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Day Australia’s best as Min Woo makes more PLAYERS memories


Jason Day leads the charge but it was Min Woo Lee who brought the cheers as three Aussies advanced to the final two rounds of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Round 2 will be officially brought to a close on Saturday morning in Florida after bad light forced the suspension of play with two players still on course, Day, Lee and Adam Scott safely in the clubhouse and inside the cut-line.

Having opened with a five-under 67, Day recorded a 1-under second round to sit in a share of 14th, eight shots in arrears of leader Wyndham Clark.

The US Open champion signed for a second straight 65 to be 14-under-par and four clear of Xander Schauffele (69) and Nick Taylor (68).

Although Day is likely the only Aussie in contention, and outside chance at that, Min Woo Lee produced one of Friday’s highlights, the West Australian holing a 60-foot putt on the island green 17th for birdie, the second-longest made putt since 2003.

The two at the par-3 proved crucial for Lee, who now sits on the cut line of 1-under after his 2-under round of 70.

“I knew I needed to make a couple birdies towards the end and made some on the back nine. Just missed a short putt on 16, so 17 was real sweet,” Lee said.

“I don’t think I holed a putt outside 10 feet the last two days, so it was random to hole a putt, especially at the iconic 17th. It was very special.”

Lee’s memorable moment has once again endeared him to the American fans, with THE PLAYERS last year signalling his coming out party on the global stage.

“When it got up there and it was towards the left,” Lee said when asked when he thought it was a chance of going in.

“It breaks left to right, and the last maybe six feet it looked good. Joel (Dahmen) was right there, and he’s like, ‘Let’s go right,’ and it ended up just going in. It was cool.”

Joining Day and Lee on the weekend will be 2004 winner at TPC Sawgrass, Adam Scott, who is on 2-under after an even par second round.

Meanwhile, Kiwi Ryan Fox will miss the weekend following his Round 1 ace at the 17th after the Kiwi made four bogeys and one double for a 76 and 1-over total, Aaron Baddeley (6-over) and Cam Davis (17-over) also well short of the 36-hole cut mark.

Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The only place to watch THE PLAYERS Championship live is on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo.


Victorian Kyle Michel defied heavy winds that caused leaderboard chaos to build a five-shot lead as the Order of Merit tussle intensified at The National Tournament presented by BMW.

On the back of five-straight birdies to finish at 8-under in Round 1, Michel continued his exemplary ball-striking in winds that gusted as high as 50km/h and which sent balls flying in all manner of directions in Round 2 at The National Golf Club.

Michel himself had to two-putt down three tiers from 100 feet after his 3-iron from 200 metres at the par-4 14th – the hardest hole on the Moonah Course on Friday – sailed onto the adjoining sixth green, making a 12-footer for his self-proclaimed best par of the day in a round of 5-under 67.

Remarkably, on a day in which the course played 2.39 strokes over its par, Michel went bogey free, his lone dropped shot through 36 holes coming courtesy of a three-putt at the par-3 13th in Round 1.

Not only that, the Shepparton product has only one score of five – and nothing higher – through two rounds, playing the par 5s in 7-under to sit five strokes clear of Cameron John (70) and Nathan Barbieri (68) at 13-under par.

To put that in perspective, there were 35 scores of double-bogey or worse on the back nine alone on Friday, the inward nine playing 2.35 shots over its par.

Michel’s closest challengers both have additional motivation in the final event of the season.

Barbieri is projected to move from 63rd to 35th on the Order of Merit, a move that would ensure he retains full status for next season while John would move inside the top 10 with victory on Sunday.

The battle for the final two DP World Tour cards will also go down to the wire, Brett Coletta (74), Daniel Gale (70) and Matt Griffin (72) all inside the top 15 at the halfway mark.

With the outward holes playing downwind, Michel made sure to cash in on birdies at the two early par 5s, adding another at the 374-metre par-4 10th that some players were reaching, such was the strength of the wind.

He couldn’t reach either 12 or 15 in two yet converted chances from just outside 10 feet to pick up two more birdies, holding on across the brutal finish to lead by five heading into the weekend.

“It’s not really a strategy, when it’s this windy around here you need to take advantage of the par 5s,” said Michel, who is projected to move from 38th to eighth on the Order of Merit with a breakthrough win.

“Growing up and playing a lot of tournaments down here and along the (Mornington) Peninsula, it is like a heavier wind down here.

