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Victoria’s Brett Coletta came out on top in a head-to-head duel with Jordan Zunic to claim the biggest victory of his career at the $420,000 Vic Open today.
After starting the final round on the Beach Course at 13th Beach Golf Links two shots from the lead, Coletta fired a sensational 7-under-par 65 to claim his third Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title and move to second place on this year’s Order of Merit.
Zunic, who ended up two shots in arrears following a 67 to be -16 overall, went birdie for birdie for Coletta – the duo combining for 11 birdies and an eagle overall for the day.
Victorian Andrew Martin (68) charged late with four birdies in his last five holes to match Zunic in a share of second.
On an enthralling final nine, playing partners Coletta and Zunic were level with four holes remaining before the 27-year-old Victorian moved clear by picking up shots on the par-4 15th and 16th holes, sealing the deal with a purely struck fairway wood onto the green on the final hole.
From the Sandhurst Club in Melbourne’s south, Coletta came into this week with three top-10s on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia this season to be 20th on the Order of Merit, but he can now seriously eye off the huge career rewards which come with a top-three finish at the end of the campaign.
“This was an 18-hole duel. Fortunately it was my day today,” said the new champion, who admitted he was nervous last night thinking how about important this Sunday was to his professional career.
“This is pretty big. I’m pretty emotional inside.
“I know I’m able to win out here in the smaller events, the tier twos I suppose. The next level is to really up your game and win these bigger ones.
“Hopefully I can continue the trend and roll the dice at the bigger events, the PGA and the Australian Open.
“This was one of those times when it was my time I guess.”
Despite missing out on his first Tour title since 2018, Zunic was happy with his week, which continued a fine run of form including securing his Asian Tour card for 2024.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in that position. It was really enjoyable all day,” Zunic said.
“I played well, but Brett just played better and holed a few more putts down the end there.
“I had my chances and unfortunately they just didn’t go for me.”
In a men’s tournament which featured a packed leaderboard all week it was no surprise that five players were within one shot of the lead going into the back nine on Sunday.
One of those was Queensland’s Jed Morgan who found the spark he’s been waiting some months to discover, shooting an 8-under-par 64 to end up at 14-under for the tournament, in a share of fourth with Travis Smyth (66).
Morgan revealed he started to have thoughts about the way he charged to his runaway victory at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in 2022 when the birdies kept flowing on the back nine.
“That round has been coming for a little while, probably a little over six months,” Morgan said.
“I’ve been working on some things. That’s one round in the books.
“It was nice to be in that environment again and in that position. I saw on 15 tee that I was only one back and made birdie there.
“It was cool to keep pushing because I haven’t had the opportunity to do that for a little while.”
Morgan is hoping the Sunday surge will spark a good start to his 2024 Asian Tour campaign which begins at the Malaysian Open later this month.
Chasing his third consecutive Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia victory to match a feat last achieved by Robert Allenby in 2005, Kazuma Kobori finished in a share of 10th after a final round of 66, his best for the week.
He threatened to go very low after opening with four birdies in his first six holes.
“I played nicely. It’s starting to come together, more than the first three days anyway,” Kobori said.
“Very good vibes going into next week (at Webex Players Series Sydney).”
After starting with back-to-back birdies, joint overnight leader Nick Voke’s challenge was brought undone by a triple-bogey at the par-5 fifth.
He eventually shared sixth with Kade McBride (72), former champion Richard Green (68) and 18-year-old Queensland Amateur champion Billy Dowling (66).
Married for less than a year and with a baby on the way, today was a great time for Ben Wharton to find his putting game at 13th Beach Golf Links.
The Victorian was one of the big movers in the morning groups in the third round of the $420,000 Vic Open, posting a 7-under-par 65, including six consecutive threes on the back nine of the Beach Course.
Moving to 9-under after 54 holes, four from the leaders Nick Voke and Kade McBride, has set up the possibility of his best cheque on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
A runner-up in the 2021 NT PGA Championship, Wharton currently sits in 80th place on this season’s Order of Merit.
