Inside Golf, Australia. July 2014 | Page 7

news Good US Open bets HERE’S a few good U.S. Open bets any bookmaker would have laid.  Martin Kaymer will set a course record 65 in the first and second rounds and take a six-shot lead into the weekend.  Kaymer will make only one bogey in the first 36 holes and win the tournament by eight shots.  Kaymer will complete a “Parental Double”; victory at the Players Championship (in June on Mother’s Day) will parlay into a US Open victory (Father’s Day in the US). He will become the first player to win on both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day since Tom Kite in 1992. The odds would have been generous. A few more:  Hunter Mahan and Jamie Donaldson will be penalised two shots for hitting each other’s ball during the second round. They will both miss the cut, with Mahan missing by one shot.  Jeff Maggert, who twice finished third in the US Open, will score a 10 on the par5 fifth hole.  Australian amateur Oliver Goss will be two shots ahead of Adam Scott and Jason Day after round one.  US Masters champion Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood will miss the cut. On the other side of the coin, the greens were predictably brutal. Charl Schwartzel missed a three-metre putt at the 12th and watched in disbelief as his ball rolled more than 10 metres past the hole and off the green. Phil Mickelson, too, couldn’t keep the ball on the green—while simply attempting to mark it! He had to move it two metres to the right, no nearer the hole, to find “grip” on the slick putting surface. Groundhog day for Fox in Tahiti R yan Fox has successfully defended his Tahiti Open title with a dramatic one-shot victory over fellow New Zealander Kieran Muir. Fox fired a final round three-under-par 69 to finish the championship at 20-under-par (268). The big hitting Kiwi began the day with a three-shot lead but was quickly back with the chasing group mid-way through the front nine after three early bogies. Muir started well with four early birdies and went on to finish with two birdies on 17 and 18 to post a seven-under-par 65 and take outright second. Australian Edward Stedman carded the low round of the week with a final round of nineunder-par 63 to finish in solo third and the best placed Australian behind Kiwis Fox and Muir. Fox battled back from his disappointing start, recording two birdies on his back nine and avoided a bogey on his final 13 holes. It came down to a 35-ft putt on the 72nd green which Fox needed to two-putt for par to claim victory. “I knew it was pretty close coming up the last but knew that a par would win it and that is just what I managed to do” said the 27-year-old Fox. “I played well all week and absolutely love coming to Tahiti. “It is one of the best events we play all year and I am thrilled to win this event again” he added. Local professional Vaita Guillaume carded a superb seven-under 65 on the final day to move into the top-15 and highlight the local golfing talent in Tahiti. This year’s event marks the 30th Anniversary of the championship and past champions include Brett Ogle (Aus) and Steve Alker (NZ). Fox adds his name to a select list as a multiple winner of the Tahiti Open and reaffirms him as one of the best young prospects to come out of New Zealand in many years along with runner-up Muir. The Tahiti Open is part of the Australian Choice Hotels PGA Pro-Am Circuit with players competing for a share in one of the richest prize-purses on the circuit. • FREE WIND SHIRT * BUY ANY 2 DOZEN B330 SERIES OR 3 DOZEN 2013 e SERIES OR 3 DOZEN BRIDGESTONE GOLF LADY PRECEPT FOR A LIMIT ED TIME ONLY *Free shirt by redemption only. While stocks last. At participating outlets. See Terms & Conditions for full details, www.bridgestonegolf.com.au BRIDGESTONEGOLF.COM.AU Bridgestone Australia Ltd. ABN 65 007 516 841 PH: 1300 138 353 www.in ͥ