 70 -2 T13..
Bryan Angus
India's SSP Chawrasia leads UBS Hong Kong Open
European Tour Hong Kong Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2017095/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Indian SSP Chawrasia will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the UBS Hong Kong Open but he has an impressive chasing pack behind him in Fanling.
The 39 year old entered day three at Hong Kong Golf Club two shots ahead and while he was caught around the turn, a 69 was good enough to hand him a slender advantage as he looks to go wire-to-wire in the opening event of the 2018 Race to Dubai
Chawrasia moved to -10 as he looks for a first European Tour win outside of his home country but Ryder Cup star Rafa Cabrera Bello (64) and Australian Wade Ormsby (65) were just a shot back.
Newly-crowned Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood (66) -8 alongside Swede Alexander Bjork (67) and Belgian Thomas Detry (66)
Justin Rose 68 69 68 -5 is T13.
europeantour.com
The 39 year old entered day three at Hong Kong Golf Club two shots ahead and while he was caught around the turn, a 69 was good enough to hand him a slender advantage as he looks to go wire-to-wire in the opening event of the 2018 Race to Dubai
Chawrasia moved to -10 as he looks for a first European Tour win outside of his home country but Ryder Cup star Rafa Cabrera Bello (64) and Australian Wade Ormsby (65) were just a shot back.
Newly-crowned Race to Dubai champion Tommy Fleetwood (66) -8 alongside Swede Alexander Bjork (67) and Belgian Thomas Detry (66)
Justin Rose 68 69 68 -5 is T13.
europeantour.com
Thursday, November 23, 2017
European Tour 2018 is under way in Hong Kong
European Tour UBS Hong Kong Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2017095/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
SSP Chawrasia fired an opening 65 in tough conditions to take the first-round lead at the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The 2018 Race to Dubai got under way at Hong Kong Golf Club in gusty winds with scoring proving very tough for the first wave of players.The conditions eased in the afternoon but nobody could catch Indian Chawrasia, whose -5 65 gave him a one-shot lead heading into Friday.
The 2018 Race to Dubai got under way at Hong Kong Golf Club in gusty winds with scoring proving very tough for the first wave of players.The conditions eased in the afternoon but nobody could catch Indian Chawrasia, whose -5 65 gave him a one-shot lead heading into Friday.
England's Matthew Fitzpatrick continued his recent good form as he also mastered the early winds to sit at -4 66 alongside another Indian in Shubhankar Sharma.
Belgium's Thomas Detry, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Swede Marcus Kinhult, South African Keith Horne, Filipino Angelo Que, Thai Poom Saksansin and American Micah Lauren Shin all shot -3 67.
Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose who just wrapped up the 2017 Race to Dubai in thrilling fashion in Dubai last week opened with -2 68.
europeantour.com
Belgium's Thomas Detry, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Swede Marcus Kinhult, South African Keith Horne, Filipino Angelo Que, Thai Poom Saksansin and American Micah Lauren Shin all shot -3 67.
Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose who just wrapped up the 2017 Race to Dubai in thrilling fashion in Dubai last week opened with -2 68.
europeantour.com
Monday, November 20, 2017
What a weekend !! ..Winners galore
In my world of sports radio we are always looking for the top stories, the informative and compelling stories, and the entertaining stories.
Monday mornings don't take much searching, and this weekend was certainly no different. Every village, town and city has their own priorities.
In Toronto this weekend the Leafs hammered the Habs 6-0 in Montreal to the DELIGHT of what is called the Leaf Nation these days, and in a wintery gale at BMO field down by the lakeshore a titanic defensive struggle ended with an offensive flourish and on the third last play of the game the hometown Argonauts beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 25-21 to clinch their spot in next week's Grey Cup vs Calgary in Ottawa.
To top it off Santa arrived right on time at Christie Pitts to send the children in a crowd of over a million people on the parade route home happy with Christmas right around the corner.
In golf terrific rookie Ben Silverman earned another top 10 finish, his second this wrap around season, T8 with a -4 66, -13 total at the RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia. David Hearn had a good week as well T17 after a final -5 65 -11 total.
PGA Tour RSM Classic final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/the-rsm-classic/leaderboard.html
Brooke Henderson finished off a terrific 30 tournament season with final round E 72 T25th at the CME Group Tour Championship while her fellow Canuck Alena Sharp shot 69 to finish T46.
Drama unfolded on the final hole. Lexi Thompson was all set to win the CME Group Tour Championship and LPGA player of the year with a gimme par putt from less that 2 feet on the final hole.
Ala' Doug Sanders at the 1970 Open at St Andrews, she missed it !!! That opened the door for Ariya Jutanugarn, who birdied her last two holes for a -5 67 and an improbable one-shot victory.
Thompson did however have enough points to win the $1m bonus with the Race to CME Globe and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.
The points-based LPGA Player of the Year was a tie between a pair of major champions from South Korea, So Yeon Ryu and LPGA rookie Sung Hyun Park. It was the first time the award was shared since it began in 1966.
LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship final leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/results
Finally as I mentioned in yesterday's post in the Race to Dubai, Jon Rahm won the DP World Tour Championship and Tommy Fleetwood had enough points to hang on to win the Race to Dubai.
If you thought golf is over, forget that as the Australasian Tour is in it's summer and for example this weekend in Japan, American star, Brooks Koepka, the defending champion, shot a final-round -4 67 -20 264, nine shots clear of second place to win the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament worth $350,000.
What a weekend and I didn't even mention our all action Raptors beating Washington to continue their winning ways !!
Winners galore !!
Bryan Angus
Monday mornings don't take much searching, and this weekend was certainly no different. Every village, town and city has their own priorities.
In Toronto this weekend the Leafs hammered the Habs 6-0 in Montreal to the DELIGHT of what is called the Leaf Nation these days, and in a wintery gale at BMO field down by the lakeshore a titanic defensive struggle ended with an offensive flourish and on the third last play of the game the hometown Argonauts beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 25-21 to clinch their spot in next week's Grey Cup vs Calgary in Ottawa.
To top it off Santa arrived right on time at Christie Pitts to send the children in a crowd of over a million people on the parade route home happy with Christmas right around the corner.
In golf terrific rookie Ben Silverman earned another top 10 finish, his second this wrap around season, T8 with a -4 66, -13 total at the RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia. David Hearn had a good week as well T17 after a final -5 65 -11 total.
PGA Tour RSM Classic final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/the-rsm-classic/leaderboard.html
Brooke Henderson finished off a terrific 30 tournament season with final round E 72 T25th at the CME Group Tour Championship while her fellow Canuck Alena Sharp shot 69 to finish T46.
Drama unfolded on the final hole. Lexi Thompson was all set to win the CME Group Tour Championship and LPGA player of the year with a gimme par putt from less that 2 feet on the final hole.
Ala' Doug Sanders at the 1970 Open at St Andrews, she missed it !!! That opened the door for Ariya Jutanugarn, who birdied her last two holes for a -5 67 and an improbable one-shot victory.
Thompson did however have enough points to win the $1m bonus with the Race to CME Globe and the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.
The points-based LPGA Player of the Year was a tie between a pair of major champions from South Korea, So Yeon Ryu and LPGA rookie Sung Hyun Park. It was the first time the award was shared since it began in 1966.
LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship final leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/results
Finally as I mentioned in yesterday's post in the Race to Dubai, Jon Rahm won the DP World Tour Championship and Tommy Fleetwood had enough points to hang on to win the Race to Dubai.
If you thought golf is over, forget that as the Australasian Tour is in it's summer and for example this weekend in Japan, American star, Brooks Koepka, the defending champion, shot a final-round -4 67 -20 264, nine shots clear of second place to win the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament worth $350,000.
What a weekend and I didn't even mention our all action Raptors beating Washington to continue their winning ways !!
Winners galore !!
Bryan Angus
Sunday, November 19, 2017
Brooke Henderson 4 shots off the lead at CME Group Tour Championship
LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/leaderboard
The leaderboard says Brooke Henderson with 3 rounds of 70 is T23 at -6 heading into today's final round of the CME Group Tour Championship, however the fact is there are 18 players crowded near the top of this jam packed leaderboard, and she is only 4 shots off the lead.
If she makes a charge she is still very much in contention to win the tournament and with it the Race to CME Globe. What a prospect for the 20 year old Canadian, but it will be tough.
"Being this far back with that many people ahead of you it’s very unlikely that I could be the champion of this event this year. However, I can still get into the top 10, maybe even better if I get off to a hot start tomorrow and hopefully make a few putts.”
However even if she does charge, there are so many others who have the same thing in mind, so like the Race to Dubai, this season looks like it'd going right down to the wire.
There are 4 women in the lead at -10, all great players. A healthy Michelle Wie
with her new blond hairdo, Suzann Pettersen, Ariya Jutanugarn and Kim Kaufman lead the way.
7 players are at -9 including the woman I wrote about yesterday, Rookie of the Year Sung Hyun Park who slipped out of a 3 shot lead with a 75, and Lexi Thompson (69) who leads the Race and is in the drivers seat now to win everything.
There are another 7 players at -8, 4 more at -7, then comes Brooke, Lydia Ko and 7 others at -6.
Alena Sharp (69) T54th at +2.
So you try picking the winner, or winners ! The field is paired in 3's, the weather in Naples, Florida is hot and sunny with a breeze getting up in the afternoon
Bryan Angus
The leaderboard says Brooke Henderson with 3 rounds of 70 is T23 at -6 heading into today's final round of the CME Group Tour Championship, however the fact is there are 18 players crowded near the top of this jam packed leaderboard, and she is only 4 shots off the lead.
If she makes a charge she is still very much in contention to win the tournament and with it the Race to CME Globe. What a prospect for the 20 year old Canadian, but it will be tough.
"Being this far back with that many people ahead of you it’s very unlikely that I could be the champion of this event this year. However, I can still get into the top 10, maybe even better if I get off to a hot start tomorrow and hopefully make a few putts.”
However even if she does charge, there are so many others who have the same thing in mind, so like the Race to Dubai, this season looks like it'd going right down to the wire.
There are 4 women in the lead at -10, all great players. A healthy Michelle Wie
with her new blond hairdo, Suzann Pettersen, Ariya Jutanugarn and Kim Kaufman lead the way.
7 players are at -9 including the woman I wrote about yesterday, Rookie of the Year Sung Hyun Park who slipped out of a 3 shot lead with a 75, and Lexi Thompson (69) who leads the Race and is in the drivers seat now to win everything.
There are another 7 players at -8, 4 more at -7, then comes Brooke, Lydia Ko and 7 others at -6.
Alena Sharp (69) T54th at +2.
So you try picking the winner, or winners ! The field is paired in 3's, the weather in Naples, Florida is hot and sunny with a breeze getting up in the afternoon
Bryan Angus
Race to Dubai finishes on the final hole
European Tour DP World Tour Championship final leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Next week the 2018 Race to Dubai begins again in Hong Kong, just as it did last year.
