It’s US Masters Week but it’s a solemn beginning after news of the death of Malaysian professional Arie Irawan on the PGA China Tour. At the Sanya Championship held at Yalong Bay Golf Club, the 28 year old Malaysian Professional missed the cut but remained on site, sharing a room with fellow competitor Kevin Techakanakboon. On the Sunday morning while Techakanakboon was getting ready for his final round, he noticed Irawan was unresponsive, only to find he had passed away. Initial reports say Irawan died of natural causes prior to a coroner’s report. In respect of Irawan’s family, organisers cancelled the final round and declared 54 hole leader Trevor Sluman the winner.

Australia’s Corey Hale finished T11 to head a strong contingent of eight Australian representatives – all but two made the cut.
The team at ausgolf would like to pass on our community condolences to the Irawan’s family and friends.

Of course this past weekend was the last chance to join the exclusive Master’s field by winning the PGA Valero Texas Open. Australia is currently represented by four players – Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Jason Day (if a back problem sustained two weeks ago is overcome).

Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Davis, Matt Jones, Curtis Luck, Rod Pampling and John Senden all teed off in Texas hoping to take out the championship and thus earning the last opportunity to tee up at Augusta. However that honour went to first time PGA tour winner, Canadian Corey Conners. Conners was the last player to qualify for the Texas Open after winning the final spot in a six man playoff on the Monday. By winning the title, Conner’s became just the fifth player in PGA Tour history to qualify for an event on the Monday and win on the Sunday. His first victory made even sweeter with a start in the US Masters.

Best placed Aussies in Texas were Aaron Baddeley and Matt Jones who both finished T30 (-7), thirteen shots adrift of Conners. Davis, Luck, Pampling and Senden all missed the Cut.

Elsewhere, it was a very quiet week on the US Tour, with the Champions, web.com and Latinoamerica Tours all having the week off. The Canadian PGA Mackenzie Tour held a Qualifier but didn’t have any Australians competing, and the shortened China Tour event highlighted by the very sad passing of Arie Irawan.

On the LPGA Tour, the ladies competed in the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills and Republic of Korea representative Jin-Young Ko won by three strokes and in doing so was catapulted to the #1 World Rolex Ranking – the fifth player from Korea to do so and the third player to hold the title in 2019.

Katherine Kirk was the best placed Australian finishing T17 (-2) with Minjee Lee a further shot behind (T21). Minjee Lee is the top ranked Aussie players in the world rankings holding 4^th spot after the event.

PGA TOUR-Affiliated Tours, Australian Player Results, Week of April 1, 2019
The PGA TOUR and its affiliated Tours boasts a large roster of Australians as members. Here is the recap from this past week’s action and the Australians’ performances.

PGA Tour Valero Texas Open
TPC San Antonio-AT&T Oaks, San Antonio, Texas
Purse: $7,500,000 ($1,350,000 to winner)

Next Tournament: Masters Tournament
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, April 11-14

PGA Tour of China
Sanya Championship
Yalong Bay Golf Club, Sanya, China
Purse: ￥1,600,000 (￥270,000 to the winner)

Next Tournament: Haikou Championship
Sunac Haikou 3KM Golf Club, Haikou, China, April 8-14

*Due to the death of player Arie Irawan on Sunday morning of tournament week, officials canceled the final round of the Sanya Championship and declared 54-hole leader Trevor Sluman the champion.

PGA Mackenzie Tour – Canada
Qualifying Tournament- U.S. West 2
Wigwam Golf Club, Litchfield Park, Arizona

Next Tournament: Qualifying Tournament-U.S. East 2
TPC Sawgrass – Dye’s Valley, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, April 23-26

            *No Australians competed in this event