His charge up the leaderboard actually started late in the second round when he had four birdies on his second nine on the Creek Course to make the cut by just two shots.
“It was nice to hole a few putts. It’s been a long time coming,” he said.
“I seem to hit every green in regulation every time I play and walk off with 34 putts.
“It’s been nice today to see a few go in.”
The 36-year-old has had significant life changes recently with more to come, including building on his coaching career and preparing for the birth of his first child with wife Katherine after their wedding in the Yarra Valley last May.
“It’s been a little more stressful to honest, trying to make a quid,” Wharton said of playing professionally with the extra responsibilities in his personal life.
“We’re trying to get a mortgage sorted and there’s a baby on the way.
“There’s a lot more grown up things I have to do along the way.”
An ambassador for Moonah Links Golf Club, Wharton was spurred along to his low round of the year by his playing partners Peter Wilson and Jason Norris, who during the round set a group target of birdies to help inspire their mate.
The goal was 15 and they finished on 12. Next week they’ll live together in the same house at Webex Players Series Sydney.
“They definitely helped me today,” he said.
“It was great to have their support when they knew I’d got off to a good start.
“As I was rolling along, I reminisced about a day I played with Brad Kennedy a couple of years ago when he shot 7-under and catapulted to the top five.
“I thought ‘the lead’s only 9-under if I can do that I can get up near the lead which would be a cool thing to do’ and that’s how it’s panned out at the moment.”
The only player to win the Australian Open, Australian PGA Championship and Australian Masters past the age of 50 has been at it again.
Playing in the Friday competition at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club, the ageless Peter Senior shot 7-under 63 on the Palms Course, with a back-nine of 6-under 30.
Due to turn 65 on July 31, it marks the first time that Senior has broken his age.
Playing off a handicap of +3.3, Senior’s round added up to 40 Stableford points, only good enough for runner-up in A Grade.
A winner of 35 tournaments on major tours around the world, Senior has the distinction of winning in five separate decades, a feat achieved by very few in world golf.
His first victory on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia came at the 1979 Dunhill South Australian Open, what would be the first of 21 on his home tour spanning 36 years.
In the summer of 1989, Senior won the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open and Johnnie Walker Classic.
He won the Australian PGA for a third time at age 51, won a second Australian Open at the age of 53 and won a third Australian Masters yellow jacket by holding off Andrew Evans, John Senden and a young American amateur by the name of Bryson DeChambeau at Huntingdale in 2015.
Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
His great mate has moved on to the United States yet Haydn Barron will lean on the advice of fellow West Australian Min Woo Lee as he begins his debut DP World Tour season in Bahrain.
Barron officially began his 2024 DP World Tour season the week after securing a card at the Final Stage of Qualifying School when he teed it up at the co-sanctioned Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
Following a gruelling travel schedule that had him travel to St Andrews, back to Kalgoorlie, back to Spain and then Brisbane, Barron missed the cut at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Sydney a week later.
Now refreshed after a Christmas break, Barron is back on the road and at the Royal Golf Club in the Kingdom of Bahrain eager to make an early impression that will open up further playing opportunities throughout the season.
With Lee now a full member of the PGA TOUR, Barron won’t be able to share practice rounds as they did at The Open Championship last July. He will instead draw upon the experience of a player he says has always been a couple of steps ahead.
“It’s definitely inspiring,” Barron said of Lee’s progression in world golf.
“Growing up with Min, he was always a few rungs ahead of me because I picked it up quite late.
“I was always trying to chase him down but being so close with him and being able to draw on his experiences and speak to him about things that I’m not so certain on definitely helps.”
Barron and Lee both qualified for The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool last year by virtue of their finishes at the 2022 Australian Open.
It was Barron’s first start in a major championship and said that time spent early in the week with 2022 US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick helped to feel comfortable in golf’s top echelon.
“I was fortunate enough to play with Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick on the Monday,” Barron said.
