A COURSE record-equalling 63 from Victorian Jarrod Lyle has him tied for the lead with Tasmanian Mathew Goggin on the second afternoon of the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship at Coolum.
With the course at their mercy in the morning thanks to benign conditions and greens softened by Thursday’s thunderstorms and subsequent overnight rain, Lyle and Goggin (68) capitalised to share top spot on a packed leaderboard at nine-under.
Only one stroke back in outright third place though is equal round-one leader Paul Sheehan, who followed the six-under 66 that he completed on Friday morning with a 70 to stay in contention.
Wayne Perske carded a 66 to move within two shots of the lead along with Sportsbet Masters champion Rod Pampling, two-time winner Peter Senior, Michael Curtain and David Lutterus, who all added 67s, and Peter Wilson (69) who had led at eight-under.
And Sheehan’s fellow round-one leader Tim Wilkinson was also at minus eight late in his front nine before dropping back to seven-under and level with 2006 Australian Open champion John Senden, who is also still on the course.
Nathan Green had a mixed round that featured the shot of the tournament so far, a hole in one at the par-three 11th, as well as three bogeys, as he moved to minus six and level with Matthew Ballard, who also shot 68.
Another handful of players share 14th place on five under, including American Paul Goydos (67), Peter O’Malley (67) and Michael Long (72), as well as Kiwi Richard Lee and 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, who has regained two earlier dropped shots.
While Lyle, Goggin and co. were out in the best conditions of the day, the wind has strengthened in the afternoon and more thunderstorms are expected later in the day.
One-over when the suspension of play came on Thursday after he had just birdied the 12th, two-time 2008 Nationwide Tour winner Lyle picked up another shot at 15 after resuming at 5:30am (AEST) to sign for an even-par 72.
Having given no indication of what was to come, Lyle then picked up successive birdies at 12 and 13 and 16 and 17 to kick-start his charge, before picking up further shots at the 2nd and then four in a row from the 5th to go close to breaking the course record.
“It’s been kind of weird my golf game, I’ve been playing good but just not scoring and just not taking advantage of the easy holes,” said Lyle. “I sat down with Dad last night over dinner and pretty much had an argument with him about everything that I’m doing.”
“Something kind of snapped in me and today was just one of those days that I hit it really good. I hit it just as good as yesterday but holed some putts and got some momentum going.”
Goggin didn’t start his day as well as Lyle, dropping an early shot at the 12th before recovering with a birdie at 16, but he bogeyed 16 playing it again several hours later before a much better front nine that included an eagle and three birdies got him going.
“I didn’t do much through the really still part of the day … but it’s a tricky little golf course and now with the wind up in the afternoon nine under will probably be around about at the end of the day,” Goggin said.
“Yeah it felt alright. I putted well yesterday for nine holes and then came out this morning and wasn’t feeling it at all but then felt a little bit better towards the last four or five holes.”
After players were forced off the course just after 3pm (AEST) on Thursday, half the field returned at 5:30am on Friday morning to finish the first round, with Sheehan joining Wilkinson at the top.

Round 1

The opening round of the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship will be completed on Friday morning after lightning strikes at Coolum forced play to be suspended on Thursday with Tim Wilkinson and Peter Wilson leading.
Wilkinson had already completed a six-under 66 to set the clubhouse pace while Wilson had dropped back to that score to share the lead after earlier being at minus eight thanks largely to a front-nine he negotiated in just 29 strokes.
Half of the 156-man field was still on the course when thunderstorms rolled in just after 3pm (AEST) and officials made the decision at 4:45pm to resume play at 5:30am on Friday, with round-two tee times set to be pushed back by an hour and a half.
Wilson had largely defied winds that had continued to strengthen throughout the day, sizzling around the front nine with birdies at every hole except the 2nd and 8th as he looked set to threaten the course record of 63.
But after adding another birdie at the 12th a double bogey at the 13th halted his charge and he had just parred the 14th when the suspension came, leaving him level with 30-year-old New Zealander Wilkinson.
2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Wilkinson’s compatriot Richard Lee both shot 67 and have since been joined at minus five by two-time champion Peter Senior, who has played 11 holes so far.
Fresh from his first season on the US PGA Tour, which included more than $US 1 million ($AU 1,555,845) in prizemoney and three top-five finishes, Wilkinson went out in 31 after starting at the first tee and was seven-under at one point.
Wilkinson grabbed birdies at the first two holes, went to the turn with three more in a row and picked up further shots at the 12th and 14th to open up a two-shot lead, but his sole blemish for the day halved his lead at that point.
Lee had a flawless round that included five birdies while Ogilvy collected an eagle and three birdies through his first 10 holes, and conceded he could have gone even lower as he came home with eight pars.
One shot further back thanks to a 68 is Victorian Peter Nolan, and Tasmanian Mathew Goggin is also four-under at the turn, while Brett Rumford, 2006 Australian Open winner John Senden, Steve Collins, Martin Dive and Mahal Pearce all signed for 69s.
Defending champion Peter Lonard and Queenslander Steven Bowditch both shot 70, along with one of Ogilvy’s playing partners, Michael Sim, while Sportsbet Masters winner Rod Pampling and Robert Allenby are also at minus two.
The third member of group 16, American John Daly, slumped to two-over on the back nine with a double bogey and another bogey but recovered with five birdies in his last 13 holes to shoot 71 and share 18th with Craig Parry and Anthony Summers.

 Australian PGA Championship Live Leaderboard

Peter Senior will make golfing history when he fronts up for his 30th Australian Masters event this week but the 49 year old has lost none of his passion for the game.

