Adam Scott was advertised to light up the Gold Coast and repeat as the Australian PGA champion.
On Tuesday night, Tony Roosenburg, Tournament Director, received an award from the PGA of Australia recognizing his company’s long term production of the PGA Championship. In the course of receiving the award, which was a collectible professional tournament golf bag, he made an interesting statement—”you can’t organize two things in golf—the winner or the weather.”
At the half-way point of the 2014 Australian PGA Championship his words have held true but both the weather and the winner have come to be a little more in focus. Ninety-four players missed the even-par cut and will no longer be competing for the Joe Kirkwood Cup, a prize that recognizes Joe Kirkwood Sr., the golfer credited with putting Australian golf on the world map. The weather cooperated on Friday allowing the Thursday afternoon starters to finish their first round and all golfers to complete their second round. The weather forecast for the weekend is decent with a 40% chance of morning showers on Saturday and a partly cloudy day on Sunday.
Wade Ormsby putting on the 8th green of the new Graham Marsh-redesigned from nine at the RACV Royal Pines Resort.
The question becomes who will win the Australian PGA to join Nick Cullen (Australian Masters) and Jordan Spieth (Australian Open) as champions of the Australian Trifecta? Boo Weekley led at the end of the first day but not at the end of Round One. Jin Jeong, the 24-year old South Korean with one European Tour victory to his credit, went out at 5:30 am and finished his bogey-free, seven-birdie round of 65 to eclipse Boo by one stroke.
The best score of 66 in Round Two was posted by Scott Strange, a 37-year old Australian golfer with two wins each on the European and Asian Tours, and Jason Scrivener, who held four tour cards in 2013 (Australasia, One Asia, European Challenge, and Canadian) and was one of 27 to earn a 2015 European Tour card in Q-School last month in Girona, Spain.
Strange (69-66) is atop the leader board at the halfway point at 9-under par along with the consistent Wade Ormsby who opened up with 68-67. Ormsby, age 34, went to the University of Houston for three years, and has one win on the Asian Tour to his credit.
World No. 3 Adam Scott appears confident that he can deliver after a good start in the Australian PGA Championship.
World No. 3 Adam Scott, who is on everyone’s radar, is two strokes back, and will join Strange and Ormsby in the final group on Saturday, opened with the consistency that eluded him in Melbourne (Masters, 73-68) and Sydney (Open, 74-66). A win here is on his personal radar for sure—”I really want to finish this off with a win and hang onto a trophy this year and go into next year feeling a little bit chuffed (delighted; pleased; satisfied) with myself.” Scott also revealed in an interview with Australian Golf Digest this week that he and his wife Marie Kojar are expecting their first child in nine weeks.
Don’t forget about Boo Weekley who is three strokes back in solo fourth place and followed his opening 66 with an even par second round of 72. Or the six players tied for fifth place four strokes back including Jeong, Scrivener, and Masters Champion Cullen.
It’s moving day at the Australian PGA Championship, let’s see who delivers over the weekend and takes the Kirkwood Cup home with them!
Interesting story on and off the golf course at the Australian PGA Championship!!! (Facebook Link, Andy Reistetter, 12/12/14)
Here are the pics from the day:
With Caroline Kelly & Peter Hasking of the Avners Foundation. Everyone went purple for pancreatic cancer on Friday at the PGA.
With Australian golf & rugby commentator Luke Elvy in the Media Center.
With Kathie Shearer & Martin Reading, my two best mates on tour in Australia!
