AIG Insurance to sponsor Women's British Open

Good news this morning arrived in my in box from the R&A that the insurance giant AIG (American International Group) will be the title sponsor for the Women's British Open after Ricoh withdrew following this years championship.

Here is part of the release.

"Exciting news for women's golf today with the news that AIG will become the title sponsor for the Women's British Open. We look forward to the AIG Women's British Open being played at Woburn in 2019.

Established in 1976, the Women’s British Open is a Major championship in women's professional golf, owned by The R&A and sanctioned by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.  In 2018, the Women’s British Open hosted one of the year’s strongest international fields with competitors from 28 countries, and England’s Georgia Hall won the trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

For AIG, the Women’s British Open is its first title sponsorship in professional golf." 

The deal is for 5 years and couldn't come at a better time considering such an iconic major, by far the biggest internationally didn't have the security of a title sponsor. It would have been a disaster for the LPGA/LET to lose it. AIG was a major sponsor in the England's Premier League amongst their other sporting portfolio's.

Several years ago the Canadian Open with all it's rich history was in dire straits when Du Maurier was forced to withdraw it's sponsorship when the Canadian government banned advertising for tobacco and at the time alcohol. The RCGA as it was, pieced together 6 secondary sponsors to keep it afloat until the RBC stepped up to the plate. Both CN and CP have been godsends to the Canadian Women's Championship.

The LPGA is still without a major TV network, relying on the Golf Channel to broadcast their schedule which reduces visibility that sponsors require in return for their involvement. However the British and the US Women's Open's are nationally televised which is a huge carrot for the title sponsor with world wide operations like AIG.

Bryan Angus

Canadian scores after round 1 at Australian PGA

Australian PGA leaderboard https://www.pga.org.au/tourns/pga-tour/event/leaderboard?season=2018&tour=pga&id=1077

The trio of Nick Taylor (74 T109) Aaron Cockerill (72 T61) and  Austin Connelly (72 T61) have opened their challenges at the Australian PGA in South Queensland.

The leaders at -6 are a pair of Aussies, Jake McLeod who was T3 recently at the Aussie Open and Matt Jager both with 66.


Bryan Angus

Three Canadians playing in th Australian PGA this week.. live scoreboard

European/ Australasian Tour Australian PGA Championship tee times https://championship.pga.org.au/scores/tee-times/

It's summer down under and this week on the Australasian Tour it's what they hail as the oldest tournament in the world, the Australian PGA in South Queensland.

Looking through the field it's glory days are obviously gone when your headliners are Andrew "Beef" Johnson along with Aussie stalwarts Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith who finished 2nd last week as a team at the World Cup in Melbourne.

However there are 3 Canadians in the field. Aaron Cockerill, Austin Connelly who is a regular on the European Tour and Nick Taylor who decided to stay another week after pairing with Adam Hadwin to T4 last week in Melbourne.

Cockerill is a member of the European Tour this year because he made eight top 30 finishes on the MacKenzie Tour from 2017-18. He's 26 out of Winnipeg.

Follow their progress on  my scoring link above.

Bryan Angus

Ernie Els returns to play in Mauritius paradise this week

European Tour Afrasia Bank Mauritius Open tee times http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019003/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y#/leaderboard

Last week the pairing of Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin had the best Canadian result in 25 years at the World Cup of Golf in Melbourne, T4 and while Hadwin made the 14 hour flight back to Abbotsford in B.C., Taylor has decided to stay and play in the Australian PGA Championship and I'll have live scoring and details on that in my next post.

Meanwhile if you ever wonder how far this game has spread around the world, this week some of the players at the World Cup and the rest of the European Tour has flown into a tiny island paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean called Mauritius. for the Afrasia Bank Mauritius Open.

It is 2000 kilometers off the SE coast of Africa and was a British colony until 1965 when it gained independence. The religion is mainly Hindu with English and French listed as the main languages.

Ernie Els designed the Four Seasons Golf Club there and has returned to play it for the first time in 10 years. Ernie was in Melbourne as the captain of this year's Presidents Cup team so he decided to stop off on his way back to South Africa.

"It's really exciting to be back, I haven't been back here since we opened the course. It's so nice to have a tournament of this stature played on our golf course. It's been ten years since we opened the course and that was the last time I played it.

We've done quite a few courses since then but it comes flooding back to you.
I played the front nine earlier, I'll play the back nine now and get myself reacquainted with things - get my memory going again and remember why I put certain things where I did because ten years ago I was a different person playing golf and designing.
I would like to see what I have done well and what I've done badly.

 

Els said the course was in good shape but issued a warning to the strong field assembled in Mauritius this week about the challenging greens. "We have wider fairways but most of the holes were built thinking about the winds off the ocean. The greens are pretty small and they are quite undulating so that is where your challenge will be this week.

 

Steven Lecuyer is a 30 year old Canadian who has a residence in Bear Mountain, Rockland County, New York,  and has been playing this year on something called the Vodacom Tour which is the winter swing of the Sunshine Tour. He Monday qualified to play here this week.