Senior is a two time winner of the Masters and will line up as the only player to have played in all thirty Australian Masters tournaments since the first event was played at Huntingdale in 1979.

“It has been a long trip and I have enjoyed every one of them,” Senior, who won the title in 1991 and 1995, said this week. “Thirty years sounds like a long time but I’ve still got a few left in me.”

Senior feels he has been playing well lately with good finishes in the Western Australian PGA and a second at the NSW PGA.

He was feeling confident when talking to media about the upcoming big three Aussie tournaments, including the Open, the PGA and the Masters, and even suggesting that “if I can putt a little better than I have been” anything could happen.

“Or you could do a Robert Allenby and win all three of them,” he said.

The putting would have to be going exceptionally well for that to come to pass but it is a measure of the competitive spirit Senior has displayed in 30 years travelling the globe.

Whatever has been happening for him overseas, Senior is a household name in Australian golf because he has returned home every summer to play in front of home crowds. The fact hasn’t been lost on his legions of fans, making him a crowd favourite and the name ‘Senior’ synonymous with the Australasian Tour.

“One thing I always said was that I would come back to support the Australian Tour, no matter where I was or what I was doing. I have foregone some really good tournaments to come back and play our events, but I wanted to do that.”

Senior said that whilst his thirty years sounded a lot, he has lost none of the desire that has brought him so much success and popularity in the game since he first turned professional in 1978. Whilst he plays less tournament golf these days, he intends to continue with his career on the senior’s circuit when he turns 50 next July.

“I love the game. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I am doing, corporate days, pro-ams, I still enjoy being on the course. The main reason I stopped tournament golf was to spend time with my kids in their school years.

“I figured that when I turned 50 I would still have the opportunity to play. Sitting at home and doing nothing for the first couple of years was really hard, but deep down the desire is still there.”

Senior is keen to try his luck on the Seniors tour in the US next year but knows it will be tough with “about 500 guys” competing for the eight available spots.

If anyone can do it, Peter can.

The First Round of the 2008 Sportsbet Australian Masters starts on Thursday with the first groups teeing off at 7am.

The morning groups include Craig Parry, John Daly and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen teeing off the tenth tee at 7:10am – now that will be a sight to behold.

There will be free to air television coverage on all four days of the tournament on the Seven Network, check your local guides.

JOHN DALY could be more than just a sideshow when he arrives on Australian shores this week to spice up the start of the summer golf season.

Daly, who artfully manages to combine being a highly gifted two time major winner while keeping up a train wreck of a personal life, shot his best round of golf in three years on the final day of the Hong Kong Open yesterday (Sunday).

He had eight birdies to finish one off the course record on the tight Hong Kong Golf Club course.

He was already out of tournament contention having followed up opening round consecutive 68’s with a deflating 73 on Saturday.

Without a US PGA Tour card for two years, Daly says one of his problems of late has been not playing in enough consecutive big time tournaments.

With a tendency to go to Hooters rather than practice, Daly needs the consistent big game play to keep his game together.

“I can’t remember the last time I had three weeks in a row that I could play,” Daly says. “That’s probably why I’m hoping to get a lot of invites in the European tour and play four, five, six in a row. That’s the only way I can play good golf.”

First, we have the 30th Australian Masters kicking off in Melbourne on Thursday. The following week we have the Australian PGA (Dec 4-7) at Coolum and then the Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Course from December 11-14.

 

 

Apart from ably demonstrating in Hong Kong that despite being rated World No 788, he can still put an exceptional round together, Daly also proved his public pulling power.

If he keeps his shirt on, his putter out of the water and his nights in reasonable order, he could be something to watch.

But whatever Daly’s golfing performance over the next two weeks in Australia (his schedule didn’t allow staying for the Australian Open), his inclusion has already served to further heighten interest in what should be a fascinating summer of golf.

First, we have the 30th Australian Masters kicking off in Melbourne on Thursday. The following week we have the Australian PGA (Dec 4-7) at Coolum and then the Australian Open at the Royal Sydney Golf Course from December 11-14.

Most of Australia’s big name players will be appearing at some stage.

Nick O’Hern has just been ruled out for the duration with a thumb injury, Aaron Baddeley has a new baby to contend with, and Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott will miss the first week but not the next two.

Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Matthew Goggin, Nathan Green, Richard Green, Peter Lonard, Craig Parry, Rod Pampling, John Senden and Peter Senior will be among the other starters.

The Australian contingent at the Masters will be further strengthened with the participation of Scott Strange, winner of the 2008 Wales Open and fellow West Australian, Rick Kulacz who won the Brunei Open in his rookie year on the Asian Tour.

In addition, Jarrod Lyle, Greg Chalmers, Aron Price and Marc Leishman, all winners on the Nationwide Tour en route to progressing to the 2009 PGA TOUR will play. 

The home grown talent will be challenged by a strong international line up including 2005 US Open Champion Michael Campbell from New Zealand, dual PGA TOUR winner Daniel Chopra from Sweden along with two time member of the International Team at The Presidents Cup and three time European Tour winner, Tim Clark from South Africa.  These proven champions will be joined by one of the games brightest young stars in Danny Lee from New Zealand.  Danny is the current United States Amateur Champion and the #1 ranked amateur in the World.

Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke, regarded as one of the game’s best ball strikers, will be the main overseas draw for the Australian Open at Royal Sydney.

THE Australian PGA Seniors Tour has been renamed the PGA Legends Tour.

PGA Australia says the new name was approved at a recent board meeting and the move will also see the tour introduce a new logo.

The PGA Legends Tour, for PGA Members over the age of 50, has approximately 30 events per year.

