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A look back from the final round of the 2022 British Open Golf as Cameron Smith ends a 29-year wait for an Australian to lift the claret jug trophy since Greg Norman in 1993

by Admin

The 150th edition of the British Open returned to the home of golf at St. Andrews, Scotland. Sixth-ranked player in the world and Australian native Cameron Smith entered the final round with a shot at winning the championship, but clearly it was Rory McIlroy who was the favorite, entering Sunday with the lead.

After two birdies on the front nine, Smith was still in the mix, while McIlroy was merely average as his putter failed him. Smith went on a run starting the back nine with five straight birdies, and by the late in the round pulled ahead. A birdie on the 18th sealed the deal for Smith, who at –20 took down Cameron Young by a stroke and McIlroy by two.

Smith became just the fifth Australian to win the British Open, joining Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch and the third to win it at St. Andrews. Now ranked second in the world, the 28-year-old Smith has six PGA Tour wins and his third this season, including the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Players Championship. While Smith is the cream of the crop from Australia, there were several others that made their mark at the British Open.

Lucas Herbert, Anthony Quayle and Adam Scott all finished tied for 15th at 10-under par. Min Woo Lee finished tied for 21st at 9-under, while Brad Kennedy and Jason Scrivener both performed admirably and finished at 4-under. Scott, at age 42, has 31 professional wins and 14 on the PGA Tour.

Herbert, Quayle, and Lee are all in their 20s and have some professional wins. It’s just a matter of time before they win some events on the PGA Tour.

Although the majors are over for 2022, there is still some great golf left on the season schedule. The 3M Open is this week, followed by the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the Wyndham Championship.

The season conclude with the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which features three events: FedEx St. Jude Classic, the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship which will be held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia August 25-28.

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Scottie Scheffler holds on to Masters lead to secure his first Major championship

by Admin

Scottie Scheffler holds on to Masters lead to secure his first Major championship

Scottie Scheffler showed ice cold consistency on the final day of The Masters to win his first green jacket – proving just why he’s world No.1.

The American started the day on 10- under, three shots ahead of Australia’s Cameron Smith. It was the Queenslander who got off to a promising start with a pair of birdies on the first two holes. But after sinking a spectacular chip on the third, Scheffler never really looked back.

There was a hint of a rally when Smith birdied the 11th. But a score of six on the par three 12th effectively ended his chances. In the end he was overtaken by Rory McIlroy, himself chasing a Grand Slam of Major victories. The Northern Irishman hit an astonishing round of 64, his magical bunker shot on the 18th one of the day’s highlights.

The day, though, belonged to Scheffler, whose final round of 71 – including four birdies – was pure class.

Smith finished third on 5- under, tied with Ireland’s Shane Lowry. America’s Colin Morikawa finished fourth on 4- under.

Elsewhere, Australia’s Min Woo Lee ended the weekend 14th; Marc Leishman finished 31; Cameron Davis 46th. Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, tied 48th.

Tiger Woods, who dominated so many of this week’s headlines, finished on 13- over. Not quite the fairytale comeback fans hoped for, but the fact the five-time champion completed 72 holes was remarkable; just 14 months ago he underwent extensive emergency surgery to save his right leg following a car accident.

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2021 The Masters Golf, Some big movers on Day 2 but Justin Rose still leads

by Sports Benches

Justin Rose still leads after the 1st half of the 2021 Masters. He shot 72 today which is even par. So nothing wrong from his end as he looks to hold off going into Day 3.

While Brian Harman still tied in joint 2nd spot on 69 & -3 today. And seven under par with the hope of chasing Rose. As Will Zalatoris moved from 4th to 2nd. He played well on 68 at -4 today/-6 overall.

No improvements from Rory McIIroy who continued to decline. Where his swing was still exposed with a rough day at two over par today. And six over par overall which sees himself missed the cut. That means he is eliminated from this major.

Bryson DeChambeau did catch up just inside the Top 20. He shot -5 under par & -1 overall after Day 2. As said earlier on that he came to Augusta as one of the favourites. But so far things did not go against his way. The next two days will be crucial at least if he can finish in the Top 10. A win is increasingly unlikely though.

As well as Hideki Matsuyama who hails from Japan. Was joint 2nd with Brian Harman yesterday. But unable to hold its middle ground at -1 in Round 2. And -4 overall going into tomorrow. He is just outside the Top 10 in 11th. Which is a sign of decline right now. Just needs to be patient if a return to the Top 5-7 would keep his hopes alive. We will find out soon.

Round 2 today sees some players make progress as the heavy movers. Jordan Spieth was 12th yesterday. Now he is in 4th shooting 68 at -4 alone. And -5 overall. Got plenty of momentum carried from the Texas win last week. Tomorrow will be a test if he can split Zalatoris & Harman. Before Spieth can find Rose.

