TELFER'S THOUGHTS

Lydia Ko couldn’t quite deliver a winning 1-2 punch as she came up short at the Scottish Open. After leaving herself well placed after two sub par opening rounds, Lydia, for not the first time this year, wilted somewhat over the final 36 holes. She closed out with rounds of 71 and 74 which were nowhere near enough to get her into contention for back to back wins, following her last start win at

the Paris Olympics.

What Lydia was looking for here on the west coast of Scotland was a continuation of the form that carried her to that gold medal in Paris and also the chance to reset her game prior to the challenge of St Andrews, the home of golf, which looms this week as it hosts the Women’s Open Championship, the 5th and final Major of the year.

To finish 9th at the Scottish Open against a strong field, all looking to hone their game as well for this week, was a job well done by Lydia who understandably may not have fully put the joy and satisfaction of Paris behind her yet.

So this coming Major is really now the one remaining goal she’d like to collect before her expected retirement from the game within the next couple of years. Yes she has two Majors to her credit and even if she doesn’t add to that tally, she will retire from the game as one of the modern day greats

of women’s golf.

Few pundits in the game would have predicted after her second major in 2014 that this 17 year old would not add a third Major to her legacy over the next ten years. Sure she’s had some close shaves, but the other sad reality is, in recent years, Lydia has for the most part really struggled in all of the 5 Majors, even missing a few cuts in her darker days.

With the Olympic gold medal fresh in her memory she should cut a very confident figure at the Open Championship this week. I’m reminded of a famous few words from 4 time Major winner, Ray Floyd, who, in reply to a question from an Australian television commentator, said, “Don’t get confused about the mental side of golf, it’s not 90% mental – it’s 100%”.

Meanwhile the best of the Kiwi male golfers last week was once again Steve Alker with another of his solid tidy 4 round packages on display, finishing in a respectable 6th place on the PGA Champions Tour at the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Canada. If it hadn’t have been for an unfortunate double bogey 6 on the par 4 13th hole in the last round he would have finished in a tie for third place.

Ryan Fox finished outside the top 70 on the FedEx Cup points list so is not playing the FedEx series this year. The first leg of this 3 tournament series was won eventually by a very relieved Hideki Matsuyama. He began the day with a healthy 5 shot advantage over the field and comfortably held on to that advantage through the first 12 holes. Then for no apparent reason he self-imploded, dropping 4 shots in the next 4 holes. The big guns, and I mean the really big guns, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schaufele and defending champion Victor Hovland, sniffed blood, and suddenly Matsuyama’s huge lead had sunk to the bottom of the Japan Sea. Hovland briefly held the lead until

he faltered on 17 shifting the advantage to Schaufele who finished with a bogey free 7 under 63. He became the clubhouse leader but the deadpan Japanese wasn’t quite finished. After picking himself up off the canvas he mustered enough equilibrium to make a long 18 foot par for par on 17 then played a truly magnificent second from the rough to within 4 feet of the hole on 18. This long par four measuring nearly 500 yards was playing the toughest hole on the course on Day 4. Matsuyama claimed a rare birdie on this hole to record his 10th win on the USPGA. Right now Hideki looks likely to be one of just two golfers capable of stopping Scottie Scheffler winning this rich prize. The other is Xander Schaufele. Both are in very good nick so look out Scottie Scheffler, this FedEx title could be snatched away from you yet.