“You just have to trust it and just accept that some shots are going to get taken by the wind and some aren’t.”

Like Michel, John is chasing a maiden Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title and a boost to his Order of Merit standing.

In order to unlock the unquestioned potential he possesses, John has begun working with one of Australia’s leading coaches Denis McDade, and is channelling the spirit of his star pupil, Marc Leishman.

“I’ve been quite a rigid, stiff player for a long time so trying to change the mindset and it seems to be working so far,” said John.

“The last couple of days I’ve probably felt more like ‘Leish’ than I ever have.

“It’s so windy so you’re chipping a lot and it’s probably good for what we’re working on.

“Being in such brutal conditions, if you get stiff out there the fairway gets a lot smaller.”

There is a three-stroke gap from John and Barbieri to a trio of players at 5-under, Queensland amateur Quinn Croker (70), Matias Sanchez (73) and Griffin eight shots off the lead.

A total of 54 players made the cut which fell at 3-over, Order of Merit winner Kazuma Kobori (73) squeezing into the weekend on the number.

The final two rounds of The National Tournament will be broadcast live on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo, on Saturday and Sunday.


The National Tournament presented by BMW is almost at the halfway mark, the event signalling the conclusion to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season for 2023/2024. As we prepare to see who will claim the final title, we are counting down 14 shots that defined this season.

10. SIMON HAWKES – Final Round, WA OPEN

Chasing his second Tour win, Simon Hawkes made things interesting after starting the final round of the Nexus Advisernet/Bowra & O’Dea WA Open with a four-shot lead.

Spending the day locked in battle with veteran Jason Norris, Hawkes finally pulled clear late in the day before closing stages that bore remarkable similarities with his 2018 Vic Open win.

Hitting four-iron for his second, Hawkes left a bunker shot of some 40 metres, one he struck near perfectly with an open-faced 9-iron to five feet and victory.

“The weirdest thing for me is that it was identical to the Vic Open,” Hawkes said.

“I had a driver and I had a 4-iron into the green. I hit into a greenside bunker and then got up-and-down from the greenside bunker to win the tournament.

“I don’t know if that’s my formula for winning golf tournaments, but I said to my caddie, ‘I wish I could make it a little easier’. Four-shot lead up the last next time please.”

9. BRETT COLETTA – Final Round, Vic Open

Continuing his career revival after a win the previous season, Brett Coletta found himself in a dogfight on the final day of the Vic Open with Jordan Zunic.

With neither player giving an inch on Sunday, and both knowing the value of a victory at 13th Beach, Coletta pulled clear late in the final round, but saved his best till last at the par-5 18th.

The Victorian uncorked a brilliant fairway wood for his second shot to find the green and reduce the pressure filled walk to the 72nd green, where he would ultimately take par and a two-shot win.

“This is pretty big. I’m pretty emotional inside,” Coletta said.

“I know I’m able to win out here in the smaller events, the tier twos I suppose. The next level is to really up your game and win these bigger ones.

“This was one of those times when it was my time I guess.”

8. PHOENIX CAMPBELL – Final Round, QLD PGA

Phoenix Campbell found himself in the mix at the Queensland PGA on the final day as players and fans alike tried to pick a winner from the congested leaderboard.

Needing a birdie to reach nine-under and set the clubhouse mark, Campbell stepped up to the par-3 18th at Nudgee Golf Club and hit a 7-iron that will live long in his memory and tournament history where the then 22-year-old became the first amateur winner.

His approach finished six feet behind the hole, with the resulting bridie giving him the trophy by a shot.

“I knew the 7-iron was a good club,” Campbell said.

“Walking up there, it was never going to be anything other than that.

“I said to Ben, my caddie, on the tee, we were talking about line and I said, ‘I’m going dead at it. Let’s have a crack.’

“I was a little bit amped up. It definitely went a bit further but it was good to come back and have a crack at the putt.”

7. KAZUMA KOBORI – Final Round, Webex Players Series Victoria

Kazuma Kobori has enjoyed one of the most remarkable starts to a professional career in recent memory throughout this season, with a clutch moment at Rosebud a standout.

Having claimed his first win in the pro ranks the week prior, Kobori was looking to become the first player to win twice in a row since Adam Scott in 2013.

In a head-to-head fight with Mat Goggin on the final day of the Webex Players Series Victoria, Kobori was left with a downhill 12-foot putt for birdie at the 18th to seal victory and avoid extra holes.