Moments ago the 2017 Race was decided and it virtually came down to the last hole, after 50 events and 26 different countries.
Justin Rose seemed to have it all in his hands after 4 birdies on the front nine, but bogey's on the 14th and 16th dropped him out of the lead, Sergio who had an outside chance played spectacular golf for 17 holes, but drove into the trees on 18, and put his next shot into the creek resulting in a bogey, but still a -7 65 -17 T4 finish for the Masters champion.
Tommy Fleetwood opened with a 73, then recovered with a pair of 65's, but after he struggled to a messy 74 today he looked like he'd blown the lead in the Race he had held for much of the year.
Big Jon Rahm is already the Rolex Rookie of the Year with 2 wins on his resume, and he got hot on his back nine, chipping it stiff on the 17th and making a birdie putt on the difficult 18th, and his final score of -5 67 -19 turned out to be good enough for the win
Meanwhile Fleetwood sat waiting in the clubhouse and when Rose finished T4th with a -2 70 -17 score, the numbers were all totalled up and despite his final round, his performance all year with 2 wins and 10 top 10's was good enough to crown him the Race to Dubai champion.
Irishman Shane Lowery closed with the low round of the day -9 63 -18 along with in form Kiradech Aphibarnrat whose worst score of the week was 69, had a 67 today -18 finish T2.
So it's England's Tommy Fleetwood, about to be married with a new born son Frankie, who wins the Race to Dubai and the lions share of the $10m dollar bonus, and 25 year old Spanish star Jon Rahm who crowns his Rookie of the Year season as the DP World Tour champion.
Bryan Angus
Next week the 2018 Race to Dubai begins again in Hong Kong, just as it did last year.
Moments ago the 2017 Race was decided and it virtually came down to the last hole, after 50 events and 26 different countries.
Justin Rose seemed to have it all in his hands after 4 birdies on the front nine, but bogey's on the 14th and 16th dropped him out of the lead, Sergio who had an outside chance played spectacular golf for 17 holes, but drove into the trees on 18, and put his next shot into the creek resulting in a bogey, but still a -7 65 -17 T4 finish for the Masters champion.
Tommy Fleetwood opened with a 73, then recovered with a pair of 65's, but after he struggled to a messy 74 today he looked like he'd blown the lead in the Race he had held for much of the year.
Big Jon Rahm is already the Rolex Rookie of the Year with 2 wins on his resume, and he got hot on his back nine, chipping it stiff on the 17th and making a birdie putt on the difficult 18th, and his final score of -5 67 -19 turned out to be good enough for the win
Meanwhile Fleetwood sat waiting in the clubhouse and when Rose finished T4th with a -2 70 -17 score, the numbers were all totalled up and despite his final round, his performance all year with 2 wins and 10 top 10's was good enough to crown him the Race to Dubai champion.
Irishman Shane Lowery closed with the low round of the day -9 63 -18 along with in form Kiradech Aphibarnrat whose worst score of the week was 69, had a 67 today -18 finish T2.
So it's England's Tommy Fleetwood, about to be married with a new born son Frankie, who wins the Race to Dubai and the lions share of the $10m dollar bonus, and 25 year old Spanish star Jon Rahm who crowns his Rookie of the Year season as the DP World Tour champion.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Ben Silverman leads Canadians at RSM Classic
PGA Tour RSM Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/the-rsm-classic/leaderboard.html
Thornhill's Ben Silverman shot another 67 to sit a - 8 going into this weekend at the RSM Classic in historic Sea Island, Georgia and he leads the Canadians, 6 shots off the lead.
David Hearn shot -2 70 and is T33 at -5. Corey Conners has posted 69 69 and is T50 at -4, while Nick Taylor and MacKenzie Hughes have missed the cut.
The story so far is PGA Tour rookie Austin Cook who is bogey free through 36 holes and after a stunning -8 62 has one-shot lead at -14 over 45 year old Brian Gay, who shot a 64. They are five shots clear going into this weekend.
Cook graduated from the Web.com Tour, and as fate would have it has hired Gay’s former caddie, Kip Henley, while Gay has been recovering from injury.
Chris Kirk followed his opening 63 on the Plantation with a 70 on the Seaside and is now T3 -9 C.T. Pan (65) and Vaughn Taylor (66).
Bryan Angus
Thornhill's Ben Silverman shot another 67 to sit a - 8 going into this weekend at the RSM Classic in historic Sea Island, Georgia and he leads the Canadians, 6 shots off the lead.
David Hearn shot -2 70 and is T33 at -5. Corey Conners has posted 69 69 and is T50 at -4, while Nick Taylor and MacKenzie Hughes have missed the cut.
The story so far is PGA Tour rookie Austin Cook who is bogey free through 36 holes and after a stunning -8 62 has one-shot lead at -14 over 45 year old Brian Gay, who shot a 64. They are five shots clear going into this weekend.
Cook graduated from the Web.com Tour, and as fate would have it has hired Gay’s former caddie, Kip Henley, while Gay has been recovering from injury.
Chris Kirk followed his opening 63 on the Plantation with a 70 on the Seaside and is now T3 -9 C.T. Pan (65) and Vaughn Taylor (66).
Bryan Angus
It's Rose and Fleetwood down to the wire in the Race to Dubai
European Tour DP World Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Here's the deal as we head into the final round at this DP World Tour Championship and indeed to the Race to Dubai.
Justin Rose, winner of his last two tournaments is having the month of his golfing life which includes a US Open and an Olympic gold medal. After another -7 65 he is at -15 and leads this tournament by a shot over Jon Rahm 65 -14 and South African Dylan Frittelli 63 -14.
Tommy Fleetwood who has led the Race to Dubai for much of this season has recovered from an opening 73 with a pair of 65's and is at -13, 2 shots back in the tournament, and just one behind in the Race to Dubai.
The other contender at the beginning of the week, Sergio Garcia 70 69 67 -10 is having a nice week but appears to be a little short in a year that has included a Masters win, getting married in Texas and is now about to become the proud father of his first child.
Bryan Angus
Here's the deal as we head into the final round at this DP World Tour Championship and indeed to the Race to Dubai.
Justin Rose, winner of his last two tournaments is having the month of his golfing life which includes a US Open and an Olympic gold medal. After another -7 65 he is at -15 and leads this tournament by a shot over Jon Rahm 65 -14 and South African Dylan Frittelli 63 -14.
Tommy Fleetwood who has led the Race to Dubai for much of this season has recovered from an opening 73 with a pair of 65's and is at -13, 2 shots back in the tournament, and just one behind in the Race to Dubai.
The other contender at the beginning of the week, Sergio Garcia 70 69 67 -10 is having a nice week but appears to be a little short in a year that has included a Masters win, getting married in Texas and is now about to become the proud father of his first child.
Bryan Angus
Rookie of Year Sung Hyun Park set for historic weekend at Race to CME Globe
LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/leaderboard
South Korean Sung Hyun Park was honoured at an awards banquet Thursday night as the LPGA rookie of the year and after 2 rounds of this season ending CME Group Tour Championship she is set for a historic weekend in this Race to CME Globe.
She shot a -7 65 on Friday, giving her a three-shot lead at Tiburon Golf Club and at -12 132 and is three shots clear of Caroline Masson (66) and Sarah Jane Smith (69).
She is the story so far. A win would give her the award for player of the year, the money title, and she might even catch Lexi Thomson in the race for the Vare Trophy. She could become the first rookie since Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win LPGA player of the year.
To sweeten the pot even more, none of the other players in the chase for the Race to the CME Globe, or any of the other awards is within five shots of her.
The other two players who need to win the tournament to collect the $1 million bonus, Brooke Henderson fired another 70 to get to -4 and Chinese star, Shanshan Feng shot +1 73 to get to -1.
Alena Sharp is out of contention, 75 74 +5. Lydia Ko shot 71 and is at -6
So Park is in the drivers seat but there is still 2 rounds to go and she was understandably cautious with so much at stake. “I don’t think it’s quite that far of a lead, two, three shots of a lead can change at any moment. We will have to see what’s in store for this weekend"
We shall see..
Bryan Angus
South Korean Sung Hyun Park was honoured at an awards banquet Thursday night as the LPGA rookie of the year and after 2 rounds of this season ending CME Group Tour Championship she is set for a historic weekend in this Race to CME Globe.
She shot a -7 65 on Friday, giving her a three-shot lead at Tiburon Golf Club and at -12 132 and is three shots clear of Caroline Masson (66) and Sarah Jane Smith (69).
She is the story so far. A win would give her the award for player of the year, the money title, and she might even catch Lexi Thomson in the race for the Vare Trophy. She could become the first rookie since Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win LPGA player of the year.
To sweeten the pot even more, none of the other players in the chase for the Race to the CME Globe, or any of the other awards is within five shots of her.
The other two players who need to win the tournament to collect the $1 million bonus, Brooke Henderson fired another 70 to get to -4 and Chinese star, Shanshan Feng shot +1 73 to get to -1.
Alena Sharp is out of contention, 75 74 +5. Lydia Ko shot 71 and is at -6
So Park is in the drivers seat but there is still 2 rounds to go and she was understandably cautious with so much at stake. “I don’t think it’s quite that far of a lead, two, three shots of a lead can change at any moment. We will have to see what’s in store for this weekend"
We shall see..
Bryan Angus
Friday, November 17, 2017
Fleetwood's 65 puts him back in the Race to Dubai
European Tour DP World Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
After another beautiful warm day in the Arabian Desert, the Race to Dubai has heated up accordingly as Tommy Fleetwood recovered from his opening +1 73 with a stunning -7 65 T11 to get right back in the chase.
Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick is the tournament leader at -10 with consecutive rounds of 67. Player of the Year candidate Tyrrell Hatton had the round of the day, -9 63 to move into second place at -9.
Justin Rose continued his solid play, adding a -2 70 to his opening 66 and is in a group at -8 T3 including in form Kiradech Aphibarnrat 69 67 -8.
In fact there are 14 players within 4 shots of each other as we head into the weekend at this DP World Tour Championship.
Sergio Garcia is T15 at -5 with rounds of 70 69 so is not completely out of it but here's how things stand.
After another beautiful warm day in the Arabian Desert, the Race to Dubai has heated up accordingly as Tommy Fleetwood recovered from his opening +1 73 with a stunning -7 65 T11 to get right back in the chase.
Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick is the tournament leader at -10 with consecutive rounds of 67. Player of the Year candidate Tyrrell Hatton had the round of the day, -9 63 to move into second place at -9.
Justin Rose continued his solid play, adding a -2 70 to his opening 66 and is in a group at -8 T3 including in form Kiradech Aphibarnrat 69 67 -8.
In fact there are 14 players within 4 shots of each other as we head into the weekend at this DP World Tour Championship.
Sergio Garcia is T15 at -5 with rounds of 70 69 so is not completely out of it but here's how things stand.
