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Australian Min Woo Lee says he is better placed to handle the cauldron of TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course after earning a share of the lead at the halfway mark of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Two years after playing his way into the final group alongside world No.1 Scottie Scheffler in his debut appearance, Lee backed up an opening round of 5-under 67 on day one with 6-under 66 to be tied with American Akshay Bhatia at 11-under par.
The pair are one stroke clear of another American, JJ Spaun, with major champions Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa and American Alex Smalley tied for fourth at 9-under par.
Lee leant on his 2-iron off the tee to navigate his way around the Pete Dye masterpiece, a course he has already shown a great affinity for.
A birdie at the par-4 10th was the ideal springboard to Round 2, further birdies at 15 and 16 seeing the 24-year-old make the turn in 3-under.
That would be just a precursor to what was to follow as he picked up four birdies in five holes from the par-4 first.
It is familiar territory for the West Australian who believes he has the tools both physically and mentally to finish the job.
Lee was tied for the lead through three holes of the final round in 2023 before hitting a shot into the par-4 fourth that spun back into the water, the resulting triple bogey all but ending his chances.
“Big learning curve. Especially the fourth hole, that’s probably one shot that I regret in my career,” said Lee, whose tie for sixth was his first PGA TOUR top 10.
“It was a wedge that I got steep on and it’s been the narrative for a long time.
“My approach play, I just see the ball flight coming in low and I get a little bit too steep. It’s nice to actually just hit it up in the air and trust it.
“That’s a big part of why I’m getting a little bit better with my approach play.
“A bit more level-headed and a lot of learning between then and now.”
The secret weapon to Lee’s success at Sawgrass this week is a 2-iron that has been a fixture in his bag for a number of seasons.
“If your 2-iron goes 300 yards, it’s pretty good. I just love the club,” said Lee, who would have had the outright lead if not for a closing bogey at the par-5 ninth.
“I can step up on the tee and hit a little draw and if it just gets past some hills and bounces off hills, it goes a long way.
“It can nearly go as far as 3-wood or a driver sometimes if it plugs. Instead, it rolls all the way. It rolls 50, 60 yards sometimes.
“When I hit it good it ends up going a long way. That helps.”
Lee will play a lone hand for Australia across the final two rounds after Adam Scott (72), Karl Vilips (78) and Cam Davis (80) all missed the cut, Kiwi Ryan Fox (70) tied for 49th at 2-under par.
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
The chef swapped his spatula for a magic wand as West Australian Min Woo Lee conjured an 18th hole miracle to remain just one stroke off the lead after Round 1 of THE PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
Hopes for a seventh Aussie victory at the famed Stadium Course were struck an early blow when 2016 champion Jason Day was forced to withdraw with a stomach complaint without hitting a shot.
As he did two years ago on debut, Lee on the other hand showed that he has the stomach for one of golf’s most exacting tests with a fine 5-under 67.
He trails American pair Lucas Glover and JJ Spaun and Colombian Camilo Villegas by one stroke yet it took an escape act Houdini would have been proud of not to drop further behind.
Five-under through nine holes, the 24-year-old was even par for the back when he hit his tee shot way right at the par-4 18th after taking 2-iron.
“Oh my god, what is that,” he lamented.
He then proceeded to bounce his shot from the rough right of the pine straw onto the cart path where it bounced four times before coming to rest in the pine straw just right of the fairway.
As only very few can, Lee then fashioned a punch shot that ran up onto the green and came to rest 22 feet behind the hole less than 10 feet from the water, his par putt falling in on the right edge for a less-than-regulation par.
“Managed to produce the worst swing of the day about 40 yards right of where I wanted to hit it,” Lee said of his tee shot.
“I was just very happy to have a par putt. I literally had no shot.
“That third shot could have easily gone in the water had I just pulled it but used a bit of magic and tried to cut up a pitching wedge out of the pine straw, and it was absolutely perfect.”
Two years ago, Lee played his way into the final group alongside eventual champion Scottie Scheffler as a way of announcing his arrival to the American crowds.
While it may have failed him on the final hole, Lee loves the creativity the Pete Dye layout demands from tee to green.