“They were booked in by themselves and Connor McKinney and I decided to jump in and crash their party.
“Playing with Matt – who I think was No.5 in the world – and seeing the way he played and how genuine of a guy he is… I was probably more nervous in the first couple of holes of that practice round than I was during the tournament.
“But after playing with him and seeing that it wasn’t too far away definitely calmed me down a bit.”
Barron will have no shortage of Aussies to bounce ideas off in Bahrain.
Good friends Jason Scrivener and David Micheluzzi are also in the field along with PGA TOUR Q School medallist, Harrison Endycott.
The second Signature event of the PGA TOUR season will see Jason Day, Adam Scott and Cam Davis vying for a slice of the $US20 million prize purse while Lucas Herbert makes his Ripper GC debut at LIV Golf Mayakoba in Mexico.
Photo: Kurt Thomson/Kurtogram
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California
Spyglass Hill
4:33am* Sahith Theegala, Adam Scott
4:57am Cam Davis, JT Poston
5:21am Wyndham Clark, Jason Day
Defending champion: Justin Rose
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Crampton (1965), Brett Ogle (1993)
TV times: Live 4:30am-11am Friday, Saturday; Live 5am-11am Sunday; Live 5am-10:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Bahrain Championship
Royal Golf Club, Kingdom of Bahrain, Bahrain
11:10pm* Nicolas Colsaerts, Matteo Manassero, Harrison Endycott
11:50pm* David Micheluzzi, Ross Fisher, Freddy Schott
12:10am* Andrew Wilson, Saud Al Sharif, Sam Jones (NZ)
12:10am Jacques Kruyswijk, Cole Madey, Haydn Barron
3:10am* Jens Dantorp, Jason Scrivener, Marcus Armitage
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 7:30pm-12:30am Thursday, Friday; Live 8pm-12:30am Saturday; Live 7:30pm-12:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
The Panama Championship
Club de Golf de Panama, Panama City, Panama
11:32pm Brandon Harkins, Dimi Papadatos, Ryan Gerard
12:04am* Brett Drewitt, Tommy Gainey, Alistair Docherty
4:37am Curtis Luck, Ryan Armour, Ryan Blaum
4:48am Rhein Gibson, Jared Wolfe, Cooper Dossey
5:19am* T.J. Vogel, KK Limbhasut, Charlie Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Pierceson Coody
Past Aussie winners: Mathew Goggin (2011, 2015)
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Mayakoba
El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Course, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Aussies in the field: Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Lucas Herbert.
Defending champion: Charles Howell III
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live from 4:15am Saturday, Sunday, Monday on 7 Plus.
Challenge Tour
SDC Open
Zebula Golf Estate & Spa, Limpopo, South Africa
4:40pm * Wynand Dingle, Björn Akesson, Hayden Hopewell,
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Just one month into 2024 and rookie professional Kazuma Kobori has ticked off one of his major goals for the year.
He wanted to get to Christmas will two victories on his resume.
At the Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links starting today, he can keep working on another goal that will set up his future in the game – finishing in the top three on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
With back-to-back victories at Webex Players Series Murray River and Victoria, the 22-year-old New Zealander has rocketed to No.2 in this season’s OOM standings, trailing only Min Woo Lee, to be well on the way to earning a DP World Tour card for 2024/25.
The Vic Open, with double OOM points on offer compared to a regular Tour event, and the New Zealand Open, with quadruple points like the Australian PGA and Australian Open, are big ticket items on the February schedule for Kobori and the rest of the field as they chase the end-of-season pot of gold to progress their careers.
Whoever finishes at No.1 will also snare an Open Championship berth at Royal Troon in July.
Kobori said one of his premier goals for 2024 was to grab two victories – and even he’s a little bit surprised it has happened so soon.
“At the start, my expectations about turning pro was about trying to make cuts, try to get all four rounds in, because it’s all about experience,” he said.
“And if you can play four rounds a week over two weeks, then you’re getting double the experience, right?