The biggest event on the tour, which features the likes of golfers Wayne Grady, Rodger Davis and David Merriman, is the Polygiene Australian PGA Seniors Championship which will take place from December 11-14 in Byron Bay.

The Byron Bay event will have a total prize pool this year of $80,000, reflecting the increasing interest and popularity of senior golf.

The 2009 PGA Seniors Qualifying School will be played from  January 11 - 14 January at Camden Lakeside Country Club in New South Wales.

FIFTY FOUR year old former New Zealand PGA Champion Stuart Reese gave tournament golf away for 16 years after losing all feel and confidence in his golf swing.

“I couldn’t even hit balls in front of my members, I was just too embarrassed,” the Club Peninsula Professional (NZ) says.

Now he has fought back with an opening round of six under par to lead the Greater Building Society Australian Masters Invitational at Emerald Lakes Golf Club.

The New Zealander took advantage of the pristine conditions to be three shots clear of his nearest competitors.
Reese has been battling his way back by making some dramatic mechanical and attitudinal changes to his game.

But he still doesn’t have full confidence in the adjustments yet after folding late last week in the Australian Senior Open.
Reese has showed some great form this week at Emerald Lakes Golf Club after winning the Sponsor Pro Am. His opening round on Thursday consisted of six birdies and no bogies. The senior professional said: “I didn’t play great but I’m happy with the score.”
Hardly a breath of wind was evident all day but despite the perfect scoring conditions some of the greatest names in Australian golf were finding that the Emerald lakes layout was proving a little more demanding than many had initially thought it might.

The overnight rain had made the course just a club or two longer and the scores were reflecting a more demanding layout than had been the case earlier in the week.
Local golfer Neil Wall shot a solid opening round in the morning of three under par 69 and was soon joined by three other players in Terry Price, Sydney club professional Greg Hohnen and Brisbane based professional Allan Cooper, to leave them trailing Reese by three.

While not officially a senior golfer, Price was granted a special invite to this event to assist in bolstering the strength of the field and took full advantage.
Price had an eagle, four birdies and three bogies and despite his score he self admittedly indicated was not at his best. He headed for the practice fairway looking to find the form the he feels he needs to stay on top of his older rivals this week. “There are several important weeks coming up and I need to get my game back in shape,” he added as he began to beat balls in the heat of the afternoon.
Price has now lost status on the European Tour after two years struggling with a leg broken in a bizarre accident in England. He has struggled to return to the level of fitness he needs to contend at the level he once did on a regular basis.
Wall on the other hand is a player who only turned professional at the age of 50 and six years later is beginning to record some very impressive performances in senior tour events in Queensland and elsewhere.

He recently won the Queensland Senior Open at Nudgee. Wall had done two years of a traineeship with Merv Ulhmann at the Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane before giving it away.

“They were long hours and the pay was only $12 a week and I decided to do other things. I wanted to turn professional again a little later in life but family commitments precluded that. At the age of 50 I decided it was now or never and have really enjoyed it since.”
Wall’s round consisted of five birdies and two bogies and he was quick to thank the people at Emerald Lakes for allowing him to practice there on a regular basis with his good friend Brian Jones in the lead up to the event.
Fifty-one-year-old Hohnen is the club professional at Killara Golf Club in Sydney’s north where he has been for the last 35 years. Hohnen played the Australasian Tour on occasions earlier in his career but on turning 50 he has begun to play more including ten or so senior tour events in 2008.

“The management at Killara have encouraged me to play events and I am really enjoying doing so. It was a very solid ball striking day, I think I hit 15 greens and was really happy with the way I played generally.”
Tournament drawcard Ian Baker-Finch opened with a round of even par.

“I am playing really nicely when I trust it but every once in a while I lose focus and don’t turn properly and a bad one comes out of nowhere normally a hybrid or a long iron,” said Baker-Finch after his round.

“The nice thing about it is that while I want to play well it is not as important as it once was if I don’t. The course played a little longer today with the overnight rain but the greens were great but my golf not so. “My goal was to shoot three 69’s which I thought would have been a good score so now I have to shoot something pretty low if I am to have a chance.”

(Original source material courtesy PGA of Australia)

 THE PGA of Australia has released a new look “Summer of Golf” schedule for 2009 and a “refreshed” PGA Tour of Australasia  brand that includes the consolidation of its major events with the support cast from its secondary Von Nida Tour.

The 2009 “Summer of Golf” will see the  staging of seven events in six weeks, including the expansion of the Down Under Nationwide Tour swing to three events with the addition of the Michael Hill New Zealand Open, the return of the Johnnie Walker Classic to Perth, and the Victorian Open and Victorian PGA Championship launching new naming sponsors.

The serious Australian summer golf season begins soon with the Victorian Government-backed $1.5 million Australian Masters at Huntingdale from November 27 to December 3.
It continues with the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum from December 4 to 7 and then the $1.6 million Australian Open at Royal Sydney from December 11 to 14.

The new look summer PGA Tour of Australasia Tour will kick off on January 29 at Spring Valley Golf Club for the revitalised Subaru Victorian Open, before heading back to Sanctuary Lakes Resort for the Cellarbrations Victorian PGA Championship.

From there the Australasian Tour heads back across the continent for the prestigious tri sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic.  From February 19 - 22 Perth will host the event at The Vines for the second time. It was last held in Perth in 2006 where American Kevin Stadler eagled the final hole to win by two shots from Aussie Nick O’Hern.

