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The Australian WPGA Championship will headline the new Gold Coast Festival of Golf launched today at the world-renowned Sanctuary Cove Resort.
Locked in for March 6–9 next year as part of a three-week stretch of co-sanctioned events between the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the Ladies European Tour (LET), the tournament will be played as a stand-alone event for the first time after debuting in 2022 when LPGA Tour regulars Su Oh and Grace Kim duelled it out in a play-off at Royal Queensland.
The 2025 Australian WPGA Championship will be contested on the magnificent The Palms course at the Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club. The recent restoration of The Palms layout has it placed among the best in Australia.
The 2025 winner will again be awarded the Karrie Webb Cup, with the seven-time major winner continuing her involvement in the tournament, while International Women’s Day falls on the Saturday of the event and will be celebrated throughout the tournament and festival.
A major event in the WPGA Tour of Australasia season, the tournament will form a central element of the Gold Coast Festival of Golf, a new joint initiative by the PGA of Australia, Mulpha Australia, Tourism & Events Queensland (TEQ) and Experience Gold Coast (EGC).
“The WPGA Tour of Australasia has a long history in Queensland, and particularly the Gold Coast, and we are excited to be a part of what is far more than a golf tournament, with the Gold Coast Festival of Golf to be a highlight on the Australian golf calendar,” WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn said.
The Gold Coast Festival of Golf will be the ultimate celebration of golf hosted in the heart of Sanctuary Cove at The Marina Village, an interactive golf lifestyle event and experience for the whole family, celebrating women’s sport with golf as the centrepiece.
It will appeal to golf enthusiasts and novices alike and will attract the who’s-who of the golf industry and include a dedicated entertainment and food and beverage precinct, featuring live music, pop-up bars, a Kids’ Zone, live interactive experiences, plus golf and lifestyle displays.
“The PGA of Australia is constantly looking at exciting and new ways to grow our sport in Australia, and adding another major women’s tournament and a wider event encouraging the growth of women’s professional golf is a tremendous development,” PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman said.
Renowned for its events, including existing international festivals on the Gold Coast, Mulpha Australia is furthering its connection with Australian golf with the development of the Gold Coast Festival of Golf.
“We are delighted to collaborate with the WPGA Tour of Australasia, PGA of Australia, TEQ and EGC to stage the Australian WPGA Championship and Gold Coast Festival of Golf at Sanctuary Cove,” Mulpha Australia CEO Greg Shaw said.
“The Mulpha Events team have a reputation for delivering some of Australia’s most loved events, so we are incredibly excited for the opportunity to create Australia’s biggest celebration of golf at Sanctuary Cove.”
Added Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club CEO Paul Sanders: “Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club is thrilled to be a partner of the WPGA Championship, showcasing the incredible talent of female golfers from around the world.
“As one of the best-integrated resorts in Australia, our world-class facilities, including the recently renovated The Palms golf course, will provide an unparalleled experience for players, spectators, and the community, who we look forward to welcoming for a truly exceptional event.”
A regular home for top level golf, especially the women’s game, the Gold Coast will once again draw the eyes of Australia and the world with the WPGA Championship.
“Part of what makes the Gold Coast the lifestyle capital of Australia is its many beautiful world-class golf courses, so it’s only fitting the city will host the first standalone Australian WPGA Championship,” Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn said.
“The Gold Coast Festival of Golf is about much more than just golf offering a unique experience for participants, fans and families, and we look forward to partnering with the PGA of Australia, Mulpha Events and Tourism & Events Queensland to make it a huge success.”
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said: “Top-line women’s golf has been a part of the sporting history of the Gold Coast, so it is wonderful to see the Australian WPGA Championship coming to Sanctuary Cove.
“It adds this prestigious golf championship to our growing list of world class sporting events on the calendar.”
Added Queensland’s Minister for Tourism and Sport, Michael Healy: “Hosting the Australian WPGA Championship as part of the Gold Coast Festival of Golf, is an exciting addition to our Queensland event calendar, at a time when the world’s attention is rightly focused on the amazing growth of women’s sport.