“I just love this course. It just suits so well,” said Lee, who was tied sixth in 2023 and tied 54th last year.
“I just love playing shots off tees and not hitting driver everywhere. Driver is a weapon of mine, but I love hitting that 2-iron everywhere, and if it’s a little firm, it kind of plays into my hands.
“I just love playing this course.”
A week after his win at the Puerto Rico Open that secured his debut at THE PLAYERS, Karl Vilips is the only other Australian par or better after day one, signing for an even par 72 despite a late double bogey at the par-4 sixth and bogeys at eight and nine.
In his 23rd appearance, Adam Scott dropped shots late at 14, 16 and 18 in his round of 2-over 74 while Cam Davis had just the one birdie at the par-5 16th in his round of 4-over 76.
After more than two decades of facing up to the examination that is TPC Sawgrass, Adam Scott has developed a formula for not just survival but success: Don’t make mistakes.
The 2004 champion of THE PLAYERS Championship has been a constant presence dating back to 2002 with a tournament resume that also includes top-10 finishes in 2005, 2007 and 2017 and six top-20 finishes.
With the late addition of Karl Vilips courtesy of last week’s Puerto Rico Open victory, Scott is one of five Aussies in the field for golf’s unofficial ‘fifth major’.
He is also one of five Australians to have conquered the Pete Dye masterpiece, if at least for one week at a time.
While those who get on its bad side view TPC Sawgrass as a beast, Scott acknowledges the inherent beauty of a layout with no let-up.
“It’s the kind of course where you need a lot of things to go right to be in the mix,” Scott said.
“The penalty is extreme. That’s a trait of Pete Dye golf courses. There’s water everywhere and it’s hard to recover from the water. A couple of visits to the water during the week makes it hard playing catch-up, because then you have to force it and you have to risk.
“It’s there, but if you’re not on it, it’s hard to always post a good number here. Hard to get it in the clubhouse the last three holes.
“Scottie (Scheffler) was the first guy to successfully defend last year, so it’s been challenging for every champion.”
Scott has twice shot rounds of 7-under 65 at golf’s most famous purpose-built theatre – in 2004 and 2016. In his 25th year as a professional, he remains adamant that he can continue to be a force in the sport’s biggest events.
“I don’t think my days are numbered just yet,” said the 44-year-old.
“There’s no signs pointing to that. I still think I have the form to be out here and believe, on my week, I can compete and hold my own.
“I’m enjoying being out here very much. And I say that knowing that it’s not going to last forever.”
While Scott acknowledges his career at the highest level is closer to its end than its beginning, he is excited to see the emergence of a new Aussie star in Karl Vilips.
THE PLAYERS Championship represents the latest step in Vilips’ meteoric rise that has caught the eye of his veteran countryman.
“It’s incredible,” Scott effused. “Understanding where he came from and coming through the college system, I think the college system is just unbelievable these days.
“He’s done an incredible job, even down to doing the YouTube and putting himself out there.
“It’s a different generation than me, for sure, but I know he’s working, he’s got a great team around him, and it’s paying off.
“He’s set himself up for the beginning of what can be an incredible career on the PGA TOUR.”
Elsewhere this week, Ripper GC will defend their teams title at LIV Golf Singapore, the trio of Su Oh, Robyn Choi and Caitlin Peirce are in action on the Epson Tour and West Australians Hayden Hopewell and Haydn Barron are in the field for the Kolkata Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Cse), Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
11:46pm* Jason Day
12:08am Cam Davis
3:45am Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:07am Min Woo Lee
4:40am Adam Scott
5:13am* Karl Vilips
Recent champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Greg Norman (1994), Adam Scott (2004), Jason Day (2016), Cameron Smith (2022)
Prize money: $US25m
TV times: Live 10:30pm-10am Thursday, Friday, Saturday; Live 10:30pm-9am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Singapore
Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)
Recent champion: Brooks Koepka
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live from 11:30am Friday, Saturday, Sunday on 7 Plus.
