Solely the USA boasts extra golfers to have gained The Gamers Championship than Australia.
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With Cameron Smith (2022), Jason Day (2016), Adam Scott (2004), Steve Elkington (1991 and 1997) and Greg Norman (1994) all triumphing in memorable vogue at TPC Sawgrass, Australia possesses a formidable report, the envy of many greater nations.
That quintet are among the many best ever produced to swing a membership down below.
They’re all main champions and have all been ranked within the prime three gamers on this planet with Day, Scott and Norman all reaching the head of being world primary.
As present world primary and two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler has proven lately, the cream definitely does rise to the highest on the match usually dubbed ‘the fifth main’.
It’s clear to see why when a high-class discipline, together with 48 of the highest 50 gamers on this planet rankings teeing it up this 12 months, comes along with their eyes on the US$4.5 million winner’s cheque.
In the event that they fall wanting that, they’ll seize a slice of the staggering US$25 million prize purse.
With such excessive stakes, it’s little surprise that it takes one thing particular to be a Gamers champion.
Smith mentioned he felt like he was enjoying the perfect he had ever performed after his triumph that preceded profitable The Open at St Andrews later that very same 12 months.
Scott hailed Day as “Tiger-esque” following his victory that was his tenth in 17 begins in a surprising run on the peak of his powers.
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Touching scenes as Day wins The Gamers | 00:32
Scott introduced himself to the golf world when at 23 he grew to become the then youngest winner in match historical past.
Norman’s beautiful report whole of –24 in his win prompted then PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman to say “there are some data that may by no means be overwhelmed. I feel that is considered one of them”.
Beman has been proper up to now, Norman’s mark nonetheless stands because the lowest rating in match historical past.
Elkington’s second Gamers victory in the meantime, possesses the report for best margin of victory at seven pictures.
“I blew away actually the perfect discipline we’ve ever had,” Elkington mentioned afterwards.
All of their profitable tales spotlight that it takes one thing extraordinary to overcome the sphere at TPC Sawgrass.
In actual fact, Fox Sports activities’ Paul Gow believes that it’s a distinct character trait that involves the fore on the stadium course and is the important thing ingredient for fulfillment.
“It’s only a powerful golf course. It’s a must to be powerful to have the ability to play it,” he mentioned.
“There’s going to be some dangerous breaks and ugly issues can occur, it’s fairly an evil golf course, and when that occurs you progress on and hit the following shot. Take all the things that involves you.”
Scott revisits well-known win at The Gamers | 04:47
That toughness has not solely been a characteristic that has led to victories however has additionally ensured that an Australian is repeatedly on the pointy finish of the leaderboard at The Gamers.
Final 12 months was solely the second time this century that an Australian has not been within the prime 20 at The Gamers as Day was the perfect of the contingent, coming thirty fifth.
Greg Chalmers, Robert Allenby, Scott, Elkington, Peter Lonard, Aaron Baddeley, Day, Marc Leishman, John Senden, Smith, Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis all have prime 10 finishes there this century.
The love affair with the course even prolonged to the Junior Gamers Championship with the extremely proficient Jeffrey Guan, who completely misplaced imaginative and prescient in his left eye final 12 months after being struck by a wayward golf ball, profitable that occasion in 2022.
Australia’s latest PGA Tour winner and Gamers debutant Karl Vilips recalled after his Puerto Rico Open win that he performed the Junior Gamers six occasions and didn’t have a end outdoors the highest ten.
These outcomes are a outstanding instance of how the nation routinely punches above its weight.
Aussie Vilips claims his first USPGA win | 01:03
Maybe the very fact we’re girt by sea signifies that Australian golfers will not be as troubled by the world-famous island inexperienced par 3 seventeenth in addition to the par 4 18th with water down the whole left aspect of the golf green within the crunch moments.
What’s for sure nonetheless, is that the Australian upbringing fits a golf course which inflicts loads of blows on these trying to overcome it.
After his 2022 victory, Smith mentioned that the grit engrained in him and his fellow Australians helps them to guts it out on a course that throws common curve balls.
