Tough week for NZ golfers around world
- NZ Sports Wire
- May 5
- 3 min read
There were no top-20 results for the 10 New Zealand professional golfers in action at nine tournaments around the globe.
Michael Hendry was the top finisher, tied for 21st on the Japan Golf Tour (JGT), while leading golfers Ryan Fox and Steven Alker faded badly during their final rounds in the US on Sunday (Monday NZ Time).
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Hendry, 45, carded a second straight one-under 69 at the JGT's The Crowns tournament at the Nagoya Golf Club - Wago Course on Sunday to finish in an eight-way tie for 21st at even-par.
In an unspectacular round, Hendry made just two birdies and one bogey, finishing seven strokes behind the winner, Japan's Yousuke Asaji.
Hendry, who posted even-par 70 and two-over 72 in the first two rounds, sits eighth in the JGT rankings after three tournaments.
In the US, Fox and Alker both made the cut on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions, respectively, but went backwards on day four.
Fox signed for a one-over 72 in the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at the TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, falling eight places into a tie for 60th at five-under.
The 37-year-old was three-over for the day after bogeys at the first, third, 10th and 12th holes, before birdies at the 15th and 18th. He still finished a massive 26 shots behind the winner, American Scottie Scheffler.
At the Insperity Invitational at The Woodlands Country Club in Texas, Alker got into contention with a four-under 68 in the second round but concluded with a three-over 75, plummeting 30 spots into a share of 45th at even-par, 11 strokes off the pace.
Alker, still second in the Schwab Cup standings, had two birdies and three bogeys, before a double-bogey at the par-three 16th send him down the leaderboard.
After Hendry, Nick Voke was the next-best finisher, tied for 30th at the Asian Tour's Maekyung Open at the Namseoul Country Club in South Korea.
Voke managed a two-over 73 in the final round on Sunday - following rounds of 69, 72 and 72 - to end at two-over, 12 shots adrift of the winner. His last round featured three birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey at the par-four 16th.
Compatriot Sungjin Yeo missed the weekend cut by three strokes after rounds of 73 and 74.
Danny Lee also had a tough time of it, finishing 54th and last at LIV Golf's Korea tournament at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club. With rounds of 73, 77 and 78, Lee ended at 12-over, a massive 31 shots behind the winner, American Bryson DeChambeau.
At the Korn Ferry Tour's Tulum Championship in Mexico, Harry Hillier started and finished his fourth round with bogeys but there were positives in-between.
Hillier made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front-nine at the PGA Riviera Maya course in a two-under 70 on Sunday (Monday NZT) to move up 11 places into a tie for 29th at even-par.
His brother Charlie was not as fortunate at the PGA Tour Americas' Peru Open, carding back-to-back rounds of one-over 73 to miss the cut by four strokes.
Canterbury's Amelia Garvey had been on track for the best result of her young professional career at the Epson Tour's Matrix Championship in Las Vegas before stumbling on the last day.
Tied for seventh heading into the fourth round at the Spanish Trail Country Club on Sunday (Monday NZT), Garvey made one birdie, four bogeys and a double-bogey to drop into a share of 26th at three-over, 20 shots back.
It was a similar story for rookie Kiwi pro Fiona Xu on the LPGA Tour, with rounds of 74 and 76 seeing her miss the weekend cut at the Black Desert Championship in Ivins, Utah by nine strokes.