 

Bryan Angus

 

England's Aaron Rai leads from wire to wire to win the Honma Hong Kong Open

European Tour Honma Hong Kong Open final leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019000/leaderboard/index.html#/results

After opening 65, and a new course record 61, English rookie Aaron Rai never looked back and despite a furious finish -6 64 by fellow countryman Matthew Fitzpatrick, he posted his 4th round in the 60's, this time a -1 69 to win the Honma Hong Kong Open by a shot after leading by 6 at the start of the day.

After 3 wins on the Challenge Tour this was his first win on the European Tour in only his 46th start, as they begin their 2019 Race to Dubai. Rai's mother is from Kenya and came to England in 1970.

Rai had this to say in his post round interview.

"It definitely hasn't sunk in just yet. I'll probably need a few days for that to happen.
It's incredible to win on any Tour, let alone the European Tour and let alone the Hong Kong Open. It's an incredible course, incredible event, very well supported. The crowds have been amazing. I'm just very grateful.

"Matt played incredibly all day. It was tough but again, I really just tried to play the course as much as possible rather than Matt or anyone else who was playing well today.  I luckily managed to do that for most of the way around. It was tough considering the situation but I'm very pleased"

 

Fitzpatrick's sensational 64 saw him finish alone 2nd -16, with another Challenge Tour graduate Victor Perez and Australian Jason Scrivener T3 -11.

Scot David Drysdale shot -4 66 -10 5th, while India's Rookie of the Year Shubhankar Sharma and Spanish pair Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello T6 -9.

Garcia capped off a terrific end to his year which was ignited at the Ryder Cup. He couldn't make enough putts today, and is now off to his homes in Crans Sur Sierre in Switzerland and Austin, Texas where his in laws live.

Bryan Angus

Hadwin and Taylor strong finish T4 at ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup

ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup final scoreboard https://www.asiantour.com/newsdetails/isps-handa-melbourne-world-cup-of-golf-final-results-n52444

After opening on Thursday in a T23 out of 28 teams Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor climbed steadily up the leaderboard and after a sterling -6 66 in this morning's foursomes they have finished T4 -17 at this ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup.

The two boyhood friends from Abbotsford, BC shot 68, 73, 64, 66 and earned $181,000 each. T4 with them were defending champions from Denmark Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen.

Third round leaders Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry went on to win the cup for Belgium for the first time by shooting -4 68 -23. The win was worth $1.12m US per player.

That was 3 shots clear of hard charging Aussies Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith -7 63 -20 and the Mexicans Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz -6 66 -20

From my memory that's the best finish since 1985 for a Canadian team since Dave Barr and the late Dan Halldorson won in California.


Bryan Angus

Hadwin and Taylor T8 at ISPS Hana World Cup...Rai leads in Hong Kong

The golf scene has moved to Hong Kong and down under to Melbourne, Australia and oh yes briefly to Las Vegas to that staged Phil vs Tiger $10m match.

As for the latter Phil edged Tiger on a 4th playoff hole to take home $9m of the sponsors not so hard earned money...Personally I had no interest..found it to be rather obscene. .

ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

In Melbourne, Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor are plugging away at the ISPS Handa World Match Play and after opening T23 they have moved up to a T8 at -11 after a bogey free -8 64 in today's fourball. They opened with 69 in fourballs on Thursday, managed E 72 in a howling gale and wind on Friday in foursomes before today's 64.

There is one more round of foursomes (best ball) to go at the Metropolitan Golf Course in Melbourne where the Belgian pair of Thomas Peters and Thomas Detry have a 5 shot lead after their -9 63 got them to -19.

There are 28 teams of 2. They play 4 rounds alternating between fourball and foursome formats.


European Tour Honma Hong Kong Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019000/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Meanwhile at the Honma Hong Kong Open, England's Aaron Rai leads Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick by 6 shots at -16 heading into Sunday's  final round.

He is after his first win on the European Tour as their 2019 season gets underway and has been outstanding shooting 65, 61, 68. He won 3 times on the Challenge Tour.

However the star of the week so far has been Sergio Garcia whose shotmaking has been spectacular, including a 200 yard slice from the rough around a huge tree, over a pond which hit the pin on the smallest part of the green and dropped stone dead. He is at -9 T4. He also drove the par 4 10th with a three wood, soaring over the pond and settling 5 feet away for an eagle 2. His 64 was the round of the day.

For those who have asked me, Honma is a high end Japanese golf club and apparel company, famous for its gold-plated clubs who are trying to become a major player in the golf business after having been purchased by Chinese businessman Liu Jianguo and who have recently hired several ex Taylor Made executives to bolster their North American operations.

Justin Rose has only ever played with Taylor Made, is rumoured to be leaving them and their star studded line-up including Tiger Woods, this season to join Honma.


Bryan Angus

Lexi Thompson wins LPGA Tour Championship....Ariya Jutanugarn wins Race to CME Globe...Henderson a strong 2nd

Lexi  Thompson was untouchable this weekend walking away with CME Group Tour Championship by 4 shots over Nelly Korda. She shot 65 67 68 70 for8 total.

Ariya Jutanugarn shot a final 66 T5 to clinch the Race to CME Globe and the $1m bonus and has swept the LPGA awards while Brooke Henderson  finished 2nd in the Race with a gutsy finish T10 -4 68


Bryan Angus

Big Sundays for Brooke Henderson and David Hearn

LPGA CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda and Carlota Ciganda will be in today's final pairing at this CME Group Tour Championship. Lexi has a 3 shot lead over Nelly and 6 over Carlota at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples Florida. Through 54 holes Thompson has only missed 2 fairways she is driving so well.