The Kiwi doing what has now become expected with his putter in hand when he calmly rolled it in dead in the centre of the cup.

“I was very nervous as you probably saw. A few tips that my coach gave me just came back to me. I just took my time, and then the putt wasn’t difficult. It was dead straight. I had it there, and I knew it was going to drop,” Kobori said.


A full day on the range with coach Chris Como on Monday has put Jason Day in the hunt for a second win at THE PLAYERS Championship after Round 1 at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.

As former Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner, Ryan Fox, created his own slice of history with an eagle on 16 and hole-in-one on 17, Day delivered a flawless first round of 5-under 67.

That puts the Australian just two back of Rory McIlroy (65), Xander Schauffele (65) and Wyndham Clark (65) and in a seven-way tie for sixth.

Twenty years after his own victory at the famed Stadium Course, Adam Scott is in a tie for 37th after an opening round of 2-under 70 while Min Woo Lee (73), Aaron Baddeley (74) and Cam Davis (79) are all over par through Round 1.

Describing his ball-striking a week ago as “awful”, Day and Como conducted a rare on-site session on Monday to iron out any kinks in the swing.

He hit nine of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation and navigated his way around the Pete Dye masterpiece bogey-free to sit just two strokes off the lead.

“A bit of a dramatic difference between my hitting from last week to this week,” Day said post-round.

“Obviously it’s only the first day but felt like I did a lot of good quality work with Chris at the start of the week.

“I typically don’t like to work during the weeks that I’m playing. I hit it awful last week and I didn’t know what was going on.

“I lost a lot of confidence in my hitting. My targets were way too large. We had a two-way miss going on. When that happens, it’s hard to commit to any type of shot.

“It was nice to be able to capitalise on the par-5s today, keep the 5s off the scorecard and birdie those.”

Thursday’s 67 was Day’s second-best opening to THE PLAYERS since he made his debut in 2010, his best a 9-under 63 that propelled him to victory in 2016.

Starting from the 10th tee in his second appearance at THE PLAYERS, Fox was coming off back-to-back bogeys when he arrived at the par-5 16th.

After blistering his tee shot 329 yards into the right fairway, Fox hit his second from 180 yards to inside three feet, converting for eagle to get back in red figures.

Yet that was just a taste of better things to come.

Taking gap wedge at the famous par-3 17th, Fox played his tee shot long and right of the hole, sending the large crowd into raptures when it spun back and into the hole.

“You get up there, most of the crowd probably either wants you to make a 1 or hit it in the water, so I’m glad to be on the right side of it in that respect,” said Fox, who become the first player in tournament history to follow an eagle on 16 with an ace on 17.

“When it landed and came back, I was like, This has got a chance.

“It’s such an iconic hole, and to have that many people there to witness it is pretty cool.”

The only place to watch THE PLAYERS Championship live is on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo.

Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images


A putter change on Tuesday has helped Victorian Kyle Michel to take a two-stroke lead after day one of The National Tournament presented by BMW at The National Golf Club.

Four-under through seven holes and playing in the fifth-to-last group, Michel fell to 3-under on his round with a three-putt bogey at the par-3 13th.

But from that point the Odyssey 2-Ball putter that he put in play two days ago caught fire, peeling off five straight birdies to finish for a round of 8-under 64.

That puts Michel two clear of a trio of players, fellow Victorians Matias Sanchez and Cameron John and Kiwi rookie Rhys Thomas all posting rounds of 6-under 66 at The National’s Moonah Course.

Michel’s 64 is just one shy of the course record set by Elvis Smylie 12 months ago, the Shepparton product holing putts from 35 feet, 10 feet and 40 feet in a final three-hole flurry.

“I wanted to make a change because I was using a counter-balance putter which is a bit longer and a bit heavier and I just felt like I wanted a shorter putter in the bag to feel the stroke a little bit more,” said Michel.

“Amazing what happens. Put a new putter in the bag and it gets hot. The new putter syndrome.

“Had a first putt with it on Tuesday and it’s been working so far.”

As Michel set the pace up front, an absorbing Order of Merit developed behind him.

Matthew Griffin enhanced his chances of claiming one of the two remaining DP World Tour cards up for grabs with a 5-under 67, Brett Coletta matching his score playing in the same group to solidify his current position of second on the Order of Merit.

