Australians face important Sunday in US events
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 Fry's Electronic Open | Round Three | 21 Oct 2007
Three Australian golfers playing in the USA face important days in terms of their ongoing professional careers when the final rounds of the respective events take place tomorrow.
Mark Hensby and Jarrod Lyle tee it up in the final round of the Fry’s Electronics Open in Arizona, both looking to confirm their future on the PGA Tour with big finishes to the event.
At the completion of 54 holes, Hensby finds himself one behind the lead of Carl Pettersson and in a share of second with Mike Weir in the US$5 million event while Lyle is in a share of fourth, three behind Pettersson.
Hensby is currently in 151st position on the 2007 USPGA Tour money list needing perhaps another US$300,000 plus in the remaining three events to ensure himself of security for 2008, while for Lyle he is in 177th position and needs another US$500,000.
A win in this event will get the job done either way as a winner gains a two year exemption but with US$540,000 as a runner up purse this week and US$340,000 for third place alone then both could potentially regain their status without winning.
For Hensby this is a crucial opportunity as in an interesting twist he has forgotten to enter Tour School and so only has this week and the remaining Running Horse Championship and the Disney Classic to earn the US$300,000 he needs. Barring accidents tomorrow, Hensby has probably done enough to finish inside the top 150 and gained partial exemption for next year but this is a great opportunity to have the comfort of full playing rights.
Hensby has been unfairly castigated in Australia for daring to question Australian demi golfing god, Greg Norman’s commitment to the Australian golfing cause. Two years ago at the Australian Open Hensby suggested that Norman could better leverage his position in the game to assist the struggling Australasian Golf Tour but by the completion of that press conference he was under attack from all quarters as a traitor of Australian golf.
Hensby deserves much better. The very much self made ex-postie from Tamworth in country New South Wales has done things the hard way and is perhaps a role model in his own right as Norman is in his. Hensby always says things as he sees them, not necessarily as they always are but you can’t help but like his candid manner.
26-year-old, Lyle, is in his first season on the USPGA Tour but now has a chance, with a good round tomorrow, to finish at worst inside the top 150 and avoid a visit to stage two of the Tour School. With a great round tomorrow however he could turn an ordinary season into something very special.
Over on the Nationwide Tour New South Wales golfer, Aron Price has created an opportunity for USPGA Tour status by moving within two of the lead at the PalmettoPride Classic in South Carolina.
Price is currently in 41st place on the 2007 Nationwide Tour money list, needing perhaps another US$70,000 to be assured of a place in the top 25 who will advance to the USPGA Tour in 2008. The first prize in this event is US$81,000 but even with the runner up prize of US$48,000 he will move within striking distance with just two events remaining.