“So that was my goal going in and then at the Vic PGA I got close and I thought ‘I can do it for real, be in contention week in, week out’.
“It feels great to get two wins on the board early.
“I set some goals for the New Year, what I wanted to get out of the rest of the season and one of them was getting two wins specifically.
“The Order of Merit was also on that goals list, to get in the top three, and now I’m second. I’ll just keep going and see where I finish up at the end.”
What has attracted plenty of attention in Kobori’s winning run in Australia, which started at last year’s Qualifying School in Moonah Links, is his exceptional putting which came to the fore again at the weekend at Rosebud Country Club where his red-hot blade was the prime reason he held on for a one-shot win.
But has Kobori always been an excellent putter? Not so, said the man who has jumped almost 600 places on the Official World Golf Ranking since the start of January.
“I never used to be a good putter, I never practised it,” he said.
“But obviously I don’t hit the ball a long way, so I’ve got to do something to make up for that.
“That’s when I started practising my putting a little bit.
“I was a streaky putter in my junior days; I would have hot rounds and cold rounds.”
With everyone now well aware of what he is capable of achieving, Kobori will start his Vic Open campaign alongside another Kiwi, defending champion Michael Hendry, on the Creek course on Thursday morning before heading over to the Beach course on Friday afternoon.
“I’m just trying to conserve as much energy as possible because being in contention two weeks in a row is pretty draining,” he said after his pro-am round.
Entry to the Vic Open is free on all four days.
The only place to watch every upcoming event on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia live is on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Fresh off an outstanding 2023, Travis Smyth is kicking off the new year with high expectations at this week’s Vic Open where he arrives as the highest ranked player in the men’s field.
Although a win proved to be elusive, the New South Welshman had four top-three finishes on the Asian Tour, as part of a haul of six top-10s overall, to climb to a career-high of No.242 on the Official World Golf Ranking by the end of the year.
His 2023 campaign also included an appearance in his first major, The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, where he produced one of the shots of the tournament – a hole-in-one on the much talked about redesigned par-3 17th hole.
“It was definitely a career-best year,” Smyth said after a practice round at 13th Beach Golf Links today ahead of his first tournament for 2024.
“From start to finish, last year was the most consistent I’ve been by far.
“I didn’t miss a cut in 2023 and I don’t ever want to miss a cut again although I’m sure I’m going to miss a cut some day.
“I guess this year comes with a lot of high expectation.
“The game feels good. I’m working on some things and it feels pretty nice.
“I’m more motivated than ever so it’s an exciting period of my career.”
In the last two years, Smyth has really started to make moves in the professional game. Back in 2021, he was outside the top 700 in the world and now he has arrived on the Bellarine as the highest-ranked player in a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia tournament for the first time and a joint favourite in betting markets.
“I guess you never really know when the peak period of your career is,” he said.
“You always strive for more. Hopefully I can become one of the world’s best golfers.
“I don’t know when I’m going to get there, but I’m going to do as much as I can to try and get there.”
The 29-year-old has had mixed results at this week’s venue – the Beach and Creek courses – with a best finish of a tie for third coming in 2020 when he finished at 14-under-par, four shots behind the winner, Min Woo Lee.
He didn’t play in last year’s event and missed the cut by two shots in 2022.
“That year (2020) was my best result here by far. I hadn’t had much success around here before then, but it brings back good memories.
“I can remember the final round like it was yesterday – my shots plus some of Min Woo’s shots. It was a fun afternoon.
“To win around here requires such good golf. If you can win around here, you can probably play around most places on any tour.
“This golf course is a pretty strong test, especially when the wind blows.
“You’ve got to golf your ball pretty well.”
Smyth’s one win on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia came in 2017 by an impressive six shots at the NT PGA Championship.
The Vic Open will be one of two appearances he will make on his home tour with the NZ Open presented by Sky Sports to follow in Queenstown later in February.
“I haven’t played that event for a number of years now. It’s going to be awesome to be back there and I’m playing with a good friend who’s going to be my amateur partner,” he said.
“It will then be Asian Tour all the way this year before most likely I go to a Q School. I want to be playing on the best tours so I need to try to break away from Asia and go to a Q School somewhere to take my game up a level.”
Also a high priority for Smyth in the coming weeks is the Malaysian Open (February 15-18) which offers three automatic qualifying positions for this year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Entry to the Vic Open is free on all four days.
The only place to watch every upcoming event on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia live is on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Thanks to a new strategic collaboration, PGA Institute diploma graduates will now receive credits from Torrens University, Australia’s fastest growing university, to further their studies.
All students undertaking the Diploma of Golf Management, Diploma of Sport, or Diploma of Business, will be able to use the new pathway to continue their education.
PGA of Australia General Manager for Membership and Education, Geoff Stewart, said the Torrens University partnership was another great example of how opportunities for students in the golf industry were growing.
“These new pathway options for our PGA Institute Diploma graduates are great news for anyone who wants to turn their passion for golf into a career,” he said.
“Having a highly regarded university partner such as Torrens University further validates the education and employment pathways we have in place for our PGA Institute students.
“The education and workforce development opportunities we can offer via the PGA Institute are growing every year and they’re important for our game’s future.
“A well educated workforce is vital in converting golf’s current popularity into sustainable, long-term growth.”
The PGA Institute offers education, combining business, golf training, hospitality and sport, as well as practical golf skills, to prepare students for a career in the golf industry.
Torrens University is also the first and only partner of the PGA Institute to offer bachelor degrees online, further broadening the flexible study opportunities for students.
Darryn Melrose Chief Marketing Officer, Industry Partnerships at Torrens University echoed Stewart’s excitement about the collaboration.
“This partnership not only enhances educational prospects but also establishes a seamless pathway for students transitioning from the PGA Institute to Torrens University,” he said.
“By leveraging the combined expertise of PGA and the academic excellence of Torrens, this collaboration is set to cultivate well-rounded, skilled individuals poised for a successful career in the sports industry.”
The collaboration is not only of benefit to PGA Institute students, but also PGA Members, while also offering opportunities for current Torrens University students.
“The alliance further extends to PGA Australia members, providing them with the opportunity to pursue higher education at Torrens University for future-proofing their careers,” said Melrose.
“Additionally, an exciting prospect for Torrens University students is the chance to undertake work-integrated learning at PGA Australia, equipping them with industry-specific skills and knowledge to advance in their chosen careers.”
Find out more about what the PGA Institute has to offer HERE.
The New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport has announced that the professional players
who take part in the 103rd edition of the iconic event will compete for a total prize purse of $2 million
when the tournament tees off at Millbrook Resort in Queenstown between February 29 and March 3.
Since taking over the running of the New Zealand Open in 2014, Millbrook Tournaments Ltd, the
tournament promoter, has regularly increased the overall purse, and this latest raise will see the prize
fund grow by a further 21% over 2023, surpassing $1.2m USD, and $180m YEN.
New Zealand Open chairman John Hart is thankful to the new and current sponsors of the tournament
who’s support have allowed the tournament to reach this significant milestone.
“We are delighted to be able to announce another increase in the purse for the New Zealand
Open. This only happens through the ongoing support of our fantastic sponsorship family. Without
their support the tournament would not be in the position we are today.”
“We have always aimed to ensure the balance between the New Zealand Open being a financially
attractive tournament across our three tour partners, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour and
the Japan Golf Tour, whilst also maintaining and securing the long-term future for the event” said Hart.
As part of this the New Zealand Open is also adopting a relatively new concept in the world of
professional golf, ensuring that every professional that competes in the tournament, and doesn’t make
the cut, will take away at least $1000 NZD to help support their travel and other related costs in
attending.
“We love the idea of supporting the professionals as much as we can, which is why we believe that
ensuring that the players who miss the cut are not left solely to bear the ever increasing costs of travel
that they face.
“From the conversations we have had with some of the regular players at the New Zealand Open, this
is a welcome addition, and one many players hope other tournaments across the world will adopt,”
said Hart.
The 103rd New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport will take place at Millbrook Resort in
Queenstown between February 29 and March 3, 2024.
Kazuma Kobori holed a 12-foot putt down the hill at Rosebud Country Club’s 18th green and the 72nd hole of the Webex Players Series Victoria to write his own little piece of history today.
The brilliant, young New Zealander, just eight tournaments into his professional career, completed back-to-back wins on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, a feat not managed since Adam Scott in 2013.
The 22-year-old from Christchurch had won his first tournament as a professional in Cobram Barooga last weekend and now jumps to second in the Order of Merit, giving himself a strong chance of earning a DP World Tour card for next season.
At 18-under, he beat Malaysia’s Ashley Lau by a shot, with veteran Mat Goggin outright third at 16-under.
“They always say the first win’s hard, and I’ll tell you what, I can speak about it now that the second one’s just as hard,” Kobori said.
“But I’m glad to get the job done.”
It was Goggin who presented the biggest challenge for the Kiwi today, playing in the same group.
From the first hole when Kobori three-putted to give the Tasmanian a share of the lead, to the very last, it was a dogfight.
Ultimately the New Zealander led by a shot from Goggin when they reached the 18th tee, a shortish par-4, and Goggin hit a nice approach to 25 feet, pin-high. Once Kabori dumped his second shot into the right greenside trap, it was game-on.
But Kobori hit a decent bunker shot to just beyond the hole, and Goggin ran his birdie putt – potentially for the win – six feet by.
Now it came down to Kobori’s par putt, which was for the outright win and the $45,000 first prize cheque.
It rolled in dead centre, much like a lot of important putts that have fallen for him this past two weeks.
“I was very nervous as you probably saw,” he said. “A few tips that my coach gave me just came back to me. I just took my time, and then the putt wasn’t difficult. It was dead straight. I had it there, and I knew it was going to drop.”
Kobori has had an amazing past 12 months, winning the Australian Amateur, the World Amateur with New Zealand, the Australian tour school, and now two tournaments as a pro
Emigrating from Japan to New Zealand as an infant, it was his elder sister Momoka who he followed into the sport and fittingly it was his touring professional sibling who greeted him with a hug soon after the last putt dropped today.
Goggin, 49, who was remarkable this week for a man who has hardly played any professional golf in the past four years, ultimately missed his par putt coming back to drop to third place.
It would have been his first tournament win since 2015 and it was close.
Kobori began with a one-shot lead and carded a 2-under 69 on the day. Goggin shot 70.
Lau played in the second-last group and appeared to be out of the running until she started rolling in birdies on the back nine. At the 18th, she had a 60-footer up the hill that could potentially have put her in a playoff, and it sat on the lip of the hole.
Todd Sinnott, the 2022 winner here, rattled home with a 64 to finish fourth.
Meanwhile New South Welshman Cam Pollard won the Webex All Abilities event by two shots, shooting a 3-over 74 for a 147 total, and beating Wayne Perske by two shots.
Perske, a long-time touring professional with a, had won in Cobram Barooga last week, but Pollard said his appearance in the All Abilities ranks had pushed him to perform.
“It’s pushing me to play a lot better,” he said. “It’s not easy because they’ve been on the big stage before. I enjoy it.”
Shepparton teenager Bailey Goodall won the Webex Junior Players Series with rounds of 72-72, ahead of Huntingdale’s Rupert Toomey.
PHOTO: Winners Cam Pollard, Kazuma Kobori and Bailey Goodall celebrate. Image: Henry Peters
Two of the front-runners to represent Australia in the golf competition for the Paris Olympics in August have been drawn to play together for the first two rounds of the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance Open.
Starting Thursday morning AEDT, the Farmers Insurance Open represents the second start for Min Woo Lee as a full member of the PGA TOUR.