Third-placed Daniel Gale is somewhat vulnerable after opening with a 2-under 70 to sit in a tie for 21st, the trio to play together again in Round 2 on Friday.

“I know they’re both playing great golf and I potentially need to win to change things,” conceded Griffin, who played the final four holes in 2-under.

“Everyone’s playing well and that showed today with the good scores.”

Thomas would need to win to avoid a return to Qualifying School next month, picking the perfect time to compile his best round of the season.

The 20-year-old Kiwi defied a formline that reads just one made cut in 12 starts this season to shoot 6-under in blustery conditions, his round highlighted by a five-hole stretch where he made four birdies and an eagle.

On a day in which the 447-metre par-4 16th played to an average of 4.47, Thomas made one of only five birdies there all day, a hole Sanchez described as “the hardest hole in Australia”.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Thomas conceded.

“I always knew it was coming, just didn’t really know when.”

Currently 21st on the Order of Merit, Sanchez began his tournament in the best possible fashion, a run of three straight birdies sparked by holing a 15-footer at the first.

Boasting two top-five finishes this season, Sanchez’s main focus remains a breakthrough win.

“You play good, good things happen,” said Sanchez, who hit the flag on the first bounce with 5-iron from 184 metres as he made birdie at the par-4 14th.

“Obviously the goal, like every other week, is to win. Just because I haven’t done it doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

“I understand that if I play well, good things will happen, but you don’t really think about that when you’re out there.”

Like Michel, John’s round was fuelled, in part, by a putter change on Tuesday.

Frustrated at what he felt were good putts not finding the bottom of the cup, John switched out his Scotty Cameron GOLO for an Odyssey that delivered eight birdies on day one.

“I changed putter at the start of the week, which isn’t normal for me,” said John.

“I haven’t used an Odyssey for about three years I reckon but it just felt good and I’m trying to speed up the routine a little bit. Get in, get comfortable and pull the trigger.

“It’s very similar to my old putter but today it just worked.”

Further down the Order of Merit, the opportunity to earn full playing rights for next season by finishing inside the top 50 is driving many.

New South Welshman Nathan Barbieri is projected to move up from 65th to 56th after an opening round of 4-under 68 to be in a share of eighth and is well aware of what is at stake.

“Obviously I haven’t had the best season, which is annoying in a way,” said Barbieri.

“I’m on the way back up. I can definitely feel it in my game and today I played really solid.

“I know I have to play well this week but the objective, as always, is to win.”

Future Tour Order of Merit leader Quinn Croker impressed again with a 3-under 69 in Round 1, matched by fellow amateur and Queensland PGA champion Phoenix Campbell.

The final two rounds of The National Tournament will be broadcast live on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo, on Saturday and Sunday.


With The National Tournament presented by BMW underway, the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season is drawing to a close for 2023/2024. As we prepare to see who will claim the final title, and where the three DP World Tour cards will fall, we are counting down 14 shots that defined this season.

Here are the first four memorable moments of season 2023/2024.

14. DAVID MICHELUZZI – Final Round, Victorian PGA

Standing in the middle of the third fairway at Moonah Links’ Open Course, the Victorian was a distant seven shots behind the leader, Kazuma Kobori, and needing something good to happen.

And what he produced was better than good – a wedge that hit the firm green and rolled to a few centimetres from the cup set up a birdie to kickstart the reigning Order of Merit champion’s charge to the title.

“I’m really proud of how I got myself into the mix, and I holed a few good putts coming in which I’m really proud of,” he said.

“I spoke to my coach yesterday and we just said, ‘Keep moving forward’, and that’s kind of been the message all season really.”

13. BEN ECCLES – Final Round, CKB WA PGA

Enduring a sleepless night despite a six-shot lead, Ben Eccles got off to a rocky start in the final round of CKB WA PGA at Kalgoorlie Golf Course before he found some magic.

Holing solid par putts at the seventh and eighth, the Victorian was unaware that his lead was shrinking playing the par-4 ninth, where he found a bunker long and left of the green.

Facing a shot over some unfriendly green surrounds, Eccles hit what he called the “best shot I’ve ever hit” from the sand that ultimately dived in the bottom of the hole for birdie, kickstarting a back nine march to an emotional victory.

“I knew I had to keep pushing. There are so many good players in there ,” Eccles said.