The Johnnie Walker Classic, boasting a prize purse of US$2.5million, attracts some of the best names in world golf, and in 2009 will be headlined by the return of the Great White Shark, Greg Norman, to lead a stellar Australian contingent against some of the world’s best including England’s Lee Westwood and Paul Casey.

The Tour then moves back across to the East Coast for the first of the swing of three Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned events, the Moonah Classic, which will return after a memorable debut in 2008.

A week later the Tour travels across the Tasman to the beautiful Clearwater Resort in Christchurch for the HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship.

In a further coup for the Australasian Tour, the Michael Hill New Zealand Open was announced as the third Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned event Down Under, joining the Moonah Classic and the HSBC NZ PGA Championship. A new date for the NZ Open sees it move from December to February allowing players to compete in three Nationwide Tour events to start the year. 

2009 PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA SUMMER SCHEDULE

Jan 26 – Feb 1, Subaru Victorian Open,  Spring Valley Golf Club, VIC, $110,000

Feb 2 - 8, Cellarbrations Victorian PGA Championship, Sanctuary Lakes Resort, Sanctuary Lakes, VIC, $110,000

Feb 10 IFQ for THE OPEN Championship, Kingston Heath GC, Melbourne, Victoria

Feb 16 - 22, Johnnie Walker Classic, The Vines Golf Club, Perth, WA, US$2.5 million.

Feb 23 – Mar 1 , Moonah Classic, Moonah Links Golf Club, Fingal, VIC, US$700,000

March 2 - 7, HSBC NZ PGA Championship, Clearwater Resort & Golf Club, Christchurch, New Zealand, US$600,000

March 8 - 14, Michael Hill NZ Open, The Hills Golf Club, Queenstown, New Zealand, US$600,000

Peter Senior has wound back the clock to win the Handa Australia Cup in Perth, Mathew Goggin has fired a seven-under par 63 to finish in third place at the Frys.com Open in Scottsdale, Arizona, Gavin Coles fired a three-under par 68 to finish in a tie for third place at the Miccosukee Championships in Miami, Florida and David Gleeson clinched a three shot victory at the Macau Open to break his six year drought. See the full Aussies in Action world roundup.

Peter Senior winds back the clock in Perth

Peter Senior has wound back the clock to claim the $20,000 winner’s cheque in the Handa Australia Cup at Nedlands Golf Club.
Senior held a three shot overnight lead after a 7 under par 65 and was never threatened during the final round posting a 4 under 68 to claim the title by 4 shots over Victorian junior Nathan Holman. The third player in the final group Jan Stephenson finished a further 2 shots back in third, but claimed the $10,000 winners cheque for senior ladies. With a large crowd following the final group Senior showed that he can still compete at the highest level. Senior now heads to The Cut Golf Club to compete in the Von Nida Tour’s Oceanique WA PGA Championship and will start as one of the favourites.
Stewart Ginn claimed fourth spot on 3 under par. Handa Australia Cup host and tournament organiser Wayne Smith received a late call up when Garry Merrick withdrew due to injury and made the most of his chance finishing in a tie for fifth on one under par 143.
Tournament drawcard Ian Baker-Finch fired a respectable second round 70 to finish in a tie for seventh alongside Rodger Davis and Michael Harwood on even par.
The Handa Australia Cup is a unique event in that it brings together some of the games past champions (both male and female) and provides the opportunity for a select group of juniors the experience of a lifetime.
The senior men now head to Concord Golf Club to compete in the $300,000 Handa Open.

Mathew Goggin fires a 63 to finish third in Arizona

Fourth Round of the Frys.com Open, Arizona
-18: Cameron Beckman 69 66 64 63 (won playoff), Kevin Sutherland 67 66 63 66
-17: Matthew Goggin (Australia) 69 63 68 63
-14: J.J Henry 65 69 68 64, Arron Oberholser 65 64 71 66, Mike Weir 66 68 69 63
-13: Steve Allan (Australia) 67 63 68 69, Paul Goydos 70 62 66 69, Pat Perez 71 66 67 63, Michael Sim (Australia) 72 63 68 64
-12: Woody Austin 69 65 65 69, Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 67 70 66 65, Davis Love III 69 67 67 65, George McNeill 68 63 66 71, Brenden Pappas 69 69 64 66, Bob Tway 69 67 64 68
-11: Steve Elkington (Australia) 66 67 68 68, Billy Mayfair 69 64 68 68, Sean O’Hair 68 65 69 67
Also:
-10: Peter Lonard (Australia) 69 70 64 67, Rod Pampling (Australia) 70 68 65 67
-3: Mark Hensby (Australia) 69 66 70 72
-2: Nick Flanagan (Australia) 71 67 69 71

Coles third on Nationwide

Gavin Coles fired a three-under par 68 to finish in a tie for third place at the Miccosukee Championships in Miami, Florida.
Coles finished at 10-under alongside Bryce Molder and Josh Broadway, two shots behind D.A. Points and Matt Bettencourt who need a playoff to decide the winner.
Points birdied the first sudden death playoff hole to win the Nationwide Tour event at the Miccosukee Golf and Country Club.
It was a strong performance by the Aussie contingent with Scott Gardiner finishing at eight-under in a tie for sixth place and Marc Leishman a further two strokes back in a tie for 11th.
Andrew Bonhomme also put in a good showing to finish at four-under in a tie for 20th, while Steven Dartnall was another shot back in a tie for 30th.
Aron Price and Won Joon Lee were not at their best, finishing the tournament at even-par in 45th place, and current No.2 on the money list Jarrod Lyle will be disappointed with his four days after he finished in a tie for 52nd.

