Almanac Golf: Golf Capital – NZ Open time, Mexican coverage turned off

@hamishneal

 

Arrowtown, Canberra, Singapore, Florida and Oman. Never let it be said golf can’t find a tournament venue. Coming up this week there is a variety of locations all hosting some of the world’s best this week, if not the rising stars.

 

Opening Drive

 

American Dustin Johnson joined illustrious company as he romped home in the WGC Mexico event by five strokes at Chapultepec. Johnson’s victory made him the fifth player in the last 50 years under the age of 35 to reach 20 PGA Tour wins. The others are Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson and Johnny Miller. Quite an elite group. Rory McIlroy came home in second with a further five shots back to the group at 11 under in third.

 

Despite the presence of a WGC tournament on the calendar the PGA Tour circus continued with first-timer winner Martin Trainer claiming the Puerto Rico Open.

 

This week’s Canberra Classic follows the Australian Ladies Classic which was won by Marianne Skarpnord at Bonville Golf Club. The Norwegian finished at eight under, two clear of Australian Hannah Green and Nuria Iturrios of Spain.

 

It’s an odd year so it must be Amy Yang winning the Honda LPGA Thailand. The Korean edged home by one stroke from Australian Minjee Lee during a weather interrupted fourth round which saw Yang, Lee and Carlota Ciganda tied for the lead. Yang has also won the event in 2015 and 2017. She will be strongly lobbying to keep this event on the LPGA calendar.

 

Before the Australasian PGA Tour heads to the New Zealand Open the 2018 NZ Open winner Daniel Nisbet was a comprehensive winner of the Queensland PGA Championship from Deyen Lawson and Harrison Endycott by six strokes coming home with a final round of 64 – the equal best of the day. Queenslander Nisbet has risen to a career-high 312 in the rankings with the triumph.

 

Greens in regulation

 

Having not won since 2014 Michelle Wie prevailed in last year’s HSBC Women’s Champions event at the Sentosa Golf Club and the LPGA returns again in 2019. Whilst the PGA Tour heads to Florida for the Honda Classic, a tournament with Justin Thomas won in a playoff last year over Luke List.

 

The European Tour loops back to the Middle East for the Oman Open which was won in 2018 by Dutchman Joost Luiten in the inaugural edition of the tournament.

 

Tap in

 

Maybe not a tap in perhaps a throwing of the clubs into the water in anger on this one.

 

Yet again golf fans (even those with subscription television) we’re left lamenting the lack of coverage of the WGC Mexico event. Golftv, yet another online streaming platform, carried the event, but the communication about the lack of coverage on Kayo and Fox Sports in Australia was very frustrating. Luckily the other offerings over the course of the weekend meant golf fans were still treated to some quality but missing this from Tiger Woods unless you were on social media is frustrating for folk who have shelled out money in the expectation they will get ALL the top flight golf.

 

This week

 

New Zealand Open.

 

Harrison Endycott
Second in Toowoomba last weekend Endycott was T11 here last year and has five top ten finishes in his last ten starts.

 

Nick Voke.
Kiwi Voke was T7 her last year and has since won three times in the PGA Tour of China. Had the week off last week after his recent jet-setting.

 

Daniel Nisbet. Hard to not follow in the defending champion who is also a last start winner. However he did miss 14 cuts in 23 starts last year.

 

LPGA Singapore
Brooke Henderson.
Second here last year and the Canadian has finished sixth in both her starts thus far in 2019.

 

2019 record:
Feb 13: Nelly Korda win and Paul Dunne third.
Feb 20. Ledioda missed the cut and in Mexico Ancer (T39) was the best of the three.

 

This golfing wrap first appeared on From the sideline of sport

 

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