“I said to myself on the 10th tee, ‘Stick to what you’ve been doing, keep applying yourself the way you want, keep trying to play the game the way that you want to play it’.”

12. KERRY MOUNTCASTLE – Third Round, Gippsland Super 6

Kerry Mountcastle would eventually survive a marathon Sunday of six hole matches to win the Gippsland Super 6. However, the Kiwi’s moment came a day earlier to earn a spot on the final day.

Finishing the 54 holes of strokeplay tied with 10 players in 17th place on six-under, Mountcastle went to extra holes and having already played the 18th hole at Warragul Country Club once and failing to earn a top-24 spot, the Kiwi made the trip again.

Finding the greenside bunker, Mountcastle produced a superb splash shot that rolled past the hole to five feet.

“I only just snuck in today through the play-off yesterday, so I kind of came into today just trying to finish as high as I could for the Order of Merit … and all of a sudden I was in the final,” Mountcastle said.

“I was probably more nervous in that (Saturday) play-off than I was at any point today.”

11. LACHLAN BARKER – Final Round, PNG Open

Lachlan Barker was chasing a first win at the opening event of the season and having reeled in 54-hole leader Chris Wood on the front nine, the South Australian secured the PNG Open.

Adopted by the local crowd as a favourite, Barker made a popular birdie at the par-4 14th with a green ringed by spectators in tents before a second shot at the next that instilled the confidence that he was on his way to victory.

A double dogleg par-5 lined by trees and water, Barker took 4-iron for his second shot that found the green and setup a two-putt birdie ensuring a comfortable walk to the clubhouse.

“I just ripped 4-iron into about 15 feet and I was like, ‘That’s it, I’m not losing’,” Barker said.

“It was just two pure shots. That would be a shot where I go, ‘Yeah, that was good’.”

Tomorrow – We countdown numbers 10-7


He has gone from unknown underdog to cult hero inside a year and Min Woo Lee has vowed to harness the fan frenzy ahead of his second appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship in Florida.

The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is arguably golf’s greatest theatre, a course purpose-built to showcase the game’s best on 18 separate stages.

Already a two-time DP World Tour winner with a growing social media presence when he made his PLAYERS debut in 2023, Lee generated an instant US fan base when he played his way into the final group on Sunday alongside world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.

Watch golf live and on-demand on Kayo

That shot of celebrity spawned the ‘Let him cook’ tagline that has become his signature, sparking crazy scenes at home in Australia and, more recently, the WM Open in Phoenix.

When he tees off at 11:02pm AEDT tonight, the crowds at TPC Sawgrass will be well versed in Min Woo-mania, and the 25-year-old intends to put on a show.

“I play well in front of a crowd, especially when they’re supporting me,” said Lee.

“It’s a big tournament but I play my best when I’m playing with the crowd and playing good golf.”

Rather than running out for an AFL or NRL grand final, Lee says that the excitement of playing in the final group at THE PLAYERS builds to a crescendo.

As you navigate the par-5 16th, the energy from golf’s most debated hole – the par-3 17th – seeps out of the grandstands and off the hill overflowing with fans.

The tee shot might be the most nerve-jangling in the sport, Lee showing the thousands surrounding the island green and millions of golf fans around the world that he is built for the moment.

“I don’t know what it’s like to walk out for an AFL Grand Final but I feel like it would be something like that,” said Lee, who finished sixth on debut.

“It’s more going around 16, 17, 18. It’s pretty special to have that environment. There’s a lot of people on 17 around the hill and in the grandstands.

“It’s a special feeling. A feeling of like a pat on the back, that you’ve done really well to get to this situation and a lot of people are supporting you.

“Playing in the final group on the Sunday, it was kind of my first time so it was nice to be out there and have the crowd with me I guess, have a bit of an underdog feel.

“A lot of good stuff has happened since then and really excited for this week.”

To enhance his chances of a maiden PGA TOUR title this week, Lee played a practice round with fellow Aussies and former PLAYERS champions, Adam Scott and Jason Day.

They have gone from heroes to contemporaries and friends, priceless sources of information for a young player with the highest aspirations in the sport, even if he does play his second shots from slightly ahead of them.

“I would say 10 yards. Not too far,” Lee said with a smile of his advantage off the tee.

“Being friends with them, I can text them and see if they want to play and usually they say yes.

“It is awesome. I feel like I’ve talked about them and watched a lot of YouTube videos of them but the last 5-10 years when I was growing up, I really did look up to them.