Gleeson breaks drought

Australia’s David Gleeson has fired a final round of 69 to clinch a three-shot victory at the Macau Open.
Gleeson started the final day with a two-stroke advantage, but bogeyed the first hole to drop back into a tie for the lead with Kao Bo-song.
But from that point on the veteran carded five birdies and two bogeys to finish the 72 holes at 18-under-par and clinch his first title in over six years.
“I told my caddie (Sanker Ganesan) at the start of the tournament that I wanted to win this week by as many shots as possible. I also told myself that if I don’t go for it, I won’t have a chance so I’m happy that I went for it this week,” Gleeson said.
“I reached the little goals that I had set all day which proved to be the key. On the 18th hole, I just had to avoid the water and I knew I had it once the ball landed on the green.”
“I remember the time with my coach (Ken Berndt) who asked me how I am going to react after finishing a hole well. I replied that I wasn’t sure. I was more worried about what my friends would do to me in celebration and that’s exactly what happened today.”
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang produced a 66 to claim second place at 15-under, while Kao finished in outright third a further shot back.
Adam Blyth was the next best placed of the Australians in a tie for sixth at 12-under, while compatriots Unho Park and Tony Carolan finished equal 13th at nine-under.
Final results from Macau Open: (par 71)
-18: David Gleeson (Australia) 64 64 69 69
-15: Lin Wen tang 65 68 70 66
-14: Kao Bo song 66 68 65 71
-13: Mars Pucay 67 70 69 65, Yasin Ali 69 64 70 68
-12 Lu Wei chih 68 70 69 65, Somkiat Srisanga 69 68 69 66, Adam Blyth (Australia) 68 65 71 68
-11: Wisut Artjanawat 65 69 68 71, Steven Tiley 70 67 65 71
-10: Wu Ashun 70 68 69 67, Chan Yih shin 69 67 67 71
-9: Danny Chia 67 68 72 68, Chris Rodgers 72 65 70 68, Unho Park (Australia) 67 72 68 68, Tony Carolan (Australia) 67 69 67 72
-8: Zhang Lian wei 72 67 68 69, Wang Ter chang 66 69 69 72
-7: Udorn Duangdecha 65 72 73 67, Neven Basic (Australia) 70 67 70 70, Lin Wen hong 65 69 72 71

No luck for Parry in Japan

Azuma Yano fired a closing 67 to claim the Bridgestone Open by four shots on Sunday.
Yano carded six birdies against a solitary bogey to clinch the title on 21 under par ahead of Takao Nogami.
Nogami tried to make a fight of it, sinking five birdies and an eagle in his second consecutive six-under 66 but his 17-under score ultimately fell well short.
Shigeki Maruyama finished third on 15 under following a four-under-par round of 68.
Craig Parry and Scott Laycock were the best of the Aussies in a tie for 32nd place at five-under par.

(Source material courtesy of PGA of Australia)

NATIONWIDE TOUR: LEISHMAN CLAIMS MAIDEN WIN IN A CANTER

Marc Leishman became the sixth Aussie winner on the Nationwide Tour on the weekend, claiming the WNB Golf Classic in Texas by a whopping 11 shots and rocketing into the Top 25.
Twenty four year old Leishman, from Warrnambool in Victoria, smashed the field with rounds of 67, 66, 66 and 68 to finish on 21 under par, 11 shots ahead of American Keoke Cotner. He equaled the Nationwide Tour’s largest margin of victory of 11 shots held by Chris Smith(1997 Omaha Classic).
The win was all the more impressive considering the challenging windy conditions that plagued the field for the entire four day event.
Leishman led the event for the final three rounds after finishing the first day just one shot behind the leaders. Despite intensely windy conditions he posted a bogey-free 6-under 66 to lead at 11-under on day two to extend his lead to three and followed it with a matching 66 to be five shots ahead of the field on 17-under heading into the final round. The lanky Aussie drew on his childhood experience of playing the windy coastal courses well and never looked back.
He leapt up the Money List from 56th to 19th place with his win and with just three events to go this season is well set to claim his 2009 US Tour card after picking up $US94,500 to bring his seasons earnings to $US197,926. He now joins Jarrod Lyle (2), Greg Chalmers (3) and Aron Price (15) in the all important Top 25 on the Money List.
Overall, the WNB Golf Classic produced great results for the Aussie contingent with five players finishing in the top ten.
Sydney’s Aron Price finished the event in third place on nine under par, picking up his third top ten result this year. Winner of the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship in April, Price claimed his second best result this season on the weekend and moved from 20th to 15th on the Money List.
Perth’s Greg Chalmers continued his outstandingly consistent season on the Nationwide Tour finishing one shot behind Price In fourth place and claiming his tenth top ten finish. Chalmers was T24 overnight but came home with a final round 68 to claim his top five finish. Also a winner this season, Chalmers claimed the Henrico County Open in April and has continued to remain steady in the top ten with his results. He moved from sixth to third place on the Money List behind Jarrod Lyle (2) and American Brendon de Jonge.
Sydney’s Won Joon Lee finished in the four way tie for fourth with Chalmers and Americans Spencer Levin and Darron Stiles to continue with his recent purple patch. Lee has finished T7, T2 and T4 in his last seven outings and has moved to 52nd on the Money List, well on his way to an invite to The Tour Championship next month where the Top 60 players will compete.
New father Cameron Percy was the fifth Aussie to finish in the top 10. Playing in the final group with Leishman Percy, who was back in Australia for the birth of his second child two weeks ago,  has moved up four places to 56 on the Money List and has his sights set on a spot at the Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch as well.

Leading Aussie on the Money List Jarrod Lyle finished on two under with David McKenzie in a tie for 35th with New Zealand’s Grant Waite T53 on three over.

