with Bryan Angus

Thanks for joining me today. I look forward to your comments . They are always welcome here on FairwaysPlus. Bryan Angus bryanangus4@gmail.com



Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Where the Canadians are as the Fed Ex Cup playoffs get set to begin

PGA Tour Wyndham Championship field https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/wyndham-championship/field.html

This is the final week on the PGA Tour before the Fed Ex Cup playoffs begin. Here is a run down of how the Canadians stand going into this week at the Wyndham Championship. The top 125 will begin the playoffs from August 8-25 starting with the Northern Trust at the Liberty National GC, New Jersey.

Corey Connors (31), Adam Hadwin (41),  Roger Sloan (91), Mac Hughes (103) and Nick Taylor (114) are all set for the playoffs and they are all in this weekends field at the Wyndham Championship, along with Mike Weir, Ben Silverman (181), Adam Svensson (171).

David Hearn has had a tough year, he is currently (173) and is an alternative for the Wyndham this week. He probably will have to try and regain his card by playing in the Korn Ferry Tour 4 event finals.



LPGA Tour
Last week at the Evian Championship in France, Brooke Henderson T17. Along with Alena Sharp she is in Milton Keynes, England this week, at the venerable Woburn GC for the Women's British Open. Woburn is the home club for Ian Poulter.


Korn Ferry Tour
This was the Web.com Tour before their agreement expired. Korn Ferry is a management consulting firm headquartered in LA. Albin Choi and Brad Fritsch are in Hayward Calif., for the Ellie Mae Classic. Seann Harlingten  (an alternate)


PGA Tour Champions (off)

Bryan Angus



Monday, July 29, 2019

Tom Watson, the adopted Scot, packs it in after 5 Open Championships.

" My toolbox is now closed. I don't have the tools to compete with these guys anymore"

These words from Lytham and St Anne's over  the weekend at the Senior Open Championship ( Bernhard Langer won), a place by the way Tom Watson never won the Open. He won 4 of his 5 in Scotland, the other at Royal Birkdale. He won't play another major.

I first saw Tom play when he won his first, at Carnoustie in the 1975 Open. His red hair, freckled face and gap tooth grin reminded us of Huckleberry Finn, and when he adorned a tartan cap he was warmly embraced as an adopted Scot. He beat the Aussie playboy Jack Newton in an 18 hole playoff.

He didn't like links at first but  that soon changed, in fact he mastered them winning again in 1977 (Turnberry), 1980 (Muirfield), 1982 (Royal Troon), and 1983. Perhaps the one he didn't win, nearing his 60th birthday at Turnberry in 2009 when he missed that 8 footer on the 72nd, then lost to Stewart Cink over the 4 hole playoff, would have been the most famous.

His epic "Battle in the Sun" again at Turnberry in 1977, during a rare Scottish heat wave is deserving of a Hollywood movie, Tom edging Jack on the final hole after Jack had hacked out from under a whin bush, then holed a 40 footer for a birdie.

While he is most remembered for his championships in Scotland, he also won the Masters 1977, 1981 and the US Open in 1982, was the world #1 ranked golfer from '78-'82, won the PGA Tour player of the year 6 times and is of course in the Hall Of Fame. He has also won 3 Senior Open Championships and owns 70 wins world wide.

He wasn't a charismatic character in his early career, pretty down to earth, not the warmest of guys, but those tremendous wins at the Open humbled him. The adoration of the Scottish fans in the home of golf, breaking through the crowd swarming behind him in Open Championship style, with caddie Alfie Fyles being rescued behind him, doffing his tartan cap with that Huck Finn smile beaming on his freckled face, will never be replaced and is how I choose to remember him.

Adopted son indeed !

Bryan Angus

Keopka's European Tour travels have given him an advantage

" I visited the St Jude hospital 3 years ago and it changed my life forever. These kids are fighting every day for their lives, their parents have given up everything. Nothing that we deal with matters at all, they put into perspective how unimportant golf and all we get with it is"

When Brooks Keopka arrived from Florida on the European Challenge Tour 10 years ago, big, tanned hitting it a mile, I wondered if he knew what he was getting into. Playing in front of sparse crowds in countries where golf is lucky to make the back pages of the sports section, different languages, money, religions, with little adulation, a long, long way from home and family is a daunting challenge to a spoiled American.

