19th Hole
Tour pro denies ‘sexist-elitist’ accusations after refusing to play combined mens and women’s Australian Open
Australian pro golfer Scott Hend has never been afraid of making his feeling know.
The 49-year-old winner of ten Asian Tour events is a firm believer in the freedom to play wherever a player wants, saying in July that if the LIV tour held qualifying stages, he would unquestionably sign up.
Throwing it out there….. If @LIVGolfInv was to have a Q-school and charged $5k entry fee with the Top 2 guys getting the whole season playing their events….. How many Guys would enter….??$$$$$$$ #golflife #JustSayn #Maaaaaaybe
— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) July 3, 2022
Yes Sir????
— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) July 3, 2022
Now he has been picked up for comments made surrounding the upcoming Australian Open, and the changes allowing both the men’s and women’s championship to be played on the same course, at the same time.
Hend has returned home to play this week’s Queensland PGA and the following Australian PGA, but has decided against entering the country’s flagship event as he believes the combined event lessens the prestige.
In a tweet posted at the end of October, Hend mentions he has been called a “sexist elitist by some people,” but explains that he simply wants both events to have their “own week.”
Mate I'd love to come Play the Australian Open @GolfAust, yet I've been hammered as a sexist elitist by some people for my stance that the Women and Men should have their "Own Week" and not 2 cuts for this prestigious event. That being my stance, I can't come. #golflife #Brutal https://t.co/gF5k6aTX3k
— Scott Hend (@hendygolf) October 31, 2022
The 2016 Asian Order of Merit winner expanded on his post via Fox Sports:
“My exact words were I believe the Australian Open is such a prestigious event. The women and the men deserve their own week for the event.
It’s nothing about being against women playing golf, it’s nothing about prize-money being exactly the same… it’s just about the event having the history of how long the event (has been going for, that) both men and women should have their own week to shine.”
Hend continued, “That’s all I’ve said, and that’s what I firmly believe in. So that being the case, I haven’t entered to play, I’m not going to try to pre-qualify… because I still believe that both men and women should have their own week to stand out and shine by themselves, not together, when people are going to compare them against each other in the one tournament.”
“That’s not what the Australian Open is all about.”
The women’s event has been won by the likes of the elite players of their time, such as Karrie Webb, Laura Davies, Jiyai Shin, Lydia Ko, Jin-Yung Ko, Nelly Korda and Inbee Park – quite a roll-call!
The men’s list is equally impressive, with winners Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Cam Davies appearing alongside the name of legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and current LIV CEO Greg Norman, winner on five occasions.
It is a huge deal for a home player to not be playing in the event, and whilst Hend has no issues with the mixing of genders in other events, he is sticking firm on this decision.
Asked is he received an invitation, Hend replied, “I didn’t ask, I haven’t entered, I don’t want to be a hypocrite…. I still believe both sexes deserve their own week. Not sure how that isn’t Pro Women’s Golf…..”
As the Australian Open takes place, Hend will play at the Indonesian Masters, part of the Asian Tour he knows so well.
With the recent links between the Asian Tour and their LIV sponsors, the irony of not trying to follow Norman into the Victoria winner’s circle is not lost – particularly after his comments on leaving the DP World Tour behind from 2023.
Continuing his stance of freedom, and the belief that he felt the DP World Tour was “petty and childish” when issuing sanctions against LIV players, he has decided enough is enough.
“I’m done with Europe, I’m done with the politics, I’m done with the lying to players, I’m done with having to ask for a release when I want to go play in other tournaments,” he said.
“For the last 25 years I’ve played where I want, when I want and I haven’t had to ask for permission to go to play another event.”
He continued, “Now… if you want to playing in another place, you need to get permission from that tour, otherwise they’re going to sanction you, so if that’s going to be the case, I don’t want to be involved in that anymore.”
“I play golf because I love playing golf. I don’t want to have to get permission every week to go play somewhere else.”
With LIV arriving in Adelaide as part of their revamped 2023 schedule, Hend is keeping one eye on any chance to jump in, hoping to qualify for the cash-rich tour via the Asian Tour.
“I’m 50 in August. People say I’m washed up, I’m done, I’ve got nothing left, but if I can produce what I know I can produce, I can possibly qualify through the Asian Tour”
More from the 19th Hole
- ‘Getting to a point where I just don’t give a s**t’ – Danielle Kang blasts greens at latest LPGA event
- Harry Styles has a smoother golf swing than you could ever imagine
- ‘WTF is a FIGJAM?’ – Greg Norman left confused by golf fan’s jibe involving infamous Mickelson nickname
- LIKE7
- LEGIT3
- WOW0
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK3
19th Hole
Vincenzi’s LIV Golf Singapore betting preview: Course specialist ready to thrive once again
After another strong showing in Australia, LIV Golf will head to Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore looking to build off of what was undoubtedly their best event to date.