Fleetwood began the week 256,737 points ahead of Rose at the top of the Rankings but his 73 on Thursday, coupled with a 66 from Rose, dropped him out of the top position he had held for most of the season.
However his 65 coupled with Rose's 70 has him back in the pole position, with all to play for heading into the weekend. If Rose does not finish in the top five, then Fleetwood is guaranteed to be the winner of the Race to Dubai.
However his 65 coupled with Rose's 70 has him back in the pole position, with all to play for heading into the weekend. If Rose does not finish in the top five, then Fleetwood is guaranteed to be the winner of the Race to Dubai.
Like a good whodunit all will be revealed come Sunday evening, right now there are several scenarios that have thickened the plot !
Bryan Angus
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Taylor, Silverman lead Canadians at RSM Classic
PGA Tour RSM Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/the-rsm-classic/leaderboard.html
To save confusion the opening two rounds of this RSM Classic down in the resort of Sea Island in Georgia are played on two courses. The Plantation is a par 72 and the Seaside is a par 70.
There are 5 Canadians in the field including defending champion MacKenzie Hughes who has opened with E 70 on the Seaside.
Rookie Ben Silverman shot -5 67 T8 on the Plantation, while Nick Taylor is -4 68 T18, Corey Connors -3 69 T28 on the same course. David Hearn was -3 67 T28 on the Seaside.
The leader with a stunning -9 63 on the Plantation is previous winner, American Chris Kirk for a one-shot lead over Joel Dahmen and a two-shot edge over Hudson Swafford, Brian Gay and Jason Kokrak on a sunny day of low scoring.
This is the last official event before the 6 week break PGA Tour break over Christmas and New Year.
Bryan Angus
To save confusion the opening two rounds of this RSM Classic down in the resort of Sea Island in Georgia are played on two courses. The Plantation is a par 72 and the Seaside is a par 70.
There are 5 Canadians in the field including defending champion MacKenzie Hughes who has opened with E 70 on the Seaside.
Rookie Ben Silverman shot -5 67 T8 on the Plantation, while Nick Taylor is -4 68 T18, Corey Connors -3 69 T28 on the same course. David Hearn was -3 67 T28 on the Seaside.
The leader with a stunning -9 63 on the Plantation is previous winner, American Chris Kirk for a one-shot lead over Joel Dahmen and a two-shot edge over Hudson Swafford, Brian Gay and Jason Kokrak on a sunny day of low scoring.
This is the last official event before the 6 week break PGA Tour break over Christmas and New Year.
Bryan Angus
Henderson T18 after opening round at CME Group Tour Championship
LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/leaderboard
Brooke Henderson is off to a solid start at the season finale CME Group Tour Championship.
With just one bogey and 3 birdies, out in 36, back in 34 she has finished the opening round T18 -2 70, just 4 shots off the lead on a warm breezy day in Naples Florida. Remember she is 5th in the Race to CME Globe and can have the week of her professional life if she wins her this weekend.
Rookie of the Year Sung Hyun Park shot a -5 67 and is one stroke off the lead held by Taiwan's Peiyun Chien and Aussie, Sara Jane Smith both -6 66 and tied with Lydia Ko, Azahara Munoz, Suzann Pettersen and Karine Icher, all with 67's.
There are so many titles at stake this week. The Player of the Year, the Vare trophy for the lowest stroke average, the money title, it will all come down to Sunday evening.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson is off to a solid start at the season finale CME Group Tour Championship.
With just one bogey and 3 birdies, out in 36, back in 34 she has finished the opening round T18 -2 70, just 4 shots off the lead on a warm breezy day in Naples Florida. Remember she is 5th in the Race to CME Globe and can have the week of her professional life if she wins her this weekend.
Rookie of the Year Sung Hyun Park shot a -5 67 and is one stroke off the lead held by Taiwan's Peiyun Chien and Aussie, Sara Jane Smith both -6 66 and tied with Lydia Ko, Azahara Munoz, Suzann Pettersen and Karine Icher, all with 67's.
There are so many titles at stake this week. The Player of the Year, the Vare trophy for the lowest stroke average, the money title, it will all come down to Sunday evening.
Bryan Angus
MacKenzie Hughes defends his title at the RSM Classic in Georgia
PGA Tour RSM Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/the-rsm-classic/leaderboard.html
With the world's top players vying for all the baubles at the season ending Race to Dubai Globe and the women's Race to CME Globe, the rest of the guys who haven't put the clubs away for Christmas are down at Sea Island, Georgia for the wrap around season's RSM Classic, where it all got started for Canada's MacKenzie Hughes with his first PGA Tour win last time here.
He went on to receive a 2 year exemption, play in the Masters, get married and buy his first home, so if you don't think this week is important for these guys, think again.
There are 4 other Canucks with him in the field, Nick Taylor, Corey Connors, Ben Silverman and David Hearn
Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson are probably the two most well known names, and a tip of the hat to Chesson Hadley who was just named 2017 Web.com Player of the Year. He earned $562,475 and became the first player in the five-year history of the Web.com Tour Finals to win the Regular Season and Finals money lists.
Round 1 is just under way.
Bryan Angus
With the world's top players vying for all the baubles at the season ending Race to Dubai Globe and the women's Race to CME Globe, the rest of the guys who haven't put the clubs away for Christmas are down at Sea Island, Georgia for the wrap around season's RSM Classic, where it all got started for Canada's MacKenzie Hughes with his first PGA Tour win last time here.
He went on to receive a 2 year exemption, play in the Masters, get married and buy his first home, so if you don't think this week is important for these guys, think again.
There are 4 other Canucks with him in the field, Nick Taylor, Corey Connors, Ben Silverman and David Hearn
Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson are probably the two most well known names, and a tip of the hat to Chesson Hadley who was just named 2017 Web.com Player of the Year. He earned $562,475 and became the first player in the five-year history of the Web.com Tour Finals to win the Regular Season and Finals money lists.
Round 1 is just under way.
Bryan Angus
Reed takes early lead, with Rose right behind at DP World Tour Championship
European Tour DP World Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Round 1 is in the books under the usual sunny skies in Dubai the capital of the UAE and the ideal conditions have led to low scoring from this final field of 60.
May I remind you at stake this week is the winner of this Tour championship with a prize fund of $8m and the Race to Dubai title and it's $1m bonus which sees Tommy Fleetwood leading Justin Rose, with Sergio Garcia trailing in third with an outside chance with a little help of snatching the title.
With a round of -7 65, American Patrick Reed has the early lead with a flawless no bogey, seven birdie card.
Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are in the final pairing, and Rose took the early advantage with -6 66 T2 (5 birdies, an eagle and 1 bogey) while Fleetwood mixed 3 birdies and an eagle with 5 bogey's for +1 73 T46.
Rose is the in form player having won his last 2 straight tournaments, and after round 1 he is now in the drivers seat for the Race to Dubai title.
Sergio, playing with new clubs overcame two straight bogey's for a -2 70 T21. He says he has a 2% chance of winning the Race to Dubai, so is just going to play his usual game and accept whatever happens. You see what settling down and getting married and expecting your first child can do to a man !!
The defending champion is Matt Fitzpatrick and he is in the group at -5 67.
Bryan Angus
Round 1 is in the books under the usual sunny skies in Dubai the capital of the UAE and the ideal conditions have led to low scoring from this final field of 60.
May I remind you at stake this week is the winner of this Tour championship with a prize fund of $8m and the Race to Dubai title and it's $1m bonus which sees Tommy Fleetwood leading Justin Rose, with Sergio Garcia trailing in third with an outside chance with a little help of snatching the title.
With a round of -7 65, American Patrick Reed has the early lead with a flawless no bogey, seven birdie card.
Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood are in the final pairing, and Rose took the early advantage with -6 66 T2 (5 birdies, an eagle and 1 bogey) while Fleetwood mixed 3 birdies and an eagle with 5 bogey's for +1 73 T46.
Rose is the in form player having won his last 2 straight tournaments, and after round 1 he is now in the drivers seat for the Race to Dubai title.
Sergio, playing with new clubs overcame two straight bogey's for a -2 70 T21. He says he has a 2% chance of winning the Race to Dubai, so is just going to play his usual game and accept whatever happens. You see what settling down and getting married and expecting your first child can do to a man !!
The defending champion is Matt Fitzpatrick and he is in the group at -5 67.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson chases CME Globe title
LPGA Tour CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/cme-group-tour-championship/leaderboard
Play is just underway at the finale of the Race to CME Globe with breezy conditions in Naples Florida.
It is the CME Group Tour Championship and Brooke Henderson begins play in 5th spot, one of the top 5 who will win the title if they win this week.
Currently ranked 13th in the world, she has been the iron lady of the LPGA tour, this will be her 30th event as she and her sister Britanny return from 4 weeks in Asia. Her season includes 8 top 10's and wins in New Zealand and at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
The prize money this week in $2.5m and the winner of the CME Globe gets an additional $1m.
Brooke is only 20 years young and after a sensational 2016, and another solid year in 2017 she had this to say. " Mentally I think I'm a lot stronger than I was last year which is a big improvement. It's a life long process and I feel like saw a big improvement this year. I'm better at shifting my focuses to what is important and throwing away the things that really don't matter that much"
In other words she is growing up and maturing as we watch her over the next four days, and whether she wins it all or not this season, she will continue her growth which we all believe will eventually lead her to become the first Canadian to be the world's #1.
Bryan Angus
Play is just underway at the finale of the Race to CME Globe with breezy conditions in Naples Florida.
It is the CME Group Tour Championship and Brooke Henderson begins play in 5th spot, one of the top 5 who will win the title if they win this week.
Currently ranked 13th in the world, she has been the iron lady of the LPGA tour, this will be her 30th event as she and her sister Britanny return from 4 weeks in Asia. Her season includes 8 top 10's and wins in New Zealand and at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
The prize money this week in $2.5m and the winner of the CME Globe gets an additional $1m.
Brooke is only 20 years young and after a sensational 2016, and another solid year in 2017 she had this to say. " Mentally I think I'm a lot stronger than I was last year which is a big improvement. It's a life long process and I feel like saw a big improvement this year. I'm better at shifting my focuses to what is important and throwing away the things that really don't matter that much"
In other words she is growing up and maturing as we watch her over the next four days, and whether she wins it all or not this season, she will continue her growth which we all believe will eventually lead her to become the first Canadian to be the world's #1.
Bryan Angus
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
A three horse Race to Dubai.. Fleetwood, Rose, Garcia
European Tour DP World Championship Dubai http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Those of you regulars have followed the European Tour all year, week in and week out so know all the pros who have qualified are in Dubai and starting later tonight EST, they will sort out the winner and all the baubles that go with it.
Here is the set up, with England's Tommy Fleetwood, not yet a world wide name in the lead with only Sergio and Justin Rose with a chance of catching him.
Here is the europeantour.com release today to set it all up .. http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Bryan Angus
Those of you regulars have followed the European Tour all year, week in and week out so know all the pros who have qualified are in Dubai and starting later tonight EST, they will sort out the winner and all the baubles that go with it.
