Monday Rundown: Win One for Min Woo
I hate to say I told you so...
Picked as one of last weeks three players to watch at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, Min Woo Lee is the champion down under, carding rounds of 66, 67, 68, 68 en route to a two shot victory over second placed Ryan Fox. The leaderboard, as expected, was dominated by Australians, but it was the impressive 21 year old who held out for his first win on the European Tour.
The ISPS Handa Vic Open was by far the most exciting tournament of the week, with the breakout Australian Lee coming good in his home country. It would be hard to dream of a tournament as radically opposite to the one hosted in Saudi Arabia one week ago.
The action at 13th Beach was compelling, the coverage was sublime as it spliced nicely between the men's and women's events, the golf course made for interesting viewing. Ultimately it looked like a tournament that has been around for 60 years, and unspoiled by appearance fees, mass-PR, and controversy.
While Min Woo seldom looked like flailing on the men's side, there became the very real possibility that his sister, Minjee, would win the women's event on the same course, on the same day.
The action in the women's event was enthralling, with several of the overnight leaders disappearing in an escape pod on Sunday. Overnight leader Ayean Cho played her final 11 holes in 9 over par, while playing partner Madeleine Sagstrom made a double and a triple bogey on the way to matching Cho's final round score of 81. They both fell outside of the Top-15 in the event.
Minjee Lee ultimately finished with two bogeys in her final three holes, causing her to miss out on the playoff by two shots, and quashing any chance of what would have been the best golf story of the year.
South Korean golfer Hee Young Park prevailed in a three person playoff, beating fellow countrywomen Hye-Jin Choi and So Yeon Ryu, for her first win in seven years on the LPGA Tour.
Moving west, Cape Town played host to this week's event on the Challenge Tour, where Anton Karlsson put together an impressive final round of 69 to win the RAM Cape Town Open, after starting Sunday three shots behind overnight leader, Daniel Van Tonder.
It was a final round to forget for Van Tonder, who recorded seven bogeys, and just one birdie on Sunday, eventually dropping to a tie for seventh place.
In the second event of the year on the Challenge Tour, Swede Anton Karlsson adds a win to an opening Top-20 at The Limpopo Championship, to move into second place on the Road to Mallorca.
Heading further west, it was Canadian Nick Taylor that held off some big names to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, in what will more than likely be the most forgettable tournament of the year.
Phil Mickelson made his annual Sunday showing on the Californian coast, at one point whittling down Taylor's lead to just two strokes, as the winds whipped across the famous public links. The Canadian rallied however, battling back from four early back-nine bogeys, to emerge victorious by four shots over Kevin Streelman.
Mickelson and Jason Day were the nearest names to Taylor on the leaderboard going into Sunday, but rounds of 74 and 75 respectively did little to stop the wire-to-wire winner from picking up his second PGA Tour title.
And finally, in Colombia, Mito Pereira won the Bogota Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour, where an eagle on his 72nd hole of the week propelled the Chilean to a two shot victory.
Pereira jumps to second place in 'The 25,' with Davis Riley holding on to the top spot after a T12 finish in South America.
And now for the official Quick Hook: Monday Rundown awards:
Don't fight this decision, and if you happen to be Jordan Spieth, please remain calm. We need you back.
Jordan Spieth went into the week requiring a strong result to keep himself in the Official World Golf Ranking's Top 50. This was particularly important this week, as come Monday morning, the Top 50 in the world after this event would qualify for the first WGC event of the year.
Spieth arrived in California on Life-Support. Coming into this event in 2019, Spieth was 23rd in the world. In 2018, he was 3rd. This year, he entered as the 55th ranked golfer on the planet.
A Sunday 67, which was low round of the day at Pebble, including a chip-in for par on his final hole of the day, propelled Spieth into the Top-10 for the event, and more importantly, into the Top-50 in the world.
It's been a tough couple years for the three-time major winner. Could this be the start of the comeback?
How can a tournament hosted on one of the best golf courses on Earth produce consistently horrendous events?
This isn't an unpopular opinion, as year after year, ardent golf fans bemoan the pictures the broadcasters put forward. The only semi-viewable round comes on Sunday, where the coverage is semi-dedicated to the golf. From Thursday thru Saturday however, it is four shots between every commercial break, with three of those shots short putts, and two of the aforementioned putts coming the likes of from Peyton Manning and Larry Fitzgerald.