“The Palms course is perfect for hosting this marquee stand-alone event that will feature the game’s top players and highlight Queensland as a vibrant host for world-class international sporting events.”
Increasing the footprint of the Ladies European Tour in Australia through co-sanctioning with the WPGA Tour of Australasia, the event will attract players from around the globe, who will experience the well-known Gold Coast hospitality.
“We are thrilled that the WPGA Championship will be joining the schedule in 2025 as the third event of the LET swing in Australia,” Ladies European Tour CEO Alexandra Armas said.
“The players will be competing to lift the Karrie Webb Cup and it’s great that Karrie – a 15-time winner on the LET – will be involved in the tournament.
“I’d like to thank the WPGA Tour of Australasia for all of their hard work and commitment to the women’s game in Australia and we are looking forward to returning to Australia in 2025.”
Played March 6-9, 2025, International Women’s Day falls on Saturday of the Australian WPGA Championship and Gold Coast Festival of Golf. To celebrate, numerous special events will be held to mark the occasion. For more information or to sign up for updates, visit www.championship.pga.org.au/wpga/ or www.festivalofgolf.com.au/
Cam Davis is like a gambler playing with house money in Colorado this week at the penultimate tournament of the US PGA Tour season, the BMW Championship.
Needing to get into the top 50 on the points list at TPC Southwind in Memphis last week, Davis was on the bubble when a double bogey at the 72nd hole could have sent him home for the year.
His post-round interview was full of anger with himself as he watched the remaining players finish out.
But a late fade-out by Tom Kim pushed him back in to No. 49 and into this week’s field at Castle Pines Golf Club outside Denver.
“I honestly … when I finished, I didn’t think I’d done enough,” said Davis.
“I kind of set a mark in my own head, I thought if I got to 5-under for the round, I thought I would definitely be safe and to do all the work that I had done up until the 18th hole to get to that number and know that just I feel like if I played a good, solid last hole I’d be set.
“It was very frustrating to finish that way. I I did think my season and finish there and with all the weight that’s comes with getting through last week and getting through to this week it was, it was definitely stinging and I was probably not in a great place at that point.”
Don’t underestimate the implications for Davis, the 29-year-old from Sydney who nowadays is based in Seattle. Now that he’s in the BMW, which is a $US20 million event, he is guaranteed a start in all the elevated PGA Tour events for 2025.
“My next season’s already sort of laid out for me now,” he said.
“Those big tournaments have so much weight to them. Now that’s missing out on them is a big hit to trying to get to the playoffs next year, so I’m very glad I’ve got that all locked up and it’s nice to know that I’d done enough and I had actually a shot also to spare as well.
“So I’m not as mad with myself now for sure, and looking to try and take more of the first 17 holes of last Sunday into this week.”
Davis has a big job ahead of him if he’s to jump into the Tour Championship in Atlanta for the first time; only the top 30 on the points list get into that event meaning he has to jump 19 spots to take his place in the season-ender for the first time.
The tour has calculated that at the very least, he needs a solo 10th-place this week to get into Atlanta. “I don’t have an exact number,” he said. “Probably top-five, top-three would be enough, but I think setting my sights a bit higher than that would be the best way to go about it, so I’m gonna give everything I’ve got.
“I know there’s not much to lose at this point. The big thing for me was getting through last Sunday and now, just to be here in Colorado, the golf course is awesome. It’s a very different environment.
“In some ways it’s a free hit, but in other ways, I mean there’s so much still to play for, so I’m still gonna go out on Thursday, start trying to start the week off hot and and have as good a week as I can.”
Davis had an odd season, with a win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and his best finish in the Masters, tied-12th, but a slump early in the year.
He is ranked ninth in the International team’s Presidents Cup standings which means that he will likely be in that team, although he refuses to count himself in until he knows for sure.
But he is growing steadily, with an appreciation for “as good a big moment as it gets”, the feeling of contending in a major.