However none of them can win the Race to CME Globe. It's between Ariya Jutanugarn who shot 69 yesterday for a T12, 210 total, and Brooke Henderson who also shot 69 to move to T16. The Thai star has a commanding 28 shot cushion, so is odds on favourite to win the CME Globe bonus of $1m and in fact to make a clean sweep of all the LPGA awards, including the Vare trophy for the lowest scoring average. She has already won Player of the Year.


PGA Tour RSM Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/the-rsm-classic/leaderboard.html

Everyone's favourite golfer from Gilligan's Island Charles Howell III, the tour's ultimate grinder leads this RSM Classic after a 68 got him to -16 194 as he tries to end 332 starts on the PGA Tour without winning.

He has a one shot lead over red hot PGA Tour rookie Cameron Champ and Jason Gore, who each shot 66 and made up ground on the back nine of the Seaside course at Sea Island. Gore has been selling insurance since he packed up his pro golf career a few months ago.

However I'll be watching for nice guy David Hearn (67) who is having a great week so far, T7 at -11 under to be one of ten players within five shots of the lead. David has lost his full time playing privileges on the PGA Tour and is relying on sponsor exemptions for this season so a big Sunday could go a long way to resolving that.

Other Canucks: Ben Silverman (65) T32nd at -7. Corey Conners (70) is in a group T43rd at -6.  Roger Sloan (71) T75th at -1

Bryan Angus

Willett and Molinari the big winners in Dubai

European Tour DP World Golf Championship final scoreboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018090/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y

Danny Willett won the 2016 Masters, and hadn't won since. Francesco Molinari has done nothing but win this year. Both wrapped up this 2018 season today as the big winners at the DP World Golf Championship

Molinari his started his dream season with a win at the BMWPGA at Wentworth then 2nd at the Italian Open followed by another win at the Quicken Loans, Tiger's tournament on the PGA Tour, and he never looked back all summer, 2nd at the John Deer Classic, adding the Open title at Carnoustie and a perfect record at the Ryder Cup. All of that earned him enough points to coast to the Race to Dubai title which he did this morning T26 -6.

Danny Willett shot 67 67 68 68 -18 to return to the winners circle for the first time in 2 1/2 years. The Masters win for this modest Englishman and the subsequent birth of his son were all too much to handle. Most on this side of the Atlantic remember that Masters as the one Jordan Spieth blew but in Europe and in particular in the UK it elevated Willett into legendary status along with Sir Nick Faldo, Tony Jacklin and Rory McIlroy.

When he emerged from all the media attention and corporate demands he couldn't replicate his form, lost his confidence and his game just spiralled dropping out of the top 400 all the way to 462.

Finally his game returned late this year after hiring Canada's Sean Foley as his coach in 2017, with his name popping up on the leaderboard and the long road back must have been a massive relief with his win today.

"It's been a lot of hard work. It's been tough. I'm just massively proud of myself and everyone that's been around me. You never quite know when a win is around the corner and with all the things that have happened, I was never quite sure if it was going to happen again. To happen here at the end of year, we've battled long and hard through this season to come out at the end, regardless of what happened today, a better person and a better athlete. It's a special place. It's been a hell of a lot of work and it's just nice to be back"

 

Willett made three birdies in his last five holes to get to -18, two shots clear of fellow Englishman Matt Wallace (68) and reigning Masters Champion Patrick Reed (70).
Defending champion Jon Rahm (68) finished at -14 alongside fellow Spaniard Adrian Otaegui (69) and South African Dean Burmester (68)

Bryan Angus

Reed, Willett share the lead, Molinari closing on Race to Dubai title.

European Tour DP World Golf Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018090/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y#/leaderboard

In the battle to win the Race to Dubai, Francesco Molinari (70 -5) is on course to take the title, with closest rival Tommy Fleetwood (74 -6) eight shots off the lead and needing a win. Fleetwood virtually ended his chances today with 16 pars and 2 bogey's.

Danny Willett and Patrick Reed will share the lead heading into the final round of the 2018 European Tour season as the DP World Tour Championship was set for a dramatic finish at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

 

Reigning Masters champion Reed made four birdies in six holes on the back nine to sign for a 67 and set the target at -14 with Willett making three in a row from the 14th to join him with a 68. Reed is looking for his first victory since he donned the Green Jacket in April, while Willett's last win also came at Augusta National in 2016.

 

England's Jordan Smith (69) produced a big finish of his own to get to -13 under, one shot clear of countrymen Matt Wallace (71) and Lee Westwood (65), and South African Dean Burmester (68)

 

Bryan Angus

(europeantour.com)

Henderson shoots 69 at Tour Championship moves to #2 in Race to CME Globe

LPGA CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

With an improved -3 69 -2 total Brooke Henderson has moved into the T25 in this CME Group Tour Championship and into the #2 spot in the Race to CME Globe.

Starting on the back nine she posted 4 birdies and a bogey on her way to 33 and had one of each coming in for 36. She is driving superbly hitting 13/14 fairways again, and her iron play improved to 14/18 greens in regulation with 29 putts.

