The Sentry Tournament of Champions kicked off the 2019 calendar year on the US PGA Tour – an event for winners only from the Tour in 2018 or in the early part of the 2018/19 season. Traditionally Australians have performed well in this event. Stuart Apply began our great run in the event at the start of the century, with a three-peat of wins in 2004-2006. Adam Scott came 2nd in 2007 and Geoff Ogilvy won back-to-back titles in 2009-10.
Top ten finishes this decade include Jason Day’s 9th in 2011, 3rd in 2015 and 10th in 2016. Adam Scott was 6th in 2014 and Marc Leishman was 7th in 2018.
And it was Marc Leishman that led the Aussie charge in 2019, finishing in a tie for 4th and picking up just over US$300,000 for his week’s work. Aside from a couple of brain fades where he notched up double bogeys or worse, he matched eventual winner Xander Schauffele for birdies over the four days but the a few bad holes cost him dearly.
Jason Day was the only other Australian in the field and he put in a solid performance finishing 13th. Unusually it was his putter that let him down – the lowlight two missed putts from little more than two foot from the hole!
As we get deeper into January the secondary Tours begin. The main Tour enjoys another week of sun and sand in Hawaii at this week’s Sony Open.
PGA TOUR-Affiliated Tours. Australian Player Results, Week of December 31, 2018
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.
US PGA Tour
Sentry Tournament of Champions
Kapalua Resort (The Plantation Course), Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii
Purse: $6,500,000 ($1,300,000 to winner)
Next Tournament: Sony Open in Hawaii
(Honolulu, Hawaii, January 10-13)
This was the first FedExCup event of the 2019 calendar year, a winners-only event for players who won in 2018, including the eight events played in the fall portion of the 2018-19 season.
|
Player |
Result |
Earnings |
FedExCup Standing |
Notes |
|
Stuart Appleby |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Aaron Baddeley |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Greg Chalmers |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Cameron Davis |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Jason Day |
13 (-11) |
$147,000 |
26 |
Made his fifth start and recorded his worst result at this event, finishing 13th. In 20 rounds at Kapalua, collected his first over-par round last week, carding a 2-over 75 in the third round. Has finished inside the top 25 in all three of his starts in the 2018-19 season—THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES (T5) and WGC-HSBC Champions (T11). |
|
Matt Jones |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Marc Leishman |
T4 (-15) |
$305,333 |
3 |
Starting the final round four shots off the lead, carded a 2-under 71 Sunday en route to a T4. Earned his best finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and has finished inside the top 25 in all three of his starts at this event. After starting the 2018-19 season with a victory at the CIMB Classic, has never finished worse than T18 this season. |
|
Curtis Luck |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Geoff Ogilvy |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Rod Pampling |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Adam Scott |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
John Senden |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
|
Cameron Smith |
Not Eligible |
|
|
|
PGA Champions Tour
No tournament this week
Next Tournament: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
(Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii, January 17-19)
PGA Web.com Tour
No tournament this week
Next Tournament: The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals, Emerald Bay
(Great Exuma, Bahamas, January 13-16)
PGA Mackenzies Tour CANADA
No tournament this week
Next Tournament: Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School-Central
(San Antonio, Texas, February 26-March 1)
PGA Tour China
No tournament this week
Next Tournament: Mainland China Q-School
(Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, January 21-25)
PGA Latinoamerica Tour
No tournament this week
Next tournament: PTLA Qualifying Tournament-U.S.
(Howey-In-The-Hills, Florida, January 7-11)