It has been more than two years since an Australian won at golf’s highest level and Greg Norman believes Marc Leishman will become Australia’s next Major Champion after the Victorian is set to end 2017 as the country’s top ranked golfer.
Leishman will head into the New Year ranked a career-equalling high of No. 12 in the world after first going to No. 12 with his second-place finish in October’s CJ Cup in South Korea.
With no ranking events prior 31st December the Surrey-based World Rankings body has released the final rankings for the year with American Dustin Johnson as World No. 1 and for some 45-weeks running.
Marc Leishman wins the 2017 Gerg Norman Medal. (Photo – PGA of Australia)
In fact, Americans end the year dominating the Rankings with three-time Major winning Jordan Spieth at No. 2 and Justin Thomas as No. 3.
Leishman will end his 12th year as a professional having bumped Jason Day from 12th to 13th position and Day’s poorest World Ranking in four years since being ranked 11th at the end of 2013.
Leishman headed into 2017 as World No. 56 and while he slipped to 61st teeing-up in the Arnold Palmer Invitational victory at Bay Hill in suburban Orlando lifted the now 34-year old to 32nd in the world.
Since then it has been a steady progression toward the top of the rankings including breaking into the top-20 at World No. 15 in capturing the BMW Championship.
Marc Leishman wins for a second time in 2017 capturing the BMW Championship.
Norman, who is the second longest World No.1 behind Tiger Woods, says Leishman is clearly destined to become a Major Champion and this is just weeks after Leishman was awarded the prestigious Greg Norman Medal by the PGA of Australia as the year’s best Australian-born golfer.
“I was very happy for Marc to be awarded the Greg Norman Medal and he was by far the most-worthy winner as it was a great consistent season for him winning twice and again qualifying for the Presidents Cup,” said Norman.
“I looked at his stats and overall, he had eight top-10s and missed two cuts all year, so that speaks volumes for Marc’s consistency.
Marc Leishman goes so close to capturing the 2015 Open at the Home of Golf.
“It is for this reason that the next step for Marc is winning a Major Championship as his ball-striking is so strong while he is a great putter, too.
“Marc also has had a good look at a couple of Majors now including the 2015 Open at St. Andrews where he went so close to victory.
“So, Marc knows what it is like to contend in the Majors and it is for this reason I can see him taking that next big step in his career.”
Leishman has contested 25 Majors since making his debut at the 2010 Masters and with his best finish losing out in a play-off to Zach Johnson for the 2015 Open Championship.
In 2014, Leishman had shared the Masters lead momentarily late on the final day.
Five Australians are ranked inside the top-100 in the world at the end of 2017 including Adam Scott (31), Cameron Smith (61) and recent Hong Kong Open winner, Wade Ormsby (100th)