She is off at 9.03 Saturday morning.

With a -1 71 141 total Ariya Jutanugarn has regained the #1 spot after Nasa Hataoka slipped to #4 with her +4 76. Minjee Lee is at #3 while Sung Hyun Park remains at #5.
Anyone of them will win the Race to CME Globe if they win the Tour Championship.

Meanwhile leading the Tour Championship is a rejuvenated Lexi Thompson who was 18/18 in greens in regulation on her way to -5 67 -12 total good for a three shot lead over Amy Olson (72) and Brittany Lincicome (71) who led for most of the day until a late collapse with a double and two bogey's in her last 4 holes.

Thompson who is only 23, has taken a leave of absence this year citing mental fatigue which is not surprising since she has been playing on tour since she was 17 with all the pressures and behaviour expected of an adult. She like other young prodigies never had a chance to live a normal teenage life.

"I’m definitely having a lot of fun. I know that whether I play good or bad, I have my family friends and fans out here.”

Nelly Korda (67) and Marina Alex (67) are at 136 with Charley Hull (68), Carlota Ciganda (71) and Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras (70) at 137.



Bryan Angus

Fleetwood closes the gap, Molinari drops back at DP World Golf Championship

European Tour DP World Golf Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018090/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Tommy Fleetwood 69 67 -8 T6, Francesco Molinari 68 73 -3 T27 are the important numbers at the halfway point of the DP World Golf Championship.

Fleetwood needs victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates to have a chance of defending his title as Europe's #1, with Race to Dubai leader Francesco Molinari finishing worse than a T5. Molinari was a shot ahead of his pal after day one but while Fleetwood fired a -5 67 on Friday to sit just three shots off the lead at -8, the Italian was eight back at -3 after a +1 73.

"It's still a very difficult task. I've only won once this year, it's not like I'm a prolific winner this year. I've had chances and missed them. So I'm still trying to knock on that door and win a tournament, the same as everybody is. There's so many different things going on but the situation is pretty black and white, just keep going and just put everything into it for another two days.

“We've got two rounds of golf left of all the rounds of golf that have been played by all the players on Tour and you're still in with a chance to win the Race to Dubai. It's pretty cool and you'll always take it."

Matt Wallace 68 65 -11 is the leader looking for his 4th win of the year. Countryman Danny Willett fired a 67 2nd -10, alongside first-round leaders Adrian Otaegui (68) and Jordan Smith (68), with reigning Masters Champion Patrick Reed at -9 after a bogey-free 66


Notables : Rory McIlroy 69 67 -8, Patrick Reed 69 66 -9, Jon Rahm 67 70 -7, Henrik Stenson 71 66 -7.

Remember Fleetwood has to win, no matter what Molinari does, so although he has closed the gap, he still has a long way to go.

Bryan Angus

Henderson off to a battling start at CME Group Tour Championship

LPGA CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

Try as she may Brooke Henderson could only muster +1 73 in the opening round of the CME Group Tour Championship on a day when only 17 players were over par.
She made a bogey at the par 5 1st, had 4 bogey's in her first 13 holes, but she battled back with 3 birdies in her last 5 for a 39,34 73. She drove the ball well with 13/14 fairways and used 28 putts, but her greens in regulation was only 10/18.

In round 2 she is out in the early wave playing the back nine first.

The leader at -9 63 is Amy Olson. Nasa Hataoka and Brittany Lincicome are T2 -8 64. The Japanese star was the only one of 5 top seeds to threaten the lead. #1 Ariya Jutanugarn and #2 Minjee Lee shot 70's. #3 Brooke had to rally for her 73 while #5 Sung Hyun Park shot 71.

Olson set an NCAA record with 20 wins during her college career at North Dakota State. Lexi Thompson opened with -7 65. Lydia Ko a -2 69.

The weather for Naples, Florida on Friday is mainly sunny with a breeze blowing up to 18kph.


Bryan Angus

Brooke Henderson set to go at CME Group Tour Championship.. live scoring

LPGA CME Group Tour Championship leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

Play is underway under cloudy skies in Naples, Florida, with a few showers sprinkled in at the season ending CME Group Tour Championship to determine who will win the Race to the CME Group Globe.

Brooke Henderson is off #1 at 10.41am EST seeded #3 along with Korean Aussie Minjee Lee (#2) and Thailand's fun loving Ariya Jutanugarn (#1). Brooke and Ariya are two of the game's longest hitters..

Follow all their scoring live on my leaderboard link above..

Bryan Angus

Molinari solid in round one at DP World Golf Championship

European Tour DP World Golf Championship leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018090/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Here 's the deal in Dubai as round one wraps up at the DP World Championship in the Race to Dubai. If Tommy Fleetwood wants to win the Race he needs to win this weekend and have Francesco Molinari finish outside the top 5. Otherwise Frankie will win it. No other players can win the Race.

The top 10 players in the Race share the $10m prize pool with $250,000 to 10th and $1.4m to first.

In addition there is the prize money from this weekend's tournament as well with $1.6m going to the winner. Jon Rahm is the defending champion.

With round 1 in the books Spain's Adrian Otaegui and England's Jordan Smith lead at -6 66. Rahm and Danny Willett are at -5 67.

