· A substantial field of 18 Australasians are lining up at this weeks Buick Open that offers a first prize purse of $US882,000 and a brand new Buick.
· Defending champion Tiger Woods will skip this week’s tournament in Grand Blanc for the first time since 2001.
· This week’s event has only three players among the world’s top 25: No. 3 Jim Furyk, No. 15 Trevor Immelman and No. 23 Charles Howell III.
· Of this week’s contingent Robert Allenby is the highest ranked Australasian and fourth highest player on the Money List in 24th place. Allenby was the best finisher of the Australasians last year at this event tying for 15th place. Allenby started the year with an astonishing six top nine finishes in eight events then missed three cuts in his next five starts. Most recently he finished T12 at the Stanford St. Jude Championship.
· American Jim Furyk is favourite this week and his record at the events speaks for itself. The 2003 Buick Open champion Furyk has a streak of 33 consecutive rounds under-par at the Warwick Hills course as he begins play this week. He has seven Top-10 finishes in the event, has made the cut in all 12 starts.
· Including this week, there are just eight weeks left to qualify for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. The top 144 at the end of eight weeks are eligible.
Australasian Field: David Bransdon, Michael Campbell NZL, Marcus Fraser, Richard Green, Matthew Millar, Peter O’Malley, Wade Ormsby, Terry Price, Brett Rumford, Andrew Tampion.
· This week’s event has more going for it than just a win for some players. Australian Richard Green (winner of recent BA-CA Open ) and Welshman Bradley Dredge are currently the highest two European Tour Members on the ranking not already exempt into next month’s Open Championship at Carnoustie. If they can retain their places (as both are playing in this week’s event) they will earn a ticket to the years third major. The mini order of merit count for positions began in May at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia, and which will end on Sunday night.
· On the heels of Green and Dredge are Miguel Angel Jiménez and Nick Dougherty of England.
· The task will be made all the more difficult as no less than 18 Major Championship winners are in this week’s field. It also features 14 winners from the 2007 European Tour season, all of whom will be looking to claim the €666,660 (£448,491) first prize
· Accuracy from the tee, control from the fairways and patience around the greens at Le Golf National are the three keys a player will need to possess to unlock the door to success in this week’s Open de France
· Last year John Bickerton held off star-studded chasing pack led by former US Open champion Michael Campbell and Padraig Harrington to win by one shot.
· Robert Allenby was the last Australasian to win the event, in 1996.
JAPAN TOUR: UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship ShishidoHills, Shishido Hills Country Club, Ibaraki
Australasian Field: Chris Campbell, Steve Conran, Brendan Jones, Scott Lay*****, Eddie Lee NZL, Craig Parry, Wayne Perske, David Smail NZL
2006 Champion:
Tatsuhiko Takahash (Japan) · The UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship is one of the most prestigious events in Japanese men’s golf and is widely considered as the “Players Championship” of the Japan Tour.
· The Championship is being played over the West Course at Shishido Hills Country Club, located about 90 minutes northeast of Tokyo.
· The events is worth ¥150 million (about US$1.2 million) but the prizemoney is not the only incentive on offer for the winner. As an added bonus, the winner of the 132 man field event also receives entry into the US$8 million World Golf Championship Bridgestone Invitational to be played from August 2-5 at Firestone Country Club in the United States. The Bridgestone was won by Tiger Woods for the fifth time in 2006.
· Queensland’s Wayne Perske will be one of eight Australasians in the field this week as the small but experienced crew continue their assault on the Japan Golf Tour. Two-time winner Craig Parry continues his return to Japan after a several-year absence, along with Brendan Jones, Chris Campbell and veterans Steve Conran and Scott Lay*****.
· Wayne Perske gave his views on the course: “It is a really tough course, where you have to focus on driving. If you drive it in the fairway, you can probably score because the greens are a little bit soft. If you are off the fairway, you could have thousands.”
