Date: July 22, 2019
Author: Martin Blake

Three push for playing rights in US

 

As the season for locking up playing cards arrives, three Australians made big strides in America today.

Matt Jones almost qualifies as a veteran nowadays, but the Sydneysider’s dazzling 63 in the final round of the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship in Kentucky has given him a great chance of having full playing rights for 2019-20.

Jones, the 2015 Australian Open champion, finished tied-fourth overall and jumped to 114th on the Fedex Cup standings.

With only two events remaining in the regular season, Jones only needs to stay inside the top 125 to be guaranteed of a card for next season, and a spot in the playoffs.

In the same event another Sydney player and Australian Open winner, Cameron Davis, rattled home with a 64 on the final day to boost his chances for next season by finishing 11th.

Davis, 24, has struggled in his first season on the main tour but the result lifted him to 161st on the points list which should be enough to guarantee limited playing rights for next season; as well as putting him in the slot to challenge for the top 125 over the next couple of weeks.

 On the secondary Korn Ferry Tour there was another good Australian story, with both Brett Coletta and Jamie Arnold finishing tied-fourth in the Pinnacle Bank Championship.

The result means that Victorian Coletta is a step closer to securing his playing rights on the PGA Tour for next season as one of the top 25 players on the Korn Ferry Tour. He jumped to No. 22 on the list today after finishing runner-up at his previous start.

The 36-year-old New South Welshman Arnold had to rue a double bogey on the back nine but he also leapt up the standings to No. 31.