Molinari made 2 late bogey's after a flawless 14 holes to shoot -4 68 while his pal Tommy Fleetwood birdied the last for -3 69.

China's Haotong Li who gave the Turkish Airlines Open away to Justin Rose, continues his great form at -4 68, Rory McIlroy is in a big group at -3 69 as is Patrick Reed.

They are playing in absolutely ideal weather at the fabulously wealthy Jumeirah Golf Estates, no wind, clear blue desert skies, it is a very opulent setting for the European's Middle East HQ.

At the day's end Francesco Molinari has improved his already dominant position in the Race to Dubai.

Bryan Angus

Tuesday morning shag bag...includes McIlroy giving up European Tour membership

With snow flying all around us this 2018 gold season "kinda" comes to an end this weekend in Dubai for the European Tour and Naples, Florida. for the LPGA.

Not to confuse you but the wrap around season on the PGA Tour continues in Sea Island, Georgia with the RSM Classic where six Canadians tee it up. 2016 champion Mac Hughes, David Hearn, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson, Ben Silverman and Corey Connors.

Congratulations albeit a tad tardy to Brad Fritsch who made it through to the final stage of the Web.com Tour Q School (Dec 6-9 Chandler Arizona). He just made it on the number and will be joined by Seann Harlington, Micheal Gligic and Albin Choi.

Adam Hadwin shot in the 60's all week to finish T10 in Mexico at the Mayakoba Resort where Matt Kuchar turned a working family holiday into a $1.6m payday with his first win in 3 years.

Stephen Ames had a very impressive run through the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs T15, T3, T5 to finish 21st on the Senior Circuit's money list. He was in contention on Sunday until VJ Singh went out and shot 61 to win the tournament and leave Bernhard Langer with his 5th Charles Schwab Cup.

Rory McIlroy has announced that due to the re-scheduling of the Players Championship and the PGA Championship being brought forward to March and May and the BMWPGA Championship at Wentworth being moved back to September he won't be playing in European Tour events apart from the Open and WGC events for at least the first half of next year which means he will have to relinquish his membership for the season.

" Everything next year is condensed between March and August so I will take some time off after this week to get ready for that schedule in the States".


Race to CME Group Tour Championship:
After a week off, recovering from 4 weeks in Asia, Brooke Henderson goes into the LPGA season's finale ranked 3rd. Anyone of the top 5 who wins this weekend will win the Race and the $1m bonus. Ariya Jutanugarn is ranked #1. Throughout her last 4 weeks of play Brooke's putter wasn't hot. When it is, she is very hard to beat.


Race to Dubai DP World Championship:
No matter who wins this weekend's season ending tournament in Dubai, only Francesco Molinari or Tommy Fleetwood will win the Race to Dubai, and between these Ryder Cup heroes and best pals, Frankie has a clear cut lead based on the phenomenal year he has produced, including the Ryder Cup heroics, and the Open Championship.

Bryan Angus

Stephen Ames ties course record at Charles Schwab Cup Championship

PGA Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/champions/competition/2018/charles-schwab-cup-championship/leaderboard.html

To be honest with you there was a time when Lee Trevino, Jack, Arnie and Gary were all on the Senior Tour it was a way more exciting than the PGA Tour. Recently with Bernhard Langer's dominance and lack of star power, it has become a little boring from my point of view.

However Stephen Ames has been playing well this year with 3 top 10's including T3 at the Senior Open Championship. He is currently ranked 36th.

Yesterday he eagled the 18th to tie the Phoenix CC record -10 61. It was his best score on this tour and on the PGA Tour and it puts him in 2nd place at 68 67 61 -17 just a shot behind Scott McCarron who is vying with Langer to win the Charles Schwab Cup.

Stephen will be in the final group for the 3rd week in a row and should he win it would be his biggest victory since the Players Championship in 2006.


Bryan Angus

Veteran Lee Westwood shoots 64 to win Nedbank Golf Challenge

European Tour Nedbank Golf Challenge final scoreboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018089/leaderboard/index.html#/results

From tee to green England's veteran Lee Westwood has been as good as anyone on the European Tour throughout his 20 plus year career, in fact as well as anyone anywhere during his stint as world # 1 in 2010. He's also won the Order of Merit, Player of the Year 4 times, starred in 10 Ryder Cups, and has been awarded the OBE.

These days at 45 the Ryder Cup stalwart has been reduced to the coaching ranks along with another former world #1 Luke Donald.

Since Paris he's been playing steadily, this week in Sun City the putts started falling and today after an eagle at his 2nd hole he caught and joined his great pal Sergio Garcia, and Louis Oosthuizen atop the leaderboard for a terrific afternoon on this Gary Player course at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

It was Westwood who birdied 5 of his last 8 holes for a 64 -15 to pull away from Sergio who shot 70 -12 and Oosthuizen who made a double bogey on 18 for a 69 -11 and 3rd place.

It's his 24th European Tour win..43 world wide and he was moved to tears after his round.

 " I'm a bit emotional to tell you the truth. At my age you never know if you will do it again. I'm going through a bit of a thing with my swing and recently have been seeing better results. That 7 iron I hit into 17 was one of the best of my life "

Hugged by his girlfriend/ caddy Helen Storey, Westwood returns to the winners circle for the first time in 3 years and a win in the lucrative Rolex Series worth over $1.2m.

