Westwood, Kuchar win with substitute caddies
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA. — Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar won last week, each ending four-plus years without winning on their home circuit. They also won without their regular caddies.
Kuchar used a local caddie at Mayakoba because he entered at the last minute and his regular looper, John Wood, had a previous engagement. Westwood used his girlfriend, Helen Storey, who previously caddied for him in Denmark.
Wood is back to work with Kuchar this week at the Australian Open. Billy Foster’s 10-year run with Westwood is done.
Westwood said he has reached a stage in his career where he doesn’t need as much from his caddie, and he felt Foster wasn’t happy just carrying the bag.
British Open qualifying
The road to the Masters also will cut a path toward Northern Ireland for the British Open.
With the PGA Championship moving to May, the R&A has changed up the sites and dates of the Open Qualifying Series, with the biggest change on the PGA Tour. Last year, the three PGA Tour events leading up to The Open offered nine spots to players not already exempt — at two tournaments, four spots from the top 12 on the leaderboard, and one spot at the John Deere Classic.
Now, three spots to the leading 10 players not already exempt are being offered at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on March 7-10. Three spots are being awarded at the Canadian Open on June 6-9.
Two spots are being awarded at the new Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit on June 27-30. The John Deere Classic still gets one spot a week before the British Open at Royal Portrush.
A total of 46 qualifying spots are offered around the world for the 156-man field, starting this week at the Australian Open.
Field boost
The Australian Open doesn’t have Jordan Spieth for the first time since 2013, though it attracted a strong group of Americans that include Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker. Kuchar is staying in Australia next week for the World Cup of Golf.
Next year, the Australian Open could get even more star power.
Organizers announced Tuesday that it will be held Dec. 5-8, one week before the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.
When the Presidents Cup last was in Australia in 2011, 13 players from the U.S. and International teams competed in golf’s fifth-oldest championship. That group included Tiger Woods, who will be the Presidents Cup captain next year.
“This is great news for the Australian Open and we’re excited about what this means for Australian golf fans,” Golf Australia’s Stephen Pitt said.
Divots
Both Americans among the top five in the Race to Dubai, Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele, are playing the DP World Tour Championship this week. This will be the first regular European Tour event for Schauffele . ... Matt Kuchar with his victory became the 10th player to surpass $45 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour.
Stat of the week
Three players who ended last year among the top 10 in the world have fallen out of the top 20 — Hideki Matsuyama (23), Sergio Garcia (24) and Henrik Stenson (32).