“And I feel like I’ve got a level out here that can win tournaments and it’s nice to be reminded that I can do that,” he said.
“So I feel like I’ve got to keep pushing forward and I can look at this year as a good stepping stone.”
There are three Australians in the field for the BMW Championship – Davis, Jason Day and Adam Scott.
Television coverage begins Friday morning on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
PHOTO: Cam Davis needs to finish in the top 10 this week to get into the Tour Championship. Image: Getty
After nearly securing an historic Australian double last year, Min Woo Lee has today confirmed that he will tee it up at the 2024 ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne as he chases his first Stonehaven Cup.
A rising star of the golf world who is popular the world over, Lee is the first player to formally commit to the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, which begins in 100 days on November 28, 2024.
To be played at Kingston Heath Golf Club and The Victoria Golf Club, the men’s, women’s and all-abilities events will once again be contested together with Lee hoping to improve on his 2023 third place when he finished two shots out of a play-off having won the BMW Australian PGA Championship the week prior.
“I’m so excited to be coming back home to play this year, and after last summer I know the vibe and atmosphere at the Australian Open will be incredible,” Lee said.
Recently becoming an Olympian for the first time, Lee is now a fixture on the PGA TOUR and has risen to world No.40. This year he is poised for more representative honours as part of the Presidents Cup International team in Canada.
“It’s been a huge year playing overseas, especially representing Australia at the Olympics and being full-time on the PGA TOUR, and I can think of no better way to finish than coming home and contending, and hopefully winning, the Stonehaven Cup,” the West Australian said.
Brother to two-time major winner Minjee, the 26-year-old has more than made a name for himself on and off the course, with his moniker of “The Chef” seeing fans wearing their own chef hats at every event he plays.
Lee hoping his dedicated following will once again be in full voice when he returns to play just his second professional event in Melbourne after he finished in third behind Adrian Meronk in 2022 when the dual gender format was played for the first time.
“The crowds last year in Australia were incredible and, as everyone knows, I love playing in front of big crowds,” he said.
“I hope as many people as possible get around the event and come and watch us play.”
Playing his national Open for the fifth time, Lee, a four-time winner around the world who finished in the top-30 at three majors in 2024, spoke of his excitement to play another Australian Open on the world famous Melbourne Sandbelt.
“Melbourne golf is known around the world, and it is awesome that the Australian Open is back on the Sandbelt,” Lee said.
“Kingston Heath and Victoria are two of the best courses in the world and it’s exciting to have the chance to play them in a tournament again.”
Offering prizemoney of $3.4 million, the men’s side of the ISPS HANDA Australian Open will again be co-sanctioned by the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and DP World Tour, with the women’s a WPGA Tour of Australasia event.
“Min Woo is one of the biggest names in golf, not just in Australia but globally,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said.
“To have him confirmed for the Australian Open is very exciting and watching him take on two of the finest courses in the world is a tremendous prospect for the fans joining us in Melbourne, as well as the millions around the world tuning in to watch our best players on our best courses.”
Limited first release tickets for the ISPS HANDA Australian Open are available now via Ticketek. Save 20% off all tournament day passes for a strictly limited time.
Three Australians have vaulted into the US PGA Tour’s lucrative BMW Championship in Colorado this week, including a relieved Cam Davis who fell into the field by dent of a near-miracle.
Jason Day, Adam Scott and Davis will be Australia’s representatives in the tour’s penultimate event of the season at Castle Pines Golf Club, worth $US20 million, while Min Woo Lee’s rookie season in America is done.
The players came to the final round of the Fedex St Jude Championship looking to secure their place for next week, needing to finish inside the top 50 on the Fedex Cup standings.
A top 50 in the Fedex Cup has the added bonus of a spot in all next year’s signature events.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama closed out the win today, with Day finishing tied-22nd to sit at 25th on the standings, Scott rallying with a 68 to finish tied-18th and keep himself at 41st overall, and Lee jumping a few spots to tied-22nd with a closing 66 that was not quite enough to push the West Australian into the field for next week.
