Rory McIlroy and Bo Van Pelt led the PGA Tour in top-10 finishes in 2012. While Rory collected $8 million and four trophies including a major, Bo had no wins.
Don’t feel too sorry for Van Pelt, he is one of the most consistent performers on tour. The PGA Tour veteran has made 213 cuts in his career and has 48 top-10 finishes. He won the 2009 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee and has cashed nearly $18 million in prize money.
He was a factor in the 2012 AT&T National at Congressional. Battling Tiger Woods on the back nine on Sunday, Van Pelt bogeyed the final three holes and lost by two shots to Tiger.
He is the defending champion this week at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia. The CIMB will be a fully sanctioned PGA Tour event in 2013.
Van Pelt won the ISPS Handa Perth International on the difficult Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth, Australia. It opened in 1929 and was designed by Alex Russel a disciple of famed golf course architect Dr. Alister McKenzie.
Bo had to hold off Jason Dufner who had two wins on the PGA Tour this year. Van Pelt began the final round with a one-shot lead over Dufner. He posted a 68 on Sunday winning by two strokes over Dufner who fired a final round 69.
The ISPS Handa Perth International is co-sanctioned by the European and Australasian Tours. This win gives Van Pelt his first European Tour win and membership on that tour if he wants it.
Bo’s clubs obviously travel quite well. With wins in Malaysia and now in Australia, should Van Pelt consider European Tour membership for 2013?