He proved that my concerns were groundless. He embraced his new peers and their shared journey. Travel is the great educator, and Brooks learned well. Unlike guys like Jordan Spieth who stayed at home with all it's comforts, silver spoon as it were, Brooks was on a 2nd class ticket from Christchurch in NZ to Joburg South Africa, trying to win his way onto the European Tour.

Along the way he became a man of the world, all his experiences giving him a balance, an appreciation of things most people back home take for granted.

He came back to the PGA Tour after winning around the world, armed with not only a great game, but an unspoiled attitude. People today mistake it for arrogance. They are wrong. Frankness, yes, cocky yes, self assured yes. Sounds like qualities for most great champions, eh!

Yesterday with the Fed Ex St.Jude Invitational WBC title on the line, he got down to business with 3 birdies on the front nine while Rory couldn't make any, never looked back for his 7th tour championship and he goes into the season ending playoffs the #1 seed, #1 in the world, and by the way $4.5m richer from his week's work.

That's a long way from the 21 year old kid that arrived years ago, on the other side of the pond playing for a few hundred whatever the currency was !

Golf is now a world wide game, South Korea dominates the women's game, China is emerging, there are pro tournaments galore there now, social media is instant, players are in constant touch to the world at a flip of their phone.

Brooks Keopka is the best prepared American to deal with all of that, and will be for years to come thanks to his travels on the European tours.

Bryan Angus

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Rory shoots 62 to take Sunday lead at WGC in Memphis.. live scoreboard

WGC Fed Ex St Jude Invitational leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019064/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Rory McIlroy will be in today's final pairing with Brooks Keopka much to the delight of all concerned at the WGC Fed Ex St Jude Invitational in Memphis.

He fired a brilliant -8 62 -12 total on Saturday while Keopka posted -6 64 -11.

Matthew Fitzpatrick is 3rd at -10 and big Jon Rahm leads a pack at -9.

Bryan Angus

Monday, July 22, 2019

Shane Lowry tops a historic Open week at Royal Portrush

The Open final leaderboard https://www.theopen.com/leaderboard

 " Next week I'll be playin' in Memphis in front of a man and a dog "

One of my favourite quips of many from Shane Lowry after his most enjoyable win, topping a historic week at the 148th Open which had a bit of everything at Royal Portrush.

This refreshingly unfiltered Irishman, modest, vulnerable, someone said he "looks like a guy who should be guarding the Claret Jug... not holding it", connects with everyday, ordinary folk, because that's what he is...albeit with an extraordinary ability to play the game of golf.

Mother Nature was very kind all week, welcoming the viewing world to sunshine as coverage began to her little slice of what has been a troubled part of the world, 40 minutes NW of Belfast, right on the Atlantic seaside at Portrush.

She provided fairly benign weather all week long, but she arrived with a rainstorm and wind blowing at 25mph that the locals are all to familiar with on the back nine on Sunday.

That was critical as none of the chasing pack could mount any sort of challenge in the wind, not one of the 6 final groups, including the Keopka's, Rose's, Fowlers and Fleetwood's broke par.

That left Shane, not Rory or Paddy or GMac or Darren, riding along with his 6 shot lead built on his magnificent 63 on Saturday, to finally emerge unscathed from the crowd converging on the 72nd in Open tradition, to tap in, and change his life, and perhaps others in Northern Ireland, as well as the Republic, forever. At very least he did those ancient relationships, no harm.

Bryan Angus

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Shane Lowry set to send "Irish eyes a smilin' ".live scoring

The Open leaderboard https://www.theopen.com/leaderboard

The final round of this wildly successful 148th Open is under way under overcast skies at Royal Portrush, sold out months ago with the 2nd highest attendance figures in history, in this little town away up on the Atlantic, at the tip of Northern Ireland.

Having "gotten on with it" after the heartbreak of Rory's early exit and with GMac out of contention it has been another Irishman, this one from the south, or the Republic as its known, Shane Lowry who had the Saturday of his life posting a record setting -9 63 -16 total to take a 4 shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood who will be his playing partner today.

Lowry has won the Irish Open as an amateur along with the West of Ireland and Northern Ireland championships..so he has those bases covered.

It is his to lose. The scene is set, but the title is far from it.

He will get the worst of the weather which has moved in forcing tee times up by 2 hours. He told his caddie to enjoy their walk up 18 yesterday because " they may never have another day like this in their lives"

He is unlikely to post anything like 63 today  and a birdie by Tommy and a bogey by Shane and the lead is just 2..  JB Holmes is at -10...Rose and Keopka are at -9 and Fowler at -8 and you'd think one of them will post a challenge to post in the clubhouse.

