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Aussie Power At PODS Championship
Courtesy fo Dave Scheiber
St. Petersburg Times
PALM HARBOR - No fewer than 11 Australians competed in the fourth round of the PODS Championship Sunday - and four finished in the top 10. The Down Under roll call: John Senden shot 4-under 67 to finish second, Rod Pampling (69) tied for eighth, and Geoff Ogilvy (74) and Stewart Appleby (71) tied for 10th.
What accounts for the preponderance of Aussies on the PGA Tour?
"I think that we have a strong Australian tour and strong training academy setup at home," Senden said. "There are a lot of guys playing very well at home and there are a very limited number of events at home, and it forces players to move overseas to play."
Robert Allenby, tied for 14th, said: "You have a lot of good golf courses in Australia, and it's really affordable and accessible - those are the two major things. For 20-million people, we've produced a lot of really good golfers. It's not a rich man's sport in Australia, whereas over here it is. And there are so many good golf courses we all have access to, whether you're a pro, an amateur or just a kid growing up. And we have great weather, too."
Then there's the Shark Factor: the influence of two-time U.S. Open winner Greg Norman. "He's to blame for all the good golfers coming out of Australia," Allenby said. "He was such a huge influence on Australian golf - everyone wanted to be the next Greg Norman."
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