Here is the set up, with England's Tommy Fleetwood, not yet a world wide name in the lead with only Sergio and Justin Rose with a chance of catching him.
Here is the europeantour.com release today to set it all up .. http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017094/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Bryan Angus
Sunday, November 12, 2017
Branden Grace wins Nedbank Golf Challenge
European Tour Nedbank Golf Challenge final leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017092/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
They started the world trek that is the European Tour just after last Christmas with the Joburg Open, and nearly 50 tournaments and 27 countries later they just wrapped up the penultimate event back in South Africa at Sun City for the Nedbank Golf Challenge with a Sprinbok victory for Branden Grace, the first South African in 10 years to win this event at home.
18 of 18 greens in regulation, 6 birdies, no bogey's -6 66 -11, Grace won by a shot over Scotsman Scott Jamieson who shot -2 70 -10 total. It was his 8th European Tour win and his first in a year.
This event is presented by Gary Player who told Branden before the round "You're going to win this today, just go out and play the way you can play and you'll be the winner"
Well that's what he did, and after he received a champagne shower from his fellow countryman, he was embraced by the godfather of South African golf, his idol Gary Player who was clearly delighted.
South African soccer fans were in the doldrums after Senegal knocked them out of the World Cup earlier in the week after a replay of a match they had won previously. The match was replayed because the referee was charged with match fixing
Now it's off to Dubai for the DP World Championship, the finale of the Race To Dubai with Tommy Fleetwood clinging to his lead, with Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and big Jon Rahm right behind him, and everyone will be in Dubai to wrap this 2017 season up.
Bryan Angus
They started the world trek that is the European Tour just after last Christmas with the Joburg Open, and nearly 50 tournaments and 27 countries later they just wrapped up the penultimate event back in South Africa at Sun City for the Nedbank Golf Challenge with a Sprinbok victory for Branden Grace, the first South African in 10 years to win this event at home.
18 of 18 greens in regulation, 6 birdies, no bogey's -6 66 -11, Grace won by a shot over Scotsman Scott Jamieson who shot -2 70 -10 total. It was his 8th European Tour win and his first in a year.
This event is presented by Gary Player who told Branden before the round "You're going to win this today, just go out and play the way you can play and you'll be the winner"
Well that's what he did, and after he received a champagne shower from his fellow countryman, he was embraced by the godfather of South African golf, his idol Gary Player who was clearly delighted.
South African soccer fans were in the doldrums after Senegal knocked them out of the World Cup earlier in the week after a replay of a match they had won previously. The match was replayed because the referee was charged with match fixing
Now it's off to Dubai for the DP World Championship, the finale of the Race To Dubai with Tommy Fleetwood clinging to his lead, with Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and big Jon Rahm right behind him, and everyone will be in Dubai to wrap this 2017 season up.
Bryan Angus
Friday, November 10, 2017
Remembering....golf with my Grandad and Dad
I must say I am pleasantly surprised this year how many of you are wearing poppies, it seems to be more than usual, although of course it's never enough..
Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and I will be meeting with my two sisters for a nice lunch, no doubt a couple of toasts to all those who fought for or gave their lives for us, including our Dad who we lost recently approaching his 97th birthday.
Those of you who have listened to or read me over the last 25 years know how much this day means to me as my grandfather Tom lost his leg in WW1, and my father Bill fought and survived the Battle of Britain with the RAF, ending the war with Monty in the North African desert fighting and defeating Rommel, the Desert Fox.
Terry Lenyk, my pal at Golf Canada has written a nice piece on some of Canada's golf luminaries who fought for us during both wars and I have included a link to it here http://golfcanada.ca/article/remembering-fallen-golf-heroes
I'd like to share a couple of stories about golf and my Grandad and Dad.
Grandad Tom lived in a cottage adjacent to Craigie Hill GC in Perth, Scotland given to him by the local laird for a shilling a month, when he returned without his leg from WW1.
It's where I fell in love with the game. I'd arrive every other year from Canada for the bi-annual summer holiday to visit my relatives. When we got to Perth, grandad who was the ice maker for curling at the local rink, had his pals in the greens keeping crew at Craigie Hill cut his little back yard and put in 4 of the course's white cups so I'd have my own putting green. It may as well have been the 18th at St Andrews !
He'd sit tapping his wooden leg with his pipe, the border collies running happily in and out the yard while yours truly spent hours and hours trying to navigate the 4 holes in 4 shots for the Open Championship !!... When I wasn't putting with the hickory shafted flat stick I still have to this day, I was roaming the rough at Craigie Hill GC looking for lost golf balls, and occasionally selling a couple for a bob or two, in all kinds of weather, high up on the hills overlooking Perth and the river Tay.
I still have to be dragged out of the rough by my playing partners as I dally too long searching for lost balls !!
My Dad gave me the best golf lesson, and the only one I have ever had. When I was 16 we would go to Parkview GC on Markham Road and Steeles in Scarborough and play the twilight ticket, $2.00 after 5pm on a Sunday evening, including a pull cart.
We went to church on Sunday mornings, he would merely remove his tie and jacket for our round, and play in his shiny black Sunday shoes. That taught me respect about how to dress appropriately for golf, but that wasn't the lesson.
We were out at the back of the course, as far away from the clubhouse as you can get and I was having a poor round, especially off the tee.
I had the honour, took my swing and heeled the ball into the bushes to the left of the tee. I just had long enough to see it disappear when that awful flood of temper I think all golfers have had to learn to control, rushed to my head and I furiously spun and hurled the offending driver. It helicoptered over Dad's head and clattered into a big Oak tree.
Dad had been waiting to hit. Instead he walked back to his pull cart, put the cover on his driver, the ball back in the bag, and started the long walk back to the clubhouse.
I pled with him to let me hit again, surely I could still salvage a par. He said " you are ruining my perfectly beautiful Sunday evening, not to mention my round, and I have to get up at 5 o'clock tomorrow morning to go to work, so I don't need this"
As we walked all the way in he talked to me about all the things I have been guided by on the golf course, and in life until today.
Enjoy the good shots both you and your partners make, get over the bad ones because there will be many more, enjoy the walk, the scenery, the smell of cut grass and your partners company because you'll be stuck at work the rest of the week, respect and obey the rules of the game, they are more important than your score, and respect those playing with and around you. Have fun, for goodness sake have fun.
What a lesson, thanks Grandad, thanks Dad..
I'm remembering ....
Bryan Angus
Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and I will be meeting with my two sisters for a nice lunch, no doubt a couple of toasts to all those who fought for or gave their lives for us, including our Dad who we lost recently approaching his 97th birthday.
Those of you who have listened to or read me over the last 25 years know how much this day means to me as my grandfather Tom lost his leg in WW1, and my father Bill fought and survived the Battle of Britain with the RAF, ending the war with Monty in the North African desert fighting and defeating Rommel, the Desert Fox.
Terry Lenyk, my pal at Golf Canada has written a nice piece on some of Canada's golf luminaries who fought for us during both wars and I have included a link to it here http://golfcanada.ca/article/remembering-fallen-golf-heroes
I'd like to share a couple of stories about golf and my Grandad and Dad.
Grandad Tom lived in a cottage adjacent to Craigie Hill GC in Perth, Scotland given to him by the local laird for a shilling a month, when he returned without his leg from WW1.
It's where I fell in love with the game. I'd arrive every other year from Canada for the bi-annual summer holiday to visit my relatives. When we got to Perth, grandad who was the ice maker for curling at the local rink, had his pals in the greens keeping crew at Craigie Hill cut his little back yard and put in 4 of the course's white cups so I'd have my own putting green. It may as well have been the 18th at St Andrews !
He'd sit tapping his wooden leg with his pipe, the border collies running happily in and out the yard while yours truly spent hours and hours trying to navigate the 4 holes in 4 shots for the Open Championship !!... When I wasn't putting with the hickory shafted flat stick I still have to this day, I was roaming the rough at Craigie Hill GC looking for lost golf balls, and occasionally selling a couple for a bob or two, in all kinds of weather, high up on the hills overlooking Perth and the river Tay.
I still have to be dragged out of the rough by my playing partners as I dally too long searching for lost balls !!
My Dad gave me the best golf lesson, and the only one I have ever had. When I was 16 we would go to Parkview GC on Markham Road and Steeles in Scarborough and play the twilight ticket, $2.00 after 5pm on a Sunday evening, including a pull cart.
We went to church on Sunday mornings, he would merely remove his tie and jacket for our round, and play in his shiny black Sunday shoes. That taught me respect about how to dress appropriately for golf, but that wasn't the lesson.
We were out at the back of the course, as far away from the clubhouse as you can get and I was having a poor round, especially off the tee.
I had the honour, took my swing and heeled the ball into the bushes to the left of the tee. I just had long enough to see it disappear when that awful flood of temper I think all golfers have had to learn to control, rushed to my head and I furiously spun and hurled the offending driver. It helicoptered over Dad's head and clattered into a big Oak tree.
Dad had been waiting to hit. Instead he walked back to his pull cart, put the cover on his driver, the ball back in the bag, and started the long walk back to the clubhouse.
I pled with him to let me hit again, surely I could still salvage a par. He said " you are ruining my perfectly beautiful Sunday evening, not to mention my round, and I have to get up at 5 o'clock tomorrow morning to go to work, so I don't need this"
As we walked all the way in he talked to me about all the things I have been guided by on the golf course, and in life until today.
Enjoy the good shots both you and your partners make, get over the bad ones because there will be many more, enjoy the walk, the scenery, the smell of cut grass and your partners company because you'll be stuck at work the rest of the week, respect and obey the rules of the game, they are more important than your score, and respect those playing with and around you. Have fun, for goodness sake have fun.
What a lesson, thanks Grandad, thanks Dad..
I'm remembering ....
Bryan Angus
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Justin Rose wins in Turkey, closes on the lead in Race to Dubai
European Tour Turkish Airlines Classic leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017090/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Justin Rose and playing partner Nicolas Colsaerts were tied at -17 on the par 4 18th tee. After good drives they both hit great approaches to within 10 feet.
Colsaerts missed, Rose made, and the birdie 3 topped a 65 that was good enough for his second win in a row, his 10th European Tour title and put him right on the heels of Tommy Fleetwood with 2 events left in the Race to Dubai.
He overtakes Sergio Garcia who didn't play this week, into second in the rankings and the gap is now just 134,839 points. He last won the Order of Merit in 2007.
Colsaerts missed, Rose made, and the birdie 3 topped a 65 that was good enough for his second win in a row, his 10th European Tour title and put him right on the heels of Tommy Fleetwood with 2 events left in the Race to Dubai.
He overtakes Sergio Garcia who didn't play this week, into second in the rankings and the gap is now just 134,839 points. He last won the Order of Merit in 2007.