Can Shane do enough to hold on and send Irish eyes home "a smilin' "

I sure hope so. As he said yesterday " The crowds are right on top of me screaming in my face. "

There has been a horrible lifetime of troubles between the catholics in the south and the protestants in this north.

A win by Lowry today, can't help but put salve on those old wounds.

Bryan Angus

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Rory, Tiger both miss the weekend at The Open..live scoreboard

The Open scoreboard  https://www.theopen.com/leaderboard

So 8-1 favourite Rory McIlroy shoots 79, 65 +2 to miss the cut...a disaster... Tiger shoots 78, 71 to miss the cut... "All the air just went oot' the ball.."

All people who are Irish were reminded how cruel the " Golfing Gods" can be. Rory could hit 100 balls with his 4 iron off that first tee and never put one out of bounds , but on the day of days with expectations running through the roof he draws one OB then hits a second nearly as bad and despite a valiant effort on Friday with a 14 shot improvement he'll watch the title he most wanted to win from home..if he can stand it..

As for Tiger..you can't just show up at Portrush without knowing it and with little prep and expect to succeed..even if you are Tiger...no surprise.

So today all the other storylines move into the spotlight..Will Keopka win yet another major..or even finish 2nd? ..Can Shane Lowry or GMac make " Irish eyes a' smiling" Will the weather pour in with the wind as it does so often off the wild north Atlantic.. Tommy Fleetwood..Lee Westwood..Justin Rose all with their own stories. Imagine Westwood for so long the best player to never win a major turning the trick at his age..wow!.. Will Jordan Spieth revive his career?

Adam Hadwin has made the cut at +1. JB Holmes and Shane Lowry lead at -8 and there is a jampacked leaderboard right behind them.

It's all there to play for even with the two leading men off the stage.

Round 3 is now underway. It's cool and sunny so far with a fresh breeze which will keep scoring at a premium.

Follow your favourites on my scoring link above.

Bryan Angus

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Up early with round 1 from The Open at Royal Portrush.. live scoreboard

The Open leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Before I head out into this suffocating heatwave plaguing the GTA today, like many of you I've been watching the start of this marvellous 148th Open from Royal Portrush where as advertised it is overcast, a little breeze with rain showers mixed with some sunshine... almost ideal !

Native son Darren Clarke hit the first shot around 1.35am EST and he has been the story in the early going, out in -2 34, part of a large group which to the delight of the sold out crowd includes fellow Irishman Shane Lowry and Graham McDowell who used to sneak on the course as a lad with his brother.

This old course is set dramatically amongst the hillocks and dunes of the north Atlantic in Northern Ireland, 50 miles NW of Belfast. It's the first time back here since 1951 and I must say I wonder why.

The main man, the headliner Rory McIlroy has just teed off and the whole of Ireland slumped as he pulled his iron shot out of bounds and took a "snowman" quadruple bogey 8 !!

As in the old adage " the plot thickens"

More to follow

Bryan Angus

Monday, July 15, 2019

1st round tee times for the 148th Open at Royal Portrush

The Open tee times for Thursday https://www.theopen.com/teetimes

The field for this 148th Open is set, all the qualifiers are in, the last being Darren Frittalli for his win at the John Deere, and England's Andrew Johnston, Frenchman Benjamin Hebert and Italy's Nino Bertasio for their performance at the Scottish Open.

Click above for the Thursday tee times and indeed bio's on each and every player in the biggest and best major of the year world wide, make no mistake.

This year it returns to Northern Ireland at Royal Portrush GC for the first time since 1951. Click here for pictures and a card of the course.http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019062/venue/index.html

County Antrim is right on the Irish Sea, about as far north as you can get in Northern Ireland. The weather for the week is the complete opposite from last week at the Renaissance GC in North Berwick where it was sunny and calm all week.

There will be overcast skies, cool temperatures 12*c - 20*c and rain in the forecast every day with a breeze from the NW...It could be worse !

This is the first all ticket Open such is it's popularity, it is sold out and is as big as it gets for Northern Ireland. Wins by Darren Clarke, who has a home here and will hit the first tee shot, Rory and to a certain extent Paddy Harrington (who is not from the north), along with Graeme McDowell's win at the US Open in 2010 pretty much paved the way for this return to Portrush, which will host it twice again in years to come.

