The Serve

Geoff Ogilvy surely Australia’s best golfer

The world rankings tell us that Adam Scott is the number one Australian in golf. Geoff Ogilvy’s performances in big events tell a different story.

For the second year running, Ogilvy has made the final of the World Golf Championships matchplay tournament. Last year he won it, this time he goes into the decider on an eleven match streak. Today’s execution of Paul Casey and Chad Campbell was clinical. No more so than the fifteen footer he nailed on the 13th against Campbell, moments after the American drained a similar putt. It didn’t win Ogilvy the hole, but it broke Campbell’s heart. The man has ticker. There is no mental test in the game quite like the one-on-one nature that only matchplay can provide. Only the Sunday heat of a major greater.

 

Ogilvy has conquered that too.

 

Scott sits at number four on the rankings. Four. A glance at his record reveals consistent acquiring of tournaments around the world. Eleven all up, most notably last seasons PGA Tour championship as well as the Players Championship in 2004. Big wins. The majors? Not a cracker. His twenty-three starts have brought three top tens and not much else. None of those high placings saw him within four shots going into Sunday. He’s yet to get into the furnace. Scott is young and no doubt will figure in a finish sooner rather than later, but number four brings a certain expectation. It could be argued that Ogilvy’s US Open win was merely a gift, courtesy of a Phil Mickelson meltdown. The point is Ogilvy was there when the collapse happened. He might not be a bully in the week-in week-out grind of the tour, but four top tens in the last six majors points to player that enjoys the big stage. Ask yourself who you’d rather have your dollars on in a big one?

 

* Three weeks ago this columnist noted Aaron Baddeley’s poor record after winning tournaments. Since winning in Phoenix, Baddeley has notched up some nice results. 19th at Pebble Beach, 13th in LA, plus this weeks effort at the matchplay. Two wins in a six round knockout event doesn’t sound like much, but it registers as a tie for 9th. Three top twenties on the trot. Consistent without being brilliant. It had been the missing link. It will see Baddeley hold his ranking in the 30s or 40s and ease him into the Masters.

 

* Nick O’Hern will be slightly disappointed with his quarter final exit a day after disposing of Tiger, especially given he had a winning position against Henrik Stenson. His taming of Tiger though confirms his form, which has seen him move into the world’s number 20. His steady play should see a number of top 10’s this year.