Date: January 10, 2007
Author: Sportal

Aussie trio joins USPGA tour

Three more golfers Jarrod Lyle, Andrew Buckle and Paul Sheehan – will this week join the growing number of Australians on the PGA Tour in 2007 when they make their debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Thursday. Their addition to the Tour will bolster the Australasian numbers on the US Tour to 24 in 2007. The trio all landed their tour card by finishing in the top 20 on the Nationwide Tour in 2006. Buckle led the way finishing 13th on the money list and claiming his first pro tournament victory at the Virginia Beach Open by shooting a tournament record 20-under par. The native Queenslander was the 1999 & 2000 World Junior Champion and ended last year with six top ten finishes on the Nationwide Tour. He made his debut appearance at the 2006 US PGA Championship but failed to make the cut. Twenty-nine year old Paul Sheehan claimed his first Australasian Tour event – the Jacobs Creek Open – in 2006 as well as the Japan Open Golf Championship to finish an impressive 5th on the Australasian Tour Order of Merit. Sheehan has previously played in three US PGA Tour events, while Lyle has played just one missing the cut at the 2006 Open Championship. Victorian Jarrod Lyle shot to prominence in 2005 when he matched it with the best at the Heineken Classic, finishing in a tie for third behind Craig Parry and Nick O&aposHern, after surviving a battle with leukemia only a few years earlier. The 25-year-old, who plied his trade on the Australasian and Asian Tours finishing 2006 with three top 10 finishes in Australasia, said it was a dream come true to finally be able to compete against the top golfers in the world. “Words can&apost describe how good it feels to have this tour card in my hand,” Lyle told The Courier Mail during the week. “There was a lot of stress and pressure because it was touch and go for a while. All year it was a real slog. At one point, I played ten weeks in a row. I literally couldn&apost afford to have a week off because I was in that danger area where I could miss my card. “I was exhausted by the end. I thought it could take five years to make the US tour, so to do it in two years is incredible.” The 2005 Australasian Tour Rookie of the Year, who will use his younger brother Leighton as caddie on the US Tour, said he would not be content with making up the numbers on the Tour and wanted to make an impact in the big events. “I believe I have the game to match it with the best. If I can contend in a few tournaments this year that would be great. The main plan is to play consistently, keep my status and build from there,” Lyle said. “Long term, I&aposd love to be able to give something back to Australian golf and I feel I&aposve got the game to be able to get inside the top 10. It will take a lot of hard work, but I feel I&aposm up for it.”