HotelPlanner Tour
Kolkata Challenge
Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
1:15pm* Haydn Barron
5:10pm* Hayden Hopewell
5:30pm Sam Jonez (NZ)
Recent champion: Rasmus Neegaard-Petersen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US300,000
Epson Tour
IOA Golf Classic
Alaqua Country Club, Longwood, Florida
Australasians in the field: Robyn Choi, Su Oh, Caitlin Peirce
Recent champion: Jessica Peng
Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017), Grace Kim (2022)
Prize money: $225,000
The climb of ‘Koala’ Karl Vilips shows no signs of abating. The former child prodigy is now a PGA TOUR winner in just his third start as a full member.
Including last year’s US Open, the Puerto Rico Open was just Vilips’ fourth start on the PGA TOUR, making him just the 12th player to win in so few starts dating back to 1970.
Not bad for a kid who was still in college less than 12 months ago.
Since graduating from Stanford University, Vilips has won on the Korn Ferry Tour, won on the PGA TOUR, risen more than 1,000 spots on the Official World Golf Ranking and become the first brand ambassador for the Tiger Woods clothing line, Sun Day Red.
He’s also a big mover in this week’s Power Rankings as Minjee Lee continued her stellar start to the LPGA Tour season, Cassie Porter returns after a top-five finish in her second start on the LPGA Tour and Jason Day and Lucas Herbert both log top-10 results.
10. Ryan Peake (9)
Failed to make the cut at the Wallace Development NZ PGA on the back of an emotional NZ Open triumph. With two events left in the season, remains in the hunt for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit on the back of top-10 finishes at Webex Players Series Murray River and Webex Players Series Sydney.
9. Min Woo Lee (8)
Narrowly missed advancing to the weekend of the Arnold Palmer Invitational but is showing a greater level of consistency in the game’s showpiece events. Returns to one of golf’s great theatres – TPC Sawgrass – where he played his way into the final group on Sunday on debut two years ago.
8. Cam Davis (3)
Shot 80 in the second round in brutal conditions to miss a second straight cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Shapes as one of our best hopes at THE PLAYERS Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass.
7. Cassie Porter (New)
Responded to a missed cut in her LPGA debut with a tie for fourth at the Blue Bay LPGA. Tied for 13th at Webex Players Series Sydney after shooting 63 in the third round at Castle Hill, Porter entered the final round in China in a share of second, just two strokes off the lead. She closed with even-par 72 for a top-five finish and career high of 177th in Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
6. Elvis Smylie (2)
Entered for next week’s Heritage Classic as he endeavours to wrap up the 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. Top 10 at the New Zealand Open, Smylie skipped the NZ PGA as he looks ahead to rejoining the DP World Tour.
5. Lucas Herbert (7)
Continues to be the form player for Ripper GC early in the LIV Golf season. Shot 6-under in the final round to finish outright fourth at LIV Golf Hong Kong on the back of a tie for 21st at the New Zealand Open.
4. Jason Day (6)
Reunited with former coach and mentor Col Swatton, Day delivered one of the best rounds seen at Bay Hill in recent years with a superb 64 in Round 2. Finished tied for eighth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and rose to No.33 in the world ranking.
3. Minjee Lee (4)
Gave younger brother Min Woo Lee something to live up to with numerous chip-ins across the weekend of the Blue Bay LPGA in China. A runner-up finish to Rio Takeda continued her strong early season form that includes a tie for fourth and tie for 11th in four starts.
2. Karl Vilips (10)
Completed a historic rise to claim his maiden PGA TOUR win in just his fourth start at the Puerto Rico Open. Still to graduate from Stanford University 12 months ago, Vilips has climbed from a world ranking of 1,185 last July to be now ranked 106th in the world.
1. Hannah Green (1)
Tied for seventh in the defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship title in Singapore, Green will next tee it up at the Ford Championship in Arizona from March 27-30.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Five Australians and one New Zealander are headed to the famed TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course as the best of the best on the PGA TOUR assemble for this week’s THE PLAYERS Championship.
Often dubbed “the fifth major”, THE PLAYERS offers the richest purse on Tour outside the majors, with the winner granted a generous Tour exemption along with a host of tournament invitations.