The same goes from Aussie Marc Leishman at 67. He is -5 under par in both Round 2 & overall ladder. Great progress there from 17th to 5th. It will be interesting if he can enter the front row. And stay in contention going into the final round. As Leishman can jump from behind for that green jacket. With $11 million USD in it.

We cannot wait for Day 3 tomorrow with the hope of clear weather. There is a chance of rain towards the end of play at 5-6pm in Augusta, GA. Will it be Rose who still has the lead baton. Or is someone else will put their hand up. And duel with him ahead on Sunday for this major.

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Golf News, 2021 The Masters: Justin Rose leads after the first day

by Sports Benches

Great to see The Masters return in the usual April spot. As it always been in a long time. After the 2020 edition finally came during November due to COVID.

Justin Rose from England leads after Round 1 today on -7. Brian Harman not far behind on -3 who hails from Savannah, GA. Where he is tied up with Hideki Matsuyama (Japan). Plus two Americans round off the Top 5. Will Zalatoris who leads out of the youth alone. He is joint 4th from San Francisco, California. And Webb Simpson aged 35 from Raleigh, NC.

Jordan Speith is in 12th spot/tied 8th at -1 today. Just behind Tyrell Hatton who shot a great birdie in the 12th hole. He came off a tour win last week in Texas. With plenty of work to catch up tomorrow if he wants that green jacket badly. As written in our 2021 Masters preview. Marc Leishman is the No.1 Aussie here. He is aged 37 from Warrnambool, Victoria in 19th spot/tied 13th at Even Par.

Rory McIIroy fired off against his way in 66th at four over par. He came here as the underdog with plenty of criticism regarding his swing. Which led to the hiring of Pete Cowen. Things might change over the next day or two. Well thankfully his dad is okay after he was hit off McIlroy in the 7th hole. But right now the chance to take home the green jacket is a tall order. Same goes to Bryson DeChambeau. He may have won the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month.

But his run here in Augusta does not really benefit his preparations. He too has also entered The Masters as one of the favourites. Just like the delayed 2020 edition where it did not end well. So far there is no sign of early progress. He is four places behind McIIroy in 70th on four over par. Not a great start from both men.

Day 1 is complete with former World No.1 Rose leads the line. Speith still has time to enter the Top 10. Then look to close down to the front row. The same goes to Leishman. And it will be interesting to see if both McIIroy & DeChambeau turns around tomorrow. Cannot wait for Day 2 of 4 in the 2021 Masters. It starts at 5am tomorrow & Sunday. Followed by 4am Monday morning for the final round.

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Golf News, 2021 The Masters Preview Article

by Sports Benches

Even though COVID-19 delayed the playing of the 2020 Masters, it only made the event more special and makes the upcoming 2021 Masters even more exciting. Rather than waiting a full year between events we only had to wait six months, but there has been a lot that has happened in the golf world within those six months. One of the biggest shake ups in the sport has been the rise of Jordan Spieth and the fall of Rory McIlroy.

In today’s article we will take a look at these two stars and give you our predictions for the next four days.

Jordan Spieth was looking to become a star with his major victories from 2014-2017 and at one point in his career was standing in second place on the Official World Golf Rankings. However it seemed like his stardom would be short lived as he fell from grace with poor performance after poor performance making many fans wonder, where in the world is Jordan Spieth. In fact, at the 2020 Masters he came in forty sixth place with a score of one over par, well behind Dustin Johnson’s twenty under par.

However within the last six months Jordan Spieth has really gone on a tear, including this weekend. Back in his home state of Texas, Jordan Spieth is currently tied for the lead at the Valero Texas Open. Besides this tournament, he has had three top five performances within the past three months alone, really turning it around since the 2020 Masters. Being a Masters champion himself gives fans another reason to watch out for him during the tournament this weekend.

With a mixture of his prior play in Augusta and his hot streak coming into the tournament, he may be able to win the 2021 Masters!

On the other hand we have Rory McIlroy who is finding himself in a rut similar to the one that Jordan Spieth was in last year. However he has been much more present in the media, informing fans that his swing seems to be falling apart due to changes he is making for added distance. It is safe to say that Bryson DeChambeau’s long ball skills are what is putting the pressure on McIlroy to hit the ball even farther.

Speaking of Bryson DeChambeau he seemed to be the favorite in the 2020 Masters, but he performed well below everyone’s expectations. However it is safe to say that he has since learned from his mistakes, even picking up a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March. With some added experience from the 2020 Masters, he may be able to meet expectations this time.

When it comes to the 2021 Masters this upcoming weekend, keep an eye out for Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau as either one could win the tournament. Have low expectations for Rory McIlroy based on recent swing troubles, but he could certainly pull off a large upset. Keep in mind that it is difficult to maintain the lead throughout all four rounds, so the first round winner may not be the final winner, but Jordan Spieth has done it before. We hope you enjoyed this article and we all look forward to the 2021 Masters!

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