“They obviously played amazing golf in the past century so it’s very cool to have them as a friend.”

Lee, Scott and Day will be joined by Cam Davis and Aaron Baddeley in seeking to add to Australia’s success at THE PLAYERS, Ryan Fox trying to become the first Kiwi since Craig Perks in 2002 to win at TPC Sawgrass.

Elsewhere this week there are 15 Aussies teeing it up at the International Series Macau on the Asian Tour and three at the Epson Tour’s IOA Golf Classic, the tournament Grace Kim won two years ago on her way to the LPGA Tour.

Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Round 1 tee times AEDT

PGA TOUR
THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Cse), Ponte Vedra Beach
11:02pm*         Joel Dahmen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Min Woo Lee
11:13pm*         Jason Day, Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar
11:46pm*         Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott
12:19am*         CT Pan, Kevin Streelman, Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:07am            Cam Davis, Sam Ryder, Stephan Jaeger
5:24am*           Aaron Baddeley, Ben Griffin, Davis Thompson

Defending champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Greg Norman (1994), Adam Scott (2004), Jason Day (2016), Cameron Smith (2022)
Prize money: $US25 million
TV times: Live 11:30pm-10am Thursday, Friday; Live 1am-10am Saturday; Live 12am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.

Asian Tour
International Series Macau
Macau Golf and Country Club, Macau
10:05am*         Scott Hend, Jazz Janewattananond, Ian Poulter
10:25am*         Andy Ogletree, Mito Pereira, Wade Ormsby
10:40am          Chang Wei-lun, Ben Leong, Marcus Fraser
11:05am*         Sarit Suwannarut, John Catlin, Danny Lee (NZ)
11:10am          Andrew Dodt, Hung Chien-yao, Michael Maguire
11:20am          Michael Hendry (NZ), Neil Schietekat, Jeongwoo Ham
11:35am*         Mingyu Cho, Jed Morgan, Koh Deng Shan
11:45am*         Aaron Wilkin, Ye Wocheng, Jared Du Toit
2:50pm*          Maverick Antcliff, Justin Harding, Kalle Samooja
2:55pm            Denwit Boriboonsub, Travis Smyth, Jason Kokrak
3:05pm            Nitithorn Thippong, Ben Campbell (NZ), Takumi Kanaya
3:25pm            Lucas Herbert, Phachara Khongwatmai, Sergio Garcia
3:30pm*          Ian Snyman, Rattanon Wannasrichan, Todd Sinnott
3:45pm            Sanghyun Park, Brendan Jones, Trevor Simsby
3:50pm*          Rashid Khan, Seungtaek Lee, Zach Murray
4:05pm            Chikkarangappa S, Steve Lewton, Kevin Yuan
4:10pm*          Yeongsu Kim, Settee Prakongvech, Deyen Lawson
4:15pm            Justin Warren, William Harrold, Kristoffer Broberg

Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2 million
TV times: Live 4:30pm-8:30pm Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 3pm-7pm Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.

Epson Tour
IOA Golf Classic
Alaqua Country Club, Longwood, Florida
11:11pm*         Brianna Do, Irene Kim, Fiona Xu (NZ)
11:22pm*         Amy Chu, Mara King, Tristyn Nowlin
11:44pm*         Julie Aime, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Amy Lee
4:34am            Jenny Bae, Cassie Porter, Michelle Zhang
5:07am*           Vivian Hou, Amelia Lewis, Su Oh

Defending champion: Jenny Coleman
Past Aussie winners: Grace Kim (2022)
Prize money: $US200,000


‘Mathematically possible.’
It has become the calling card of the all-but defeated.
It suggests hope in the face of odds stacked heavily against a team or an athlete.

Coming into this week’s finale of the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, Victorian Ben Eccles knows that, for all of the possible mathematical permutations, the equation is relatively simple.

Win, and hope for the best.

Currently seventh on the Order of Merit, Eccles (pictured) is the last player for whom a DP World Tour is still a possibility.

Kiwi Kazuma Kobori has safely secured the No.1 spot with an unassailable lead from Vic Open winner Brett Coletta (599.76) with two-time winner this season, Daniel Gale (539.84), holding down third spot.

This week’s winner will be awarded 190 Order of Merit points, meaning that third spot is still within reach for Eccles (358.35), Jak Carter (360.60) and David Micheluzzi (372.64).