After his stunning maiden Tour victory at last week’s Puerto Rico Open, Karl Vilips has earned himself a spot in this week’s field alongside 2016 champion, and in-form Jason Day, fresh off a T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Another past Aussie champion, Adam Scott, will be hoping to recreate his 2004 heroics, while Cam Davis and Min Woo Lee will be looking produce what would be a life-changing week. Kiwi Ryan Fox rounds out the Australasian contingent in Florida.
As the first player to go back-to-back in the event’s history last year, Scottie Scheffler will again be a favourite, while FedEx Cup leader Sepp Straka and last week’s champion from Bay Hill, Russell Henley, will be riding good form into this week.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPION: Scottie Scheffler (USA)
PRIZEMONEY: US$25 million
LIVE SCORES: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
TV COVERAGE: THE PLAYERS Championship is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 1: Thursday 10:30pm-10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round 2: Friday 10:30pm-10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Round 3: Saturday 10:30pm-10am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 10:30pm-9am (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
HEADLINERS
Scottie Scheffler: World No. 1 and two-time defending champion
Rory McIlroy: 2019 THE PLAYERS champion
Collin Morikawa: Two-time major champion
Sepp Straka: FedEx Cup leader and three-time Tour winner
Russell Henley: 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational winner
Jason Day: 2016 THE PLAYERS champion
Karl Vilips: 2025 Puerto Rico Open winner
Karl Vilips made history by winning on the PGA TOUR in his fourth start, and is now headed for The Players Championship, with the West Australian’s efforts just one of the Australian moments to celebrate from a bountiful weekend.
Vilips set the tournament scoring mark at the Puerto Rico Open to claim his maiden title less than a year removed from graduating college (full story on his win HERE), while it was a runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour for Minjee Lee in China.
The older Australian and Kiwi brigade also representing strongly on the PGA TOUR Champions, where Steven Alker claimed another title and Greg Chalmers and Rod Pampling shared third.
For Minjee, her final round charge at the Blue Bay LPGA truly ignited late on the front nine, when the elder Lee sibling seemed to channel her brother Min Woo and his short game.
Mixing three bogeys with one birdie through six holes of the final round playing alongside fellow Aussie Cassie Porter, Minjee chipped in consecutively on the seventh and eighth holes and motioned to call ‘Dr Chipinski’ her brother’s widely used social media nickname.
“I never left,” she said when asked if there was a new Dr Chipinski in the family post round.
Continuing to look more comfortable with her new long putter, Lee added four more birdies on the back nine to finish at 11-under and six back of Japan’s Rio Takeda. Porter recording her best LPGA finish with a solo fourth place after closing with an even par round of 72.
Playing the Cologuard Classic on the senior circuit, Alker closed with a final round 66 to find himself in a playoff with Jason Caron. The Kiwi triumphing on the first extra hole to claim his ninth PGA TOUR Champions crown.
Falling just one short of the playoff, Pampling bogeyed the 17th hole to finish on 11-under, while Chalmers looked the man to beat as the players made their way to the finish.
Leading into the back nine, Chalmers bogeyed the 12th and 14th to fall back before scrambling for a par at the penultimate hole and just missing a 10 foot birdie try at the 18th hole to join the playoff.
“That’s just part of golf sometimes. It’s been a minute since I’ve been in that situation where I’ve had a chance to win an event,” Chalmers said.
“I think the more I can do it, the more comfortable I’ll be and the better I’ll do.”
Similarly flying the flag on the global stage was Jason Day, who was right in the mix late on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
Two shots back of the lead, Day’s ball found the water at the par-5 16th and eventually the bottom of the cup for a double bogey, with the Queenslander also dropping a shot at the last to share eighth.
Back in action for the first time since Adelaide, the all Australian Ripper GC team shared third place at LIV Golf Hong Kong, with Lucas Herbert the standout in the individual results. The Victorian closing with a 6-under round for a solo fourth place.