South African Dylan Frittelli T2 with Colsaerts at -17 after a 64, and they finished a shot ahead of Padraig Harrington (67 -16) and two ahead of defending champion Thorbjørn Olesen (66.)
The finish was in doubt until that final Rose birdie and in fact there was a four way tie for the lead on several occasions.
What a finish to the year it's been for the tall, quiet Englishman. Remember he won golf at the Olympic Men's Golf Competition and now he has a Rolex Series victory to add to the 2013 US Open and two World Golf Championships, including last week's in Shanghai.
What a finish to the year it's been for the tall, quiet Englishman. Remember he won golf at the Olympic Men's Golf Competition and now he has a Rolex Series victory to add to the 2013 US Open and two World Golf Championships, including last week's in Shanghai.
Canada's Austin Connelly finished 72 73 68 76 +5 T70.
Next week they are in South Africa for the Nedbank Challenge before the season finale in Dubai.
Bryan Angus
Scores soar in the wind at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Las Vegas
PGA Tour Shriners Hospitals for Children leaderboard
https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/shriners-hospitals-for-children-open/leaderboard.html
The wind has been freshening this week in Las Vegas and it played a huge role on moving day at this year's Shriners Hospitals for Children as scoring soared with the breeze.
The Canadians were a perfect example. Nick Taylor has gone 69,71 then +3 74 and is T48 +1, Corey Connors 70 71 74 +2 T55 and Ben Silverman a similar story, 69 73 76 +5 T75th. David Hearn missed the cut by a shot.
You'll be forgiven if you don't know who the leaders are, but this is after all the end of the calendar year for all of the big guns who are not competing in the Race To Dubai on the European Tour.
Americans Beau Hossler 69 69 66 -9 and JJ Spaun 66 65 73 -9 have managed the conditions better than the rest so far and they are 3 shots clear of big hitting Tony Finau 69 69 69 -6.
Bryan Angus
https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/shriners-hospitals-for-children-open/leaderboard.html
The wind has been freshening this week in Las Vegas and it played a huge role on moving day at this year's Shriners Hospitals for Children as scoring soared with the breeze.
The Canadians were a perfect example. Nick Taylor has gone 69,71 then +3 74 and is T48 +1, Corey Connors 70 71 74 +2 T55 and Ben Silverman a similar story, 69 73 76 +5 T75th. David Hearn missed the cut by a shot.
You'll be forgiven if you don't know who the leaders are, but this is after all the end of the calendar year for all of the big guns who are not competing in the Race To Dubai on the European Tour.
Americans Beau Hossler 69 69 66 -9 and JJ Spaun 66 65 73 -9 have managed the conditions better than the rest so far and they are 3 shots clear of big hitting Tony Finau 69 69 69 -6.
Bryan Angus
Feng wins Toto Japan Classic, Henderson finishes T42
LPGA Tour Toto Japan Classic final leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/toto-japan-classic/leaderboard
Chinese star Shanshan Feng has been 3rd and 2nd in her last two events, now you can add 1st, as she shot 68 -19 total overnight at the Toto Japan Classic to out distance Japan's Ai Suzuki (68) -17 and successfully defend her title.
“That was my goal, before I started the week, to defend my title. My caddie told me: ‘This week, you’re going to be first. Two weeks ago, you finished third. Last week, you finished second, so you know what comes after that… first.’ I was like, OK, let’s go for it,” said Feng. “Here I am, and I’m really happy"
Brooke Henderson 71 69 70 -6 was under par all week and ended up T42.
Lexi Thompson leads the Race to the CME Globe going into the last 2 events. Next week it's off to China for the Blue Bay LPGA.
Bryan Angus
Chinese star Shanshan Feng has been 3rd and 2nd in her last two events, now you can add 1st, as she shot 68 -19 total overnight at the Toto Japan Classic to out distance Japan's Ai Suzuki (68) -17 and successfully defend her title.
“That was my goal, before I started the week, to defend my title. My caddie told me: ‘This week, you’re going to be first. Two weeks ago, you finished third. Last week, you finished second, so you know what comes after that… first.’ I was like, OK, let’s go for it,” said Feng. “Here I am, and I’m really happy"
Brooke Henderson 71 69 70 -6 was under par all week and ended up T42.
Lexi Thompson leads the Race to the CME Globe going into the last 2 events. Next week it's off to China for the Blue Bay LPGA.
Bryan Angus
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Colsaerts blows lead, crowded leaderboard at Turkish Airlines Open
European Tour Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017090/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Nicholas Colsaerts, who had opened with 64 64, lost 3 shots in 2 holes with double bogey 6 at the par4 11th and a bogey 6 on the par5 12th and staggered in with a 32, 41 +2 73, -12 total to blow his 4 shot lead and allow the chasers right back into contention on an intriguing Saturday at the Turkish Airlines Open.
Ireland's Shane Lowry charged up the leaderboard in ideal conditions. Out in 31, he made 3 birdies in a row playing the back nine to come home in 34 for a 65 and at -14 has the lead along with in form Kirdech Aphibarnrat who shot -5 66.
Justin Rose who won last week really charged today as well, -7 64 -12 total as he makes a late bid to win the Race to Dubai. He is T3 along with Paddy Harrington (64) and Colsaerts.
Colsaerts had a 4 shot lead, but now there are 13 players within 4 shots of each other going into the final round.
Bryan Angus
Nicholas Colsaerts, who had opened with 64 64, lost 3 shots in 2 holes with double bogey 6 at the par4 11th and a bogey 6 on the par5 12th and staggered in with a 32, 41 +2 73, -12 total to blow his 4 shot lead and allow the chasers right back into contention on an intriguing Saturday at the Turkish Airlines Open.
Ireland's Shane Lowry charged up the leaderboard in ideal conditions. Out in 31, he made 3 birdies in a row playing the back nine to come home in 34 for a 65 and at -14 has the lead along with in form Kirdech Aphibarnrat who shot -5 66.
Justin Rose who won last week really charged today as well, -7 64 -12 total as he makes a late bid to win the Race to Dubai. He is T3 along with Paddy Harrington (64) and Colsaerts.
Colsaerts had a 4 shot lead, but now there are 13 players within 4 shots of each other going into the final round.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson aims for top 10 at Toto Japan Classic, Feng leads
LPGA Tour Toto Japan Classic leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/toto-japan-classic/leaderboard
Brooke Henderson was saying in her early press conferences that her goal this week as always was to win, but she would also be pleased with a 4th top 10 in her last 5 starts. With rounds of 71 69 -4 she is T42, so needs a good Sunday to meet her goal.
She is 11 shots behind defending champion Shanshan Feng 66 63 -15, however it was Japan's Ai Susuki that has the local fans cheering, 66 65 -13 to keep pressure on the Chinese #1. She shot 30 on her back nine, however she'll need more of that to catch Feng who has finished T2 and T3 her last two weeks on Tour.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson was saying in her early press conferences that her goal this week as always was to win, but she would also be pleased with a 4th top 10 in her last 5 starts. With rounds of 71 69 -4 she is T42, so needs a good Sunday to meet her goal.
She is 11 shots behind defending champion Shanshan Feng 66 63 -15, however it was Japan's Ai Susuki that has the local fans cheering, 66 65 -13 to keep pressure on the Chinese #1. She shot 30 on her back nine, however she'll need more of that to catch Feng who has finished T2 and T3 her last two weeks on Tour.
Bryan Angus
Taylor leads the Canadians at Shriners Hospitals for Children
PGA Tour Shriners Hospitals for Children leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/shriners-hospitals-for-children-open/leaderboard.html
With rounds of 66 65 -11, JJ Spaun takes a 3 shot lead into the weekend at this Shriners Hospitals for Children. Spaun is making his third start of the season and T34th last week. He was 97th last year in the Fed Ex Cup.
Once again play was halted due to darkness before round 2 was completed, so players will return early this morning in Las Vegas to finish up. Kelly Kraft is one of them, he is closest to Spaun at -8 through 15 in breezy conditions.
Canadians: Ben Silverman opened with a 2-under 69 and is +1 thru 14 in round 2 , David Hearn +2 after 71 73. Nick Taylor has shot 69 71 -2 total and Corey Conners is 70 71 -1.
The cut looks like it will fall at +1.
Bryan Angus
With rounds of 66 65 -11, JJ Spaun takes a 3 shot lead into the weekend at this Shriners Hospitals for Children. Spaun is making his third start of the season and T34th last week. He was 97th last year in the Fed Ex Cup.
Once again play was halted due to darkness before round 2 was completed, so players will return early this morning in Las Vegas to finish up. Kelly Kraft is one of them, he is closest to Spaun at -8 through 15 in breezy conditions.
Canadians: Ben Silverman opened with a 2-under 69 and is +1 thru 14 in round 2 , David Hearn +2 after 71 73. Nick Taylor has shot 69 71 -2 total and Corey Conners is 70 71 -1.
The cut looks like it will fall at +1.
Bryan Angus
Friday, November 3, 2017
Belgium's Nicholas Colsaerts leads by 4 at Turkish Airlines Open
European Tour Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017090/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
Tall, big hitting Belgian star Nicholas Colsaerts is shining as brightly as the sun at this ritzy Mediterranean, Regnum Carya resort in southern Turkey.
With rounds of 64 64 he has a four shot lead at -14, with England's Eddie Pepperall his nearest challenger at 66 66 -10.
You may remember Colsaerts won the last of his two European Tour titles in 2012 en route to making the Ryder Cup Team for the Miracle at Medinah. His best finish so far this season was a T3 at the BMW PGA Championship.
Canada's Austin Connelly continues his season on the European Tour, and is well down the field this week 72 73 +3 T66. He is currently #196 in the world, 76th in the Race To Dubai and his best finish was 2nd back in September at the KLM Open.
Bryan Angus
Tall, big hitting Belgian star Nicholas Colsaerts is shining as brightly as the sun at this ritzy Mediterranean, Regnum Carya resort in southern Turkey.
With rounds of 64 64 he has a four shot lead at -14, with England's Eddie Pepperall his nearest challenger at 66 66 -10.
You may remember Colsaerts won the last of his two European Tour titles in 2012 en route to making the Ryder Cup Team for the Miracle at Medinah. His best finish so far this season was a T3 at the BMW PGA Championship.
Canada's Austin Connelly continues his season on the European Tour, and is well down the field this week 72 73 +3 T66. He is currently #196 in the world, 76th in the Race To Dubai and his best finish was 2nd back in September at the KLM Open.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson opens with 71 at Toto Japan Classic
LPGA Tour Toto Japan Classic leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/toto-japan-classic/leaderboard
Defending champion Shanshan Feng fired a -6 66 to lead the Toto Japan Classic along with Americans Lizette Salas and Jane Park, Japan's Saiki Fujita, Ai Suzuki and Nasa Hataoka, and South Korean Lee Ming-yong
Brooke Henderson is the lone Canadian and she opened with -1 71. She bogeyed the two par 3's on the front nine, out in 37, but had 2 birdies and all pars on the back for 34. She is T47 on a very tightly bunched leaderboard.