Matthew Griffin (494.69) can finish as high as second if he were to win across The National’s Moonah Course on Sunday but, as Eccles highlights, the reality of the situation tells a far different story than pure numbers.

“Yes, mathematically it can happen. Realistically, it’s probably not going to happen,” Eccles reasoned.

“‘Galey’ and ‘Micha’ are good players and I can’t see them missing the cut.”

On the surface, it is a disappointing position that Eccles finds himself in.

Winner of the WA PGA at Kalgoorlie – his first win in eight years – Eccles was also runner-up to Micheluzzi at the Vic PGA.

He held a spot in the top three for much of the season but missed cuts at both the Australian Open and New Zealand Open, tournaments with maximum points up for grabs.

Needing a calculator heading into the final event is not where Eccles hoped to be, but is so far from where he was this time last year.

Twelve months ago, Eccles was one of those players teeing it up aware they would not keep their card for the following season. It necessitated a return to Qualifying School and a shift in mindset under coach Grant Field that has delivered results well beyond expectations.

“Twelve months ago was an interesting position,” Eccles added.

“I came into this event knowing I wasn’t going to keep my card and had to go back to Q School. I wasn’t sure where I would be; financially I was in a bit of a tough position, honestly.

“Twelve months on, I’ve got two years exempt and I’ve nearly won twice. It’s totally different. I feel like I’m almost a different person.

“The progress and what I’ve learnt about myself and what I want to do and how I want to do it has just been awesome.

“I’m looking forward to the second half of 2024 and what that looks like and then into next year’s season.”

While Eccles can look forward with optimism, there are others for whom this week is the most important event of the summer.

Darcy Brereton (48th), Blake Proverbs (49th) and Jarryd Felton (50th) currently sit on the inside of the top 50 who keep their status for next season, Jack Munro (52nd), Jason Norris (53rd) and Kit Bittle (55th) all at The National to try and play their way in.

Adding to the intrigue is that, for the first two days at least, Coletta (second), Gale (third) and Griffin (fourth) will play together, fighting it out for the two remaining DP World Tour cards.

At the tournament welcome function on Tuesday night, Griffin recalled being paired with his two nearest rivals in the final event of the season as he tried to keep his card on the Asian Tour.

“I like this scenario much better,” he said.

First tee time is 7:45am AEDT Thursday morning with the final two rounds to be broadcast live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, on Saturday and Sunday.

Distribution of Order of Merit points for top 10 at The National Tournament
1. 190
2. 107
3. 71
4. 51
5. 42
6. 38
7. 34
8. 31
9. 28.40
10. 26.20


It is best remembered for his clutch up-and-down on the 72nd hole but on the eve of the 20th anniversary of his victory at THE PLAYERS Championship, Adam Scott has revealed his one regret from that historic win.

Scott is one of five Aussies in the field for THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass this week, the 50th staging of what has become one of the game’s most iconic events.

Watch golf live and on-demand on Kayo

There have been five Australian champions at THE PLAYERS – Steve Elkington (1991 and 1997), Greg Norman (1994), Scott (2004), Jason Day (2016) and Cameron Smith (2022) – with Scott making history as the youngest ever winner.

That mantle was taken by Si Woo Kim when the Korean won in 2017 at 21 years of age but has not dulled Scott’s fondness for a victory that established the Queenslander as one of the world’s best young players.

Now 43, Scott has revealed what came next immediately after his win, and what he will do differently were he to win again this Sunday.

“We went back to Stuart Appleby’s house in Orlando later that Sunday evening as I didn’t have a place back then in the States,” Scott writes in a blog for Australian Golf Digest.

“There wasn’t any huge celebration which is disappointing because young Adam definitely didn’t fear a celebration!

“What was great was my girlfriend was there, who’s now my wife, my coach Butch Harmon was there and it’s one of those big moments in my career where I have special memories about winning that afternoon.

“Maybe I have to make up for not celebrating 20 years ago and have an absolute blinder if I win again.”

Conceding that nerves may have played a part in missing a birdie chance on the par-5 16th on Sunday that would have given him a three-stroke lead, Scott stood on the tee of the devilish par-3 17th two strokes in front.

He hit wedge to the centre of the island green and made par, next faced with a tee shot at the par-4 18th with the prospect of severe penalty for even the slightest mistake.