“I feel it’s most likely simply by no means hand over,” he mentioned of what makes Australians so profitable at TPC Sawgrass.
“I grew up watching rugby league and watching the Queenslanders come from behind, and even when it bought gritty, they’d someway handle to win. I feel that’s form of instilled in all of us.”
An awesome instance of that grittiness was the conclusion to Smith’s victory.
His beautiful nine-iron to 4 ft on the seventeenth throughout the ultimate spherical is completely caught in golf followers’ reminiscences for the way daring it was to hunt the right-side pin when he had a two-shot lead – even when Smith did later admit he pushed it proper and was meaning to be smart and goal for the center of the inexperienced.
Greatest moments of the seventeenth at The Gamers | 01:01
However it’s usually forgotten that Smith did discover the water on the closing gap.
A birdie at 17 elevated the now LIV Golf star’s benefit, however he had little interest in enjoying it protected, pulling out driver on the tee field when commentators and followers alike have been pleading for Smith to go for the security of a 3-wood or iron off the tee.
After snap hooking a drive left earlier in his spherical, it was a block out to the proper that put Smith into the pine needles once more.
All he needed to do was punch it again out into the golf green, however he overcooked it and the ball trickled throughout the golf green and into the water.
Equally, Scott deposited his second shot into the drink on 18 throughout his victory 18 years earlier however that was courtesy of a hooked 6-iron.
The pair each responded with clutch up and downs to save lots of bogey and make sure the injury wouldn’t forestall them from lifting the trophy.
That type of response is a direct results of the Australian upbringing which forces gamers to roll with the punches, in keeping with Gow.
“There’s a bunch of pictures that it is advisable hit, and it is advisable hit them below immense strain. Plainly the grounding of enjoying Australian Opens and Australian PGA Championships, that has actually helped loads of the gamers over time,” he mentioned.
“That’s the stuff you develop up on. You get some dangerous breaks. You go and play the Sandbelt, you hit a stupendous shot and subsequent factor you’re within the tough or in a bunker. It’s not honest however what’s honest? You study and train your self to maneuver on.”
That precept has held Day and Scott, who’re the 2 highest ranked Australians presently, in superb stead over time.
Their fellow Australians within the discipline this week, Lee, Davis and Vilips, can be desperate to recreate a few of the magic from Scott and Smith’s unforgettable victories.
Lee performed within the ultimate group alongside Scheffler two years in the past however fell out of competition with a four-over par ultimate spherical, in what was his breakout match on the PGA Tour.
Davis additionally was left to rue a disappointing two-over ultimate spherical that 12 months earlier than ending in a tie for sixth alongside his compatriot.
Vilips will make his debut at The Gamers courtesy of his maiden PGA Tour win, and like Scott and Smith earlier than their breakthrough wins, the trio are thought to be abilities on the rise who’re but to have an enormous assertion victory that propels them onto better heights.
Davis has gained twice on the PGA Tour already, each on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional, however Gow believes this week actually might be his time, saying “if this golf course is suited to somebody’s sport, it’s Cam Davis’”.
And a fortunate break could have fallen the Sydneysider’s manner.
Fourteen of the final 17 Gamers champions have obtained a first-round morning tee time and Davis and Day are the one two different Australians to fall on that aspect of the draw.
That statistic could also be a pure coincidence, however the numbers which might be sure are that TPC Sawgrass doesn’t favour one kind of participant as a result of it’s an all-encompassing check.
The largest hitters don’t essentially win as a result of it is likely one of the hardest programs on the PGA Tour circuit from 150 yards and in.
Gamers have to drive properly, scramble properly, hit greens and putt properly.
Each facet of a golfer’s sport must be on to achieve success at The Gamers.
Which as Gow talked about, is just not dissimilar to the checks posed by lots of Australia’s nice programs.
If the quintet of Scott, Day, Lee, Davis and Vilips can carry their well-rounded upbringing and add in a wholesome dose of Aussie grit, there’ll virtually definitely be an Australian excessive up on the leaderboard come Monday morning Australian time.