AFP, Sydney :
Matt Kuchar said he was still on a high after his first PGA Tour win in four years and expected to be in the hunt again after making a mad dash to play in this week’s Australian Open.
The 40-year-old American jetted into Sydney from Mexico on Wednesday morning after winning the Mayakoba Classic in Playa del Carmen, which pushed him up to 29 in the world, two behind Phil Mickelson.
Kuchar is the highest-ranked player at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney after the event failed to attract any top-10 golfers because of a clash with the European Tour’s US$8 million season-ending event in Dubai.
Fellow Americans Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker are among Kuchar’s key threats, and they are all keen to add their name to the Stonehaven Cup alongside the likes of former champions Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Greg Norman, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.
“I’m certainly on a big high. Winning definitely provides an amazing high,” said Kuchar, who went straight from the airport to the course after missing a connection in Los Angeles.
“I feel like I’ve developed a swing that I can count on. I hope to play well, expect to play well, but don’t feel any extra pressure to play well.”
Along with the American contingent, Australian young gun Cameron Davis, who shot a brilliant final-round 64 to win last year, is back to defend his title.
But there are no top-name Australians with Jason Day opting out after his wife recently gave birth and Adam Scott and Marc Leishman also missing.
Matt Kuchar said he was still on a high after his first PGA Tour win in four years and expected to be in the hunt again after making a mad dash to play in this week’s Australian Open.
The 40-year-old American jetted into Sydney from Mexico on Wednesday morning after winning the Mayakoba Classic in Playa del Carmen, which pushed him up to 29 in the world, two behind Phil Mickelson.
Kuchar is the highest-ranked player at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney after the event failed to attract any top-10 golfers because of a clash with the European Tour’s US$8 million season-ending event in Dubai.
Fellow Americans Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker are among Kuchar’s key threats, and they are all keen to add their name to the Stonehaven Cup alongside the likes of former champions Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Greg Norman, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.
“I’m certainly on a big high. Winning definitely provides an amazing high,” said Kuchar, who went straight from the airport to the course after missing a connection in Los Angeles.
“I feel like I’ve developed a swing that I can count on. I hope to play well, expect to play well, but don’t feel any extra pressure to play well.”
Along with the American contingent, Australian young gun Cameron Davis, who shot a brilliant final-round 64 to win last year, is back to defend his title.
But there are no top-name Australians with Jason Day opting out after his wife recently gave birth and Adam Scott and Marc Leishman also missing.