With 3 recent top10's including her win in New Zealand I was asked where she stands in the Race to CME Globe, the LPGA version of the Fed Ex Cup or the Race to Dubai.
She is very well placed, 4th in the standings, 241 points behind So Yeon Ryu who is 3rd. Golf fans know that in all these races, the top 5 players are in control of their own destiny, meaning if they win the Tour finale in Naples they win the $1m bonus.
Bryan Angus
Defending champion Shanshan Feng fired a -6 66 to lead the Toto Japan Classic along with Americans Lizette Salas and Jane Park, Japan's Saiki Fujita, Ai Suzuki and Nasa Hataoka, and South Korean Lee Ming-yong
Brooke Henderson is the lone Canadian and she opened with -1 71. She bogeyed the two par 3's on the front nine, out in 37, but had 2 birdies and all pars on the back for 34. She is T47 on a very tightly bunched leaderboard.
With 3 recent top10's including her win in New Zealand I was asked where she stands in the Race to CME Globe, the LPGA version of the Fed Ex Cup or the Race to Dubai.
She is very well placed, 4th in the standings, 241 points behind So Yeon Ryu who is 3rd. Golf fans know that in all these races, the top 5 players are in control of their own destiny, meaning if they win the Tour finale in Naples they win the $1m bonus.
Bryan Angus
Silverman opens with 69 at Shriners Hospitals for Children
PGA Tour Shriners Hospitals for Children leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/shriners-hospitals-for-children-open/leaderboard.html
When round one was called for darkness at the Shriners in Las Vegas two of the four Canucks had completed their rounds. Rookie Ben Silverman shot -2 69 T29 and David Hearn is T63 E 71. Nick Taylor birdied his last hole this morning to finish -2 69 and Corey Connors E thru 15.
The leader at -6,65 is South Korean Whee Kim with a pack including veteran Alex Cjeka all at -5 66. Cjeka lives in Vegas and is now 46. Last year he only had one top 10 on the PGA Tour. I honestly didn't see him at all last year.
For those of you asking me, Bubba Watson who I mentioned yesterday has slipped to #63 in world rankings, opened with +1 72.
Bryan Angus
When round one was called for darkness at the Shriners in Las Vegas two of the four Canucks had completed their rounds. Rookie Ben Silverman shot -2 69 T29 and David Hearn is T63 E 71. Nick Taylor birdied his last hole this morning to finish -2 69 and Corey Connors E thru 15.
The leader at -6,65 is South Korean Whee Kim with a pack including veteran Alex Cjeka all at -5 66. Cjeka lives in Vegas and is now 46. Last year he only had one top 10 on the PGA Tour. I honestly didn't see him at all last year.
For those of you asking me, Bubba Watson who I mentioned yesterday has slipped to #63 in world rankings, opened with +1 72.
Bryan Angus
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Four Canadians at Shriners Hospitals for Children... live scoring
PGA Tour Shriners Hospitals for Children Open leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/shriners-hospitals-for-children-open/leaderboard.html
David Hearn #261, Ben Silverman #241, Corey Connors and Nick Taylor #179, are in the desert at Las Vegas this week for what is simply called "the Shriners" as the wrap around 2017-18 season continues with round 1 under way.
Bubba Watson started 2016 at #10 in the world, he has slipped all the way to #63 and he makes his season debut this week.
The top ranked player is Charlie Hoffman #24 who is donating his entire pay cheque this week to victims of the recent Las Vegas shooting and if he misses the cut he will donate a minimum of $20,000. Hoffman played golf at UNLV and lives in Vegas
Here are the current world rankings.
http://www.owgr.com/ranking?pageNo=1&pageSize=300&country=All
Bryan Angus
David Hearn #261, Ben Silverman #241, Corey Connors and Nick Taylor #179, are in the desert at Las Vegas this week for what is simply called "the Shriners" as the wrap around 2017-18 season continues with round 1 under way.
Bubba Watson started 2016 at #10 in the world, he has slipped all the way to #63 and he makes his season debut this week.
The top ranked player is Charlie Hoffman #24 who is donating his entire pay cheque this week to victims of the recent Las Vegas shooting and if he misses the cut he will donate a minimum of $20,000. Hoffman played golf at UNLV and lives in Vegas
Here are the current world rankings.
http://www.owgr.com/ranking?pageNo=1&pageSize=300&country=All
Bryan Angus
Race to Dubai continues at Turkish Airlines Open
European Tour Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2017/tournamentid=2017090/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard
The Race to Dubai has 3 weeks left as the playoffs continue this week with the Turkish Airlines Open at the fabulously rich Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort set on an immaculate white sand beach overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, billed as an unparalleled private paradise in Belek-Antalya, southern Turkey.
Tommy Fleetwood still leads the Race, although his form has slipped of late, he hasn't broke 70 in nearly a month, however despite recent wins by Sergio and Justin Rose, he remains at the head of the rankings with 4,050,351 points, Garcia is in second with 3,184,581 and Rose is now in third spot on 2,993,754. Jon Rahm 2,898,457 is 4th, Tyrrell Hatton 2,561,237 5th and Ross Fisher 6th 2,492,831
Rahm, Garcia and Fisher are not playing this week, Fleetwood is T42 after E71 today, Rose T19 -2 69, Hatton T10 -4 67.
There is a three way tie for the lead at the end of round one. Belgian Nicholas Colsaerts, former world #1 amateur from South African ,Haydn Porteous and Dutchman, Joost Luiten all shot -7 64's.
The Race to Dubai has 3 weeks left as the playoffs continue this week with the Turkish Airlines Open at the fabulously rich Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort set on an immaculate white sand beach overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, billed as an unparalleled private paradise in Belek-Antalya, southern Turkey.
Tommy Fleetwood still leads the Race, although his form has slipped of late, he hasn't broke 70 in nearly a month, however despite recent wins by Sergio and Justin Rose, he remains at the head of the rankings with 4,050,351 points, Garcia is in second with 3,184,581 and Rose is now in third spot on 2,993,754. Jon Rahm 2,898,457 is 4th, Tyrrell Hatton 2,561,237 5th and Ross Fisher 6th 2,492,831
Rahm, Garcia and Fisher are not playing this week, Fleetwood is T42 after E71 today, Rose T19 -2 69, Hatton T10 -4 67.
There is a three way tie for the lead at the end of round one. Belgian Nicholas Colsaerts, former world #1 amateur from South African ,Haydn Porteous and Dutchman, Joost Luiten all shot -7 64's.
Padraig Harrington and Andres Romero shot 65's then Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Matthieu Pavon, Eddie Pepperell and Ian Poulter with 66 are at -5. In the perfect weather, 41 of the 78 man field are under par with a Rolex Series prize fund of $7,000,000 US.
Canada's Austin Connelly opened T50th +1 72.
Bryan Angus
Canada's Austin Connelly opened T50th +1 72.
Bryan Angus
Monday, October 30, 2017
Good guy Ryan Armour wins at Sanderson Farms, Ben Silverman T7
PGA Tour Sanderson Farms final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/sanderson-farms-championship/leaderboard.html
As I mentioned earlier last week, this Sanderson Farms Championship doesn't get a lot of attention in general, part of the wrap around season, and opposing the WGC HSBC Champions, not to mention the World Series ( and oh my, one of, if not the most exciting game with Houston prevailing 13-12 in 10 innings over the Dodgers in the wee hours of this morning), and of course the NFL and NBA.
However it means the world to the guy who wins, and this week it was journeyman Ryan Armour who turned pro in 1999 out of Ohio State, but couldn't get his card until 2007 and has bounced around tours, mainly between the Web.com and his 105 appearances on the PGA Tour. Last year he played 20 events but finished 159th in Fed Ex Cup standings and had to go back to Web.com finals to get his status back this year.
Now 41, he won for the first time, finishing at -19 for a five-shot victory over Chesson Hadley. He shot 66 68 67 68 after finding something on the driving range that stayed with him all week and long may it last. He led from wire to wire.
He wins close to $1,000,000 and gets full status on the PGA Tour for 2 years not to mention a spot at Augusta amongst other big tournaments.
Next week's tournament is the Shriners in Las Vegas but he had planned to travel to New York instead to cheer on his wife at the New York City marathon.
Canadians: It was of course a big week for rookie Ben Silverman who closed his week at -9 after a Sunday 72 T7, for his first top 10.
David Hearn shot 77 T59 +1 and Corey Conners, with a 73 finished +2 T65
Bryan Angus
As I mentioned earlier last week, this Sanderson Farms Championship doesn't get a lot of attention in general, part of the wrap around season, and opposing the WGC HSBC Champions, not to mention the World Series ( and oh my, one of, if not the most exciting game with Houston prevailing 13-12 in 10 innings over the Dodgers in the wee hours of this morning), and of course the NFL and NBA.
However it means the world to the guy who wins, and this week it was journeyman Ryan Armour who turned pro in 1999 out of Ohio State, but couldn't get his card until 2007 and has bounced around tours, mainly between the Web.com and his 105 appearances on the PGA Tour. Last year he played 20 events but finished 159th in Fed Ex Cup standings and had to go back to Web.com finals to get his status back this year.
Now 41, he won for the first time, finishing at -19 for a five-shot victory over Chesson Hadley. He shot 66 68 67 68 after finding something on the driving range that stayed with him all week and long may it last. He led from wire to wire.
He wins close to $1,000,000 and gets full status on the PGA Tour for 2 years not to mention a spot at Augusta amongst other big tournaments.
Next week's tournament is the Shriners in Las Vegas but he had planned to travel to New York instead to cheer on his wife at the New York City marathon.
Canadians: It was of course a big week for rookie Ben Silverman who closed his week at -9 after a Sunday 72 T7, for his first top 10.
David Hearn shot 77 T59 +1 and Corey Conners, with a 73 finished +2 T65
Bryan Angus
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Brooke Henderson shoots 64, Cristie Kerr wins Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
LPGA Tour Sime Darby Malaysia final leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/sime-darby-lpga-malaysia/results
Brooke Henderson just got better and better this week at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia with scores of 70, 69 68 and overnight in EST,she had the round of the day, -7 64 to storm up the leaderboard to -13 good enough to hold the clubhouse lead.
It was vintage Henderson, 7 birdies, no bogey's 31 out 33 in 64 total, worth $58,391.00
However it wasn't quite enough as she finished 2 shots behind the winner, veteran American Cristie Kerr who followed her Saturday 65 with a Sunday 70 for a -15 total and her 20th career win after after enduring a dangerous weather delay that lasted over an hour.
Her -15 total was enough to win by one-stroke over Jacqui Concolino (67), Danielle Kang (66) and Shanshan Feng (71) who vied with Kerr all day for the title. Feng now has three 2nds and 2 wins in her last 5 events here.
With 22 points Kerr is just now 5 away from the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Alena Sharp shot 72 to end up T62.