ASIAN TOUR: SECOND AND THIRD FOR BECK AND BLYTH

The Aussie pair of Darren Beck and Adam Blyth have finished second and third respectively at the Hero Honda Indian Open at Delhi Golf Club.
Thirty year old Beck from NSW was denied the title by one shot from winner Liang Wen-chong.

Liang, who was the 2007 Asian Tour’s Order of Merit winner, nailed a two-under-par 70 final round for a one stroke triumph over rookie Beck who rattled off seven birdies in a faultless final round 65. Blyth finished a further stroke back after a even par 72. 

Despite missing out on his maiden victory Beck was delighted with his performance over the week.
“I’m surprised to have done well but it’s because I’ve been focusing on my mental game in the past few weeks”, said Beck. “I felt confident and not nervous which has been my main problem before.”

Beck moved from 124^th to 30^th on the Money List.

Liang had led since a stunning opening round of 60 and was three-under at the turn, only for a bogey at the 14th and a double bogey at the 15th to see him trail Beck by a shot approaching the last two holes.
But having birdied the 17th, Liang produced a superb chip on the 18th to set-up a winning three-foot birdie putt.

Adam Blyth finished at 13 under, two shots behind Beck whilst countryman Marcus Both finished alongside Asian Tour Order of Merit leader New Zealander Mark Brown in equal 10th on seven-under.
Unho Park completed the tournament a stroke further back in a share of 16th spot while Gavin Flint and Kiwi Stephen Scahill were tied in 21st position on five-under.
Home favourite Jeev Milkha Singh claimed fourth following a 69.

JAPAN GOLF TOUR: JONES SIXTH IN JAPAN

Aussie Brendan Jones has stormed home with a final round that included eight birdies and an eagle to finish three shots behind winner Makoto Inoue at the Canon Open at Totsuka Country Club.

Jones finished in a tie for sixth on 10-under following a scorching eight-under-par round on the fourth day which included a hole in one at the par three 5^th. He collected $AU 99,183 and moved to 13^th on the Money List.
Fellow Aussie Steve Conran finished in a share of 13th place with Kiwi David Smail on eight-under,  while Craig Parry finished two shots further back in a tie for 25th spot. Paul Sheehan was one under and T49 with Chris Campbell even par and T56.
A stunning seven-under-par final round of 65 saw Inoue move up the leader board to scoop the title.

Starting the day in 14th position, Inoue collected seven birdies over his first 13 holes finishing with a final round 65 and an overall score of 13-under-par - a stroke ahead of four players.

US PGA TOUR: CAREER HIGH BEST AS WILKINSON FINISHES RUNNER UP

Kiwi Tim Wilkinson narrowly missed out on his maiden PGA Tour title finishing in a career-best equal-second place at the Texas Open in San Antonio.
The 30 year old lefty from Palmerston North started the day three behind overnight leader South African Rory Sabbatini and held the lead twice on the back nine, most notably after his eagle three at the 14^th. He then shared the lead with eventual winner and 2007 US Masters Champion Zach Johnson and Charlie Wi.  He did little wrong, but some near miss putts on his final few holes relegated him to second with Wi as Johnson birdied the 14^th and 18^th to claim the win by two shots.
A rookie on the US TOUR Wilkinson had a great tournament with rounds of 67, 69, 63 and 64 to pick up his best result after his previous best, a third place at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans along with a tie for sixth at the Puerto Rico Open.
His finish in the Texas event has seen him move up from 112th to 84^th on the PGA Tour money list and almost certainly assure him of his playing card for 2009. He picked up US$336,000 and with just one month remaining on the schedule he has now won US$1.12m overall.

“With another four events after this it is nice not having to worry about it,” said Wilkinson.

For Johnson it was his fourth PGA Tour career title and his best result by far in 2008. He closed with a six-under 64 for a four-round total of 19-under 261, including the best round of the day on Saturday in an eight-under 62. Previous to the weekend he had just one top-10 finish to be 125th on the money list.
Wilkinson, Wi and American Mark Wilson tied for second, while Sabbatini faded away with a 72, including two double bogeys, to finish in equal eighth.
Wi’s 61 was matched as the lowest round on Sunday by Aussie veteran Steve Elkington as he made a meteoric rise from tied for 72nd overnight to complete the week in equal 28th.
Fellow Australian Steve Allan was the best of his country’s contingent as his closing 64 lifted him to a tie for 19th at nine-under while Nathan Green, who led after the first round, was tied 30th with Mark Hensby, Nick O’Hern was equal 36th and Matt Jones shared 64th place.

EUROPEAN TOUR: TAMPION BEST OF AUSTRALASIANS

Andrew Tampion has finished the best of the Australasians at the Madrid Masters won by three shots by South African Charl Schwartzel.

Tampion, winner of the 2008 Challenge Tour of Ireland on the Challenge Tour started the final round in a share of fourth place but shot two-over to finish 11 off the pace in a share of 13th. He finished at eight under par overall.

Twenty four year old Schwartzel claimed the title after a flawless five-under-par 66 in the final round which saw him finish on 19 under, three shots clear of his nearest rival Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez with Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal a further shot back in third place.

Aussie Marcus Fraser - the equal leader after the opening round - was two strokes back from Tampion at six-under. New Zealand’s Steven Alker finished T29 on five under, followed by Peter O’Malley on one under. Peter Fowler was the only other Aussie to make the cut finishing T67 on six over.

