FairwaysPlus: October 2022

Monday, October 31, 2022

England's Jordan Smith sets scoring record at Portugal Open...Final rankings who won their 2023 cards..

DP World Tour: Portugal Masters final Rankings

Jordan Smith produced a tremendous display of frontrunning to claim his second DP World Tour title with a sensational three-shot victory at the 2022 Portugal Masters.

The Englishman went into the final round with a two-shot lead and rarely looked like opening the door for the chasing pack on Sunday, treating the crowds to a ball-striking masterclass as he made an eagle and six birdies in a flawless 63 to finish the tournament on 30 under par.

Smith's wire-to-wire victory caps a superb 2022 season and sees him move into the top ten on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and return to the winner's circle for the first time since the 2017 Porsche European Open.

His winning total is one better than the DP World Tour record, set by Ernie Els at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic, but due to preferred lies this week Smith's tally does not go into the record books.

Gavin Green finished alone in second after closing with a brilliant 64 to finish on 27 under par.

Tapio Pulkkanen was five shots further back in third, one ahead of fourth-placed Eddie Pepperell.

German duo Hurly Long and Sebastian Heisele were tied for fifth on 19 under, with Heisele heading into retirement on a high.

Everyone who came into this event in the top 117 on the DP World Tour Rankings managed to stay there to secure their cards for next season, with Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez claiming the last spot despite missing the cut this week.

Canada's Aaron Cockerill and his 6 month pregnant wife Chelsea celebrated his #107 finish to secure his card after starting 2022 on the Challenge Tour....

Renato Paratore came agonisingly close to reaching the right side of the line but finished in 118th spot despite a stunning 58-foot birdie on the last.

Smith said: "It’s just amazing. It’s been a long grind for those five seasons, just pushing it out and finally getting over the line today. Over the moon.

"I knew that today and every day I’d have to get off to fast starts and make sure I made lots of birdies.

"I knew there would be a lot of good scores out there and guys trying to catch me. Gavin was trying to get there and he was getting closer and closer but I managed to hold him off.

"It was a little bit (like match play). When we got down the last five or six holes, it got to that sort of stage. I knew he was four shots ahead of the guy in third so it was just between us two.

"It’s nice getting the first win but then it’s great knowing you can do it again. It’s more down to the pressure I put on myself to get the win and now I’ve got my second one we can push on for a couple more."

Bryan Angus

Sunday, October 30, 2022

Cockerill secures 2023 DP World Tour status at Portugal Masters.. Sunday scoreboard..

DP World Tour: Portugal Masters Leaderboard

Just over 2 weeks ago Aaron Cockerill was at home in frigid Winnipeg, hitting balls out of a heated garage, ranked #111 on the DP World Tour, pondering his future and hoping that his status at #111 would be enough to survive the final 2 weeks of the season without being able to do much about it but watch.

After starting the year on the Challenge Tour with no status on the DP World Tour, he made the best of an invite to play the Kenya Magical Open in March when he had his best finish T2.

Aaron Cockerill

That got him invites to several other tournaments where he had another big week in April at the ISPS Handa Championship in Spain where he finished 3rd and was ranked #60 at that point.

That was as low and ranking as he got, and after missing the cut in Denmark, France in September and Scotland at the Dunhill Links the first week of October, he'd slipped to #111, and was sitting at home.

Then came a late call from the DP World Tour office to say he'd qualified for the last spot open at the Mallorca Golf Open, so he and expectant wife Chelsea packed their bags, booked a flight to Spain and off they went for a working holiday in the sun.

We heard about Chelsea rescuing his clubs on Wednesday from the Madrid Airport, and Aaron made the cut 68 70 70 but slipped to 74 on Sunday and his -2 finish didn't improve his ranking.

He wasn't expecting to play in Portugal, but again he was a late addition and this week he made the most of it with some brilliant play 68 65 70 68 -13 currently T27 and projected to finish the year ranked #107, with the cut off number at #117.

Today he made bogey's on the first 2 holes, but then a great approach from 190yds to 4 feet at the 3rd for a bounce back birdie and a 20 footer for birdie at the par 3 6th got him back to even par after that shaky start.

