[PHOTO: Getty Images]
Australia’s two Cams led the way on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf in a mixed bag for the Down Under gang. Cam Davis led the way during a disappointing campaign for the Australians at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill while Cam Smith lost in a playoff at LIV Golf Hong Kong.
As world No.1 Scottie Scheffler romped to a five-shot victory over Wyndham Clark, Sydneysider Davis signed for a final round of 70 to finish at two-under-par and tied for 18th, the best of the green and gold mob at Bay Hill, the famed course in Orlando, Florida.
The remainder of Australia’s cohort at the $US20 million signature event – big names Min Woo Lee, Jason Day and Adam Scott – failed to fire with all finishing outside the top 30.
Day, the 2016 Palmer winner at Bay Hill, was next best after Davis with his final-round 73 dropping him one shot to two-over and tied for 36th. Lee came off a tie for second, his best result on the PGA Tour, at last week’s PGA Tour event in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and many tipped him to carry his form into Bay Hill. But Lee struggled with the rough and finished tied for 44th at three-over.
Scott, who owned five top-10 results in his past seven results worldwide, was five-over through two rounds and missed the cut.
Meanwhile, on LIV Golf, 2022 Open champion Smith recorded his best result of 2024 with a tie for second at LIV Golf Hong Kong. Smith forced a playoff at 13-under-par with Abraham Ancer and Paul Casey. When Smith flared his approach to the greenside bunker on the first playoff hole, Ancer, the 2018 Australian Open champion at The Lakes, put them to the sword by hitting a 9-iron to three feet and draining the birdie putt for his first LIV victory and a cool $US4 million prize.
Smith’s Ripper GC teammate, Lucas Herbert, made a final-day charge and finished tied for 15th at nine-under, just four shots out of the playoff. Matt Jones tied for 21st at seven-under and Marc Leishman shared 29th at five-under. In the teams event, Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC claimed victory while Joaquin Niemann’s Torque GC were second and Ripper GC third.
On the DP World Tour, Perth’s Jason Scrivener was the top Australian, tied for 17th at four-under at the Jonsson Workwear Open in South Africa. On the LPGA Tour, Minjee Lee was unable to convert her first-round lead into victory, sharing fourth place with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko at the Blue Bay LPGA.
Results courtesy of PGA of Australia
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
1 Scottie Scheffler 70-67-70-66–273 US$4,000,000
T18 Cam Davis 72-70-74-70–286 $289,000
T36 Jason Day 70-74-73-73–290 $88,375
T44 Min Woo Lee 69-73-76-73–291 $64,000
MC Adam Scott 73-76
Puerto Rico Open
Grand Reserve Golf Club, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
1 Brice Garnett 66-66-68-69–269 US$720,000
T23 Aaron Baddeley 70-69-67-70–276 $32,333
T42 Harrison Endycott 69-71-68-70–278 $13,423
MC Gareth Steyn (a) 71-73
MC Geoff Ogilvy 71-75
LPGA Tour
Blue Bay LPGA
Jian Lake Blue Bay Course, China
1 Bailey Tardy (USA) 68-70-66-65–269 US$330,000
T4 Minjee Lee 65-72-70-68–275 $95,907
T15 Gabi Ruffels 72-71-68-70–281 $29,247
MC Karis Davidson 72-75
MC Robyn Choi 75-73
DP World Tour
Jonsson Workwear Open
Glendower Golf Club, Edenvale, South Africa
1 Matteo Manassero 68-61-67-66–262 €255,000
T17 Jason Scrivener 68-66-70-68–272
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Hong Kong
Hong Kong Golf Club, Sheung Shui, Hong Kong
1 Abraham Ancer 63-62-72–197 US$4,000,000
T2 Cam Smith 67-64-66–197 $1.875,000
T2 Paul Casey (Eng ) 66-67-64–197 $1.875,000
(Ancer won on first playoff hole)
T15 Lucas Herbert 70-64-67–201 $278,750
T21 Matt Jones 64-68-71–203 $204,286
T29 Marc Leishman 68-68-69–205 $165,000
Champions Tour
Cologuard Classic
La Paloma Country Club, Tucson, Arizona
1 Joe Durant (USA) 67-66-67–200 US$330,000
T2 Steve Alker (NZ) 69-68-65–202 $161,333
T7 Greg Chalmers 67-70-67–204 $59.086
T17 David Bransdon 66-70-70–206 $32,065
T21 Steve Allen 71-68-68–207 $23,833
T21 Mark Hensby 71-66-70–207 $23,833
T27 Michael Wright 72-69-67–208 $18,260
T32 John Senden 71-67-71–209 $14,850
T43 Richard Green 75-67-69–211 $8800
T49 Rod Pampling 70-70-72–212 $6380
T61 Stuart Appleby 70-73-72–215 $3300
Korn Ferry Tour
Astara Chile Classic
Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago, Chile
1 Taylor Dickson 68-67-70-66–271 US$180,000
T47 Curtis Luck 65-75-70-71–281 $4310
MC Rhein Gibson 75-66–141
MC Brett Drewitt 72-70–142
MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 75-70–145
Epson Tour
Florida’s Natural Charity Classic
Country Club of Winter Haven, Winter Haven, Florida
1 Valery Plata (Col) 70-66-70–206 US$37,500
3 Cassie Porter 69-69-70–208 $17.092
MC Amelia Garvey (NZ) 77-73
MC Su Oh 76-79