PGA TOUR
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida
1 Russell Henley 72-68-67-70—277 $US4m
T8 Jason Day 76-64-69-74—283 $600,666
T36 Adam Scott 75-72-70-74—291 $96,750
MC Cam Davis 70-80—150
MC Min Woo Lee 78-73—151
Puerto Rico Open
Grand Reserve Golf Club, Rio Grande, Peurto Rico
1 Karl Vilips 65-67-66-64—262 $US720,000
MC Aaron Baddeley 72-75—147
LPGA Tour
Blue Bay LPGA
Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, Hainan Island, China
1 Rio Takeda 69-69-69-64—271 $US375,000
2 Minjee Lee 70-72-68-67—277 $230,318
4 Cassie Porter 69-68-72-72—281 $129,249
T44 Hira Naveed 71-70-76-76—293 $10,529
MC Karis Davidson 73-76—149
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 74-78—152
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Hong Kong
Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, Hong Kong
1 Sergio Garcia 65-64-63—192 $US4m
4 Lucas Herbert 67-66-64—197 $1,000,000
T12 Marc Leishman 70-66-65—201 $312,500
T20 Cameron Smith 69-68-66—203 $202,500
T20 Danny Lee (NZ) 66-71-66—203 $202,500
T35 Matt Jones 69-69-67—205 $145,333
T35 Ben Campbell (NZ) 69-68-68—205 $145,333
DP World Tour
Joburg Open
Houghton GC, Johannesburg, South Africa
1 Callum Hill 69-66-69-62—266 €177,233.16
T3 Danny List 66-73-71-77—287 €1,547.32
MC Kazuma Kobori 70-77—147
PGA TOUR Champions
Cologuard Classic
La Paloma Country Club, Tucson, Arizona
1 Steven Alker (NZ) 69-66-66—201 $US330,000
T3 Rod Pampling 66-69-67—202 $145,200
T3 Greg Chalmers 64-67-71—202 $145,200
T18 Cameron Percy 71-69-68—208 $32,010
T20 David Bransdon 69-70-70—209 $25,828
T20 Mark Hensby 71-68-70—209 $25,828
T20 Matthew Goggin 67-69-73—209 $25,828
T33 Richard Green 75-67-70—212 $13,860
T44 Steve Allan 70-77-67—214 $8,800
T48 Stuart Appleby 70-74-71—214 $7,040
T60 Michael Wright 71-72-75—218 $3,300
T60 Brendan Jones 72-73-63—218 $3,300
Korn Ferry Tour
Astara Chile Classic presented by Scotiabank
Prince of Wales Country Club, Santiago, Chile
1 Logan McAllister 68-70-63-64—265 $US180,000
T57 Harry Hillier (NZ) 71-69-71-70—281 $4,100
MC Rhein Gibson 70-71—141
Epson Tour
Atlantic Beach Classic presented by Access Golf
Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, Florida
1 Laetitia Beck 71-68-66—205 $US37,500
T13 Robyn Choi 76-71-69—216 $3,868
T54 Caitlin Peirce 78-73-73—224 $1,054
MC Su Oh 81-76—157
Australian Karl Vilips has joined an exclusive club, with the 23-year-old winning the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open in just his fourth Tour start to become only the 12th player since 1970 to achieve that feat.
Named recently as the first signing to Tiger Woods’ apparel company Sun Day Red and last month as a new member of the Golf Australia Rookie Squad, Vilips entered the final round with the outright lead in Puerto Rico having graduated Stanford University less than 12 months ago.
A winner on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour last year, Vilips was challenged out of the gate on Sunday by Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen as he sought to join the likes of Seve Ballesteros in the four-tournament start winners club on the PGA TOUR.
Birdieing the par-4 third, Vilips then found some magic at the par-5 sixth when holing out his pitch for eagle before two more birdies to close out the front nine in 5-under.
The Australian, who spent parts of his childhood in Melbourne and Perth before completing his schooling in America, truly having to earn his victory on the back nine when he made his only bogey of the final day at the par-4 12th.
As Neergaard-Petersen was in the middle of making six straight birdies from the 10th hole, Vilips first dropped shot, and loss of the lead, seemed to kick the former child prodigy and now Colin Swatton coached player into gear.
“Bogey was pretty careless,” Vilips told Australian media after his win.
