2017 - Week 9 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the WGC - Mexico Championship (European/US PGA Tour) and the Tshwane Open (European PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. All eyes will be on Mexico, where a quality field has assembled for the first WGC event of the year. There's an impressive forty nine of top fifty in the world rankings playing in the relocated event (world number two Jason Day, with ear infections/flu, is the only absentee). Meanwhile, the European PGA Tour stays in South Africa, where once again there is a poor field and more rain promised this week.

2017 - Week 8 Winners

Darren Fichardt (ranked 23rd by Golf Predictor) won the Joburg Open on the European PGA Tour. The 41 year old South African won his fifth tour win with a two shot victory in soggy Johannesburg. In an event shortened to 54 holes due to the excessive rain, Fichardt pipped Paul Waring and Stuart Manley in a tight final day to win for the first time in four years. As an added bonus, the top three qualified for The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in July. In a disappointing week, our top ranked player, Jordan Smith, finished in tied 60th and we had only five of the top sixteen plus ties (5/22) in this event with a large, poor field and difficult weather conditions!

Rickie Fowler (ranked 4th by Golf Predictor) won the Honda Classic on the US PGA Tour. The 28 year old American won his fourth tour title after finally converting a 54 hole lead on the PGA Tour. Although leading by four overnight, Fowler made it hard on himself initially, with his lead cut to a single shot at one stage. However, he steadied the ship on the back nine and won by four shots in the end, thanks in part to Gary Woodland's poor finish! Our top ranked player, Adam Scott, finished in tied 14th, and we had eight of the top fourteen plus ties (8/20*). 


*Due to the withdrawal of Branden Grace, Martin Kaymer is promoted to the top 20 of the GP rankings.

2017 - Week 8 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Joburg Open (European PGA Tour) and The Honda Classic (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. There is a strong field in Florida with nine out of the top twenty in the world rankings teeing it up. The European PGA Tour returns to South Africa, where the Joburg Open field has its usual large weak field, making the event a bit of a lottery. This year, the field seems even weaker than normal, with only four lowly members of the world's top one hundred teeing it up in Johannesburg.

2017 - Week 7 Winners

Brett Rumford (ranked 14th by Golf Predictor) won the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth on the European PGA Tour. The 39 year old local put a bad year last year behind him to win the new super 6 format event in Australia. After suffering from injury woes and losing his card in 2016, Rumford bounced back to dominate both the 54 hole stroke play and the innovative six hole matchplay format among the top twenty four on Sunday. Our top ranked player, Alex Noren, missed the cut and he wasn't the only one of the bigger names did not perform. Overall, we had only five of the top seventeen plus ties (5/19) in the hot and breezy conditions.
 
Dustin Johnson (ranked 1st by Golf Predictor) won the Genesis Open title on the US PGA Tour. The 32 year old American won his thirteenth tour title with a dominating display in Los Angeles. Johnson gave an impressive display of driving and putting at the weather affected event to blow the field away. After opening up a six shot lead after the end of his third round, Johnson opened up his final round with two birdies to all but end the tournament as a contest. After that, he eased off the throttle and won by five shots in the end. With the emphatic win, Johnson reached world number one for the first time and emulated Tiger Woods' streak of winning in his first ten seasons. Johnson was our top ranked player and we had nine of the top twenty two plus ties (9/27*) in total.



*With withdrawals, Howell III makes the top 27 in the GP rankings.

2017 - Week 7 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth (European PGA Tour) and the Genesis Open (US PGA Tour), are now available on Golf Predictor. It's the last week of the California swing this week on the US PGA Tour and there's a quality field at the re-branded event in Los Angeles. Seventeen of the top twenty five in the world are teeing it up, which doesn't leave many of the top players for the new format Super 6 event in Perth! They have to make do with world number eleven Alex Noren and world number twenty five Louis Oosthuizen. That duo joins the usual large local contingent of unknowns in the large field, which will be shrunk down to twenty four for six hole match play after the third round to settle the winner. 

2017 - Week 6 Winners

Fabrizio Zanotti (ranked 58th by Golf Predictor) won the Maybank Championship on the European PGA Tour. The 33 year old Paraguayan won his second tour title with a fantastic finish in Malaysia. Trailing by six shots overnight, Zanotti closed with a 63 (-9) that included a birdie-eagle finish to pip David Lipsky by a single shot. Our top ranked player, Danny Willett, led by three overnight, but faded Sunday to finish tied 5th. In an an event where many of the bigger names did not perform, we had only six of the top twelve plus ties (6/19) in this new tournament.

Jordan Spieth (ranked 2nd by Golf Predictor) won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the US PGA Tour. The 23 year old American cruised to his ninth tournament win on the scenic Pacific layout. Leading by six shots overnight, Spieth wasn't put under any real pressure and reeled off a long succession of pars along with two birdies to win by four shots. Our top ranked player, Jason Day, had a mixed weekend, but finished well on Sunday for tied fifth. Overall, we had nine of the top fourteen plus ties (9/22).

2017 - Week 6 Predictions/Statistics Online

The predictions and statistics for this week, the Maybank Championship (European PGA Tour) and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (US PGA Tour) are now available on Golf Predictor. The California swing continues this week on the US Tour, where, as usual, a strong field has assembled to play with the stars. Five of the top twelve in the world rankings, including world number one Jason Day, are teeing it up in the annual pro-am at scenic Pebble Beach and two other nearby courses. Meanwhile, the European PGA Tour is in Malaysia on a different course this year, last used on tour in 2009. Like the inaugural event last year, Masters champion Danny Willett is headlining the field in steamy Kuala Lumper!

2017 - Week 5 Winners

Sergio Garcia (ranked 5th by Golf Predictor) won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European PGA Tour. The 37 year old Spaniard won his twelfth tour title with a solid final day performance in Dubai. Leading by three shots coming into the final day, Garcia was never really threatened and was able to close out a three shot victory over Henrik Stenson. Garcia was among those who turned out to have the best side of the draw as high winds stopped play on Friday afternoon after the morning starters had finished in similar conditions. It was another disappointing display from the main draw, Tiger Woods, who withdrew with back spasms after a disappointing opening 77. Stenson was our top ranked player and we had only seven of the top nineteen (7/22) in the very difficult conditions.

Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama (ranked 26th by Golf Predictor) won the Waste Management Phoenix Open on the US PGA Tour. The 24 year old Japanese player defended his title in a four hole play-off with Web Simpson. Simpson had makable putts to win it on the first three extra holes, but failed with feeble efforts on the first two and was agonisingly close on the third. That was disappointing, as I had backed and tipped him at 66/1! The big hitting Matsuyama finally prevailed on the drivable par four seventeenth after Simpson stymied himself with a bunker on the L shaped green. Matsuyama was our top ranked player and we had twelve of the top sixteen plus ties (12/23) in total.