Next week he'll be in the field for the season finale for the Race to Dubai which  he won in 2009, with another Ryder Cup hero, Frankie Molinari firmly in the drivers seat.

Bryan Angus

Garcia leads after 3 rounds at a very difficult Nedbank Golf Challenge

European Tour Nedbank Golf Challenge leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018089/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Sun City is a magnificent resort built in a crater of an extinct volcano in the North West  province of South Africa about 2 hours from Johannesburg. World class facilities including the Palace of the Lost City, a huge wave machine, entertainment center and a neighbouring nature reserve it has a bit of everything a holiday destination could offer.

Gary Player was hired to give it a fitting championship golf course and his creation with it's sloping tight fairways and smallish undulating tricky greens is once again providing a tough challenge for this top class international field, even with idealic weather, hot and sunny, under a clear azure blue sky. Only 8 players managed to score in the 60's.

Sergio Garcia fired a -1 71 on day three of this Nedbank Golf Challenge to open up a two-shot lead as he looks for a wire-to-wire victory in the seventh Rolex Series event of the season.

 

He will enter the final day at -10 as he looks to make it back-to-back wins after winning his Andalucia Valderrama Masters. Louis Oosthuizen ground out an E 72 to sit in second at -8.

“To win would be great. Winning any tournament is always amazing but winning here, a Rolex Series Event, obviously is extra special. It would be really nice and we're going to try to do that. It's going to be tough, there's no doubt about that, but it's great to come with some good momentum, playing nicely and in the lead. It should be a fun day.I think if I can manage to shoot somewhere in the 60s, maybe 70 might be enough. I'm going to see if I can shoot below 70 and see if that's good enough.”

Belgian Thomas Detry (68), Finn Mikko Korhonen (71) and England's Lee Westwood (69) are at -7, a shot clear of another Englishman in Ross Fisher who had the low score of the day (67).

 

Bryan Angus

 

Gabby Lopez hangs on to win the Blue Bay LPGA

Blue Bay LPGA final leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

It wasn't pretty, bogey, bogey finish, +1 73, but it was just enough to give Gabby Lopez her first LPGA win one shot ahead of Ariya Jutanugarn in the Blue Bay tournament in China. She finished at -8 280. She was dressed in the colours of the Mexican flag.

Playing with Lopez, Jutanugarn had a birdie on the final hole to also finish on 73 -7 total 281 while Celine Boutier was 7 shots better with a 66 -6 282 total good for 3rd place.

Lopez is the first winner from Mexico since the great Lorena Ochoa. "I mean, she's been my inspiration my entire life," Lopez said of Ochoa. "That's why I'm actually a professional golfer."
Ochoa retired in her prime in 2010 to raise a family. She was the LPGA's top-ranked golfer for several years winning 27 LPGA Tour events.

Lopez said she was also thinking of her grandfather, Jose Lopez, who died recently.
"I always told him that I was going to give him my first trophy. Sadly I didn't, but he was with me all week long and I couldn't be more lucky, more fortunate to have him still alive in me."

Canadian scores : Alena Sharp 69 76 75 75 +7 T33, Brittany Marchand 72 75 77 78 +14 T61

This wraps up the 5 event Asian swing and the field returns to Naples, Florida next week  for the Race to CME Globe final to end the 2018 season. Brooke Henderson is projected  at #3.  http://www.lpga.com/race-to-cme-globe/projected-points-standing.

Bryan Angus

Sloppy finish by Garcia opens the floodgates at the Nedbank Golf Challenge

European Tour Nedbank Golf Challenge leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018089/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y#/leaderboard

Sergio Garcia began his day with a 4 shot lead after a masterful -8 64 on Thursday and soon extended that to five, but some sloppy play and a charge by Louis Oosthuizen reduced the lead to 1, and opened the floodgates for the rest of the contenders in this Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Garcia signed for a 71 -9 total but fellow major Champion Oosthuizen came home in 32  for a 67 -8 total and emerge as the nearest challenger at Gary Player Country Club.

However with 36 holes to play guys like Finn Mikko Korhonen -6, Dylan Frittelli, English pair Aaron Rai and Lee Westwood, and Ireland's Shane Lowry all at -4 are right back in contention.

Sergio was cruising along out in 33 -11 total, however 3 bogey's in his last 6 holes, including a 3 putt at the 18th dropped him to -9.

However he still has the lead despite his finish and the way he is striking the ball on this shot maker's golf course should keep him in contention come Sunday afternoon.

Bryan Angus

Adam Hadwin just one off the lead at Mayakoba Golf Classic

PGA Tour Mayakoba Golf Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/mayakoba-golf-classic/leaderboard.html

Matt Kuchar hasn't won in 4 years so he decided to bring his family to Mexico for a working holiday at this Mayakoba Golf Classic resort and proceeded to fire a -7 64 to share the lead with Jordan Spieth's Texas roommate Kramer Hickok and Domenic Bozelli.

Hickok is a PGA Tour rookie looking for new digs as Spieth who shot 71 is getting married next week.

