After clinching his first PGA title at Royal Queensland last Sunday and jumping to a career-best No.38 in the world, Lee was in the hunt for a debut Open title at The Australian before finishing third, two shots out of the playoff won by Chile’s Joaquin Niemann.

His last round of eight across the two events, with a massive home crowd right behind him all the way, was the only one where he finished over-par, this one a one-over 72.

Along the way his profile grew not only amongst golf fans, but also the wider sports loving community in his home country who have been thrilled by his aggressive play and showmanship.

“Yeah, it’s amazing,  I can’t thank everyone enough,” Lee said of his experience over the past fortnight.

“It was a beautiful scene coming down 18 and all week I had so many people come out and watch. 

“Again, really proud of Australians and proud that I’m Australian.  It was unbelievable.”

The West Australian was keeping an eye on his older sister Minjee’s progress in the women’s Open where, late in the day, both siblings were in contention for their first big titles at home. Minjee ended up second, one shot behind South Africa’s Ash Buhai.

“Proud of her too.  We’ll get it next time,” he said.

With an outstanding round of 5-under 66 today, the DP World Tour player jumped to a tie for third at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open and a place in the final group at 12.45pm alongside joint leaders Min Woo Lee and Rikuya Hoshino.

Chasing the biggest win of his career and the first victory by an Englishman in the Australian Open since Lee Westwood in 1997, Fitzpatrick will give up a one-shot headstart, but carrying huge momentum after playing the back nine in just 30 shots in his third round thanks to four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14th hole.

Ranked 133rd in the world, a win tomorrow would propel the 24-year-old from Yorkshire towards the top 100 for the first time.

Fitzpatrick is on his first visit to Australia and came with a goal to be in contention in at least one of the two Aussie majors. Last week, he fell a little short, ending up in a tie for 18th at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.

“Overall I’m extremely happy with the day and I guess that’s why they call it moving day,” he said.

“Hopefully you can drop a low one and get yourself in contention going on Sunday. Yeah, proud of myself for hanging in there and just sticking with my game and trusting myself.

“This is my last event of the year, kind of excited to have a little bit of time off. Hopefully a good round tomorrow and you never know.”

Fitzpatrick started 2023 on the secondary European Challenge Tour but has posted a string of good finishes in his DP World Tour starts, including a second in the ISPS HANDA World Invitational in Ireland and a tie for 17th at the Open Championship.

And although he’s far from home, he’s found plenty of support at The Australian and The Lakes this week.

“For some reason they took a warm liking to me,” Fitzpatrick said of the Sydney crowds.

“I’m not sure why, but the support couldn’t be any better. I actually had a few local lads for some reason following round. The atmosphere’s incredible and hopefully a good day tomorrow and keep the fans happy.”

Both bemoaning putters that stayed cold on Saturday at The Lakes while Lee was heating up The Australian and the large crowds, Niemann and Vegas spoke glowingly of the golf and Australian fans after finishing the day on 8-under, four back of Lee.

“I’ve been enjoying Australia ever since I got here. There are nice people following, nice crowd,” Niemann said.

Returning from a prolonged injury break that took him off the golf course for eight months, PGA TOUR winner Vegas was similarly glowing in his praise of Australia and Australians.

“The experience has been amazing, man. Like I’ve said from the beginning, I love it here,” he said.

“I enjoy it here. Even though it’s a long way away, I enjoy coming here and I have lots of friends.  Lots of Australian guys I play on the PGA TOUR are here.

“I feel like I have a great relationship with them.”

The pair’s round descriptions were almost interchangeable following matching Friday 69s that came without a bogey, Vegas enjoying his day a little more when he holed out for an eagle two at the par-4 13th early in the round.

“We had a pretty good day overall, not much to really complain about,” he said.

“Just gave myself a lot of opportunities and didn’t make any of them. Just made one putt all day.”

All of Niemann’s three birdies coming on The Lakes back nine.

“I think I played amazing. I didn’t miss any shots on the tee and didn’t miss any shot, I don’t know if I missed the green for the whole round,” Niemann said.

“I mean, it’s kind of good and also disappointing at the same time I couldn’t be able to shoot a really low round today.”

Where the pair of title hopefuls do differ is their approach over the weekend. Whereas Niemann will be hyper focused on improving his scoring and challenging for the title, Vegas is just happy to be back playing tournament golf.

“No expectations to be honest. I’m just going to go there and play golf,” he said.

“Whatever the weekend brings, it’s going to bring, right? I’ve just got to let my game slowly get into it … one shot at a time and just enjoy the weekend.”

An enjoyable weekend is yet another piece of common ground for the pair of foreign raiders.

Photo: Jhonattan Vegas at The Lakes in round two of the Australian Open

A one-time ISPS HANDA Australian Open competitor back in 2014 at one of this week’s co-hosts The Australian Golf Club, Rodgers opened his 2023 account with an 8-under 64 on Thursday to sit one back of first-round leader Cameron Davis.

“It’s been a while since I’ve played. I’ve been taking advantage of the off season over in the States and this was a perfect opportunity to come down here,” Rodgers said at The Lakes.

“I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time. I haven’t been down here since 2014 and had an amazing experience back then. It’s great to be back and great to kick off some rust in a nice fashion in round one.”

That rust was removed with 10 birdies and two bogeys from the one-time amateur star as he looks to win for the first time since 2015, while still enjoying the harbour city after a push from a former caddie to head Down Under.

Rodgers’ former lopper is a constant salesperson for his homeland to his old boss, who so enjoyed a pro-am grouping with three Sydney Swans players he went back to his hotel and watched AFL highlights on YouTube.

“I have plenty of Australian connections.  A guy who used to caddie for me, who’s a great friend, Shane Joel’s from Brisbane and was always wanting me to come down here, so yeah, it’s great to be here,” he said.

“Trying to balance obviously having this be a great work week but also experiencing one of the best cities in the world.”

Rodgers’ business and pleasure trip perhaps the ideal tonic to prepare him for his 10th year playing the PGA TOUR, a year in which he might finally break his duck.

“When I play, I want to play well. For me it almost feels like the start of something. I finished in August and haven’t played since, so I’m kind of getting ready for a big start in January on the PGA TOUR and this is a great way to test out some changes and see where my game is.”

GolfWA has reached an agreement with Visit Mandurah and the City of Mandurah to bring the historic event to the Peel region after a 29-year hiatus. Meadow Springs Golf Club was the last Peel club to host the championship back in 1995.

In announcing Mandurah Country Club as the host venue, GolfWA Chief Executive Gary Thomas said: “The WA Open is the biggest golf championship to take place in Western Australia each year and we’re delighted to be able to bring it to Mandurah Country Club for the first time.

“The 100th staging of the WA Open makes 2024 a very special year for GolfWA. Mandurah Country Club is a magnificent venue and a superb test of golf that will challenge even the best players on the PGA Tour of Australasia and make for an extremely memorable championship.

“GolfWA is grateful for the support of The City of Mandurah and Visit Mandurah to bring the event to Mandurah in 2024. We hope golf fans will take the opportunity to come and watch Australia’s top players battle it out, as well as visit some of the wonderful attractions the region has to offer.”

Visit Mandurah General Manager Anita Kane, added: “We look forward to welcoming both players and spectators to experience the WA Open in the beautiful surroundings of Mandurah, Australia’s Top Tourism Town.

“Mandurah Country Club is a fitting venue for this prestigious championship and along with other superbly designed courses in spectacular locations, the Mandurah region is a golfing holiday dream and is sure to excite and challenge golfers of all abilities.”

“We’re excited to welcome the WA Open to our beautiful part of the world next year, giving players, organisers and golf fans the opportunity to enjoy everything Mandurah has to offer,” Mandurah Mayor Rhys Williams said.

“The City of Mandurah is proud to help bring events such as this one to Mandurah. It’s a great way to further showcase our beautiful natural areas, waterways and local award-winning tourism offerings, as well as providing a boost to our economy.”

The 2024 WA Open Golf Championship will take place at Mandurah Country Club next October. Precise dates are to be confirmed. The championship is a mainstay on the annual PGA Tour of Australasia schedule and offers a prize fund in excess of $170,000.

The WA Open was first staged in 1913 and has a star-studded roll of honour that includes Greg Norman, Gary Player, Terry Gale, Brett Rumford, Stephen Leaney and Curtis Luck. Tasmania’s Simon Hawkes is the defending champion.

More information on Mandurah Country Club can be found here.

More information on tourism activities in Mandurah can be found here.

The Seattle-based, Sydney-born Davis, 28, has visions of becoming one of the best players in the world and today’s performance was certainly world class.

He had seven birdies and a brilliant eagle at the par-5 14th hole at The Lakes, which played somewhat easier than The Australian down the road, and which produced most of the day’s best scores.

The New South Welshman leads by a shot from US-tour player Patrick Rodgers and Scotland’s Connor Syme, who both had 64s.