The tee shot was navigated successfully enough but left him with an in-between yardage for his second.

“That’s where I became unstuck and hooked a 6-iron into the water,” Scott recalled.

“I was very nervous on that subsequent pitch shot, which was my fourth. Pitching wasn’t a strong suit of my game back then, but I’d been working hard at it earlier that week.

“You just somehow clear your mind and go with trust and I hit a pretty good one to about eight feet.

“I clearly remember not being so nervous over that final putt. I don’t know whether it was a confident read or what it was, but I felt very calm and made it for the win.

“Winning THE PLAYERS was a huge deal at that point in my career. It is certainly one of the biggest tournaments and is clearly above all other tournaments on the PGA TOUR.

“For a 23-year-old kid to become the youngest winner back then, and to beat a great field on an incredible test of a golf course, was a big boost for my career.”

Live coverage of THE PLAYERS Championship is on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, on the dedicated THE PLAYERS channel from 11:15pm AEDT Thursday night.

Photo: Stan Badz/PGA TOUR


Breakout Kiwi star Kazuma Kobori is ready to rub shoulders with the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth at this year’s Open Championship after being officially declared the 2023/2024 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion.

A three-time winner since January after earning his Tour card by winning Qualifying School last April, Kobori has an unassailable lead with just one event remaining, this week’s The National Tournament presented by BMW at The National Golf Club.

While six other players are still in the hunt for the final two DP World Tour cards, Kobori can tee it up from Thursday safe in the knowledge that he will have status when the 2025 DP World Tour commences with the Australian PGA Championship from November 21-24.

It is a rapid ascension for a 22-year-old who only turned professional at the start of November and who, midway through the season, was concerned that he wouldn’t keep his card.

But the golf world is soon to open up to him, including an exemption to the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon in July.

“I was just trying to get the DP World Tour card for next year and then my manager called me a couple of days after NZ Open and said that I had The Open sealed up too,” said Kobori.

“That’s pretty cool. For me, it was a bit of a bonus because I actually didn’t know that was part of the deal.

“Needless to say, I’ll take it.”

Given that he didn’t take up golf seriously until he was 12 years of age, Kobori’s earliest memories of major championships are post-2010, when McIlroy and Spieth were at their most dominant.

He is now coming to terms with the fact that he will play The Open Championship alongside them in just four months’ time.

“Obviously Tiger Woods was pretty dominant at the major championships but I started golf a bit later, when I was 10. Properly started playing when I was 12 so 2010 onwards, the guys playing major championships, those really stuck to me,” he added.

“Rory, Jordan Spieth winning The Open Championship, stuff like that.

“To be able to play in that tournament myself is something that I am really looking forward to.”

Changing seasons

Truth be told, this Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season was Kobori’s back-up plan.

With a category secured at Q School, Kobori’s major focus was the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in October.

The week prior, he was individual medallist at the Eisenhower Trophy in Abu Dhabi and, after one round at Royal Melbourne, was leading by two strokes.

A win that week would have earned Kobori a start at both The Open and The Masters, provided he retained his amateur status.

He would ultimately finish sixth, turn pro three days later and finish tied for ninth in his first start at the Queensland PGA Championship at Nudgee.

Two weeks later he squandered a six-stroke lead on the final day of the Victorian PGA Championship and, after missed cuts at both the Australian PGA and Australian Open, took a reality check heading into Christmas.

“This was the plan, and the best possible outcome, if you will. That being said, it’s not how I thought it would go at all,” Kobori conceded.

“After the Aus Open I was sitting 38th or something on the Order of Merit and thinking, This is pretty brutal if I’m going to try and keep my card.”

As others took a Christmas break, Kobori went to work.

After a poor finish at the Heritage Classic to start 2024 he won three of the next four tournaments, matching Tiger Woods’ lofty mark of three wins in his first 10 starts as a professional.

Although a missed cut at the New Zealand Open delayed confirmation if only for a couple of days, Kobori has now advanced further down his professional golf pathway than he could have imagined only a few months earlier.

“It’s fantastic; it’s a dream come true,” he said of his Order of Merit rewards.

“I’ll be 23 by the time I start my DP World Tour season properly but that’s way further ahead of my timeline than I could have ever imagined.

“This is the pathway that I planned out for myself but it’s gone much more quickly than I had thought.”

The only place to watch The National Tournament presented by BMW live is on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

Photo: Monica Marchesani


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