Please, kill this kind of coverage.
I get that it's a charity pro-am - an extension of the Bing Crosby Clambake etc, etc - and it almost certainly raises a Saudi Appearance Fee for worthwhile causes, but, the ardent golf fan doesn't want to see famous athletes from the mid-2000's and actors from 70's, 80's and 90's chop it around Pebble Beach in 6 hours. The ardent golf fan, I would assert, wants to watch professional golfers play golf.
Case in point; the ISPS Handa Vic Open was the best golf viewing of the season so far, and it didn't include one celebrity guest, nobody inside the (men's) world top 50. None of this affected turned off the most enthusiastic golf fans however, as golf fans just want to watch golf.
Golf fans just want to watch golf.
You would struggle to find anyone in worse form than the 2019 Puerto Rican Open champion. Since that win, Trainer has played 28 events. In that span, he has missed 23 cuts, withdrawn once, and finished dead last in the no-cut Sentry Tournament of Champions. In the remaining three tournaments, Trainer has finished 66th twice, and T41 once.
His stats are pretty grim viewing. He lies 194th on Tour this year in the category of Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 227th in SG: Approach, 191st in SG: Around the Green, and 203rd in SG: Putting. In 26 rounds this season, Trainer has averaged over 75 shots a round.
Rest in Peace, Martin Trainer's golf game.
Having lamented the coverage, the annual unfurling of Clint Eastwood into the unwanting hands of Ji Nantz and Nick Faldo was comedic gold, whether intentional or not.
If you haven't seen his CBS appearance, do yourself a favour - watch it. While I may have asserted earlier that 'golf fans just want to watch golf,' I think I speak on behalf of everyone that an exception can be made to this rule if the coverage includes a spaced-out 90-year old.
Min Woo Lee with the ISPS Handa Vic Open Trophy - Getty Images
Picked as one of last weeks three players to watch at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, Min Woo Lee is the champion down under, carding rounds of 66, 67, 68, 68 en route to a two shot victory over second placed Ryan Fox. The leaderboard, as expected, was dominated by Australians, but it was the impressive 21 year old who held out for his first win on the European Tour.
The ISPS Handa Vic Open was by far the most exciting tournament of the week, with the breakout Australian Lee coming good in his home country. It would be hard to dream of a tournament as radically opposite to the one hosted in Saudi Arabia one week ago.
The action at 13th Beach was compelling, the coverage was sublime as it spliced nicely between the men's and women's events, the golf course made for interesting viewing. Ultimately it looked like a tournament that has been around for 60 years, and unspoiled by appearance fees, mass-PR, and controversy.
While Min Woo seldom looked like flailing on the men's side, there became the very real possibility that his sister, Minjee, would win the women's event on the same course, on the same day.
The action in the women's event was enthralling, with several of the overnight leaders disappearing in an escape pod on Sunday. Overnight leader Ayean Cho played her final 11 holes in 9 over par, while playing partner Madeleine Sagstrom made a double and a triple bogey on the way to matching Cho's final round score of 81. They both fell outside of the Top-15 in the event.
Minjee Lee ultimately finished with two bogeys in her final three holes, causing her to miss out on the playoff by two shots, and quashing any chance of what would have been the best golf story of the year.
South Korean golfer Hee Young Park prevailed in a three person playoff, beating fellow countrywomen Hye-Jin Choi and So Yeon Ryu, for her first win in seven years on the LPGA Tour.
Moving west, Cape Town played host to this week's event on the Challenge Tour, where Anton Karlsson put together an impressive final round of 69 to win the RAM Cape Town Open, after starting Sunday three shots behind overnight leader, Daniel Van Tonder.
It was a final round to forget for Van Tonder, who recorded seven bogeys, and just one birdie on Sunday, eventually dropping to a tie for seventh place.
In the second event of the year on the Challenge Tour, Swede Anton Karlsson adds a win to an opening Top-20 at The Limpopo Championship, to move into second place on the Road to Mallorca.
Anton Karlsson shot 14 under for the week to claim victoy in Cape Town
Photo by European Tour
Heading further west, it was Canadian Nick Taylor that held off some big names to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California, in what will more than likely be the most forgettable tournament of the year.