Another great putt from 30 feet for birdie got his back nine off to a great start at the 10th. He will end this season ranked #1 on Tour in Putts per Green, he was 139th in 2021.

After a birdie 3 on the driveable par 4 15th he came to his favourite hole of the week, the par 5 17th where he'd gone birdie,birdie, eagle and he birdied it again this morning and with a par at the last in the clubhouse with -3 68.

He made 5 birdies and 11 pars after his opening bogey's in what will certainly turn out to be one of the most important rounds of his career so far. He made 19 birdies and an eagle, with 8 bogey's this week.

Jordan Smith from England had a great week 62 67 62 63 -30 for his wire to wire win. Cockerill's final ranking #107 means it's finally safe to say he has his card for 2023.

Bryan Angus

Saturday, October 29, 2022

Cockerill saves best for last with 70 in round 3 at Portugal Masters.. live scoreboard

DP World Tour Portugal Masters Leaderboard

So often it's hard to follow a great round with another the next day. It's just the way golf is, and that was the case for most of today for Aaron Cockerill's 3rd round at the Portugal Masters.

Friday's - 6 65 could have been lower, just 1 bogey, 7 birdies, but it placed him well heading into today's moving day

Where the drives were straighter, the approaches closer and the putts were falling on Friday he had 4 birdies in 5 holes, today it was a grind and while others were going low, Aaron was 2 over through his first 7 holes.

A nice bounce back birdie 2 at the par 3 8th stopped the bleeding out in +1 36 but he gave it back with a 3 putt bogey from 40 feet at the 10th and was now down to -7 for the week.

I thought things hung in the balance right there, but to the 30 year soon to be a dad's credit he made a well played par 4 at the 11th, then stuck a 50yd wedge to 8 feet at the par 5 12th and made the putt for birdie 4 now -8 +1.

Steady pars 13-16 got him to the tee at 17, the par 5 he had already birdied twice. A 300 yd drive in the fairway then the shot of his round, maybe of the day.

From nearly 250yds, all over water to a back right pin he hit a majestic approach right on line which settled 12 feet away, and yes he stood up and holed the eagle putt to get under par and stay that way with a par 4 at the 18th for -1 70.

He played his last 7 holes -3 to save the day, He is in the clubhouse at -10, T23 and projected to finish ranked #104.

He wasn't even slated to play this week, but has made the most of it so far with the magic cut off number at 117 to get your 2023 card.

England's Jordan Smith has shot 62 67 and so far is -9 today at -22 late in his round, three ahead of Malaysian Gavin Green.

Bryan Angus

Great 65 for Cockerill, Friday summary live scoreboard Portugal Masters.... final scoreboard

DP World Tour: Portugal Masters scoreboard here

Jordan Smith finished his second round with a flourish to remain on top of the 2022 Portugal Masters leaderboard at the halfway stage, with Gavin Green joining him at the summit after another day of low scoring in Vilamoura.

Englishman Smith started the day with a one-shot lead following Thursday's sparkling 62 but found himself trailing Green with two holes left to play on Friday, having mixed four birdies with two bogeys in his first 16 holes.

However, Smith got up and down for a birdie on the long 17th before holing his 21-foot putt from the rough around the 18th green to pick up another shot, sign for a second-round 67 and join Green in the clubhouse on 13 under par.

Malaysia's Green, who began his round ten minutes before Smith on Friday morning, made seven birdies and a single bogey in his 65.

Finn Tapio Pulkkanen and Frenchman Benjamin Hebert were one shot back in a tie for third after they both followed up opening 66s with matching 64s to remain bogey-free after 36 holes at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course.

Hebert started the week 179th on the DP World Tour Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, knowing he needed to do something special to keep his playing privileges, and he has put himself in a decent position to contend for the title over the weekend.

Having pulled off an important par save from five feet at the 16th, Smith finished with back-to-back birdies to join Green at the top.

Canadian Aaron Cockerill had his best round in a while - 6 65 with 7 birdies and just 1 bogey to finish the day T13 -9 just 4 shots off the lead heading into the weekend, currently projected to finish #104 with the cut off number to retain 2023 cards at #117.

Bryan Angus

(europeantour.com)