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With the smell of major championships in the air, two Aussies in particular rose to the challenge this past week.
At the famed ‘Blue Monster’ at Trump National Doral, Marc Leishman produced some of the best golf of his life to storm home with the week’s only bogey-free round to claim the individual title at LIV Golf Miami.
It was double cause for celebration as the Ripper GC team of Leishman, Cameron Smith, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert completed a commanding eight-stroke win in the team event, moving up to third on the overall season standings.
Although she bowed out in the quarter-finals to eventual runner-up Lauren Coughlin, there was much to like about Stephanie Kyriacou’s display at the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas.
The 24-year-old defeated her Amundi Evian Championship conqueror Ayaka Furue and Nasa Hataoka in the group stage, advancing to the Round of 16 courtesy of a halved match with Auston Kim.
There she edged A Lim Kim to reach the quarter-finals where she lost 1-down to Coughlin.
10. Kirsten Rudgeley (Last week: 9)
The Ford Women’s NSW Open runner-up is not scheduled to return to the Ladies European Tour until the Aramco Korea Championship from May 9-11. Currently ranked No.124 in Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
9. Stephanie Kyriacou (New)
Looked focused and formidable in playing her way into the quarter-finals of the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas. Went through the group phase undefeated and, on the back of a tie for 13th at the Ford Championship looks primed for a big year. Moved up five spots to No.52 in the world ranking.
8. Anthony Quayle (7)
Looking ahead to US Open qualifying after finishing fifth on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. His second-place finish at The National Tournament was his eighth top 10 from his past 13 starts.
7. Elvis Smylie (6)
Will resume his rookie season on the DP World Tour at next week’s Volvo China Open after claiming the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
6. Minjee Lee (5)
Made a promising start to the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas with a 1-up win over Jasmine Suwannapura. Lost to eventual champion Madelene Sagstrom 3&2 in Round 2 and then went down narrowly to Patty Tavatanakit to miss advancing out of the group stage.
5. Marc Leishman (New)
Led Ripper GC to an eight-stroke team win in taking out his first LIV Golf individual title at LIV Golf Miami. Three shots back at the start of the final round, Leishman had drawn level with 36-hole leader Bryson DeChambeau by the eighth hole. A three-metre par putt on the final hole completed the only bogey-free round of the entire week and clinched a one-shot win.
4. Karl Vilips (4)
Another week on the sidelines for the Puerto Rico Open winner who will likely next peg it up at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links. A Signature Event, Vilips will qualify via the Aon Swing 5 ranking.
3. Hannah Green (2)
With two top-seven finishes already to her name from just four starts, will defend the second of her three titles from 2024 at next week’s JM Eagle LA Championship.
2. Lucas Herbert (3)
Bounced back from a 5-over 77 in Round 1 at Trump National Doral to play a pivotal role in Ripper GC’s team win at LIV Golf Miami. His 3-under 69 was the best of Round 2 and then backed that up with 74 in the final round for a commanding team win.
1. Min Woo Lee (1)
Popped in to see his sister and have a stint in the commentary booth at the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas in the wake of his Texas Children’s Houston Open victory. Australia’s highest-ranked male player looks primed to make a deep run at the Masters.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Three young Melbourne women have become the first beneficiaries of a new educational initiative between the PGA Institute and the Holmesglen Institute.
With the objective of providing more educational opportunities for Melbourne’s youth, the PGA Institute has deepened its partnership with Holmesglen Institute by launching a scholarship program in conjunction with Launch Housing’s Youth Foyer initiative.
Students from the Holmesglen Youth Foyer can now earn a scholarship to undertake the Diploma of Business through weekly facilitated workshops.
Located in Glen Waverley, the Education First Youth Foyer is run by Launch Housing in partnership with the Brotherhood of St. Laurence and Holmesglen TAFE. It provides young people between the ages of 16-25, who are unable to live at home, access to mainstream education, training and employment opportunities, while living in student-style accommodation. It is one of two Education First Youth Foyers run by Launch Housing in Melbourne.
Students are provided with learning tools and skills, safe and affordable accommodation for up to two years, education and employment opportunities, and the opportunity to develop independent living skills.
They also gain access to work placements, providing a holistic program, with the training to be conducted onsite at the Youth Foyer.