He has been drawn to play with fellow Aussie Jason Day and American Keegan Bradley in rounds one and two, Day a two-time winner at Torrey Pines who has finished tied 16th or better in five of his past six starts at the venue.
Day also enters this week as 18th in the Official World Golf Ranking and the highest-ranked Australian, which carries with it first option on one of two Olympic spots provided he holds that status on June 17.
Tokyo Olympian Cameron Smith is the next highest Aussie at No.30 followed closely behind by Lee at 36.
The 25-year-old was tied for 21st in his first start as a member last week at The American Express and has made no secret of his Olympic ambition.
Another player who seems destined for Paris is Kiwi Ryan Fox.
A former Order of Merit winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Fox makes his first start as a PGA TOUR member this week but falls well shy of Allen Doyle and Jim Rutledge who were both 47 when they first qualified for the PGA TOUR.
“It kind of feels strange to be officially a rookie at 37,” admitted Fox, who is currently No.32 in the world golf ranking.
“It’s obviously a different place and there are different golf courses but in the end it’s still Tour golf and hopefully I can treat it that way.
“I played a bunch over here last year, played a few majors and been on tour for a while so to be honest I’m probably not expecting it to be that much different.
“To be a rookie at 37 and be out here and have everything new is kind of cool and I’m looking forward to the experience of it.”
The father of two will have his family join him on his US adventure in the coming weeks and admits there is one tournament in particular that he hopes to play for the first time.
“Hopefully I get into Phoenix in a couple of weeks,” said Fox.
“I’ve heard that’s an event you either love or it can be quite difficult. I’m looking forward to experiencing that.
“I was lucky enough to play a few of the Signature events last year and they were bucket-list events. Hopefully I can play my way into a few of those this year and see what happens.”
Reigning PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi makes his third start as a member of the DP World Tour at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship as Gabi Ruffels debuts as a member of the LPGA Tour at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida.
Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Cse), San Diego, California
North Course
3:50am Matt NeSmith, Justin Lower, Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:56am* Harrison Endycott, Rico Hoey, Raul Pereda
5:18am* Aaron Baddeley, Chesson Hadley, Sam Ryder
South Course
5:51am Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee
Defending champion: Max Homa
Past Aussie winners: Jason Day (2015, 2018), Marc Leishman (2020)
TV times: Live 4am-11am Thursday; Live 4:30am-11am Friday; Live 4:45am-12pm Saturday; Live 6am-12pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Ras Al Khaimah Championship
Al Hamra GC, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
3:30pm* Jason Scrivener, Julien Brun, Louis De Jager
6:35pm Sebastian Garcia, Tom Lewis, Samuel Jones (NZ)
6:55pm Thriston Lawrence, Alex Fitzpatrick, Daniel Hillier (NZ)
8:15pm* Ivan Cantero, Joel Girrbach, David Micheluzzi
Defending champion: Daniel Gavins
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 7pm-12am Thursday, Friday; Live 7.30pm-12am Saturday; Live 7pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
LPGA Drive On Championship
Bradenton Country Club, Bradenton, Florida
12:09am* Grace Kim, Madelene Sagstrom, Patty Tavatanakit
12:31am Ally Ewing, Sarah Kemp, Gaby Lopez
4:05am* Yan Liu, Mel Reid, Gabriela Ruffels
8:38am* Lydia Ko (NZ), Hae Ran Ryu, Lilia Vu
Defending champion: Celine Boutier
Past Aussie winners: Nil
TV times: Live 4am-7am Friday, Saturday; Live 2:30am-5:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo; Live 6am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club
The Abaco Club on Winding Bay, Great Abaco, Bahamas
After Round 3
1 Kyle Westmoreland 66-74-68—208
T30 Rhein Gibson 71-72-75—218
T42 Dimi Papadatos 72-72-75—219
MC Brett Drewitt 71-78—149
MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 74-79—153
MC Curtis Luck 72-81—153