“I was pretty frustrated about that with a wedge in the fairway. I was thinking kind of just give myself a bit of a cushion on the leaderboard and then had to just forget about it. It’s already happened, can’t do anything about it and did a good job putting me back in the present.”
Making three consecutive birdies from the 13th, Vilips added another at the 72nd and final hole to reach 26-under and claim a three shot victory over Neergaard-Petersen.
“It’s a dream come true for me and my dad,” Vilips said paying tribute to his father, Paul, immediately after holing his winning putt.
“This is what we dreamed of as a kid.”
Vilips, whose maiden season on the PGA TOUR has been slightly hampered following the discovery of a bulging disk in his back around the time he returned home for a share of 46th at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, has now secured his playing rights for the next two years.
Setting a tournament scoring record with his 26-under-par total, Vilips will now also receive a start at the PGA TOUR’s showpiece event, next week’s The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, as well as the US PGA Championship in May.
Recently moving to Florida and making TPC Sawgrass his base, the Australian will not be as ill-prepared as many might think for his sudden start next week alongside some of the biggest names in the game.
“I just moved there, been at TPC for five months or four months now,” Vilips said.
“I’m going to be getting in late Monday night, so it’s going to be a bit of a short prep, but thankfully it’s my home course so I don’t really need to do too much. Just see how the greens are rolling, how the rough is. I just kind of get in the right mindset for it.”
Mindset has rarely been an issue for Vilips, who has worked relentlessly to become a PGA TOUR winner, with his calm and mostly mild mannered demeanour only cracking occasionally on Sunday. Firstly, when yelling “Come on” as he celebrated his final birdie, and again when speaking of his genuine excitement and realising a dream
“Even just like being in the final group is something I always wanted to do. Being in the final group of PGA TOUR events and then winning, it’s just everything,” he said.
“It makes me incredibly happy to hoist that trophy on the 18th green … It’s everything that I’ve dreamed of and in the moment, you have to kind of just put all that aside and focus on winning. But I’m sure when I’m back in my hotel I’ll just be smiling and calling my friends.”
Part of the phone attention no doubt going to a potential voice message from the icon that created his clothing sponsor, with Tiger one of the names to pop up during the whirlwind post round commitments.
“I caught a glimpse of it saying something and I’ll have to get back to it. I’ve been bombarded with texts and I’m so grateful for the support, but I’ll have to look back at it after this.”
Kiwi left-hander Tyler Hodge has held his nerve over the closing stages to clinch a one-stroke victory at the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship at Hastings Golf Club.
Leading by four strokes after a birdie at the par-5 10th, Hodge’s advantage from Queensland pair Tim Hart (67) and Shae Wools-Cobb (71) was reduced to three with a bogey at the par-4 11th.
Hart, Wools-Cobb and Kerry Mountcastle (66) all nudged one stroke closer with birdies of their own, Hodge’s lead shrinking to just one when he made a third bogey in the space of eight holes after three-putting the par-3 16th.
The two closing holes at Hastings Golf Club were playing directly into a hefty wind and Hodge came up short with his second into the par-4 17th.
He very nearly chipped in before tapping in for par to head to the 72nd tee with a one-shot advantage as Hart and Mountcastle sat safely in the clubhouse at 15-under par.
A bombed drive into the fairway was the first piece of the puzzle Hodge needed to complete before the 30-year-old hit his best shot of the day, a 7-iron from 161 metres to just 12 feet.
It was after watching playing partner Denzel Ieremia’s shot carry deep into the green that Hodge changed clubs, dropping back to 7-iron to all but seal his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory with a final round of 3-under 69.
He is the third Kiwi winner in the past four events (Josh Geary, Nick Voke) and the third left-hander to win this season (Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake) and does so in his second stint as a professional.
Originally joining the pro ranks in 2015, Hodge quit in late 2019 and had a year away from the game before returning to amateur golf and caddying for two seasons at Tara Iti.
In 2023 he decided to try again and now, two years later, he is a Tour winner with guaranteed status through until the end of the 2026/2027 season.
“That’s a very cool thought,” said Hodge, who had fiancée Tessa McDonald on the bag as he completed a career highlight.