AUSTRALASIAN RESULTS:

US PGA TOUR: VALERO TEXAS OPEN, LACANTERA GC, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

WINNER: ZACH JOHNSON (USA) -19, T2 Tim Wilkinson NZL (-17), T19 Steve Allan (-9), T28 Steve Elkington (-8), T30 Nathan Green, Mark Hensby(-7), T36 Nick O’Hern (-6), T64 Matthew Jones (-1), MC: Matthew Goggin, Nick Flanagan, Gavin Coles, John Senden, Rod Pampling, Peter Lonard, Jason Day, Brett Rumford, Andrew Buckle.

DQ: David Lutterus

EUROPEAN TOUR: MADRID MASTERS, CLUB DE CAMPO VILLA DE MADRID, SPAIN

WINNER: CHARL SCHWARTZEL (RSA) -19T13 Andrew Tampion (-8), T21 Marcus Fraser (-), T29 Steve Alker NZL (-5), T53 Peter O’Malley (-1), T67 Peter Fowler (+6).  MC: Gareth Paddison NZL, Matthew Millar, Terry Pilkadaris.

NATIONWIDE TOUR: WNB GOLF CLASSIC, MIDLAND CC, MIDLAND, TEXAS

WINNER: MARC LEISHMAN (AUSTRALIA) -21, 3 Aron Price (-9), T4 Greg Chalmers, Won Joon Lee (-8), T8 Cameron Percy (-7), T35 Jarrod Lyle, David McKenzie (-2), T53 Grant Waite NZL (+3). ,MC: Scott Gardiner, Ewan Porter, Paul Gow, Wade Ormsby, Dean Larsson, Brad Iles, Steven Bowditch, Andrew Bonhomme, Kim Felton.

ASIAN TOUR: HERO HONDA INDIAN OPEN, DELHI GOLF CLUB, NEW DELHI, INDIA

WINNER: LIANG WEN-CHONG (CHINA) -16, 2 Darren Beck (-15), 3 Adam Blyth (-13), T10 Mark Brown NZL, Marcus Both (-7), T16 Unho Park (-6), T21 Stephen Scahill NZL, Gavin Flint (-5), T29 Andrew Dodt (-3), T34 Mahal Pearce NZL (-2), T41 Rick Kulacz (-1), T45 Brad Kennedy (E), T49 Ashley Hall, Mitchell Brown (+1), T63 David Bransdon (+4), T68 Jason King, Scott Barr (+6)

MC: Adam Groom, Richard Moir, Kane Webber, Neven Basic, Michael Wright, Henry Epstein, Richard Lee NZL, David Gleeson

JAPAN TOUR: CANON OPEN, TOTSUKA CC, KANAGAWA

WINNER: MAKATO INOUE (JAPAN) -13. T6 Brendan Jones (-13), T13 David Smail NZL, Steve Conran (-8), T25 Craig Parry (-6), T49 Paul Sheehan (-1), T56 Chris Campbell (E), MC: Wayne Perske, Eddie Lee NZL, Scott Laycock

EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR: LAKE GARDA ITALIAN SENIORS OPEN, PALAZZO ARZAGA HOTEL, SPA & GOLF RESORT, LAKE GARDA, ITALY
WINNER: PETER MITCHELL (ENGLAND) -13, 6 Jim Lapsley NZL (-8), 7 David Merriman (-7), T35 Simon Owen NZL (+1), T57 David Good (+6), Tom Linskey (+28)

CHAMPIONS TOUR: CONSTELLATION ENERGY SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP, BALTIMORE COUNTRY CLUB, TIMONIUM, MARYLAND

WINNER: D.A WEIBRING (USA) -9,  T65 Wayne Grady (+10).

Original Source: PGA of Australia

Brendan Jones will join countryman Richard Green to represent Australia at the 2008 Omega Mission Hills World Cup to be played from November 27-30 at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China.

Jones’ inclusion to partner Green will see the duo attempt to claim the World Cup for the Aussies for the fifth time in history, the last time being in 1989 when Queenslander Wayne Grady and New South Welshman Peter Fowler raised the trophy in Marbella Spain.

Green, the highest ranked Australian on the Official World Rankings to accept the World Cup invitation, chose Jones to partner him at the event where Green will make his second appearance and Jones his first.   

Speaking from his home base in Canberra before heading back to compete in Japan, Jones said he was thrilled to be representing the green and gold at the senior level.  

“It’s really exciting for me to be representing Australia and great to be asked by Greeny to be his partner,” said Jones. “I played for Australia in my amateur days but this is a whole new level and is a real highlight for me towards the end of the year.”

Both Green and Jones have runs on the board at the international level with a total of 14 victories between them.

Green has twice won in New Caledonia, has two European Tour titles and one on the Australasian Tour, whilst Jones has a Nationwide Tour title and an incredible eight wins on the Japan Golf Tour.

Currently ranked world number 52, 37 year old Richard Green turned professional in 1992 and has played regularly on the Australasian and European Tours. A former Victorian State Junior Champion, he won the 1994 and 1996 New Caledonian Open’s before claiming his first big international victory at the 1997 Dubai Classic where he was triumphant in a three way play-off over Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam and became the first first left hander to win on the European Tour since Bob Charles in 1974.

The Victorian made his first appearance at the World Cup in 1998 when it was the World Cup of Golf, held at the Gulf Harbour CC in New Zealand. He partnered Peter O’Malley and the pair finished in a tie for ninth behind winner’s Nick Faldo and David Carter of England.

His next win came on home soil at the 2004 MasterCard Masters where he won on the first-hole of a playoff from Greg Chalmers and David McKenzie and also claimed the 2004 Australasian Tour Order of Merit crown. 