Sentosa Golf Club sits on the southern tip of Singapore and is one of the most beautiful courses in the world. The course is more than just incredible scenically; it was also rated 55th in Golf Digest’s top-100 courses in 2022-2023 and has been consistently regarded as one of the best courses in Asia. Prior to being part of the LIV rotation, the course hosted the Singapore Open every year since 2005.
Sentosa Golf Club is a par 71 measuring 7,406 yards. The course will require precise ball striking and some length off the tee. It’s possible to go low due to the pristine conditions, but there are also plenty of hazards and difficult spots on the course that can bring double bogey into play in a hurry. The Bermudagrass greens are perfectly manicured, and the course has spent millions on the sub-air system to keep the greens rolling fast. I spoke to Asian Tour player, Travis Smyth, who described the greens as “the best [he’s] ever played.”
Davis Love III, who competed in a Singapore Open in 2019, also gushed over the condition of the golf course.
“I love the greens. They are fabulous,” the 21-time PGA Tour winner said.
Love III also spoke about other aspects of the golf course.
“The greens are great; the fairways are perfect. It is a wonderful course, and it’s tricky off the tee.”
“It’s a long golf course, and you get some long iron shots. It takes somebody hitting it great to hit every green even though they are big.”
As Love III said, the course can be difficult off the tee due to the length of the course and the trouble looming around every corner. It will take a terrific ball striking week to win at Sentosa Golf Club.
In his pre-tournament press conference last season, Phil Mickelson echoed many of the same sentiments.
“To play Sentosa effectively, you’re going to have a lot of shots from 160 to 210, a lot of full 6-, 7-, 8-iron shots, and you need to hit those really well and you need to drive the ball well.”
Golfers who excel from tee to green and can dial in their longer irons will have a massive advantage this week.
Stat Leaders at LIV Golf Adelaide:
Fairways Hit
1.) Louis Oosthuizen
2.) Anirban Lahiri
3.) Jon Rahm
4.) Brendan Steele
5.) Cameron Tringale
Greens in Regulation
1.) Brooks Koepka
2.) Brendan Steele
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Cameron Tringale
5.) Anirban Lahiri
Birdies Made
1.) Brendan Steele
2.) Dean Burmester
3.) Thomas Pieters
4.) Patrick Reed
5.) Carlos Ortiz
LIV Golf Individual Standings:
1.) Joaquin Niemann
2.) Jon Rahm
3.) Dean Burmester
4.) Louis Oosthuizen
5.) Abraham Ancer
LIV Golf Team Standings:
1.) Crushers
2.) Legion XIII
3.) Torque
4.) Stinger GC
5.) Ripper GC
LIV Golf Singapore Picks
Sergio Garcia +3000 (DraftKings)
Sergio Garcia is no stranger to Sentosa Golf Club. The Spaniard won the Singapore Open in 2018 by five strokes and lost in a playoff at LIV Singapore last year to scorching hot Talor Gooch. Looking at the course setup, it’s no surprise that a player like Sergio has played incredible golf here. He’s long off the tee and is one of the better long iron players in the world when he’s in form. Garcia is also statistically a much better putter on Bermudagrass than he is on other putting surfaces. He’s putt extremely well on Sentosa’s incredibly pure green complexes.
This season, Garcia has two runner-up finishes, both of them being playoff losses. Both El Camaleon and Doral are courses he’s had success at in his career. The Spaniard is a player who plays well at his tracks, and Sentosa is one of them. I believe Sergio will get himself in the mix this week. Hopefully the third time is a charm in Singapore.
Paul Casey +3300 (FanDuel)
Paul Casey is in the midst of one of his best seasons in the five years or so. The results recently have been up and down, but he’s shown that when he’s on a golf course that suits his game, he’s amongst the contenders.
This season, Casey has finishes of T5 (LIV Las Vegas), T2 (LIV Hong Kong), and a 6th at the Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour. At his best, the Englishman is one of the best long iron players in the world, which makes him a strong fit for Sentosa. Despite being in poor form last season, he was able to fire a Sunday 63, which shows he can low here at the course.
It’s been three years since Casey has won a tournament (Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2021), but he’s been one of the top players on LIV this season and I think he can get it done at some point this season.