Meanwhile Adam Hadwin who has played well here in the past shot a strong bogey free -6 65 T4 just a shot behind. The highlight of his round was an eagle on the par 5 13th.

Other Canadians: Nick Taylor 68 T42, Adam Svensson 70 T77, Corey Connors 72 T109,  Mac Hughes 73 and Roger Sloan 75

Rickie Fowler posted a 66, as over half of the field shot in the 60's. Of note Mexican Abraham Ancer shot a 65 and his T4 last week in Las Vegas moved him to No. 98 in the world. That made Ancer the first Mexican golfer to crack the top 100 in the world ranking.


Bryan Angus

Mexican Gabby Lopez leads Blue Bay LPGA..Sharp, Marchand drop back

Blue Bay LPGA leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

Mexican Gabby Lopez turned 25 on Saturday and promptly went out to shoot a sparkling -6 66 highlighted by a hole in one at the par 3 17th to take a 1 shot lead at -9 going into the final round at this Blue Bay LPGA. She is looking for her first LPGA win.

She will be paired again tomorrow with Ariya Jutanugarn who slipped to a -1 71 -8 total.

It seems to be a two horse race with the nearest challenge coming from Sei Young Kim and Sung Hyun Park at -4.

Alena Sharp who opened brightly with a 69 has slipped out of contention with 76 75 T23 +4 while Brittany Marchand is T51 +8.

This is the final event of the Asian swing as the players will return to Naples, Florida next week for the season finale, The Race to CME Globe.


Bryan Angus

Sergio Garcia stars in the first round at Nedbank Challenge

European Tour Nedbank Challenge leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018089/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

The Nedbank Challenge is played in Sun City, RSA and the Gary Player CC course features tight undulating fairways and small sloping greens. It's a second shot venue with a premium on accuracy of the tee.

As soon as I saw the field I thought Sergio Garcia should do well here this week especially after his recent win on a similar course set up at Valderrama.

It's no surprise he has been the star of round 1 with a superbly controlled -8 64. He birdied the first and never really looked back. He leads by 4 shots in ideal sunny South African weather.

The Spaniard has won twice before at Gary Player Country Club before this event joined the European Tour International Schedule and his -8 was his lowest round in Sun City since he claimed his first title in 2001 when it was an 18 man
invitational.

 

Since being selected as a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup by Thomas Bjørn, Garcia has had a T10 at the Portugal Masters, won three points at Le Golf National to become Europe's all-time leading scorer and won the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

 

Fellow countryman Charl Schwartzel leads 3 players on -4 after a 68. the others are

Finn Mikko Korhonen and Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera.

Bryan Angus

Sharp and field face windy conditions at Blue Bay LPGA

Blue Bay LPGA leaderboard
http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

Alena Sharp was not alone in the wind during round 2 of the Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island, China. On a day when only 8 players broke par she got around in +4 76 after opening with -3 69 so she finds herself T11 +1 heading into the weekend. The wind was gusting up to 28mph.

The best of today's scoring was powerful world #1 Ariya Jutanugarn with a remarkable -4 68 and she leads the field by 4 shots at -7.

Her older sister Moriya leads the chasing pack at -3 and they may be paired together on Saturday. Ariya says they are staying together but get along better on course than they do off it.

"She is very professional, neat and tidy while I throw everything. She yells at me every day !"

Brittany Marchand is T23 after rounds of 72 75 +3


Bryan Angus

Alena Sharp returns in fine form, T2 at Blue Bay LPGA in China

LPGA Tour Blue Bay LPGA leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

After 6 weeks off, she hadn't played since the Evian Championship, she played and won an event on the Cactus Tour as a warm up last week, Alena Sharp has opened with a -3 69 T2 at the windswept Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island in China.

" I didn't have a great year last season, played a lot and it seemed to drag me down, so I've been at home getting caught up, answering mail and all those everyday things. I spent a couple of weeks with my coach getting ready. "

Alena's story has had many twists and turns, but from my experience she has always been a very shy woman, who was very hard on herself and pretty gruff with the media. However at 35 she seems happier in her own skin, the fact that she openly came out for the first time to talk about the fact she is gay last year, and in love with her bubbly caddy Sarah Bowman may have had a co-relation.

Diminutive Thai golfer Thidapa Suwannapura shot a -4 68 to lead the tournament by one shot from her compatriot Ariya Jutanugarn and Alena.

Six other players, including three other Thai players, were two shots back and five others were three off the lead in the 72-hole tournament, which concludes the LPGA's Tour's Asian swing.

Brittany Marchand is T15 E 72.

Bryan Angus

Justin Rose beats Haotong Li in a playoff at Turkish Airlines Open

European Tour Turkish Airlines Open final scoreboard
http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018088/leaderboard/index.html#/results

Live : Talk about pressure ! Justin Rose has just made bogey at both the 17th and 18th while Haotong Li missed one of his own to win at the 17th to force a playoff at this spectacular Turkish Airlines Open.

Li started the day with a 3 shot lead. Rose was fighting to defend his title and regain the world #1 spot.

Both missed their birdie putts in the first playoff hole, the 18th..Rose tapped in for par while Li missed his 3 footer for par giving the title to Rose. Li 3 putted from 12 feet.

