To put time in perspective, American John Cook won the US Amateur Championship six years before Dustin Johnson was born in 1984. Fast forward to 2011 and both players will tee off next week at the Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes in Sydney. Cook joins the spectacular field at the Open this week on the back of impressive form on the Champions Tour in the US which has netted him three victories in 2011 alone and saw him shooting for a third consecutive Charles Schwab Cup on the weekend at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco – the season ending event on the Champions Tour. The 54 year old, in fifth place on the Charles Schwab Cup rankings, is less than 100 points behind Australia s Peter Senior in fourth. Cook played just one PGA Tour event this year the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico – and finished in third place behind winner Johnson Wagner and Spencer Levin. On the back of his performances in 2011, Cook will arrive in Australia in the sort of form that will see him ready to make an assault on the Stonehaven Cup before going on to be Fred Couples Captain s Assistant. Cook has won 25 times since he turned professional in 1979 including 11 times on the PGA Tour and 8 times on the Champions Tour. He represented the United States three times, including at the 1993 Ryder Cup. Each time the US were champions. Adding to the lengthy list of accomplishments are runner up finishes at the 1992 Open Championship and PGA Championship his best finishes in the Majors. Cook joins fellow Champions Tour players Fred Couples and Peter Senior at the Emirates Australian Open with the trio coming off the back of exceptional years on Tour. Cook won three times, Couples twice and Senior was runner-up on three occasions. With a recent record of impressive form, Cook comes to Sydney with decades of experience at the highest level and with more than enough steel for the fight at The Lakes.
Author: