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The ink is still drying on his DP World Tour card yet Elvis Smylie has unveiled his ambition to play his way onto the PGA TOUR inside 12 months.
Guaranteed a place on the DP World Tour for the next two seasons by virtue of his BMW Australian PGA Championship triumph at Royal Queensland, the 22-year-old is now eyeing off one of the PGA TOUR cards given to the top 10 on the Order of Merit at season’s end.
Currently sixth heading into this week’s Ras Al Khaimah Championship where he spent Tuesday playing nine holes with fellow Aussie Jason Scrivener and Kiwi pair Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier, Smylie knows the opportunity in front of him.
“I’m really looking forward to keeping the momentum going,” Smylie told DP World Tour Media.
“I played OK last week in my first Rolex Series event in Dubai. Looking to build on some good momentum here in the Middle East.
“You obviously want to build on some great momentum and at the end of the year, there’s 10 cards up for grabs on the PGA TOUR.
“So that’s very much a goal of mine to try and get in the top ten in the Race to Dubai and getting off to a fast start definitely helps.
“That win back in December in Australia, back home in Brisbane, was life-changing for me, to be able to have the chance now to compete on the DP World Tour for two years and compete against some of the best players in the world.
“It’s only going to help my game moving forward and just being able to travel to some amazing places around the world.”
Helping Smylie make the transition to the top echelon of professional golf is another Aussie looking more and more established on the DP World Tour.
Now in his second year in Europe by virtue of winning the 2022-2023 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, David Micheluzzi was tied for eighth in Dubai and has become a valuable ally for Smylie.
“Dave Micheluzzi is a good mate of mine and he’s a real bubbly personality,” he said.
“As much as you are competing against them on tour, you’re also competing against the golf course, so whenever I get off the course, I’ll always try and hang out with ‘Micha’ and some of the other Aussies as well.”
Scrivener is the first of the Aussies to tee off this afternoon at 2:10pm AEDT with Micheluzzi off at 3:30pm and Smylie at 7:05pm.
There’ll be a special competition within the competition when the Wilson family creates a world first at Webex Players Series Victoria, starting on Thursday.
Long-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia member Peter Wilson will play alongside, and against, his daughter Chloe, who is one of the newest members of the WPGA Tour of Australasia just four years after taking up golf.
With the Webex Players Series events offering the unique format of men and women competing on the same course for the same trophy and prize money, it’s the first time that father and daughter professionals have teed it up as rivals.
Chloe, 20, made her pro debut at last week’s Drummond Golf Melbourne International at Latrobe Golf Club, finishing tied for 26th, while Peter has played 246 Official World Golf Ranking events since in 2002, including winning the 2012 WA PGA Championship.
“It’s going to be fun,” Peter said. “I’ve never competed against my daughter before in a pro event so there’s a first time for everything in this game.”
But it’s definitely not the first time the duo has gone head-to-head on the golf course, with family matches a regular event.
Chloe has yet to win one of those but with her game quickly improving, she came very close earlier this month at Woodlands Golf Club, leading by a shot coming to the last hole only to record a bogey while her determined dad birdied to keep his streak alive.
“I don’t want her to beat me,” Peter laughed.
“And it’s tricky this week because we always play together and I’m advising her on shots, but this week I can’t because we are opponents in a professional tournament. It’s going to be really tricky in that area.
“I think it’s a two-shot penalty if I said, ‘Chloe, you need to hit a little left or right shot here’. I can’t say anything.”
Although she’s been around golf all her life, Chloe hadn’t shown much interest in following her dad’s sporting career until she was 16, preferring dancing instead.
But when she did start swinging the club there was a clear intention – turn pro inside five years.
“Ever since I was little, I was always caddying for my dad at all these pro-am events,” Chloe said.
“I guess I was somewhat learning the game without even playing, which was quite cool.”
Peter recalls: “She goes, ‘Dad, I’m going to play golf now and I’m going to be a professional in five years.’ And I’m like, ‘Chloe, you haven’t even got any golf clubs.’
“So that’s where it started back in 2020. And she did, which is amazing.”
Chloe’s goal to turn pro was achieved at the WPGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School at the end of 2024 where she finished tied 33rd.
“I have to remind her that she’s quite good,” said Peter, whose son Keefer represented Australia in skateboarding at the Paris Olympic Games.
“She’s only been playing four or five years, so some of the mistakes she makes are like, ‘Chloe, you’ve only been playing four years, so you don’t really know how to do everything.’
“I’m very proud of her. Very proud of all my kids. My son was in the Olympics and my daughter (Aaliyah) only just missed out on being in the Olympics. I’m proud of all my kids.”
Still very much in the development phase of her career, Chloe is approaching her four-round professional tournament debut with a mixture of nerves and excitement.
Having her dad alongside will help and she’ll be quickly on the phone to her mum if she does finally manage to be the “low Wilson”.
“I’m excited,” she said.
“It’s not like something everybody gets to do, get to play a professional tournament with their dad and competing against each other. I’ll just enjoy it and try to beat him.
“I’ll definitely be nervous on the first tee, that’s for sure. Very nervous. But then I think once you’ve done your first tee shot, you kind of relax and you’re like, OK, I can just play golf now.”
The Wilsons tee off in the first round at 1.35pm on Thursday with Queenslander Tim Hart completing the group.
Brett Coletta is starting a “year of opportunity” at Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club on Thursday.
The reigning Vic Open champion has a potentially career-defining 11 months ahead, with playing rights on the DP World Tour for the first time after finishing third on the 2023/24 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
He comes to Rosebud having not played on Tour since the Aussie majors in November-December but he returns as one of the favourites in the third Webex Players Series event of the summer.
“It’s going to be a big year,” the 28-year-old said ahead of his 2025 debut.
“I’ve given myself plenty of opportunity just based off some good results in the last couple of years out here.
“It’s given me a good platform to move on to Europe or now the International Series (on the Asian Tour) as well.
“This will be a good test this week just to get some cobwebs off essentially.”
Just when Coletta will make his first start for 2025 on the DP World Tour is yet to be locked in. But he’s going to make sure he’s ready once confirmation comes of where he’s headed.
“You play that waiting game and see where you need to go or where you stack up,” he said.
“The hard part is we’re all the way over in Australia, so if you get the call up, you’re on a plane somewhere else in the world pretty quickly. That’s going to be a challenge for sure.”
If Coletta doesn’t get a start at the Qatar Masters, which is his next likely opportunity, he’ll be at 13th Beach next month to defend his Vic Open title.
“I might not know if I’ll be there until last minute. But if I’m there playing Vic Open, I’ll be firing on all cylinders trying to defend for sure,” he said.
But before then, the three-time Tour winner is keen to make the most of his trip to one of his favourite stops on Tour where he faces off against the best of both the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia.
“I love coming back down here and I think this year is the best I’ve seen the course,” Coletta said.
“I just played the front nine this morning. I was talking to a couple of the greenkeepers out there and I was just in awe of how good the conditions look. It’s just so lush and green.”
Coletta will start his first round on Thursday morning at 8am AEDT, playing alongside Kristalle Blum and Claire Shin.
The final two rounds of Webex Players Series Victoria are live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, from 3pm-6pm Saturday and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.
A first win for 2025 was just out of reach as the Australian flag flew proudly on international leaderboards this past week.
Starting with David Micheluzzi’s share of the lead after a round of 7-under 65 on day one of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour through to Jason Day’s spirited showing at The American Express, the Aussie influence looks like being strong again this year.
As Kiwi and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia regular, Daniel Hillier, finished second in Dubai, Micheluzzi, Jason Scrivener and Min Woo Lee were all top-15 after 36 holes at the Emirates Golf Club.