He completed his debut season ranked 60th on the standings.
But it was Davis who had the drama-filled day, finishing with a potentially-calamitous double bogey at the 72nd hole that left him vulnerable.
Ultimately a late fade-out by Tom Kim, who finished bogey-double-double, pushed Davis back in at No. 49 in the standings and he will now tee it up next week as well as having a start in the big events in 2025.
“I’ve done it every year for the last three years,” said the Sydneysider. “I feel like I’m constantly in this position where you’ve had a good season but still a little low missing next year, which doesn’t feel right, and it’s extra frustrating right now that I finished the way I did after playing the way I did all the way up until that point.
“I had a feeling if I parred the last, I would have been fine.”
Elsewhere lefty Richard Green came close to winning his first tournament on the PGA Tour Champions in Canada, a bogey at the 17th hole costing him dearly.
Green finished outright second and picked up more than $US200,000 in prizemoney. It was his fourth runner-up finish in his first season.
On the PGA Tour Americas, Australian Grant Booth was runner-up while on the LPGA Tour, Gabriela Ruffels logged a top-10 at the Scottish Open ahead of this week’s AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, the final major of the women’s season.
PHOTO: Cam Davis plays his way into the next round of playoffs at TPC South Wind. Image: Getty
Results
PGA TOUR
Fedex St Jude Championship
TPC South Wind, Memphis, Tennessee
PGA Tour Champions
Rogers Charity Classic, Canyon Meadows CC, Canada
LPGA Tour/Ladies European Tour
ISPS HANDA Scottish Open
Dundonald Links, Scotland
PGA Tour Americas
Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open
Elk Ridge Resort, Canada
DP World Tour
D+D REAL Czech Masters
PGA National Oaks, Prague
LIV Golf League
Greenbrier Golf Club, West Virginia
Epson Tour
Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
Pendleton, Oregon
Korn Ferry Tour
Magnit Championship
Metedeconk National Golf Club, New Jersey
European Legends Tour
Zambia Legends Championship
Bonanza Golf Club, Zambia
Challenge Tour
Vierumäki Finnish Challenge
Vierumäki Resort, Finland
LET Access Series
Destination Gotland Ladies Open
Gumbalde Resort, Sweden
1 – Kajsa Arwefjall (Sweden) 67-67-73 – 207
50 Wenyung Keh (NZ) 70-75-76 – 221
MC Munchin Keh (NZ) 75-76 – 151
Queenslander William Bruyeres claimed his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australia win today at Royal Port Moresby, fighting back from five shots back early in the final round to snare the 2024 PNG Open.
Bruyeres carded a 4-under 68 on the final day to finish his week at 17-under-par, holding off runner-up James Conran (NSW) by two shots, with overnight leader Andrew Campbell in solo third at 14-under.
While a first win on Tour was always going to be a memorable one, Bruyeres’ connection to PNG made it more the special. His grandfather spent a lot of time in the country and is buried there.
“My dad was sending me pictures of all the trophies my grandpa had won here and leading into the event, it just kind of felt more special to me,” he said.
With only one prior top-10 finish on Tour, Bruyeres was in an unusual position as he came down the stretch on Sunday, but he birdied three of his final five holes to claim his debut win, and secure his Tour card for the next two seasons.
“It feels amazing, absolutely amazing, what an experience,” said an ecstatic Bruyeres post-round.
“Today was an up and down day and I didn’t play my best golf, but I got it around and at the end of the day it ended up working out for me.
“I’m now locked into the winners’ category and have a card for a couple of years, plus financial backing now. This was huge for me so absolutely stoked.”
With one of the rounds of the day on Saturday, a 7-under-par 65, Bruyeres found himself in the final group on Sunday, starting just a shot back of leader Campbell, but an early double-bogey meant the 28-year-old based at Brookwater Golf and Country Club had a fight on his hands from the get-go.
Eventual runner-up Conran made the early move going out in 5-under, and looked like he might run away with the trophy and the biggest win of his career.
Shrugging off the double-bogey quickly though, Bruyeres was able to get his PNG Open quest back on track, helped too by a stroke of luck on the par-5 ninth.
“My ball rolled into a hole, so I had to play it where it was, hit it, and it skipped and one hopped in,” he said of an unlikely eagle.
“That was a bit of luck, but it still went in so I took it and kept going.”
As both Conran and Campbell dropped multiple shots on the back nine, Bruyeres kept making birdies, and by the time he stood on the par-3 18th tee the Queenslander held a two-shot lead.
The buffer allowed Bruyeres the comfort of making a bogey on the 72nd hole and still secure the first title of the 2024/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia next heads to Kalgoorlie Golf Club for the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics, starting on October 10.
Profile of our winner:
William Bruyeres
Date of Birth: July 27, 1996
Current Tours: Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia
Birthplace: Logan (Qld)
Residence: Brookwater (Qld)
Turned pro: 2020
Coach: Richard Woodhouse
Junior club: Logan Golf Club
Current club: Brookwater Golf and Country Club
Bruyeres first started golf at age 13 and it only took him a couple of years before he broke par for the first time.
He attended, and played golf at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
After playing his first Tour events in 2020, his best performances so far have included a T10 at the 2023 PNG Open and T14 at the 2023 NZ PGA Championship.
His first adidas Pro-Am Series win came at Lane Cove in Sydney in 2022.
Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia wins:
2024 PNG Open
OWGR ranking: https://www.owgr.com/playerprofile/william-bruyeres-27485
Adam Henwood converted his rich vein of ball-striking form into another PGA Legends Tour victory today, coming from behind to win the Tropics Legends Pro-Am in Townsville.
Beginning the day in a share of fourth, three strokes behind overnight leader Andre Stolz, Henwood produced the lowest round of day two, a 3-under-par 68, to finish at 5-under for the 36 holes, overhauling the Order of Merit leader who followed his opening 66 with a 72.
Christopher Taylor, who won the first leg of the Townsville double at Rowes Bay on Tuesday, was outright third at -2 after two rounds of 70.
Despite not being happy with his putting, and trying to master a new green reading process, Henwood has now won four times on the PGA Legends Tour this year, including two in August, to be fifth on the Order of Merit.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Henwood was the only player to break 70 today.
The Victorian kept himself in contention by being even-par through his first 11 holes before making his move after seeing he was closer to the lead than he thought, snaring a birdie on the 12th and picking up back-to-back shots on the 14th and 15th.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
Henwood said: “I played really nice both days but couldn’t make too many putts. Just ground it out and tried not to get too angry at myself.
“When I noticed Stolzy was going backwards I thought ‘here’s an opportunity, I’m hitting it good enough’. I made a couple of five-footers. It doesn’t sound like much but it’s all that was needed.
“When I had a look at the scores on the 11th tee, I didn’t actually think I was anywhere near the lead and it was ‘hang on I’m only one back’.
“I took everything on, had a good crack and hit some great shots down the stretch.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
137: Adam Henwood (Vic) 69-68
138: Andre Stolz (Qld) 66-72
140: Christopher Taylor (Qld) 70-70
141: Steve Conran (NSW) 69-72
142: Marcus Cain (Qld) 68-74; Murray Lott (Qld) 68-74
143: Brad Burns (Qld) 73-70; Russell Swanson (Qld) 70-73
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour has a short break before one of the highlights of the year, the $80,000 PNG Senior Open at Lae Golf Club on September 6-8
A birdie blitz on his back nine allowed NSW professional Aaron Townsend to overcome a rough start and some inner-doubts to grab a two-stroke win at the Gunnedah Golf Lion Co Pro-Am today.
After a double-bogey on his first hole, Townsend fought back to post a 4-under-par 66 at Gunnedah Golf Club in the north-west of New South Wales to head Jayden Cripps (68) and Darcy Boyd and Hayden Gulliver who shared third on 1-under.
The victory ended a run of six runner-up finishes in adidas PGA Pro-Am Series events since the 43-year-old’s last win in 2020.
However there had been signs in the recent NSW Open qualifier events that a win may not be far away, including finishing in a share of fourth in the South-West Rocks Open.
HOW THE WINNER’S SCORE UNFOLDED
Townsend made a mess of his opener, taking six shots at the 400-metre 10th, and turned in 2-over 36.
His second nine was full of fireworks, however, with birdies at 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 as he came home in just 30 strokes.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“It was a little bit of a setback, I’m not going to lie. I didn’t hit too many bad shots either. It was a strong hole to start on,” Townsend said of his early slip-up.
“The boys I played with were a bit shocked as well. I thought if I just hung in there a few birdies might come and it didn’t really happen on that nine.
“I caught fire a bit starting the second nine.
‘I played nicely in all those NSW Open qualifiers and found myself in positions where I was close to winning and didn’t finish it how I liked. I thought to myself ‘have I forgotten how to do this, how to close out events’. It’s nice to get it done. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a win.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
66: Aaron Townsend (NSW)
68: Jayden Cripps (NSW)
69: Darcy Boyd (NSW), Hayden Gulliver (NSW)
70: Danni Vasquez (NSW), Mitchell Brown (NSW), Belinda Diamond (NSW), Cameron Bell (Vic), Aaron Maxwell (ACT)
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series moves to the NSW North Coast for the Better Homes Port Macquarie Pro-Am on Tuesday-Wednesday next week followed by the Hawks Nest Beachside Apartments Pro-Am on Friday-Saturday.
Some of the biggest names in Australian golf over the past 30 years will be on show when the 54-hole $150,000 NSW Senior Open returns to Albury this November.
Now in its sixth edition, the NSW Senior Open, one of the biggest events on the PGA Legends Tour, will be played from November 1-3 at Thurgoona Golf & Country Club Resort. It is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Golf NSW Chief Operating Officer Graeme Phillipson said the event was an extremely popular addition to the Albury/Border sporting calendar.
“Golf NSW is delighted to continue bringing one of our best tournaments back to Thurgoona Country Club,” he said.
“The sporting public of Albury has supported this event from the outset, and it is a pleasure to return to a city where everyone involved in the tournament, including the players, officials and staff, have been so warmly received.
“Golf is the number one pastime Australia-wide for those over 50, and the popularity of tournaments like the NSW Senior Open helps us promote the game as the ideal recreational activity for both young and old.”
The 2024 Championship is set to feature many of the greats of Australasian golf from the past 25 -30 years, including:
Other notables and past champions expected to play include Peter O’Malley (NSW), Chris Taylor (VIC), Grant Kenny (NSW), the inaugural champ in 2017, and 2019 victor Brad Burns (QLD).
PGA Legends Tour coordinator Andy Rogers said the players relished the opportunity to return to Albury and the Thurgoona Golf and Country Club Resort.
“We’re absolutely rapt to be coming back to Thurgoona,” said Rogers.
“We have seen through the quality of the field at Thurgoona in recent years just how much the players enjoy the golf course and visiting Albury.
“It’s a fantastic course and a perfect fit for a tournament that’s a really important part of our schedule.”
Adam Fitzgerald, General Manager of Thurgoona Country Club Resort, said the fan experience at this year’s tournament will allow unparalleled access. Spectators can walk the fairways beside their favourite players and see golf played at its best.
“There won’t be a better opportunity for sports fans in the Albury – Region to get up close and personal to witness the legends in action.
“It’s clear the players really enjoy the atmosphere and the connections with the fans in the gallery, and we are looking forward to another fantastic three days of action.”
The New South Wales Senior Open is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Four Australians have made it through to the first week of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the St. Jude Championship on the PGA TOUR, with Min Woo Lee needing a solid week to advance further in the playoffs.
With only the top-50 on the standings advancing to next week’s BMW Championship, Lee is currently sitting 62nd, needing a T17 or better at the very least at Memphis to keep his season alive.
