Around the wider world of golf: Davis Love III and Dru Love set two tournament records to win the PNC Father-Son Challenge on the Champions Tour; and Poom Saksansin won the BNI Indonesian Masters on the Asian Tour.
The PNC Father-Son Challenge had the potential to be the big story this week, what with John and JT Daly's 59 and Jack and GT Nicklaus's 61 on Saturday, but the Loves were the expected winners -- therefore, not the big story.
But David Lipsky became the first American to win in Africa since Jim Furyk in 2006. and it was only Lipsky's second win on the ET. That made it the big story to me.
There are a number of Americans playing the tours outside America. David Lipsky is one of the ones I try to keep up with. He's remarkably consistent most of the time, but 2018 hasn't been a good year for him. He finished outside the Top100 in the Race to Dubai, meaning he'd have to fight for a card in 2019.
No longer. His first trip to the Leopard Creek Golf Club resulted in a win to end his season... and his playing woes. Despite his problems on the par-3 16th (he was +4 on that one hole in the last two rounds) he was pretty much flawless the rest of the time, winning by two over David Drysdale and giving himself a whole new set of good memories for next year.
And his very first Limerick Summary. Oh yes, it's going to be a good Christmas at the Lipsky household.
One African trip made his year.The photo came from this page at europeantour.com.
With four rounds in the South Hemisphere
David Lipsky’s fine play
Wiped bad mem’ries away
And his frustrations all disappeared.
Taiwan's Min Lee, whose 4th full season on the LPGA Tour saw her make only 3 cuts in 11 starts totaling $18751 and finish no higher than T32, won the CLPGA's season finale, the China Women's Open, with a 12 under par 276, edging out China's Yan Liu by one shot. Her winners check was CNY315000, which is the equivalent of $45669 but was enough to place her 4th on the CLPGA's Order of Merit. It won't help her much though: only the top three get exemptions into the 2019 US Women's Open and by finishing T73 at Q-series she does not have full exempt status on the LPGA next season either.
ReplyDeleteThis event, previously co-sanctioned with the KLPGA but cancelled last year because of the THAAD missile standoff between China and South Korea, has still yet to have a winner from mainland China in its history.
Thanks, IC. I really do appreciate you adding these updates on the other women's tours each week.
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