There are three Canadians in this international field. Austin Connelly is paired with American Jason Kokrak and Scotland's Connor Syme at 9.36am.Corey Connors plays with David Duval and former champion Zach Johnson at 9.47.Adam Hadwin plays with Cameron Smith the brilliant young Aussie and American David Lipsky who plays exclusively on the European Tour.

For all Tiger fans he's off late at 310pm with Patrick Reed and England's Matt Wallace.

There are 6 Irish players in the field led by the bookies favourite at 8-1 Rory McIlroy. Graeme McDowell, and Darren Clarke from Northern Ireland and Paddy Harrington, British Amateur champion James Sugrue and Shane Lowry from Ireland.

Bryan Angus






Sunday, July 14, 2019

Bernd Weisberger leads a truly international field at the Scottish Open

European Tour Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019060/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

The Austrian flag of Bernd Wiesberger  (67 61 65 -20) is atop the leaderboard as play gets underway today in the final round of the Scottish Open, proudly sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments, but there are nine others in the top 10 chasing him in this truly international field.

He fired the lowest round of his career with a 61 on Friday on a defenceless Renaissance Club and he followed that with a 65 on Saturday to get to -20 after 54 holes, and that is the lowest 54 hole score ever at this event and also the lowest of the 2019 Race to Dubai.

South African Erik van Rooyen shot a 67, -18 total,  two shots ahead of Italian Nino Bertasio and Frenchman Romain Langasque.
Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Italian Lorenzo Gagli, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui and English pair Lee Slattery and Matt Wallace are all at -15.

Past champion, Sweden's Henrik Stenson leads a pack at -14 as he rounds into form for next week's Open at Royal Portrush.


Bryan Angus
(europeantour.com)


Roger Sloan leads Canadians at the John Deere Classic.

PGA Tour John Deere Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/john-deere-classic/leaderboard.html

Roger Sloan (68 65 67 -13 T9) leads the Canadians at the John Deere Classic, just three shots behind the lead. Nick Taylor (67 69 66 -11 T14) and Adam Svensson (70 65 68 -10 T21) are also in contention.

Cameron Tringale, looking for his first win, shot a -6 65 to match Andrew Landry (67) who has one, at -16 197 to take the lead into today's final round on the TPC Deere Run, but they have a large pack chasing them.

Bill Haas (64) and Adam Schenk (66) are a stroke back at -15. Nick Watney (64), Ryan Moore (65), Dylan Frattelli (65) and Vaughn Taylor (66) are all at -14.

Chris Stroud (66), Lucas Glover (69) are with Roger Sloan (67) at -13.


Bryan Angus

Henderson moves up T7 at Marathon Classic... live scoring

LPGA Tour Marathon Classic leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/marathon-classic-presented-by-dana/leaderboard

Brooke Henderson has shot 67 60 67 -9 and is in a T7 at the Marathon Classic going into today's final round. She is 7 shots behind the leader. Alena Sharp, who held a tie for the lead after round one (64 72 74), is  now in a T41 -3.

Anne Catherine Tanguay and Jaclyn Lee missed the cut.

Sei Young Kim shot a 5-under 66 in gusty conditions to reach -16 197 at Highland Meadows Golf Club and she leads Lexi Thompson, who made a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th for a 65, -15 total.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6 was third at -12 after a 69.

Bryan Angus

Saturday, July 13, 2019

McIlroy well back in benign conditions at Scottish Open

European Tour Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019060/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

Bernd Wiesberger fired the lowest round of his European Tour career to sit in a three way tie for the lead heading into the weekend at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

The Austrian who missed 7 months last year with a wrist injury, finished in a T2 at last week's Irish Open and continued his brilliant form with a -10 61 to sit at -14 alongside England's Lee Slattery (64 64) and South African Erik van Rooyen (64 64)

Major Champion Henrik Stenson was bogey free through 36 holes, (65,65) to sit just two shots off the lead at -12, alongside Italian Nino Bertasio, as kind conditions resulted in another day of very low scoring at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick on Scotland's Golf Coast.
 
Italian duo Lorenzo Gagli and Guido Migliozzi, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, Finn Kalle Samooja and former world #1 Justin Thomas were at -11.
 
Rory McIlroy has shot 67 67 -8 and is back in a large group T30.
 
 
Bryan Angus
(europeantour.com)


Vegas leads John Deere Classic, Roger Sloan T9

PGA Tour John Deere Classic leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/john-deere-classic/leaderboard.html

Jhonattan Vegas shot a 9-under 62 on Friday in the John Deere Classic to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend at -13 129 total at TPC Deere Run.