Back home, ahead of this week’s Webex Players Series Victoria, West Australian Abbie Teasdale showed her credentials with a playoff win at the Drummond Golf Melbourne International in just her second start as a professional.
10. Kirsten Rudgeley
Tuned up for her quest to win a maiden Ladies European Tour title in 2025 with a wonderful first-up showing at Webex Players Series Perth. After not touching her clubs over the Christmas-New Year break, Rudgeley showed up to Royal Fremantle and led by two after 54 holes before missing the playoff by a shot.
9. Jordan Doull
Rose 560 places in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of his playoff win at Webex Players Series Perth. Runner-up at the WA PGA Championship, Doull is ninth on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and second behind Jack Buchanan in both Rookie of the Year points and Total Number of Birdies for the 2024-2025 season.
8. Anthony Quayle
Has one of three DP World Tour cards in his sights after committing to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. Comes into this week’s Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club with four top-five finishes in his past five starts.
7. Cameron Smith
Still in pre-season mode with the start of the 2025 LIV Golf season a further two weeks away. The Ripper GC captain led his squad to the team title in 2024 but will be desperate for an individual win this year to fuel his tilt at the majors.
6. David Micheluzzi
Started the year with a bang. Co-leader after Round 1 in his maiden appearance at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Micheluzzi book-ended his week with another 7-under 65 on Sunday to climb into a tie for eighth. Rose to a career high of No.192 in the Official World Golf Ranking and is growing in stature on the DP World Tour with every event.
5. Cam Davis
In typically understated fashion, Davis walked away from The American Express with a tie for 19th. Dating back to his second Rocket Mortgage Classic win last June, Davis has finished top 20 in six of his past 12 starts. Was enough to elevate Davis back into the top 50 in the world ranking.
4. Elvis Smylie
Although he dropped three spots to sixth on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Ranking, the BMW Australian PGA champ showed he is ready to take his place among the elite of world golf. Shot 68 in the second round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic to advance to the weekend in his first Rolex Series event.
3. Jason Day
Climbs to No.33 in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of his tie for third at The American Express in California. Day was in the hunt until late in the final round but dropped shots at the 14th and 18th holes to finish three back of champion Sepp Straka. It was his best finish on the PGA TOUR since he was runner-up at The Open in 2023.
2. Adam Scott
Will next tee it up in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am after logging a tie for 39th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour.
1. Hannah Green
Has another week at home in Perth before the three-time winner in 2024 begins her 2025 season at the LPGA’s Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
He’s the perennial tournament favourite yet James Marchesani has an old rival to contend with as younger brother Anthony returns to play the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club.
The Marchesani name is etched across the honour boards at Rosebud, Anthony finally adding his following victory in the club championship last year.
Having spent a number of years on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia – including the first two editions of the Webex Players Series Victoria at his home course – Anthony took up a full-time job and regained his amateur status.
His club championship victory yielded an ‘Elite Amateur’ invitation to play this week, James not expecting Anthony to jump back on the bag for him on the weekend.
“He’ll be playing the weekend. I’ve got confidence in him there,” said James, who had Anthony caddie for him at the 2024 New Zealand Open.
“He’s actually playing some good golf at the moment, too, so it’d nice to see him do well for four days.
“He won club champs, which is his first, so he was pretty pumped about that. He always had to play against me and he wasn’t happy.
“It’ll be fun. It’ll be a fun week obviously at home. It’s always a good time with friends and fam, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Anthony’s last professional tournament was the 2022 Webex Players Series Victoria where he and James were paired for the opening two rounds.
Three years on, it is a pairing James would welcome once again.
“Since he’s gone full-time work, we haven’t played heaps together so hoping for a nice pairing,” said James, who was runner-up in 2023 and has not finished outside the top 20 in four starts at Rosebud.
“It’d be nice to play with him for a couple of days. We grew up playing together, we went to college together, we’d push each other along so it’d be fun if we did.