In 2007 he won his second European Tour event at the BA – CA Golf Open in Austria and followed that with a tie for 4th at the Open Championship at Carnoustie, his best finish at a Major after firing a course record equaling seven under 64 in the final round.

Thirty three year old Brendan Jones is currently ranked world number 74. He turned professional in 1999 after an outstanding amateur career that saw him crowned the 1999 Australian Amateur and 1998 Riversdale Cup winner, as well as representing Australia at the Eisenhower Trophy and Four Nations.

He claimed his first international title in 2002 at the Philip Morris KK Championship in Japan and has won a further seven titles on the Japan Golf Tour since, including three in 2007. His victories include: 2002 Philip Morris KK Championship, 2003 Sun Chlorella Classic, 2004 Tsuruya Open, 2004 Mizuno Open, 2006 Tsuruya Open, 2007 Tsuruya Open, 2007 Mitsui Sumitomo VISA Taiheiyo Masters and 2007 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup.

He also spent some time in 2004 on the US Nationwide Tour where he claimed the La Salle Bank Open.

The Omega Mission Hills World Cup has a format that sees the first and third rounds using the fourball better ball format while the second and final rounds will use the more difficult foursomes (alternate shot) format.

Jones is confident that the style of golf will work for he and Green.

“I think we are pretty consistent players and the format should really suit us and hopefully we’ll do well,” he said.

The pair will come up against defending champions Scotland, who will seek to win back-to-back titles with Colin Montgomerie looking to retain the trophy he and Marc Warren claimed in 2007 after defeating the USA in a play-off.

Prior to 1989, Australia had won the World Cup three times. The first was in 1954 when Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle held the cup aloft in just its second year of competition in Montreal, Canada. Five years later, the pair won again in Melbourne, Australia but it was another 11 years before Australia tasted success again, when David Graham and Bruce Devlin won in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

David Smail and Mark Brown will represent New Zealand in the event, with Smail making his fourth appearance and Brown his first.

TEAMS CURRENTLY QUALIFIED FOR THE 2008 OMEGA MISSION HILLS WORLD CUP ARE:

Australia Richard Green, Brendan Jones

Chile Felipe Aquilar, Mark Tullo

Denmark Soren Hansen, Anders Hansen

England Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher

France Gregory Havret, Gregory Bourdy

Germany Martin Kaymer, Alex Cejka

India Jeev M. Singh, Jyoti Randhawa

Ireland Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley

Italy Francesco Molinari and Edoardo Molinari

Japan Ryuji Imada, Toru Taniguchi

Korea Bae Sang-moon and Kim Hyung-tae

New Zealand Mark Brown, David Smail

Phillipines Angelo Que and Mars Pucay

Scotland Alastair Forysth, Colin Montgomerie

South Africa Rory Sabbatini, Richard Sterne

Spain Miguel Angel Jimenez, Pablo Larrazabal

Sweden Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson

Taiwan Wen-Tang Lin, Wen-Teh Lu

Thailand Prayad Marksaeng, Thongchai Jaidee

United States (TBD)

Wales Bradley Dredge, Richard Johnson

Source: PGA of Australia

Irish golfer Padraig Harrington has come from nowhere to win the US PGA Championship and end Europe’s 78 year drought in the event.

Harrington rallied from three shots behind Sunday to close with a 4-under 66 at Oakland Hills to win his second major on the trot.

Harrington is only the fourth player to win the British Open and the PGA in the same year and he has won three of the last six majors.

The Irishman won the event by two shots from Spain’s Sergio Garcia and American Ben Curtis with Colombian Camilo Villegas and Swede Henrick Stenson finishing in a tie for fourth.

Aaron Baddeley was the best placed Australian, closing with a final round three over par to finish on six over for the tournament in 13th place, nine shots behind Harrington.

Baddeley played solidly in extremely tough conditions that saw just three players finish under par and he secured his best ever finish at the PGA Championships.

“I was close to being right there this week, just not quite, said Baddeley. “I just didn’t get off to the start I wanted for the final round which was disappointing.”

A dropped shot on the final hole saw him lose his grip on his first top ten finish in the event.

“I bogeyed the last hole to miss the top ten so I am disappointed with that.  I was thinking if I could at least sneak in to the top 10 it would be some sort of consolation prize,” he said.

Stuart Appleby finished one shot behind Baddeley in 15th place with a final round 72. He described the conditions as ‘brutal’ and despite a strong putting performance, last week’s Bridgestone Invitational runner up just couldn’t quite land the shots.

FINAL AUSTRALASIAN SCORES:

WINNER: PADRIAG HARRINGTON (Ireland) - 3, 277

 T13, Aaron Baddeley , +6, 71, 71, 71, 73, 286

T15, Stuart Appleby , +7, 76, 70, 69, 72, 287

T24, Mark Brown , +9, 77, 69, 74, 69, 289

T31, Robert Allenby , +11, 76, 72, 72, 71, 291

T31, Geoff Ogilvy , +11, 73, 74, 74, 70, 291

T39, Steve Elkington , +12, 71, 73, 73, 75, 292

T42, Michael Campbell , +13, 73, 71, 75, 74, 293

T42, John Senden , +13, 76, 72, 72, 73, 293

T68, Peter Lonard , +20, 74, 74, 74, 78, 300

71, Richard Green , +23, 71, 77, 79, 76, 303

 Missed Cut:

Brendan Jones , +9, 71, 78

Adam Scott , +10, 77, 73

Nick O’Hern , +10, 74, 76

Scott Strange , +11, 73, 78

Rod Pampling , +11, 70, 81

Mathew Goggin , +16, 81, 75