Three  Canucks made the cut. Roger Sloan shot 65 and sits T9 -9, while Adam Svensson also had a 65 and is T25 -7. Nick Taylor is T32. -6 under after shooting 69.

Michael Kim, the winner by eight shots last year, missed the cut with rounds of 73 and 72.

Bryan Angus



Friday, July 12, 2019

Sharp slips back, Henderson moves up at the Marathon Classic

LPGA Tour Marathon Classic leaderboard  https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/marathon-classic-presented-by-dana/leaderboard

After an opening round -7 64 Alena Sharp shot +1 72 on Friday and at -6 is T11 heading into the weekend at the Marathon Classic in Ohio. Brooke Henderson is T15 -5 after a 70.

Lexi Thompson 66 67 -9 is T3 with Stacy Lewis and they are two of seven players within three shots of the leader at -11, Sei Young Kim after her -7 64. She is looking for her 9th career win and second this year.

Earlier this week Brooke Henderson won the "Espy" award as the best female golfer
.

Bryan Angus

Alena Sharp tied for the lead at Marathon Classic

LPGA Tour Marathon Classic leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/marathon-classic-presented-by-dana/leaderboard

Alena Sharp and Youngin Chun shot -7 64 to lead the Marathon Classic after the opening round on the Highland Meadows GC in Ohio.

Alena is now 38 and is still looking for her first LPGA Tour win. She fired 8 birdies with a lone bogey.

" I felt really calm today. I love playing here, we have great housing"

Stacy Lewis and 3 others shot 65.

Brooke Henderson shot -4 67..

Bryan Angus

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Rory headlines the Renissance field at the Scottish Open.. live scoring

European Tour Aberdeen Standard Investments leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019060/leaderboard/index.html#/leaderboard

It's a big 3 weeks for the beautiful relatively new Renissance GC on Scotland's Golf coast just down the road from Muirfield near North Berwick.

Aberdeen Standard Investments has stepped up to the plate to sponsor this week's Scottish Open with Rory McIlroy heading up a very strong field which includes Justin Thomas, then in a fortnight they will welcome the LPGA / LET tours for the Scottish Women's Open.

Next week all eyes will be on a sold out Royal Portrush across the Irish Sea in Northern Ireland for the Open.

Bryan Angus


Monday, July 8, 2019

Austin Connelly is the 3rd Canadian to qualify for the Open Championship


Austin Connelly, who has conditional status on the European Tour, will join Corey Conners, and Adam Hadwin at the Open, on July 18-21 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

Connelly, who is scheduled to represent Canada at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru later this summer, is in the Open for the second time in three years. He finished T14th at the tournament in 2017 after falling out of contention on the final day.

He qualified at Prince's GC, in Sandwich, England  shooting -8,136 over two rounds on to earn the third and final spot.

Bryan Angus

Hadwin has great week but loses 3M Open to college phenom, Matthew Wolff

PGA Tour 3M Open final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/3m-open/leaderboard.html

Adam Hadwin 64 66 69 67 -18 T4 played well enough by far to win the 3M Open this weekend, however some weeks you lose because you mess up, others, like this weekend you just get beat by someone a bit better. College phenom Matthew Wolff eagled the last hole to shoot 69 67 62 65 -21 to become only the 8th player to win the NCAA Championship and the PGA Tour in the same year.

In just his 3rd pro tournament, he  edged Bryson DeChambeau and college competitor from Cal, Collin Morikawa by a shot, both at -20. Wolff wins $1.152 million, and his tour card just six weeks after winning the NCAA individual title with Oklahoma State.

It was one of the best tournaments of the year, DeChambeau had eagled the 18th earlier after a sensational 2nd to 6 feet and figured he was heading for a playoff at -20, until Wolff made his unlikely long final putt, and he wasn't home and dry as he had to deal with a brilliant finish by Morikawa, who also turned pro this summer after leaving Cal. His putt for birdie on the 17th hole barely horseshoed out and the two embraced on the final green. One just 20, the other 22.

It was Adam Hadwin's  6th top 10 of the year. Other Canadian scores : Adam Svensson, Roger Sloan -14, T15, Nick Taylor, Corey Conners -10,T46, David Hearn -7, T58, Mac Hughes -5 T66.

