Marc Leishman joins exclusive club of Aussie USPGA winners

MARC Leishman's final round has made him the 30th Aussie to win on the USPGA since Joe Kirkwood’s first victory back in the 1923 Houston Invitational

MARC Leishman's remarkable final round has made him the 30th Australia to win on the USPGA since Joe Kirkwood’s first victory back in the 1923 Houston Invitational.

And Leishman’s win in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands, Connecticut, was a timely boost for Australian golf given our failure to win on the US PGA tour this season.

As you can see our record in the 89 years since Kirkwood won has been a credit to golf in this country with a total of 151 wins on the tour. No other country can get anywhere that tally, with South Africa next best on 83 courtesy of golfers like Gary Player, Ernie Els, Bobby Locke, David Frost, Rory Sabbatini and Retief Goosen.

The difference with Australian golf has been our depth as emphasised with 11 one-time winners after Leishman came from nowhere to break his duck, a win that gives him tour exemption for 2013-2014.

Not surprisingly Greg Norman has won most times, although as impressive as 20 victories is (placing him 33rd on the all-time list) you wonder where he could have finished but for so many placings, including 13 in majors.

Arguably the least known of the Australian tour winners is Andre Stoltz, the 180cm Brisbane-born right-hander who in 2004 won the Michelin Championship in Las Vegas before injurying a wrist which kept him off the tour for three years.

In the cases of Peter Thomson, Ian Baker-Finch and Kel Nagle, wins in the British Open are now included on the list of US PGA tour victories.

AUSTRALIAN WINNERS ON THE US PGA TOUR
20: Greg Norman (2 majors)
18: Jim Ferrier (1)
14: Bruce Crampton
13: Joe Kirkwood
10: Steve Elkington (1)
9: Stuart Appleby
8: Bruce Devlin
8: David Graham (2)
8: Adam Scott
7: Geoff Ogilvy (1)
6: Peter Thomson (5)
4: Robert Allenby
3: Aaron Baddeley
2: Ian Baker-Finch (1)
2: Kel Nagle (1)
2: Craig Parry
2: Rod Pampling
2: Brett Ogle
2: Wayne Grady (1)
1: 1: Jason Day
1: Nathan Green
1: Mark Hensby
1: Marc Leishman
1: Peter Lonard
1: Graham Marsh
1: Jack Newton
1: John Senden
1: Bob Shaw
1: Bob Shearer
1: Andre Stoltz