Phil Mickelson made his annual Sunday showing on the Californian coast, at one point whittling down Taylor's lead to just two strokes, as the winds whipped across the famous public links. The Canadian rallied however, battling back from four early back-nine bogeys, to emerge victorious by four shots over Kevin Streelman.
Mickelson and Jason Day were the nearest names to Taylor on the leaderboard going into Sunday, but rounds of 74 and 75 respectively did little to stop the wire-to-wire winner from picking up his second PGA Tour title.
Nick Taylor successfully fended off Phil Mickelson as he went Wire-to-Wire at Pebble Beach
Photo by PGA Tour
Photo by PGA Tour
And finally, in Colombia, Mito Pereira won the Bogota Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour, where an eagle on his 72nd hole of the week propelled the Chilean to a two shot victory.
Pereira jumps to second place in 'The 25,' with Davis Riley holding on to the top spot after a T12 finish in South America.
Photo by Kevin Prise/PGA Tour
And now for the official Quick Hook: Monday Rundown awards:
Player of the Week
Jordan SpiethDon't fight this decision, and if you happen to be Jordan Spieth, please remain calm. We need you back.
Jordan Spieth went into the week requiring a strong result to keep himself in the Official World Golf Ranking's Top 50. This was particularly important this week, as come Monday morning, the Top 50 in the world after this event would qualify for the first WGC event of the year.
Spieth arrived in California on Life-Support. Coming into this event in 2019, Spieth was 23rd in the world. In 2018, he was 3rd. This year, he entered as the 55th ranked golfer on the planet.
A Sunday 67, which was low round of the day at Pebble, including a chip-in for par on his final hole of the day, propelled Spieth into the Top-10 for the event, and more importantly, into the Top-50 in the world.
It's been a tough couple years for the three-time major winner. Could this be the start of the comeback?
Bust of the Week
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AmHow can a tournament hosted on one of the best golf courses on Earth produce consistently horrendous events?
This isn't an unpopular opinion, as year after year, ardent golf fans bemoan the pictures the broadcasters put forward. The only semi-viewable round comes on Sunday, where the coverage is semi-dedicated to the golf. From Thursday thru Saturday however, it is four shots between every commercial break, with three of those shots short putts, and two of the aforementioned putts coming the likes of from Peyton Manning and Larry Fitzgerald.
Please, kill this kind of coverage.
I get that it's a charity pro-am - an extension of the Bing Crosby Clambake etc, etc - and it almost certainly raises a Saudi Appearance Fee for worthwhile causes, but, the ardent golf fan doesn't want to see famous athletes from the mid-2000's and actors from 70's, 80's and 90's chop it around Pebble Beach in 6 hours. The ardent golf fan, I would assert, wants to watch professional golfers play golf.
Case in point; the ISPS Handa Vic Open was the best golf viewing of the season so far, and it didn't include one celebrity guest, nobody inside the (men's) world top 50. None of this affected turned off the most enthusiastic golf fans however, as golf fans just want to watch golf.
Golf fans just want to watch golf.
In Memoriam
Martin TrainerYou would struggle to find anyone in worse form than the 2019 Puerto Rican Open champion. Since that win, Trainer has played 28 events. In that span, he has missed 23 cuts, withdrawn once, and finished dead last in the no-cut Sentry Tournament of Champions. In the remaining three tournaments, Trainer has finished 66th twice, and T41 once.
His stats are pretty grim viewing. He lies 194th on Tour this year in the category of Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 227th in SG: Approach, 191st in SG: Around the Green, and 203rd in SG: Putting. In 26 rounds this season, Trainer has averaged over 75 shots a round.
Rest in Peace, Martin Trainer's golf game.
Moment of the Week
Clint EastwoodHaving lamented the coverage, the annual unfurling of Clint Eastwood into the unwanting hands of Ji Nantz and Nick Faldo was comedic gold, whether intentional or not.
If you haven't seen his CBS appearance, do yourself a favour - watch it. While I may have asserted earlier that 'golf fans just want to watch golf,' I think I speak on behalf of everyone that an exception can be made to this rule if the coverage includes a spaced-out 90-year old.
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