Aussies on Tour: Lee’s defence with a difference

The trophy is the same but the venue is very different as Minjee Lee eyes off a title defence with a difference at this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Ohio.

Twelve months ago, Lee’s playoff victory over Charley Hull at Kenwood Country Club sparked a run of form that saw her climb back to No.4 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.

Lee had two wins, two runner-up finishes and two further top 10s in the space of seven starts but the memories of the performance that started her run are muted somewhat by a change of venue.

“I was actually talking about it with my physio yesterday; it kind of doesn’t feel like I’m defending,” said Lee, who enters the week ranked No.16 in the world.

“Obviously I won the tournament last year, but because we’re at a new venue it feels like I’m learning everything new and getting to know a new place.

“It’s not the same as when you’ve been to the tournament and you feel the vibes from the course that you kind of remember from the previous year.

“I’m really looking forward to a different challenge this year.”

Who will be crowned the @QueenCityLPGA Champion this year? 👀🏆 pic.twitter.com/wmdPr91w5z
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 17, 2024

After a busy period that included the Paris Olympics, Women’s Scottish Open and AIG Women’s Open, the 28-year-old arrives refreshed and hopeful of another strong finish to the year.

“I had a nice break after our last Europe swing,” said the two-time major champion.

“I feel like after all the wind at the Scottish and AIG I was a little worn out.

“Just needed a couple weeks to refresh and do a little bit of practice and sharpen a few things in my game.”

Lee is not the only Australian with a title on the line this week.

Queenslander Scott Hend returns to WINSTONgolf in Germany as the defending champion of the WINSTONgolf Senior Open on the Legends Tour looking to make it an Aussie trifecta after Richard Green’s triumph in 2022.

It shapes as a potentially career-defining week for young Aussies Karl Vilips and Cassie Porter.

Vilips has qualified for the penultimate event of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals ranked 18th on the Points List, the top 30 after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to earn promotion to the PGA TOUR in 2025.

Porter is also one good result from a step up in class to the LPGA Tour in 2025.

Currently 10th on the Epson Tour with two events left in the season, Porter will earn status on the LPGA Tour if she can finish inside the top 15 at the completion of the Epson Tour Championship.

Photo: Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images

Round 1 tee times AEST

LPGA Tour
Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G
TPC River’s Bend, Maineville, Ohio
10:20pm          Minjee Lee
10:31pm          Grace Kim
10:42pm*         Stephanie Kyriacou, Hira Naveed
11:04pm*         Robyn Choi
11:15pm*         Su Oh
3:09am            Gabriela Ruffels
3:20am*           Lydia Ko (NZ)

Defending champion: Minjee Lee
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2023)
Prize money: $US2 million
TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

DP World Tour
BMW PGA Championship
Wentworth Club, Virginia Water, England
5:45pm            Ryan Fox (NZ)
6:05pm            Adam Scott
10:25pm          Jason Scrivener

Defending champion: Ryan Fox
Past Aussie winners: Rodger Davis (1986), Mike Harwood (1990)
Prize money: $US9 million
TV times: Live 5:30pm-9am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 9pm-10:30pm Thursday on Fox Sports 505; Live 10:30pm-3am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 5:30pm-3am Friday; Live 6pm-2:30am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

LIV Golf
Team Championship Dallas
Maridoe Golf Club, Carrollton, Texas
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Danny Lee (NZ)

Defending champions: Crushers GC
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US50 million
TV times: Live 2:15am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on 7 Plus.

Japan Golf Tour
Panasonic Open Golf Championship
Arima Royal Golf Club, Hyogo
8:45am            Michael Hendry (NZ)
12:45pm*         Anthony Quayle
1:15pm            Brad Kennedy

Defending champion: Tomoharu Otsuki
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: ¥100 million

Ladies European Tour
La Sella Open
La Sella Golf Resort, Spain
5:36pm            Whitney Hillier
6:09pm*          Momoka Kobori (NZ)
9:26pm*          Kelsey Bennett
9:37pm            Kirsten Rudgeley
9:48pm*          Amy Walsh

Defending champion: Nuria Iturrioz
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €1,000,000

Korn Ferry Tour
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship
Ohio State University GC (Scarlet Cse), Columbus, Ohio
10:14pm* Karl Vilips
3:27am Rhein Gibson

Defending champion: Norman Xiong
Past Aussie winners: Curtis Luck (2020)
Prize money: $US1.5 million
TV times: Live 6am-8am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

PGA TOUR Champions
PURE Insurance Championship
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Peninsula, California
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.

Defending champion: Thongchai Jaidee
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.3 million
TV times: Live 8am-11am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.

Epson Tour
Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
Mystic Creek Golf Club, El Dorado, Arkansas
Australasians in the field: Fiona Xu (NZ), Cassie Porter, Amelia Garvey (NZ)

Defending champion: Natasha Andrea Oon
Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017)
Prize money: $US337,500

Challenge Tour
Italian Challenge Open
Argentario GC, Monte Argentario, Italy
3:30pm*          Hayden Hopewell
9:40pm            Sam Jones (NZ)
10:10pm          Blake Windred