Bryan Angus
Brooke Henderson just got better and better this week at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia with scores of 70, 69 68 and overnight in EST,she had the round of the day, -7 64 to storm up the leaderboard to -13 good enough to hold the clubhouse lead.
It was vintage Henderson, 7 birdies, no bogey's 31 out 33 in 64 total, worth $58,391.00
However it wasn't quite enough as she finished 2 shots behind the winner, veteran American Cristie Kerr who followed her Saturday 65 with a Sunday 70 for a -15 total and her 20th career win after after enduring a dangerous weather delay that lasted over an hour.
Her -15 total was enough to win by one-stroke over Jacqui Concolino (67), Danielle Kang (66) and Shanshan Feng (71) who vied with Kerr all day for the title. Feng now has three 2nds and 2 wins in her last 5 events here.
With 22 points Kerr is just now 5 away from the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Alena Sharp shot 72 to end up T62.
Bryan Angus
Dustin Johnson collapses, Justin Rose wins WGC HSBC Champions
WGC HSBC Champions final scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/competitionhE/2018/wgc-hsbc-champions/leaderboard.html
Big names have blown big golf tournaments after holding big leads.
Remember Greg Norman blowing a 6 shot lead at the 1996 Masters, Nick Faldo took the title, Jordan Spieth lost after leading by 5 shots at Augusta in 2016, the list goes on and includes names like Ken Venturi, Arnie Palmer...
This morning you can add the name Dustin Johnson to that list.
Starting play 6 shots up and cruising at the WGC HSBC Champions, simply overpowering the Shenshan International GC, and putting beautifully with his new Taylor made Spider we all had conceded the event to the world #1.
He bogeyed his first 2 holes and couldn't make a birdie going out in 38, and things got worse on the back with 3 more bogey's and all the rest pars, for 39 and a shocking +5 77, -12 total.
As is always the case, the rest of the field smelled blood, even on a very windy difficult day for scoring.
Henrik Stenson (70) caught him at -12, Brooks Koepka (71) caught him at -12 but it was English star Justin Rose with the round of the day -5 67 that caught and passed them all at -14 to add this WGC HSBC title to his Olympic gold medal and his US Open Championship. He also won the WGC Cadillac Championship in 2012.
Rose started the day 8 behind Johnson and was 6 behind on the 10th tee. However he got hot at the right time making 5 birdies, coming in with just 31 strokes.
Big names have blown big golf tournaments after holding big leads.
Remember Greg Norman blowing a 6 shot lead at the 1996 Masters, Nick Faldo took the title, Jordan Spieth lost after leading by 5 shots at Augusta in 2016, the list goes on and includes names like Ken Venturi, Arnie Palmer...
This morning you can add the name Dustin Johnson to that list.
Starting play 6 shots up and cruising at the WGC HSBC Champions, simply overpowering the Shenshan International GC, and putting beautifully with his new Taylor made Spider we all had conceded the event to the world #1.
He bogeyed his first 2 holes and couldn't make a birdie going out in 38, and things got worse on the back with 3 more bogey's and all the rest pars, for 39 and a shocking +5 77, -12 total.
As is always the case, the rest of the field smelled blood, even on a very windy difficult day for scoring.
Henrik Stenson (70) caught him at -12, Brooks Koepka (71) caught him at -12 but it was English star Justin Rose with the round of the day -5 67 that caught and passed them all at -14 to add this WGC HSBC title to his Olympic gold medal and his US Open Championship. He also won the WGC Cadillac Championship in 2012.
Rose started the day 8 behind Johnson and was 6 behind on the 10th tee. However he got hot at the right time making 5 birdies, coming in with just 31 strokes.
This is what he had to say afterwards:
"This is really, really satisfying. All players pride themselves on winning and I've won every year since 2010 (worldwide). I was very aware that that was slipping away from me this year. To win a WGC is just amazing, they count for so much on both tours. It's an incredible start to my 2018 PGA Tour campaign and gives me a real shot in the Race to Dubai as well."
Adam Hadwin with rounds of 69 74 79 73 finished +7 T65
Bryan Angus
Ben Silverman T3 at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA Tour Sanderson Farms Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/sanderson-farms-championship/leaderboard.html
Canadians are no strangers to the winners circle at the Sanderson Farms Championship with Nick Taylor the winner in 2014, Dan Halldorson and Dick Zokol winners in the mid 80's when it was called the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic.
Today tour rookie Ben Silverman with rounds of 68 70 69 -9 is T3 going into today's final round as he tries to add his name to that list.
However he is 6 shots behind leader 41 year old Ryan Armour who shot 67 to get to a 5 shot -15 lead. He is looking for his first ever PGA Tour win in a journeyman career.
Chesson Hadley (68) is second at -10 with Vaughn Taylor (70), Scott Strohmeyer (68), Beau Hossler (69) and Seamus Power (71) joining Silverman T3 at -9
For those of you who are asking me, Silverman is from Thornhill and graduated from the Web.com.
David Hearn (74) -4 and Corey Conners (74) is at +1
Bryan Angus
Canadians are no strangers to the winners circle at the Sanderson Farms Championship with Nick Taylor the winner in 2014, Dan Halldorson and Dick Zokol winners in the mid 80's when it was called the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic.
Today tour rookie Ben Silverman with rounds of 68 70 69 -9 is T3 going into today's final round as he tries to add his name to that list.
However he is 6 shots behind leader 41 year old Ryan Armour who shot 67 to get to a 5 shot -15 lead. He is looking for his first ever PGA Tour win in a journeyman career.
Chesson Hadley (68) is second at -10 with Vaughn Taylor (70), Scott Strohmeyer (68), Beau Hossler (69) and Seamus Power (71) joining Silverman T3 at -9
For those of you who are asking me, Silverman is from Thornhill and graduated from the Web.com.
David Hearn (74) -4 and Corey Conners (74) is at +1
Bryan Angus
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Tiger Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving, avoids jail
Tiger Woods accompanied by his lawyer worked out a deal with the prosecution at Palm Beach County, pleading guilty to reckless driving, while the judge dropped the more serious charge of DUI.
As a result he goes on probation for a year under the first offender program, but could go to jail if he violates the plea agreement.
Last March he was found passed out in his car, subsequently found to have been smoking weed, and had alcohol in his system. He claimed after the arrest that he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medication for his ailing back.
The State Attorney's Office said Woods was not treated differently than anyone else in similar circumstances would be treated.
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As a result he goes on probation for a year under the first offender program, but could go to jail if he violates the plea agreement.
Last March he was found passed out in his car, subsequently found to have been smoking weed, and had alcohol in his system. He claimed after the arrest that he had an unexpected reaction to prescription medication for his ailing back.
The State Attorney's Office said Woods was not treated differently than anyone else in similar circumstances would be treated.
Hearn and Silverman 4 shots off the lead at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA Tour Sanderson Farms Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/sanderson-farms-championship/leaderboard.html
David Hearn and Ben Silverman are T9 at -6 after shooting 68,70 as they head into the weekend at the Sanderson Farms Championship currently 4 shots off the lead, so right in contention. Corey Connors got caught in the late rain that suspended play for the day, he opened with 72, and is E through 13 holes on round 2.
You've gotta love the leader, Ryan Armour who is now 41 and has never won a PGA Tour tournament and has only been a T10 4 times in over 100 events!.
He shot a -4 68 to get to -10 134, to take a one-shot lead before thunderstorms blew over the Jackson CC, suspending play for the day
Tyrone Van Aswegen is a shot behind at -9 after shooting -7 65. Vaughn Taylor shot -6 66 for -8 total along with Seamus Power, who will return this morning to finish 2 holes.
There are 30 players who are returning this morning at 8.15 EST, to finish their second rounds.
Bryan Angus
David Hearn and Ben Silverman are T9 at -6 after shooting 68,70 as they head into the weekend at the Sanderson Farms Championship currently 4 shots off the lead, so right in contention. Corey Connors got caught in the late rain that suspended play for the day, he opened with 72, and is E through 13 holes on round 2.
You've gotta love the leader, Ryan Armour who is now 41 and has never won a PGA Tour tournament and has only been a T10 4 times in over 100 events!.
He shot a -4 68 to get to -10 134, to take a one-shot lead before thunderstorms blew over the Jackson CC, suspending play for the day
Tyrone Van Aswegen is a shot behind at -9 after shooting -7 65. Vaughn Taylor shot -6 66 for -8 total along with Seamus Power, who will return this morning to finish 2 holes.
There are 30 players who are returning this morning at 8.15 EST, to finish their second rounds.
Bryan Angus
Cristie Kerr leads the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
LPGA Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/sime-darby-lpga-malaysia/leaderboard
Cristie Kerr has shot 63 65 after opening with 70 and leads at -15 going into the final round in Kuala Lumpur at this Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Championship.
China's Shanshan Feng is keeping pace with rounds of 66 65 68 -14 and they will be in the final group along with Sei Young Kim 69 65 68 -11.
Feng's record here is phenomenal: 2013 2nd, 2014 1st, 2015 2nd, 2016 1st
Kerr in her 20th season has one victory in 2017, but nine other top 10's. She is looking for her 20th career win and had this to say about why she has made 9 and 7 birdies in her last 2 rounds.
"I found a feel in my swing yesterday and it has made a big difference. I made some big par saves on the back. I definitely hit it better and when I give my putter chances, usually I do okay with that. So it's been fun the last couple days"
Brook Henderson 70 69 68 T19 -6, Alena Sharp 71 74 75 T62 +7.
Former world No. 1 Stacy Lewis shot 66, -10 T4.
Bryan Angus
Cristie Kerr has shot 63 65 after opening with 70 and leads at -15 going into the final round in Kuala Lumpur at this Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Championship.
China's Shanshan Feng is keeping pace with rounds of 66 65 68 -14 and they will be in the final group along with Sei Young Kim 69 65 68 -11.
Feng's record here is phenomenal: 2013 2nd, 2014 1st, 2015 2nd, 2016 1st
Kerr in her 20th season has one victory in 2017, but nine other top 10's. She is looking for her 20th career win and had this to say about why she has made 9 and 7 birdies in her last 2 rounds.
"I found a feel in my swing yesterday and it has made a big difference. I made some big par saves on the back. I definitely hit it better and when I give my putter chances, usually I do okay with that. So it's been fun the last couple days"
Brook Henderson 70 69 68 T19 -6, Alena Sharp 71 74 75 T62 +7.
Former world No. 1 Stacy Lewis shot 66, -10 T4.
Bryan Angus
Johnson leads by a touchdown at WGC HSBC Champions
WGC HSBC Champions leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/wgc-hsbc-champions/leaderboard.html
On a windy day in Shanghai at the WGC HSBC Champions what was shaping up to be a two horse race ended with one of the horses bolting from the barn.
Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka were vying for the lead until the par 5 8th where Brooks drove out of bounds, then into a hazard for a triple bogey, while DJ made his birdie for a 4 shot swing that Johnson never relinquished.