“A tough day for me, honestly,” said Li. “The play-off, I saw that ball definitely go in. I think I played well the whole week but didn't hole a few putts on the last and that was it."

 

While Li will smart for a while and probably never forget that 3 putt, he will take solace from the fact he led by three shots after three rounds, opening with a -9 63, and played superbly all week. The 23 year old Chinese player is already a star, and I believe will be at the front of a new wave of players from his country, which as little as 40 years ago had just one golf course under that communist regime.

 

The victory sees Rose join Jon Rahm and Alex Noren as a multiple Rolex Series winner and represents the first successful title defence of his career. It also adds another $1.6m to his massive bank account.

Bryan Angus

Hataoka leads Japanese charge to win the Toto Japan Classic

LPGA Toto Japan Classic final scoreboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

As if she wasn't popular enough before, 19 year old Nasa Hataoka has won the Toto Japan Classic 66 69 67 -14 by two shots and to the absolute joy of all golf fans in her country two other Japanese players T2.!

Saki Nagamine  68 68 68 -12 and Momoko Ueda 69 67 68 -12 made sure it was a banner day for Japanese golf. They were joined at -12 by Spain's Carlota Ciganda 68 68 68 -12.

Hataoka started the day four shots behind leader Minjee Lee who didn't bring her "A" game with a front nine at +7 43, good news for Hataoka, who played those holes in 36. Lee ended up with a 78.

The win was Hatoaka's 2nd of the year on the LPGA Tour.

Brooke Henderson who sent Canadian golf fans into a tizzy when she won the CP Canadian Women's Open earlier this year completed her Asian swing well down the field T41 69 72 73 -2.


Bryan Angus

Rose and Levy chasing Chinese star Haotong Li in Turkey

European Tour Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018088/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

This Turkish Airlines Open has grown from an exhibition match a few years ago to help promote the game and more importantly the destination as a holiday resort for the massive European holiday market pouring into Portugal and Spain every winter, to the final event in the lucrative Rolex Series ,the prime regular season events on the tournament schedule.

They are playing and staying at the ultra luxurious Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort overlooking the Mediterranean in Southern Turkey.

Chinese star Haotong Li is in front by three shots after 3 rounds 66 67 63 -17 and his nearest pursuers at -14 are defending champion Justin Rose (69) and Frenchman Alexander Levy (66)

Rose is looking to close the gap on Frankie Molinari in the Race to Dubai, and return to the world #1 in the process. Remember folks, Rosey is a very wealthy man these days having just won the Fed Ex Cup along with it's $10m bonus..

Bryan Angus

Henderson loses ground at Toto Japan Classic

LPGA Toto Japan Classic leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/leaderboard

On a Saturday when Aussie, Minjee Lee led the charge with a -8 64 to take the lead at -13 and more than half the field was under par, Brooke Henderson stalled with an E 72 to remain at -3 but now T25, 10 shots off the lead with just one round to play at the Toto Japan Classic.

Brooke posted 16 pars, 1 birdie and 1 bogey on a day where she hit 17/18 greens in regulation but used 36 putts which tells the story of her round.

22 year old Lee who vied with Henderson as the world #1 during their amateur careers, is three strokes ahead of local favorite, Japan's Sakura Koiwai, who had seven birdies and a lone bogey for a 66 -10 total.

Japanese star 19 year old Nasa Hataoka managed a -3 69 and is T3 at -9 which is delighting her adoring fans.

Bryan Angus

Justin Rose leads the Turkish Airlines Open heading into the weekend.

European Tour Turkish Airlines Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2018/tournamentid=2018088/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y#/leaderboard

Defending champion Justin Rose will take a two-shot lead into the weekend at the Turkish Airlines Open after firing a second consecutive -6 65 at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort.

The Englishman would go back to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking with a win on Sunday and he would also become the first player to mount a successful defence of a Rolex Series title.

 

A win would also be a first successful defence of any title for Rose but the man with five top tens in his last six European Tour events has an elite chasing pack behind him.

 

England's Tom Lewis fired the lowest round of the week so far with a 63 to get to -10 alongside countryman and Masters Champion Danny Willett (65), and Danish Ryder Cup star Thorbjørn Olesen (67).

 

This is the 3rd last event of the year on the European Tour, the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa goes next week, before the Race to Dubai wraps up the following week in the UAE with Francesco Molinari in the lead. 

 

Bryan Angus

(europeantour.com)

Brooke Henderson T15 after opening round in Japan

LPGA Toto Japan Classic leaderboard http://www.lpga.com/

In her last tournament of the LPGA Asian Swing, Brooke Henderson has opened with -3 69 good for T15 at the Toto Japan Classic. She went out in +1 37 but got her game going with 4 birdies including back to back at 17 and 18, for 32. Brooke hit 8/14 fairways, but 14/18 greens in regulation and used just 28 putts. She also scrambled well with 3/3 sand saves.

The leader at -7 65 is South Korean world #3, So Yeon Ryu who posted a back nine 31 and used just 27 putts.

The lead story however is Japanese teenage sensation Nasa Hataoka who is T2 -6 66. Hataoka earned her first career win at the 2018 NW Arkansas Championship then the following week, she shot a 64 to get into a playoff at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she ultimately fell to Sung Hyun Park. She is just 19.


Bryan Angus