Both Cam Davis and Adam Scott sit just inside the safe zone at 44th and 46th respectively, and will be keen to lock in their BMW spots as well as move closer to the top 30 who qualify for the Tour Championship.
Leading Australia Jason Day (26th) is very safe for the BMW Championship but needs to consolidate his place in the Tour Championship over the next fortnight.
With all the focus on Minjee Lee and Hannah Green at the Olympic Games last week, some may have forgotten Steph Kyriacou’s performance in the most recent major championship.
Kyriacou’s runner-up performance at The Amundi Evian Championship announced to the world that she has the game to compete on the biggest stages.
While this week’s ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open is not a major itself, many will be using it as preparation for next week’s AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, the final women’s major for 2024.
Outdone by an eagle-finish by Evian winner Ayaka Furue, Kyriacou has had two mixed results since her runner-up finish, but a few weeks off, soaking up the European sun has her ready to regain that form.
“Obviously, a lot of stuff worked well for me this week, so just trying to keep the same mindset going forward and hopefully I can win,” said Kyriacou following the Evian.
Seven Australians, including world No.15 Minjee Lee, and one Kiwi, Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko, will be teeing it up at Dundonald Links for the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open.
Elsewhere, Five Australians are teeing it up at the Czech Masters on the DP World Tour, with all three players who topped the 2022/23 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit — David Micheluzzi, Thomas Power Horan and Andrew Martin — getting the chance to move up the Race to Dubai standings.
*All times AEST
PGA TOUR
FedEx St. Jude Championship
TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
10:50pm Cam Davis
12:55pm Min Woo Lee
2:00am Adam Scott
2:40am Jason Day
Defending champion: Lucas Glover (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Crampton (1970), David Graham (1976), Wayne Grady (1989), Adam Scott (2013), Jason Day (2015).
Prizemoney: US$20,000,000
TV times: Thursday and Friday 10:15pm-8am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Saturday and Sunday 10:30pm-8am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA TOUR/LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open
Dundonald Links, Ayrshire, Scotland
4.32pm: Lydia Ko (NZ)
5.38pm: Grace Kim
5.49pm: Whitney Hillier
5.49pm: Hira Naveed
9.10pm: Steph Kyriacou
9.32pm: Minjee Lee
10.05pm: Gabi Ruffels
10.49pm: Kirsten Rudgeley
Defending champion: Celine Boutier (France)
Past Aussie winners: Rebecca Artis (2015)
Prize money: $2 million
TV times: Live 11pm Thursday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo; Live 11pm Friday on Fox Sports More 507 and Kayo; Live 10pm Saturday on Fox Sports More 507 and Kayo; Live 9pm Sunday on Fox Sports More 507 and Kayo.
DP WORLD TOUR
D+D REAL Czech Masters
PGA National OAKS Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
3:30pm Andrew Martin
5pm Jason Scrivener
4:20pm* David Micheluzzi
5:30pm* Thomas Power Horan
8:30pm* Sam Jones (NZ)
10:30pm* Haydn Barron
Defending champion: Todd Clements (ENG)
Past Aussie winners: Nil.
Prizemoney: €2,000,000
TV times: Thursday and Friday 9pm-2am Fox Sports 505. Saturday 9pm-1am Fox Sports 505 and Kayo. Sunday 7:30pm-10pm Fox Sports 503 and Kayo, 9:50pm-12:30am Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
LIV GOLF LEAGUE
LIV Greenbrier
The Old White at The Greenbrier, Greenbrier, USA
3:15am Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Danny Lee (NZ), Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith
Defending champion: Bryson DeChambeau (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: US$20,000,000
TV Times: Saturday, Sunday and Monday 3:15am 7plus.
EPSON TOUR
Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
Wildhorse Resort and Casino
Pendleton, Oregon
Australasians in the field: Amelia Garvey, Cassie Porter, Fiona Xu, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard,
Defending champion: Xiaowen Yin (China)
Past Aussie winners; Nil
Prizemoney: US$262,500
KORN FERRY TOUR
Magnit Championship
Metedeconk National Golf Club, Jackson Township, New Jersey, USA
8:56pm Karl Vilips
9:18pm Rhein Gibson
3:10am Brett Drewitt
Defending champion: Chan Kim (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Nil.