He shot -4 68, on a day where scores were soaring to get to -17 199 while Koepka shot 73 -11, and he is the closest player to DJ, so it looks like everyone else will be playing for 2nd come Sunday.
If Johnson does win he will be the first guy to win three WGC's in the same year having won in Mexico and Texas earlier.
He had this to say on how he'd approach the final round with such a big lead.
"I’m not going to change anything, play the golf course just how I’ve been playing it, I’m in a good position going into tomorrow, but I’m still going to have to go out and play a really solid round if I want to get it done.”
He has 22 birdies so far this week just over powering this Shenshan International GC.
Henrik Stenson birdied three of his last five holes for a 69 and is 3rd at -10 while Justin Rose could only manage a 72 and is next at -9 and said " You never know, a windy day and a couple of dangerous holes, maybe he makes a mistake, other than that, playing for second barring something crazy from him.”
Adam Hadwin slipped to a +7 79 T68 at +6.
Bryan Angus
On a windy day in Shanghai at the WGC HSBC Champions what was shaping up to be a two horse race ended with one of the horses bolting from the barn.
Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka were vying for the lead until the par 5 8th where Brooks drove out of bounds, then into a hazard for a triple bogey, while DJ made his birdie for a 4 shot swing that Johnson never relinquished.
He shot -4 68, on a day where scores were soaring to get to -17 199 while Koepka shot 73 -11, and he is the closest player to DJ, so it looks like everyone else will be playing for 2nd come Sunday.
If Johnson does win he will be the first guy to win three WGC's in the same year having won in Mexico and Texas earlier.
He had this to say on how he'd approach the final round with such a big lead.
"I’m not going to change anything, play the golf course just how I’ve been playing it, I’m in a good position going into tomorrow, but I’m still going to have to go out and play a really solid round if I want to get it done.”
He has 22 birdies so far this week just over powering this Shenshan International GC.
Henrik Stenson birdied three of his last five holes for a 69 and is 3rd at -10 while Justin Rose could only manage a 72 and is next at -9 and said " You never know, a windy day and a couple of dangerous holes, maybe he makes a mistake, other than that, playing for second barring something crazy from him.”
Adam Hadwin slipped to a +7 79 T68 at +6.
Bryan Angus
Friday, October 27, 2017
Ko slips down the field at Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
LPGA Tour Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia learboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/sime-darby-lpga-malaysia/leaderboard
Rain moved into Kuala Lumpur on Friday and as a result play was halted for close to four hours.
First round leader Lydia Ko slipped to a T6 after a +1 72 with four bogeys after her opening -7 64.
Brooke Henderson shot -2 69 T23rd while Alena Sharp is T57 71,74 +3
The leader is China's Shanshan Feng who shot -6 65 overnight to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at -11 131.
Madelene Sagstorm (66) is in second place at -10, followed by Cristie Kerr (63) at -9 133.
Bryan Angus
Rain moved into Kuala Lumpur on Friday and as a result play was halted for close to four hours.
First round leader Lydia Ko slipped to a T6 after a +1 72 with four bogeys after her opening -7 64.
Brooke Henderson shot -2 69 T23rd while Alena Sharp is T57 71,74 +3
The leader is China's Shanshan Feng who shot -6 65 overnight to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia at -11 131.
Madelene Sagstorm (66) is in second place at -10, followed by Cristie Kerr (63) at -9 133.
Bryan Angus
Dustin Johnson shoots 63 to edge Koepka at WGC HSBC Champions
WGC HSBC Champions leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/wgc-hsbc-champions/leaderboard.html
Brooks Koepka followed his opening 64 with a -4 68 but his -12 total wasn't enough to keep his lead, as Dustin Johnson, playing with a Spider putter he received just 20 minutes before he teed off, overpowered the Shenshan International course with -9 63 to get to -13.
Justin Rose (68) and Kirsdech Aphibarnrat (70) are next, T3 at -9. Adam Hadwin 69 74 -1 is T38.
Johnson didn't like any of the 3 putters he had with him so ordered another, which arrived at the last minute. "The guys here in China made me one. I got it right before I walked to the tee,” Johnson said. “I hit a few putts on the practice green with it and I was like, ‘Oh, this will work pretty well.’ Went out and holed a lot of putts today, so I kind of like it.
Koepka and Johnson are not exactly quote machines as far as the media are concerned, both fabulously wealthy, very laid back, pretty quiet guys, they are actually next door neighbours in Florida and you may remember were partners at the Presidents Cup, which was the last time DJ swung a club before this week.
Bryan Angus
Brooks Koepka followed his opening 64 with a -4 68 but his -12 total wasn't enough to keep his lead, as Dustin Johnson, playing with a Spider putter he received just 20 minutes before he teed off, overpowered the Shenshan International course with -9 63 to get to -13.
Justin Rose (68) and Kirsdech Aphibarnrat (70) are next, T3 at -9. Adam Hadwin 69 74 -1 is T38.
Johnson didn't like any of the 3 putters he had with him so ordered another, which arrived at the last minute. "The guys here in China made me one. I got it right before I walked to the tee,” Johnson said. “I hit a few putts on the practice green with it and I was like, ‘Oh, this will work pretty well.’ Went out and holed a lot of putts today, so I kind of like it.
Koepka and Johnson are not exactly quote machines as far as the media are concerned, both fabulously wealthy, very laid back, pretty quiet guys, they are actually next door neighbours in Florida and you may remember were partners at the Presidents Cup, which was the last time DJ swung a club before this week.
Bryan Angus
Hearn, Silverman T10 at Sanderson Farms Championship
PGA Tour Sanderson Farms Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/sanderson-farms-championship/leaderboard.html
David Hearn and Ben Silverman have both opened their account at this SSanderson Farms Championship with -4 68's T10 down in Jackson, Mississippi. Corey Connors shot E 72 and is T69.
With most of the world's top players either not playing or at the WGC in Shanghai, the top ranked player here is William McGirt #75.
The leaders at -6 66 are Americans Ryan Armour, Andrew Landry, Conrad Shindler, JJ Spaun and Wyndham Clark, most of whom you may never have heard of.
Still this is a full value tournament in this 2017-18 wrap around season, you'll remember Nick Taylor got his 2 year exemption when he won it in 2014, so it's a very important event to all the guys in the field.
Bryan Angus
David Hearn and Ben Silverman have both opened their account at this SSanderson Farms Championship with -4 68's T10 down in Jackson, Mississippi. Corey Connors shot E 72 and is T69.
With most of the world's top players either not playing or at the WGC in Shanghai, the top ranked player here is William McGirt #75.
The leaders at -6 66 are Americans Ryan Armour, Andrew Landry, Conrad Shindler, JJ Spaun and Wyndham Clark, most of whom you may never have heard of.
Still this is a full value tournament in this 2017-18 wrap around season, you'll remember Nick Taylor got his 2 year exemption when he won it in 2014, so it's a very important event to all the guys in the field.
Bryan Angus
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Lydia Ko back on top at Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia
LPGA Tour Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/sime-darby-lpga-malaysia/leaderboard
Lydia Ko has had a quiet year by her standards, we all know about all the changes she made while world #1, New clubs, new ball, new coach, new swing, searching for more length off the tee, all resulted in no wins so far.
However on closer inspection she has had 10 top 10's and has been getting better every week, T2 last week in Taiwan.
Overnight she posted a rock solid, bogey free -7 64 to lead this Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia by a shot from fellow Aussie Sue Oh -6 65.
Canadians: Brooke Henderson is T20 -1 70 while Alena Sharp is T32 E71
For those of you who were asking Sime Darby is a Malaysia-based diversified multinational involved in key growth sectors, namely, plantations, property, motors and industrial equipment amongst others.
Bryan Angus
Lydia Ko has had a quiet year by her standards, we all know about all the changes she made while world #1, New clubs, new ball, new coach, new swing, searching for more length off the tee, all resulted in no wins so far.
However on closer inspection she has had 10 top 10's and has been getting better every week, T2 last week in Taiwan.
Overnight she posted a rock solid, bogey free -7 64 to lead this Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia by a shot from fellow Aussie Sue Oh -6 65.
Canadians: Brooke Henderson is T20 -1 70 while Alena Sharp is T32 E71
For those of you who were asking Sime Darby is a Malaysia-based diversified multinational involved in key growth sectors, namely, plantations, property, motors and industrial equipment amongst others.
Bryan Angus
Brooks Koepka 64 leads WGC HSBC Champions, Hadwin -3 69
WGC HSBC Champions leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2018/wgc-hsbc-champions/leaderboard.html
Brooks Koepka only has 2 PGA Tour wins to his name, one of them is the US Open.
He will have many more by the time he is done.
He hits it a mile (7th), is in the top 10 in all putting categories and iron play. As important is his demeanour. You'll remember after graduating from college in Florida, he decided to travel the world to earn his golfing stripes. He won on the European Challenge Tour, he won on the European Tour, and he has won now on the PGA Tour.
He honed his craft on courses and conditions all over the world, he learned to appreciate different cultures, different money, different languages and different food.
All of that has given him experience that many, frankly spoiled American kids of his era just don't have. He has learned that the game of golf is not the be all to end all.
He is injury free this year and overnight be posted an easy -8 64 to lead the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He went out in 33, back in with31 including an eagle 3 at the 18th.
Two guys who are hot right now, American Gavin Green, and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat are a shot back -7 65.
Scores were low in calm, overcast conditions on the Shenshan International GC including Adam Hadwin playing the back nine first in 34, back in 35 -3 69 T21.
Notables : Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson, Tyrrell Hatton -4 68, defending champion, Hideki Matsuyama +2 74, Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose -5 67, Phil Mickelson -1 71
Bryan Angus
Brooks Koepka only has 2 PGA Tour wins to his name, one of them is the US Open.
He will have many more by the time he is done.
He hits it a mile (7th), is in the top 10 in all putting categories and iron play. As important is his demeanour. You'll remember after graduating from college in Florida, he decided to travel the world to earn his golfing stripes. He won on the European Challenge Tour, he won on the European Tour, and he has won now on the PGA Tour.
He honed his craft on courses and conditions all over the world, he learned to appreciate different cultures, different money, different languages and different food.
All of that has given him experience that many, frankly spoiled American kids of his era just don't have. He has learned that the game of golf is not the be all to end all.
He is injury free this year and overnight be posted an easy -8 64 to lead the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai. He went out in 33, back in with31 including an eagle 3 at the 18th.
Two guys who are hot right now, American Gavin Green, and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat are a shot back -7 65.
Scores were low in calm, overcast conditions on the Shenshan International GC including Adam Hadwin playing the back nine first in 34, back in 35 -3 69 T21.
Notables : Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson, Tyrrell Hatton -4 68, defending champion, Hideki Matsuyama +2 74, Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose -5 67, Phil Mickelson -1 71
Bryan Angus
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