SPIETH BACK TO WORLD NO.1
Week 39

Jordan Spieth capped an unforgettable season in style with victory in the Tour Championship to secure the FedEx Cup title and a massive payday in Atlanta.

Thongchai Jaidee won his seventh European Tour title with a flawless final round showing at the Porsche European Open in Germany.

K.T. Kim of Korea won his fourth title this year when he claimed a three-shot victory at the Asia-Pacific Open Mitsubishi Diamond Cup on Sunday.


28TH SEPTEMBER 2015 | 05:40 AM

PGA Tour - TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola

There will still be a vote. But the conversation ended Sunday at East Lake.

That's where Jordan Spieth put an exclamation point on what many already thought was a Player of the Year campaign when he won the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and the FedExCup.

Five wins, two of which were majors and gave him a shot at an historic three in a row. A phenomenal 10 more top-10 finishes. All leading to a few weeks as the world's No. 1, a spot that he regained on Sunday.

Oh, and by the way, the youngster who once saved his allowance to buy a Razor scooter now has made more money in a single season than anyone else -- and that $12,030,465 total doesn't include Sunday's $10 million FedExCup bonus, either.

When Spieth missed the cut in the first two Playoffs events, though, Jason Day was there to step in. And not without good reason, as he backed up his breakthrough at the PGA Championship with wins at The Barclays and the BMW Championship, bringing his total for the year to five.

Suddenly, Day was No. 1 in the FedExCup, as well as in the world. Spieth isn't the type to begrudge his friend success, he just used it as motivation of his own.

That's why Spieth, his coach Cameron McCormick and his caddie Michael Greller were among the precious few players at East Lake on Monday, working on his short game and getting a feel for the Bermuda greens. The payoff? Spieth finished the week ranked first in strokes gained: putting and scrambling, as well.


European Tour – Porsche European Open

Thongchai Jaidee won his seventh European Tour title with a flawless final round showing at the Porsche European Open in Germany.

The Thai star led by one overnight, and ground down those chasing him with a steady rather than spectacular four under par 67.

Graeme Storm maintained the most substantial challenge, but found water off the 17th tee and, although he managed to save par from ten feet at the last, Jaidee clung on with a neat up-and-down at the 18th.

“It’s a very special week for me,” said Jaidee, “it is the third time I have won outside of Asia, so I’m very excited about that and I’m happy to win this tournament.

“I’m feeling very confident at the moment. I didn’t make many mistakes this week – only one bogey all week. I played very nicely and 17 under is some score for me.

“I liked the golf course. It’s not very long and you have to keep it in play.

“Graeme Storm played very well too. It was very exciting on the last three holes. The 18th is tough and you can’t miss the fairway. I had to go left and then it was a good chip and a good putt at the last to win.”


Japan / Asian Tour – the Asia-Pacific Open Mitsubishi Diamond Cup

K.T. Kim of Korea won his fourth title this year when he claimed a three-shot victory at the Asia-Pacific Open Mitsubishi Diamond Cup on Sunday.

The 29-year-old holed a 10-foot birdie on the last hole to finish on two-under-par 68 for a winning total of nine-under-par 271 at the Y150 million (approximately US$1.2 million) event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.

“I didn’t expect to win so many titles this year. I’ve come this far now and I’m really happy.” – K.T. Kim

Japan’s Toshinori Muto, who shared the lead at one point, and Yuta Ikeda posted a 67 and 69 respectively to tie for second place while Michio Matsumura finished a further shot back on 275 at the Otone Country Club, West Course.

Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng carded a 71 to finish in tied 11th place while Japanese star Ryo Ishikawa returned with a disappointing 77 to take a share of 52nd position.

Kim, who led by two shots at the start of the round, was drawn level by a fast charging Muto after 12 holes. The Korean birdied the par three 13th hole to regain command and sealed the deal with a stylish closing birdie.

“It doesn’t matter if you are leading by a few shots. It can easily be erased so I kept to my pace. It was never going to be an easy win and it wasn’t. I didn’t see the leaderboard until the 13th hole and that’s when I saw that I was tied for the lead,” said Kim.K.T. Kim Rd 4

“I knew it was going to get harder but I didn’t want to push myself too hard. I stayed relax and I was able to get the birdie.”


Alps Tour Golf – 2015 Open International De Marcilly

Netherlands’ Darius Van Driel finally broke the curse and won his maiden trophy thanks to level par final round. With this win, he jumps on top of the Alps Tour ranking and moves to World No.547.

Van Driel was in the overnight leader with a two stroke advantage over local hero, Alex Kaleka. The latter started the best way with a birdie on the first hole and his playing partner dropped two shots in a row on 3rd and fourth.

Van Driel struggled to enter the round and Kaleka was in control. At the turn, the two men were -10 and it seemed that once again, Van Driel couldn’t lift a trophy. During the last 3 weeks, he was each time in contention and finished 3rd, 2nd, 2nd.


PGA Tour China – Cadillac Championship

Australian Bryden Macpherson came close to winning the Cadillac Championship in 2014, but it didn’t happen. He wouldn’t be disappointed again. Macpherson, who began the day trailing by two shots, broke free from a crowded leaderboard midway through his back nine and coasted to a three-shot win over South Korea’s Byungmin Cho on a beautiful sunny day as the host nation celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday.

Macpherson put the field on notice Friday when he shot a 9-under 63 -- the low 18 of the season -- at Topwin Golf and Country Club. He followed that with rounds of 69-68 to earn his first professional title after a celebrated amateur career in Australia and at the University of Georgia.

“I better not play one more because there is nowhere to go from here,” Macpherson joked about his runner-up finish and his win in his last two Cadillac Championship starts.


PGA Tour LatinoAmerica – Aberto do Brasil presented by Credit Suisse Hedging Griffo

After surviving a seven-hole sudden death playoff for the title, Alex Rocha of Sao Paulo, Brazil, won his first PGA TOUR Latinoamérica title and his first win on his National Open Championship.


Asian Development Tour - Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship

Thai stalwart Thammanoon Sriroj of Thailand lifted the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship trophy after defeating local prospect Wang Wei-lun on the second play-off hole at the US$110,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event on Sunday.

Thammanoon 5The 46-year-old Thai hit a 15-yard chip shot from greenside and holed a three-foot par putt on the 18th green in the second extra hole to edge Wang, who settled for bogey after missing a 30-footer, at the picturesque National Golf and Country Club. Both of them bogeyed the first play-off hole on the par-four 18th hole.

Thammanoon walked away with the winner’s prize cheque of US$19,250 and moved up more than 40 rungs to 10th place on the Order of Merit. He also earned six Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points courtesy of his maiden win on the region’s burgeoning Tour, which was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010.


Nordic Golf League - GolfUppsala Open

Richard Pettersson final round of 67 saw him secure the GolfUppsala Open title moving to World no. 950.

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