NATIONWIDE TOUR: Peek'n Peak Classic, Peek'n Peak Resort and Conf. Center (Upper Course), Findley Lake, New York
Australasian Field: Greg Chalmers, Jason Day, David Diaz, Kim Felton, Scott Gardiner, Matthew Jones, David McKenzie, Aron Price, Richard Swift, Phil Tataurangi NZL, Tim Wilkinson NZL.
2006 Champion: John Merrick (USA)
· The Nationwide Tour is at the half way mark. This weeks Peek'n Peak Classic is the 16th of 32 Nationwide events. The Upper Course is a par-72, 7,025-yard course.
· 156 players will tee off in the Peek’n Peak Classic with ten of the year's tournament winners in the field.
· Australian Nick Flanagan is 2007's only multiple winner (two) and still leads the Money List by $5,425. Finishing atop the money list at season's end has its rewards including a spot in THE PLAYERS field.
· Flanagan is taking his third consecutive week off. He has been at home in Australia recovering from a hernia operation. At this stage he plans to return to the US on 9th July in time for the Nationwide event in Columbus Ohio.
· Last year aussie Gavin Coles was defeated by John Merrick on the third playoff hole at the Peek'n Peak Classic. Merrick stormed back into contention at the event when he made four birdies over his final five holes during the final round.
· The top-25 money winners at the Tour's final tournament, the Nationwide Tour Championship at Barona Creek, will secure 2008 PGA TOUR playing privileges. Last year, every player who was inside the top 10 after 16 (of 31) events earned his card
CANADIAN TOUR: ATB Financial Classic, Calgary Elks Lodge & GC, Calgary, Alberta
Australasian Field: Jon Abbott, Doug Batty NZL, Adam Bland, Anthony Brown, Ben Bunny, Michael Choi, Paul Devenport NZL, Glen Dick, Josh Geary NZL, Brad Heaven NZL, Luke Hickmott, Andrew Johnson, Jens Nilsson, Andrew Pitt, Bobby Smith, David Walker, Tim Wood.
2006 Champion: New Event
· The Canadian Tour rolls into Calgary for the first time in seven years this week as the Western Canada run continues with the ATB Financial Classic at Calgary Elks, home to one of the oldest golf courses in the Calgary.
· The ATB Financial Classic is the Canadian Tour’s ninth official event
· Through the opening eight events of the year, there has already been a trio of two-time winners. Aussie rookie Adam Bland, rookie sensation Spencer Levin of the U.S. and Calgary native Wes Heffernan.
· Current money leader Levin will not play at the ATB Financial Classic as he attempts to qualify for the British Open and Bland will have stiff competition from Heffernan who will have the hometown crowd behind him this week as he chases his third triumph of the year and fourth in ten months.
· The race for the $50,000 Canadian Bursary continues in Calgary. The Canadian Bursary is a fund designed to recognize the consistent performance of players on the Canadian Tour based on top-10 finishes in Canada, using a point system similar to that used for the US Ryder Cup team selection. Ten players—five Canadian and five international—will benefit from the Canadian Bursary this year.
KOREAN TOUR: SBS Yonwoo Heavenland Open , Heaven Land Country Club
Australasian Field: Ben Burge, Kevin Chun NZL, Henry Epstein, David Gleeson, Jason Moon, Nathan Uebergang
CHALLENGE TOUR: Estoril Challenge de Portugal, Quinta da Marinha, Cascais, Estoril, Portugal
Australasian Field: Stephen Scahill NZL.
2006 Champion: Kyron Sullivan (Wales)
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Commerce Bank Championship, The Red Course, Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, New York
Australasian Field: Graham Marsh
2006 Champion: John Harris (USA)
Television Coverage: US PGA Tour – Buick OpenFri 29 June First round LIVE 5.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Sat 30 June Second round LIVE 5.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Sun 1 July Third round LIVE 5.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Mon 2 July Final round LIVE 5.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
European Tour – Open De FranceThu 28 June First round LIVE 11.30pm (FOX SPORTS 1)
Sat 30 June Second round Delay 2.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Sun 1 July Third round Delay 1.00am (FOX SPORTS 3)
Sun 1 July Final round LIVE 9.00pm (FOX SPORTS 2)