Next week the PGA Tour is the John Deere Classic and Wolff with his unique, funky swing, is in the field.

Bryan Angus

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Adam Hadwin starts Sunday a shot off the lead at 3M Open

At -14 after a -2 69 on Saturday Adam Hadwin will look for his 2nd PGA Tour win today just a shot off a 3 way tie at the inaugural 3M Open in ideal scoring conditions on the par 71 TPC Twin Cities in Blaine Minnesota.

There are 16 players within 4 shots of the lead held by college phenom Matthew Wolff (62), Collin Morikawa (64) and Bryson DeChambeau (70) all at -15.

Wolff has a funky but highly functional swing and he is fresh off his NCAA championship title on Memorial Day. He's 20, Morikawa, 22 as the young guns just keep coming in pro golf.

Canadians : Adam Svensson is T17 at -10, Corey Connors T27 -9, David Hearn and Nick Taylor T47 -7 and Mac Hughes T59 -6.

65 of the 85 players who made the cut shot under par so you can expect a shootout later today.

Bryan Angus

Monday, July 1, 2019

This weekends winners overcame adversity as we celebrate Canada Day

This great country of Canada is 152 years young today, July 1st 2019, and amongst all our triumphs and tragedies, good times and bad we have all faced adversity, and one way or another have overcome it, to carry on.

Two of this week's winners faced adversity in their lives and this morning they are champions, Nate Lashley on the PGA Tour and Christian Bezuidenhout on the European Tour.

Here are their stories and final scoreboards, along with Canadian results.


European Tour Andalucia Masters final leaderboard http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2019/tournamentid=2019056/leaderboard/index.html#/results

South African Christian Bezuidenhout mistakenly drank rat poison when he was only two and the effect was so profound that he developed a serious stammer, which led to anxiety and a loss of self esteem. He found refuge in the relative silence of golf and became an excellent amateur player.

In 2014, the beta blockers he was prescribed, had him failing a drug test at the Amateur Championship and he was suspended for two years, later reduced to nine months forcing him to miss his chance to represent his country at the Eisenhower Trophy.

Five years later after two top 3 finishes he has his first championship after 57 attempts, winning the Andalucia Masters by 6 shots (66 68 69 71 -10) and securing his place at the Open Championship in Northern Ireland in three week's time.


PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Nate Lashley is 36 years old now, you haven't read or heard his name much over the years, he's ranked 353rd in the world, and has been kicking around the game's minor pro leagues after quitting the game all together after his parents and girlfriend had their lives taken away after a plane crash in 2014.

This week the University of Arizona alumni, was allowed into the field as an alternative, went out and caught lightning in a bottle with rounds of  63 67 63 70 -25 263 to lead from the get go for his first ever PGA Tour title, the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

Apart from the $1m payday, he is fully exempt for two years, and will play at the Masters amongst all the other perks.

Canadians: Mac Hughes 66 70 72 67 -13 T21, Roger Sloan 70 68 69 68 -13 T21, Nick Taylor 69 70 69 70 -11 T35.

Mike Weir, Corey Connors, Adam Svensson and Ben Silverman all missed the cut.


LPGA Tour Walmart NW Arkansas Championship final leaderboard https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/walmartnwarkansaschampionshippresentedbypg/results

Sung Hyun Park birdied the par-5 18th to win the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship for her second victory of the season and seventh overall.

She shot 63 66 66 to finish at -18 at Pinnacle Country Club. She beat Danielle Kang, Hyo Joo Kim and Inbee Park by a stroke and will move back to world #1 this week.

Canadians: Brook Henderson 69 69 66 -9 T41, Jaclyn Lee and Brittany Marchand missed the cut.


PGA Tour Champions Senior US Open final leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/champions/competition/2019/u-s-senior-open-championship/leaderboard.html

Stephen Ames had a good week at the US Senior Open Championship, T6 70 67 66 72 -5.

Steve Stricker, now 52, continued the week's trend of lopsided wins, posting 62 64 66 69 -19 to beat David Toms and Jerry Kelly by 6 strokes on the Warren GC at Notre Dame, Indiana. It was his Senior US Open debut and he broke the scoring record by 3 shots.

The course played easily for the first 3 days with 99 rounds under par, but the wind stiffened on Sunday and Stricker was only one of 14 under par. This was his second major of the year.

Next week all the attention in the men's game heads across the pond for the next 3 weeks, for the Irish, then Scottish Opens followed by the Open at a sold out Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.


Bryan Angus