Scott from nowhere as Ogilvy fades

Weekly Wrap :: August 15-21

The US PGA Championship was the main feature from golf last week, in a co-sanctioned event between the US and European tours from Medinah Country Club in Illinois. On the LPGA tour, several Aussies competed at the Safeway Classic held at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

Tiger Woods took out his third US PGA championship in style last week with a convincing five shot victory over fellow American Shaun Micheel. Woods carded rounds of 69-68-65-68 to take out his 12th major title, but the story of the day arguably belonged to Aussie golfer Adam Scott who came from seven strokes behind to finish in a tie for third alongside Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia. Scott finished by carding rounds of 71-69-69-67, six strokes behind Woods and one behind second placed getter Micheel.

Fellow Aussie and US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy had started the final round in fourth place, only to have a series of bogeys leave him tied in ninth after his 74 cost him dearly. Robert Allenby finished a further four strokes back on five under the card, with both Scott and Ogilvy openly admitting the need to improve their games in order to beat the likes of Woods. Peter Lonard and Rod Pampling finished well out of contention on +4 and +3 respectively.

With yet another top five finish for Scott, he earns a decent payday of $US $353,600 ($A 464,590), with Ogilvy taking home $US $165,000 ($A 216,876). The victory by Tiger Woods, cements his place at the top of the US Order of Merit, with Geoff Ogilvy maintaining fourth spot and Adam Scott rising two places since last week, moving from eighth place to sixth.

The Columbia Edgewater Country Club was the venue for the Safeway Classic last week, with Aussies Rachel Hetherington, Karrie Webb, Lindsey Wright and Nadina Light all in action. American Pat Hurst took out the three round event finishing on ten under, whilst Karrie Webb found her form finishing in a tie for seventh with rounds of 75-70-66, to finish five strokes behind Hurst.

Lindsey Wright was the next best placed Aussie, finishing in a tie for 18th carding rounds of 69-72-72, two strokes back from Webb. Rachel Hetherington finished on even par after the three rounds, whilst Nadina Light missed the cut.

Webb’s prize money of $US $29,358 ($A 38,606) keeps her in touch on the ADT Money List, with Mexican golfer and last week’s money list leader Lorena Ochoa not in action at the Safeway Classic. This week the LPGA tour heads to Ohio, and the Wendy’s Championship for Children where Karrie Webb, Nadina Light and Rachel Hetheington are the Aussies in action.

Also in Ohio, Firestone Country Club plays host to the World Golf Championships in Akron. Australian’s Geoff Ogilvy, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby and Adam Scott will take on a strong field of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh and current in form Swedish golfer Robert Karlsson.

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