“We’ll have some in-house conversations and stuff like that about what the future looks like playing golf.
“I had a couple of years off a few years ago and then kind of came back to the game and have been enjoying it.
“But she’s a tough old slog pro golf, so my fiancée and I have been having some chats about possibly giving the pro playing stuff away.
“We’ll have to have a bit more of a chat over the winter about that.”
Tied for second overnight, Hodge continued to forge ahead as the likes of Cameron Harlock (77), Jake McLeod (74), Denzel Ieremia (71) and Wools-Cobb (71) stalled on Sunday.
Challengers emerged from back in the pack in the form of Mountcastle and Hart, but both would ultimately fall one short of forcing a playoff.
It was Hodge’s performances on the Charles Tour in New Zealand last year that earned limited playing rights on the PGA Tour of Australasia this season, a tie for 11th at the Ford NSW Open enhancing his status and providing confirmation that a win was not beyond reach.
“I definitely haven’t played to my potential for most of the season,” said Hodge, who is now 22nd on the Order of Merit.
“That was a little bit of a highlight that week but still felt like I didn’t kind of have it.
“Just to kind of let it go this week and just whatever happens, happens, the game kind of came back to me a little bit naturally, I suppose.
“I’m almost a journeyman now. Golf is different. There’s a lot of learnings that you have to go through yourself.
“People can tell you about it and stuff like that, but you have to experience a few of those things and get through a lot of adversity.
“Slowly but surely got back into it and then obviously enjoyed it enough to have another crack at the pro stuff.”
Mountcastle and Hart shared second at 15-under par, one clear of Wools-Cobb, Anthony Quayle (69) and another Kiwi left-hander, Tim Wilkinson (67).
Photo: Ian Cooper/bwmedia.co.nz
Three Australians are in the hunt for breakthrough wins as major champions Minjee Lee and Jason Day put themselves in the frame for drought-breaking victories on the LPGA and PGA TOUR respectively.
In what shapes as a potentially career-changing 24 hours, Karl Vilips and Greg Chalmers have the outright lead in their respective events on the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions as Cassie Porter hunts down victory in just her second start on the LPGA Tour.
Less than 12 months after graduating from Stanford University, Vilips shot 6-under 66 in Round 3 of the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande in just his third start on the PGA TOUR while Porter will start Sunday’s final round of the Blue Bay LPGA in China in a share of second, two strokes back of Japan’s Rio Takeda.
Two-time major winner Minjee Lee is just one stroke further back in a tie for fifth, Day trails Collin Morikawa by three shots at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Chalmers is the outright leader at the Cologuard Classic as he seeks a first win on the PGA TOUR Champions.
Diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back after initially being told he had a stress fracture, Vilips is quickly making up for lost time.
His debut season on the PGA TOUR was subsequently delayed as he received treatment but will now take a one-stroke lead into the final round in Puerto Rico in just his third event.
“I don’t feel that surprised,” said the 23-year-old who is bidding to become just the 12th player to win in one of his first four starts on the PGA TOUR since 1970.
“I feel like my game’s gotten a lot better over the years. I think playing so much out of college and on the Korn Ferry and then just a lot of competitive golf, it just has sharpened me up a lot.
“I’ve been really true to the process and seeing it pay off so far at the moment is nice.”
Porter’s performance is just as impressive.
Admitting to be somewhat starstruck in her LPGA Tour debut, the 22-year-old birdied three of her final four holes on Saturday to play her way into Sunday’s second-to-last group alongside Lee and world No.2, Jeeno Thitikul.
“That was a lot of fight out there,” said the Epson Tour graduate of her finish to Round 3.
“Bit of a mess in the middle of the round there, but we came back, so that’s all that matters.”
In his first season as a fully exempt member of the PGA TOUR Champions, Chalmers leads by one at the tournament where he made his PGA TOUR Champions debut 12 months ago.
The West Australian’s tie for seventh last year after coming through Monday qualifying provided the foundation for a season in which he logged five top-10s and won close to $US900,000 in prize money.
The 51-year-old is now seeking to become Australia’s first winner on the PGA TOUR Champions since Rod Pampling at the SAS Championship in October 2023.