“I’m not asking for it but, if anyone’s listening, it would be fun.”
More than the renewal of a family-friendly rivalry, James has the opportunity to convert good form and home course advantage into a maiden win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
The 34-year-old’s 8-under 64 was the equal-best of the final round at Webex Players Series Perth and earned him a tie for fifth.
It's raining birdies @RoyalFremantle 😮💨@JamesMarchesani | #WebexPlayersSeries
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 12, 2025
It is his best result since his near miss at Rosebud two years ago and cause to be confident heading back to such familiar turf.
“It’s nice to get some confidence in the game,” James added.
“Obviously I know Rosebud probably as good as anyone ever and have been close a couple of times.
“It’s nice to find a bit of form and then hopefully take that into Rosebud and just see what happens.”
Inaugural Webex Players Series Victoria champion Brad Kennedy returns to Rosebud again, joining six of the winners on tour this season.
Women seeking to replicate Min A Yoon’s triumph in 2023 include reigning Vic Open champion Ashley Lau, 2023 Women’s NSW Open winner Momoka Kobori and WPGA Tour of Australasia winners Cassie Porter, Kelsey Bennett and Lydia Hall.
The final two rounds of the Webex Players Series Victoria will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo. Coverage is from 3pm-6pm Saturday AEDT and 1pm-6pm Sunday AEDT.
Jason Day was left to rue two late mistakes as he came up just short of a first PGA TOUR win since 2023 at The American Express in California.
Needing to make up four strokes on Austrian Sepp Straka in the final round at the Pete Dye Stadium Course at La Quinta, Day had narrowed the gap to within three early in the back nine.
With Straka on the back fringe, Day had less than 17 feet for birdie at the par-4 14th yet ran the tricky downhiller four-feet past. The return four-footer horse-shoed wickedly from the right edge and spat out on the left, the resulting bogey a setback in Day’s late chase.
A two-shot swing at the par-5 16th gave the 37-year-old Queenslander a sniff yet a self-confessed “uncommitted” swing off the par-5 18th led to a closing bogey and a share of third.
“I wish I could have had the 18th tee ball back, it was a very uncommitted shot there,” said Day after his best finish since he was runner-up at The Open in 2023.
“But overall I feel like the stats this week were very solid from tee to green. Could have done a little bit better on the greens, but I think with a lie/loft adjustment and then also some putting practice, I think that should be back on top of it.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in contention like that, so it’s nice to be able to stand there and hit some of the shots that I did knowing that, under the pump, you still got some really good stuff in there.
“Let’s just kind of build on that going forward.”
Another Aussie with plenty to build from after his first outing for 2025 is Victorian David Micheluzzi.
Embarking on his second year on the DP World Tour, Micheluzzi had a share of the lead after Round 1 of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Course in Dubai.
He, Jason Scrivener and Min Woo Lee all spent time inside the top 10 on the leaderboard through the four days, Micheluzzi shooting 65 in the final round to earn a share of eighth to climb to 13th on the Race to Dubai Ranking.
The 54-hole leader, Kiwi Daniell Hillier rose to second in the Race to Dubai Ranking courtesy of his runner-up finish, Englishman Tyrrell Hatton holding off Hillier to win by one.
Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
The American Express
Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta, California
1 Sepp Straka 65-64-64-70—263 $US1.584m
T3 Jason Day 64-66-67-69—266 $519,200
T19 Cam Davis 69-67-67-69—272 $125,400
MC Aaron Baddeley 74-68-69—211
DP World Tour
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
1 Tyrrell Hatton 71-65-68-69—273 €1,486,699.47
2 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 68-65-70-71—274 €961,982.01
T8 David Micheluzzi 65-73-75-65—278 €207,263.40
T10 Ryan Fox (NZ) 68-70-69-72—279 €156,759.34
T17 Min Woo Lee 71-66-73-72—282 €111,065.20
T21 Jason Scrivener 67-69-74-73—283 €94,886.41
T37 Adam Scott 71-71-69-75—286 €55,095.33
T58 Elvis Smylie 74-68-72-75—289 €25,361.34
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island
Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
After Round 1
T83 Rhein Gibson 73
T113 Harry Hillier (NZ) 77
The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis
The Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas
1 Hank Lebioda 67-62-67-66—262 $US180,000
Won on the first hole of sudden-death playoff
T39 Rhein Gibson 65-72-66-70—273 $5,000
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 72-70—142
PGA TOUR Champions
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
Hualalai GC, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii
1 Ernie Els 67-65-66—198 $US340,000
T5 Steven Alker (NZ) 70-66-65—201 $93,000
T15 Rod Pampling 69-66-70—205 $35,000
T19 Mark Hensby 69-71-66—206 $27,200
South African Leon Trenerry and former PGA Tour of Australasia player Neale Smith were among those to earn status on the 2025 PGA Legends Tour at Qualifying School at Murwillumbah Golf Club.
Growing up playing alongside the likes of Rory Sabbatini and Tim Clark, Trenerry spent six years on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa before embarking on a career change.
He emigrated to Australia in December 2020 and completed the Membership Pathway Program in 2023 at Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane.
Due to celebrate his 50th birthday in June, Trenerry shot rounds of 67-68 at Murwillumbah for a 7-under total to top Final Stage by four strokes. Meadowbrook Golf Club Teaching Professional Matthew Rogers took outright second at 3-under but will also have to wait until his 50th birthday in May before he can tee it up.
Victorian Derrin Morgan, New South Welshman Mark Gilson and Victoria’s David Tapping rounded out the top five who receive a higher category, those who finished 6-25 also earning status for the 2025 season that starts in New Zealand on January 30.
A regular on the Australasian Tour in the 1990s, Neale Smith played in Canada from 2000-2005 before establishing himself as one of golf’s most sought-after mental coaches, working with the likes of Jason Day, Hunter Mahan, Nick Flanagan and Nathan Green through his company, Process Performance.
Based in America for the past 20 years, Smith played both the NSW Senior Open and Australian PGA Senior Championship late last year and had rounds of 74-72 at Q School to earn a 2025 category.
Legend of the Australian golf industry, Denis Brosnan, has just bettered his age by 10 shots (!) at Legends Tour Qualifying School. pic.twitter.com/SP4TFONxPN
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 10, 2025
Arguably the most impressive performance at Q School came from PGA Life Member Denis Brosnan, the 79-year-old bettering his age by 10 strokes in Round 2 to finish tied for sixth with Douglas Gardner and Chris Hollingsworth.
The first event of the 2025 PGA Legends Tour season is the Expol Waihi Legends Pro-Am at Waihi Golf Club, the first of five tournaments in New Zealand to start the year.
West Australian Jason Scrivener is hoping that there truly is no place like home as he chases a long-awaited maiden win on the DP World Tour in 2025.
Scrivener is one of five Aussies in the field for this week’s $US9 million Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the first Rolex Series event of the 2025 DP World Tour season.
A two-time winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season this summer, Elvis Smylie has wasted no time in taking up the status he earned by virtue of his win at the co-sanctioned BMW Australian PGA Championship while Min Woo Lee makes his 2025 debut on the back of co-hosting last week’s Webex Players Series Perth.
Scrivener shot 5-under 67 to earn a share of fifth at Royal Fremantle Golf Club, chipping off some of the rust from a six-week break back home in WA.
When he holed out on Sunday his two boys, Felix, 3, and Charlie, 2, raced on to greet their dad (below). They are a big reason behind the change in how Scrivener will approach his season.
After two years on living in the US, Scrivener and wife Simone decided that a return home to be closer to family and friends would be best for the entire family.
“Nobody can really tell you, you’ve just got to figure it out yourself,” Scrivener said of the juggle between professional golf and fatherhood.