Mito Pereira +5000 (Bet365)
Since Mito Pereira’s unfortunate demise at the 2022 PGA Championship, he’s been extremely inconsistent. However, over the past few months, the Chilean has played well on the International Series as well as his most recent LIV start. Mito finished 8th at LIV Adelaide, which was his best LIV finish this season.
Last year, Pereira finished 5th at LIV Singapore, shooting fantastic rounds of 67-66-66. It makes sense why Mito would like Sentosa, as preeminent ball strikers tend to rise to the challenge of the golf course. He’s a great long iron player who is long and straight off the tee.
Mito has some experience playing in Asia and is one of the most talented players on LIV who’s yet to get in the winner’s circle. I have questions about whether or not he can come through once in contention, but if he gets there, I’m happy to roll the dice.
Andy Ogletree +15000 (DraftKings)
Andy Ogletree is a player I expected to have a strong 2024 but struggled early in his first full season on LIV. After failing to crack the top-25 in any LIV event this year, the former U.S. Amateur champion finally figured things out, finished in a tie for 3rd at LIV Adelaide.
Ogletree should be incredible comfortable playing in Singapore. He won the International Series Qatar last year and finished T3 at the International Series Singapore. The 26-year-old was arguably the best player on the Asian Tour in 2023 and has been fantastic in the continent over the past 18 months.
If Ogletree has indeed found form, he looks to be an amazing value at triple-digit odds.
- LIKE2
- LEGIT3
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK0
19th Hole
LIV star splits with swing coach after working together for 14 years
After fourteen years together, LIV Golf’s Adrian Meronk has decided to part ways with his swing coach, Matthew Tipper.
On Monday, Tipper announced the split via social media.
— Matthew Tipper (@Matthew__Tipper) April 29, 2024
“After 14 years sometimes things just come to an end. Last week Adrian decided he wanted to go a new way and I have to respect that decision. I’m proud of everything we achieved together.
“I knew in 2010 he was a great talent and he has only gone to prove that all over the world. To Pietro Gobinho and Stuart Beck, thank you for being amazing caddies when Adrian needed you. Your support and co-operation has been invaluable and I thank you both.
“I want to publicly thank Adrian for allowing me to sit in the best seat in the house for 14 years.
“It’s now time to start my new chapter in the USA alongside my mentor James Sieckmann and I’m excited to go to my first Korn Ferry Tour event later next month. As always tomorrow we begin again.”
Meronk is having a poor season by his standards on LIV. The reigning DP World Tour player had some solid finishes early in the year, finishing T9 and T6 at LIV Las Vegas and LIV Jeddah, but missed the cut at the Masters and has failed to crack the top-10 in his past three LIV starts.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
New here?
- LIKE3
- LEGIT2
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT1
- FLOP2
- OB0
- SHANK13
19th Hole
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
On Friday morning, Ladies European Tour player, Hannah Gregg, took to social media to share her weekly expenses playing on the LET.
Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour:
Flights: $2600
Work Visa: $350
Food: $377
Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé
Hotel: $0 because @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week! ?
Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car ??…— Hannah Gregg (@hannahbggg) April 26, 2024
“Expenses of my first week on Ladies European Tour: Flights: $2600 Work Visa: $350
- Food: $377
- Caddie: $0 because I have an amazing Fiancé
- Hotel: $0 because @GregChalmersPGA sorted me host housing for the week!
- Rental Car: +0 because the Tour Tee guys GAVE me their car
- Gas: $165
- Entry Fee: $130
- Lounge Pass for caddie: $50
- Gym: $0
- Yardage book: $0
- Total expenses: $3672
Made cut, finished 54th, total earned: $1244 Factor in 35% tax on earnings. To break even, needed to finish 24th. To make money, 21st. Guess we have our goals laid out for next event!”
When factoring in Gregg’s free housing, free caddie and free rental car, it’s evident that most LET players would have to finish well inside of the top-20 to make any money.
With ridiculous amounts of money being thrown around in professional golf these days, it’s important to remember the other side of the coin as well. There are countless professionals out there who struggle to get by on their golf salary.
More from the 19th Hole
- The wild reason why Mark Wahlberg was initially denied entry to an Australian golf club
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Edoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
New here?
- LIKE77
- LEGIT17
- WOW26
- LOL8
- IDHT2
- FLOP2
- OB1
- SHANK8
-
19th Hole1 week ago
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole1 week ago
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
Equipment3 weeks ago
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
-
19th Hole5 days ago
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you