A further shot back is Perth rookie professional Hayden Hopewell at 6-under par 65 on The Lakes, and another Scot, Grant Forrest, also impressed on the tougher Australian with his 65.

Last week’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship winner Min Woo Lee began tidily with a 5-under 67 at The Lakes, but Cameron Smith’s struggles of last week in Brisbane were largely an issue again.

He scrapped out a 1-under 71 at The Lakes and will need to find something at The Australian on Friday to ensure that he is around for the weekend.

The top 60 and ties will go through to the third and fourth rounds and Smith is tied-56th right now.

“Yeah, frustrating,” said the Queenslander. “I think it could have been a few less, to be honest. I kind of missed a couple of putts there towards the end of the round when I started to feel all right. A little bit frustrating, but it was better.”

Heavy rain on Wednesday forced tournament officials to allow preferred lies on closely mown areas on Thursday and the softer greens were to everyone’s liking.

But another heavy shower flooded at least one green at The Lakes and caused a 40-minute suspension in the middle of the day.

Fortunately for world No. 42 Davis, he had finished by then.

The Lakes is not his home club – he spent most of his youth playing at Monash and Roseville having started at the par-3 track at Terry Hills – but it is not in the slightest unfamiliar with the surrounds.

“I know this place relatively well, so I felt like I had plenty of good memories in the bank to go out and play the course with. That’s by far the cleanest round I’ve ever had around here and without the wind, it was awesome to make the most of the conditions the way they were.”

He will have his turn at the tougher of the two courses on Friday.

“Well the start here was a key,” he said. “You want to make the most of good conditions out here, because there is the opportunity to go low, so very happy with the start and now it’s just about finding rhythm out there.

“It’s a different golf course, different grass, probably different conditions today, as well for the rest of the week. So you’ve just got to start all over again pretty much and try and find your rhythm and if you do, get three rounds in a row now at the same place and get used to the sidelines and fingers crossed some more good play.

“I’d love to be right up there on Sunday.”

Smith’s round included a ball into the water on his second hole, the par-5 11th and drowned another one three holes later, but it was steady work for most of the morning.

“I missed a couple of putts at the end of the round when I started to feel alright,” he said.

“There’s definitely something to build on there – I didn’t feel as anxious or uncomfortable.”

Davis tees off at 12.22pm on Friday in the second round, playing at The Australian.

Smith and Lee are also at The Australian, off the first tee at noon and on the evidence of today’s crowd at The Lakes, bound to have a big following again.

Of course, the Lees – Minjee and Min Woo – hail from the West, so too Hannah Green and her fiancé Jarryd Felton, as well as the likes of Curtis Luck, Haydn Barron and Connor McKinney, with one the early low rounds at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open belonging to another Sandgroper.

Hayden Hopewell is no stranger to professional tournament golf, the 22-year-old winning the WA Open in 2020 before fishing runner-up the following year and losing the Webex Players Series Murray River in a play-off all whilst still an amateur.

A professional since last year’s Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Hopewell opened his account this week at the lower scoring The Lakes Golf Club before heavy rain halted play with seven-under 65 to sit two back of early leader Cam Davis.

“A solid day out there. I was pretty happy, just enjoying myself out there and managed to string a few birdies together,” he said.

“It’s a plotting course and I just plotted my way around and then made sure I was where I needed to be on the greens and I managed to roll a few in, which was quite nice.”

Happily in the clubhouse before the deluge that caused the brief pause while play continued at co-host The Australian Golf Club, Hopewell has looked to be enjoying himself a great deal this week, firstly with his birthday last Sunday when he finished T33 at Royal Queensland.

The other enjoyable element the crew of West Australian talent engaging in games on the putting green that emote the occasional fist pump, and potentially some money changing hands, as well as practice rounds.

Hopewell getting a look at one of the host venues alongside last week’s winner Lee and fellow new pro Joshua Greer.

“It’s good, the WA boys sticking together,” he said. “He’s (Min Woo) been a close mate of mine since junior golf. I’m a couple of years younger than him, but we’re best mates, so we just have a laugh out there and see how good we can go.

“There were a few side bets going on.”

Admitting that losing a lunch bet to Lee is probably a more significant financial loss than the other way round, Hopewell is well placed to improve his Australian Open record that includes a T10 last year.

His first experience at the tournament coming in 2019 at The Australian, where he will play his next three rounds, with a good week helping his Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit place and potentially allowing for more practice rounds and putting games with Lee, Barron and co.

Photo: Hayden Hopewell, Min Woo Lee and Josh Greer at The Lakes