“My wife and I just tried to figure it out and I feel like things are starting to get somewhat easier. Or we’re at least getting used to the chaos, I guess.
“Things are settling down and hopefully I can have a good year.”
Scrivener flew out on Sunday night for a four-week stint in the Middle East, after which he will return home for a five-week break.
Simone and the boys will join him on tour for periods throughout the year as he tries to bounce back from a 2024 season in which he had only two top-10s and finished 87th on the Race to Dubai points list.
“I just needed a break, to be honest,” said Scrivener, who missed the cut at both the BMW Australian PGA and ISPS HANDA Australian Open.
“It was such an average year last year. I had to grind to keep my card and got sick a couple of times and there was just a lot going on.
“It just feels like there’s been a reset and excited for this year.”
A trio of Aussies are teeing it up at The American Express on the PGA TOUR, the PGA TOUR Champions season begins with Rod Pampling and Mark Hensby contesting the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii and Rhein Gibson is the sole Aussie at the Korn Ferry Tour Bahamas Golf Classic that starts January 19.
Photos: Cassandra Edwards/PGA of Australia
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
The American Express
Pete Dye Stadium Course, La Quinta, California
4:14am Cam Davis
4:36am Aaron Baddeley
4:58am Jason Day
2024 champion: Nick Dunlap
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Devlin (1970)
Prize money: $US8.8m
TV times: Live 4am-11am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Hero Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates GC, Dubai, UAE
2:45pm* Elvis Smylie
2:55pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)
3:05pm David Micheluzzi
6:35pm* Jason Scrivener
6:55pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
7:25pm Adam Scott
7:35pm Min Woo Lee
2024 champion: Rory McIlroy
Past Aussie winners: Richard Green (1997), Lucas Herbert (2020)
Prize money: $US9m
TV times: Live 3pm-12:30am Thursday, Friday; Live 3pm-12am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island
Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis, Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Australasians in the field: Rhein Gibson, Harry Hillier (NZ)
2024 champion: Jeremy Paul
Past Aussie winners:
Prize money: $US1m
PGA TOUR Champions
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai
Hualalai GC, Ka’upulehu-Kona, Hawaii
7:55am Mark Hensby
8:17am Rod Pampling
8:23am Steven Alker (NZ)
2024 champion: Steven Alker
Past Aussie winners: Peter Thomson (1985), Bruce Crampton (1991)
Prize money: $US2m
TV times: Live 11am-2pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Two players returning home from a year in Europe are heading to Queenstown next month aiming to lift the Brodie Breeze trophy and set the record straight on a long overdue Kiwi winner.
The New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport will be held at Millbrook Resort between February 27 and March 2, and both Daniel Hillier and Sam Jones are the latest homegrown talents to stake their claim for their national Open.
Wellington-born Hillier is a familiar name at the New Zealand Open having played six times between 2016 and 2024. He has also racked up seven professional wins overseas, most recently, a stunning two-stroke victory at the 2023 Betfred British Masters.
Speaking ahead of the New Zealand Open, Hillier expressed his affection for the tournament and believes he is ready to make a charge for the title.
“The New Zealand Open is always such an incredible week,” he said.
“Millbrook is such a special place and I feel like my game’s at a point now where I can actually go and compete, so it’d be nice to try to have a little shot at the trophy.
“I think it’s most golfers dream to win their national and it’s been a few years since we’ve had a Kiwi name on it, so to be the next one would be incredible.”
Hillier joins Steven Alker and Ben Campbell in bidding to restore a Kiwi name to the Brodie Breeze trophy, acknowledging that current champion Takahiro Hataji and 2023 champion Brendan Jones will be strong contenders.
“I’ve got a job to do and hopefully I’ll be as ready as I can be,” said Hillier.
Taranaki’s Sam Jones has also confirmed his entry in next month’s event, saying he believes it is “one of the best tournaments in the world.”