“I have a one-shot lead going into tomorrow now. Some of that may be relatively new territory for me, I don’t think I’ve done that before, certainly not on the Champions Tour,” conceded Chalmers, who will have wife Nicole in the gallery on Sunday.
“I really felt pleased with how I conducted myself today and the shots I chose and predominantly how I executed.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow. There’s a few guys with a chance to have a good day and see if they can’t have a win, so great to be part of that mix.”
Porter tees off in her final round at 2:11pm AEDT Sunday, Vilips is off in the final group in Puerto Rico at 2:41am AEDT Monday with Chalmers to begin his quest for victory at 6:17am AEDT Monday morning.
Unheralded Kiwi rookie Cameron Harlock has turned a tournament invitation into a potential maiden professional win at the Wallace Development New Zealand PGA Championship at Hastings Golf Club.
On a day in which the leaders stalled and contenders came from the clouds, Harlock’s eagle on the par-5 17th in his round of 5-under 67 was enough to nudge one clear of a congested leaderboard at 14-under par.
Queensland’s Shae Wools-Cobb (67) and Kiwi left-hander Tyler Hodge (70) share second at 13-under par with 16-year-old amateur Cooper Moore (71) and another New Zealander, Denzel Ieremia (66) tied for fourth at 12-under.
Nineteen players will start Sunday within five strokes of the lead, Harlock suddenly thrust to the front in just his second start on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
Out in 3-under, Harlock made bogey at the par-4 11th for the second straight day before forging to the front-running position with a birdie at 14 and eagle at 17.
“I felt like I had a good number and it came out pretty awfully to be honest,” Harlock said of his second shot into the par-5.
“It surprised me a little bit but was probably one of those ones where it was so bad that it was actually in an OK spot.
“I had about 40 metres left and it wasn’t an easy shot but just tried to hit the best shot that I could and it just dropped in the front edge.”
After playing his way into the Vic Open last month by winning the Monday qualifier at Curlewis, Harlock was given a crash course in professional golf education during a practice round with Aussie veterans Sam Brazel, Marcus Fraser and Matt Millar.
Although he would miss the cut at 13th Beach, Harlock said it was an invaluable learning experience less than a year after graduating from Boston College.
“Getting those guys to steer me around and just see how they worked and their practice round was actually a massive benefit,” said the Auckland native
“It feels like a strange thing to say, but they looked like they were relaxed and they had their processes and plans and then outside of that, they were just really, really good guys.”
Another with limited playing opportunities of late has been Wools-Cobb.
Due to his current category, Wools-Cobb has played just two events since the start of the year, a heart-to-heart with coach John Wright unlocking his love for the game again.
“I just feel really happy out there. It’s just a light bulb moment kind of thing,” said Wools-Cobb.
“I feel like I had a really good chat with my coach, John Wright after WA (Webex Players Series Perth). He pretty much pulled me into gear to say, ‘Just work harder.’
“There were a few weaker areas that we noticed in my golf swing that break down when I’m under pressure so I’ve really dedicated myself to gym work, getting a bit more flexibility and movement.”
The biggest moves on Saturday came from Newcastle rookie Jye Pickin and perennial contender this season, Jake McLeod.
Pickin and McLeod both shot rounds of 7-under 65 in Round 3 to be tied for sixth and just three strokes off the lead.
Pickin has missed the cut in each of his previous three starts while McLeod’s runner-up finish to Nick Voke at Webex Players Series Sydney was his third top-five finish of the season.
One-under playing the back nine on Friday, McLeod shot 3-under in his final eight holes to make the cut. He intends to carry through a ‘nothing to lose’ mentality as he chases a first win since the 2018 NSW Open.
“If you just made the cut, you can’t really go backwards so there’s only forwards,” said McLeod, who had six birdies and an eagle in his round of 7-under.
“Obviously running down the leaderboard here is not going to do anything on the Order of Merit so you need to try your luck and push pretty hard I reckon.”
The final round of the Wallace Development PGA Championship tees off at 8:15am AEDT.
Photo: Simon Watts/BW Media