Prizemoney: US$1,000,000
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
Rogers Charity Classic
Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, Calgary, Canada
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Jason Norris, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, Vijay Singh (FIJI), Michael Wright.
Defending champion: Ken Duke (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Nil.
Prizemoney: US$2,400,000
TV times: Monday 7am-9am Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
EUROPEAN LEGENDS TOUR
Zambia Golf Legends Championship
Bonanza Golf Club, Lusaka, Zambia
Australasians in the field: Michael Campbell (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event
PGA TOUR AMERICAS
Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Lake Country Co-Op
Elk Ridge Resort – Tournament Course, Waskesiu Lake, Sask, Canada
11:50pm* Grant Booth
1:20am* Charlie Hillier (NZ)
6:10am Harry Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Prizemoney: US$225,000
CHALLENGE TOUR
Vierumäki Finnish Challenge supported by Finnish Golf Union
Vierumäki Resort, Vierumäki, Finland
3:40pm Hayden Hopewell
7:50pm Blake Windred
7:50pm* Connor McKinney
8:10pm* Zach Murray
Defending champion: Lauri Ruuska (FIN)
Past Aussie winners: Marcus Fraser (2003)
Prizemoney: €250,000
LET ACCESS
Ahlsell Nordic Golf Tour
Destination Gotland Ladies Open
Gumbalde Resort, Stanga, Sweden
Australasians in the field: Wenyung Keh (NZ); Munchin Keh (NZ)
Defending champion: New event
Prize money: 45,000
Just days ago, Lachlan Barker was strolling the lush green fairways of Foxhills Country Club in England, and after a missed cut, many would have forgiven him for taking a week off, even if his next event was just down the road and not on the other side of the planet.
As it turns out, the South Australian embarked on a gruelling 39-hour journey to make sure he made it to Port Moresby for the PNG Open, and his reason why shows how much this event means to him.
“You don’t know how many times you’re going to be able to try and defend a title,” said Barker after the Wednesday Pro-Am at Royal Port Moresby ahead of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia’s season opener.
“This was my first pro win, so I have to come back and defend it.”
Barker’s win at last year’s PNG Open got his second season on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia off to the perfect start, and he was able to carry that momentum throughout, finishing tenth on the Order of Merit standings.
While many may shudder at the thought of playing in England and Papua New Guinea in consecutive weeks, Barker admits he didn’t think twice about making the trip.
“I’m all for having four, five, six weeks in a row, and practising that, because that’s one of the arts of pro golf,” he said.
“Yes you’ve got to be a good golfer, but there’s a lot of those other parts to it that a lot of people don’t understand.
“You’ve got to travel halfway across the world four times in a row and get up and be ready to go. This week was another good chance to practise that.”
Barker admits the course is playing quite different this week than it was last year, with the change to the schedule meaning that Royal Port Moresby is significantly drier.
“We were here in May last year, and it was lot greener and a lot more grass around, so then driving was paramount. To win you had to drive it well,” he explained.
“Because if you hit it in the trees you had to chip out, you were in this thick cow grass.
“But now it’s a lot drier, so I hit it in the trees a couple of times today and was able to get a lot of spin on the ball, hooks and cuts to get it back into play.
“Normally if you keep it in play and putt well, you’re always going to be up near the top, but I’m not too sure what to expect and I think it’ll be different to last time.”
A winner by four-shots last year, Barker recalls a special moment that he hopes to replicate on Sunday.
“Knowing that I’d won on the 18th green was pretty special,” he said.
“I was standing there and I looked over at Liam Georgiadis who was standing off to the side of the green and sort of gave him the ‘how are we looking?’, and he just nodded his head.
“I noticed I was looking down, in my own internal thoughts, so I just lifted my head up and thought ‘Yep, this is pretty cool’.”