Jones has spent the past year playing on the DP World Tour, and while he acknowledges not everything went to plan he says his game is improving and he’s positive about the future.
“I’ll be playing maybe four or five tournaments on the main tour in 2025 and a full season on the Challenge Tour but it would be awesome to come to my home tournament and see if I could get my name on the trophy.”
“I’m pretty sure that the New Zealand Open has been won more times by Australians than New Zealanders so hopefully one of us gets to win our national Open. That would be awesome.”
The 104th New Zealand Open will tee off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between February 27 and March 2. For more information, please visit nzopen.com.
The cream rose to the top as the 2024-2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia resumed at Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee.
A two-stroke leader going into the final round, Kirsten Rudgeley fought hard to stay in the hunt until the very end, her tee shot at the par-4 15th one of the shots of the tournament.
She would ultimately fall one shot short of the playoff won by Jordan Doull and in a tie for third with Queenslander Anthony Quayle.
It was a continuation of superb form at the back-end of 2024 for Quayle who now has Order of Merit rewards very much in sight.
The action ramps up this week with the WPGA’s Drummond Golf Melbourne International starting Wednesday and tournaments on the DP World Tour, PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR Champions.
10. Kelsey Bennett
Makes her first start for 2025 at the Drummond Golf Melbourne International starting Wednesday at Latrobe Golf Club. After a breakthrough win on the LET Access Series, ended 2024 with a tie for seventh at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Australian Open and then came up clutch down the stretch to secure her 2025 Ladies European Tour card at Qualifying School.
9. Minjee Lee
Turned tournament host this past week for the Webex Players Series Perth at Royal Fremantle. Seventh at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Lee looks like starting her season at the Founders Cup in Florida in early February.
8. Cam Davis
Missed the cut at Sony Open after opening his 2025 PGA TOUR season with a tie for 13th at The Sentry in Hawaii. High on confidence after second PGA TOUR win last year and tie for sixth at the BMW Australian PGA Championship.
We’re pretty sure @KRudgeley loves the 15th @RoyalFremantle !#WebexPlayersSeries pic.twitter.com/7IHylluniH
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 12, 2025
7. Kirsten Rudgeley
Set up a big 2025 season with an excellent showing first up at Webex Players Series Perth. Twelfth on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit in 2024, Rudgeley led by two going into the final round and only missed the playoff won by Jordan Doull by one stroke.
What it means to win at home 🥹#WebexPlayersSeries | #TheChaseIsOn pic.twitter.com/qoXXVoMeOg
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) January 12, 2025
6. Jordan Doull
Moved to second on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Rookie of the Year standings with a breakthrough victory at Webex Players Series Perth hosted by Minjee and Min Woo Lee. Runner-up to Jack Buchanan in a playoff at the WA PGA, Doull exacted some revenge of his own with a playoff win over Haydn Barron at the second extra hole.
5. Anthony Quayle
A tie for third at Webex Players Series Perth was Quayle’s third consecutive top-five finish and fourth in his past five starts since returning to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. Although he stayed eighth on the Order of Merit, narrowed the gap to those ahead of him to bring the top five within reach.
4. Elvis Smylie
After a breakthrough victory at the WA Open, Smylie claimed the co-sanctioned BMW Australian PGA Championship to earn status on the DP World Tour. He puts that new-found status to good use this week at the first Rolex Series event of the year, the $US9 million Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
3. Cameron Smith
The Ripper GC skipper has another month before the start of the LIV Golf season in Saudi Arabia. Given a strong showing in four events on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Smith starts 2025 chasing his first individual win since July 2023.
2. Adam Scott
A tie for 15th at The Sentry was a solid way for Scott to start his 25th season on tour, the 44-year-old returning to the DP World Tour this week for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
1. Hannah Green
Will start her 2025 campaign at the Hilton Grand Tournament of Champions in Florida in the last week in January after a three-win season on the LPGA Tour in 2024 where she rose as high as No.5 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