Ebony, Taylor and Tiara are the first scholarship recipients and are already enrolled and eager to begin their studies.
“The program has been really interesting and engaging and it’s not something that I would have thought about doing before. I really enjoy it and am excited to learn more,” said Ebony.
“I enjoy how interactive it is. It’s really engaging for me and talk to people and talk to people in the real world.”
“I really like how its small class and you get one-on-one engagement and it really helps with getting the work done, you can go at your own pace,” added Taylor.
PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman is proud to enhance the PGA Institute’s educational offerings through the program.
“At the PGA Institute, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding educational options and initiatives,” said Kirkman.
“We also aim to empower and nurture, and through this scholarship program in conjunction with Homesglen’s Education First Youth Foyer, we are proud to be able to offer that support to even more young Melbourne students.
“We’re excited to welcome our first three scholarship recipients and we’re eager to build on our relationship with Youth Foyer to expand this program into the future.”
On top of the regular training workshops and workforce placements, the three students will also gain valuable insights through Youth Foyer’s existing relationship with the Hawthorn Football Club.
To find out more about the PGA Institute, CLICK HERE.
To find out more about Education First Youth Foyer, CLICK HERE.
Simon Hawkes has claimed his home Open for a second time after producing a near flawless final round in windy conditions to win the Men’s Tasmanian Open at Launceston Golf Club.
Co-leader with William Bruyeres and Aaron Pike at the start of Round 3, Hawkes held his nerve and holed a number of crucial par putts to shoot 3-under 69 and finish one stroke clear of Victorian Connor McDade (67) with Caleb Bovalina two strokes further back in third.
In adding to his 2016 win, Hawkes becomes the first two-time Tasmanian winner of the Tasmanian Open since the legendary Peter Toogood won his eighth way back in 1959.
As the gusty wind and pacey putting surfaces put plenty of players under pressure, Hawkes refused to falter until the very last hole of the tournament.
A closing bogey did little to diffuse his satisfaction as he added to his 2016 Tasmanian Open and WA Open and Vic Open wins.
“It’s always a bit of extra nerves,” Hawkes said.
“With the other two state opens, I don’t think I was as nervous as the two I’ve won here.
“It’s a lot bigger to win your home Open; it’s amazing.
“You always come to this event with the goal of winning and to be able to pull it off is amazing.”
It was a rare Tasmanian double on Sunday as Royal Hobart Golf Club’s Mackenzie Thomas (81) held on for a two-stroke win in the Women’s Tasmania Open and South Australian George Vassiliadis completed a convincing win in the Tasmania Inclusive Championship.
Turning point
It was as the lead group approached the turn that Hawkes was able to separate himself from both Pike and Bruyeres.
Two-under on his round through six holes, Hawkes had a one-stroke advantage from Pike and was two clear of Bruyeres.
Pars at the next three holes would put Hawkes on the path to victory as Bruyeres and Pike both lost ground.
Pike made bogeys at both seven and nine to go out in 1-over while Bruyeres followed a bogey on eight with a double-bogey at the par-4 ninth, dropping five shots back of Hawkes.
While Bruyeres would make a late charge with three birdies in his final four holes, Hawkes’ near faultless display gave him enough of a buffer to absorb a closing bogey and hold on for the win.
Quick quotes
“Looking at the forecast this morning, I knew it was going to be a day that you had to really dig deep and focus hard,” said Hawkes.
“That’s sort of the achievement I made today. It was a process goal that was achieved to have the outcome goal, which was winning the tournament.
“With the exception of the blemish up the last, I was bogey free, which at that point I was really proud of.
“My processes were really good today and that’s what helped me get over line the.”
Final scores
1 Simon Hawkes 66-72-69—207
2 Connor McDade 69-72-67—208
3 Caleb Bovalina 70-69-71—210
4 William Bruyeres 70-68-73—211
T5 Mark Panopoulos 73-70-69—212
T5 Aaron Pike 65-73-74—212
The Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship will return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule in 2025.
After undergoing significant upgrades to its course and clubhouse, the Palmerston Golf and Country Club will again play host to the Top End’s most prestigious golf tournament from August 28-31.
And for the first time, the final two rounds will be broadcast live.
The Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA Championship was last played in 2023 when NSW professional Daniel Gale shot a sensational final round of 65 to claim the title by four shots over Queensland’s Chris Crabtree.
It was the forerunner to an outstanding year for Gale who went on to finish second on the Challenger PGA Tour Order of Merit to earn playing rights on the DP World Tour for 2024/25.
First played in 1995, the list of former NT PGA champions includes multiple Tour event winners Jordan Zunic, Travis Smyth and hometown favourite Aaron Pike.
This year’s tournament will be the second on the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season following on from the PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club on August 14-17.
PGA of Australia General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey said the NT PGA Championship was one of the favourite events of the year for the country’s leading professionals.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to Palmerston Golf and Country Club and seeing the results of all the renovations that have been undertaken there on and off the golf course,” Dastey said.
“The NT PGA Championship has an atmosphere all of its own and its one our players embrace and really look forward to being part of.
“Televising the event for the first time is going to help take the tournament to the next level, giving us the opportunity to really promote the Territory and all the great things to do in the area, including as a golf destination.”
A number of events will take place in the week of the championship, including an intensive juniors clinic with the pros, a junior pro-am, a women’s clinic, a clinic to engage Indigenous children in the sport, and a Wednesday pro-am.
Supported by the Northern Territory Government through Northern Territory Major Events Company, the NT PGA Championship offers a fantastic opportunity for aspiring Territory golfers to witness elite professionals showcase their skills up close.
Palmerston Golf & Country Club General Manager Matt Hewer said: “After the clubhouse underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation and we completed course upgrades specifically to the irrigation systems, this is a great time to showcase not only the event, but the entire NT to a national audience on TV.”
Photo: Reigning Tailor-made Building Services NT PGA champion Daniel Gale
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia will provide a direct pathway for US-based players in a new Qualifying School initiative to be held in July.
In addition to First Stage and Final Stage of Qualifying School to be held at Moonah Links from April 9-17, the PGA Tour of Australasia will host an additional Final Stage at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Georgia from July 15-18.
Entries open at 9am Friday AEDT (5pm Thursday in the US) with the field restricted to a maximum of 78 players vying for six spots.
It is the first time that the PGA Tour of Australasia has gone global in providing direct entry to a tour that has proven itself to be a pathway to the DP World Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and eventually the PGA TOUR.
Given the opportunities afforded by the Order of Merit for players to secure major championship starts, DP World Tour cards and further international pathways, the PGA Tour of Australasia has explored ways to entice players from around the world to play in Australia.
“There is growing interest globally in the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia,” said Tour Development Manager for the PGA Tour of Australasia, Kim Felton.
“Our partnerships with international tours have created some great playing opportunities for our players that are appealing to golfers worldwide.
“We believe that hosting a Final Stage of Qualifying School at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club will both create awareness of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia internationally and, ultimately, strengthen the quality of our Tour.
“It was awesome to see Ryggs Johnston win the Australian Open late last year and we hope this drives a few more players down to our great Tour and we see some more international winners.
“Players such as Kazuma Kobori and Ryan Peake have come through Q School the past two years and now have DP World Tour cards. David Micheluzzi, Kazuma Kobori and Elvis Smylie have earned starts in majors from their performances in Australia.
“We are excited to see who enters at Kinderlou Forest and which six players will earn playing rights for the 2025/2026 season with the top spot being exempt into all events, which includes the Australian PGA Championship, the Australian Open and the NZ Open.”
Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, a quality course and well-known as a stern test of golf, hosted the South Georgia Classic on the Korn Ferry Tour between 2007-2014 and has been used as a host venue for Second Stage of PGA TOUR Q School.
The 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season concluded on Sunday with Harrison Crowe’s victory at The National Tournament.
Through their performances during the season, Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake, and Anthony Quayle have all currently earned DP World Tour exemptions for 2026.
The Greg Norman-designed The Vintage Hunter Valley, nestled in one of Australia’s premier wine regions, will host the Ford NSW Open this year.
No stranger to tournament golf, The Vintage Hunter Valley has hosted the tournament, which is part of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, four times from 2007 to 2010. Like last year, this year’s championship on November 13-16 will carry a minimum purse of $800,000.
Golf NSW CEO Stuart Fraser was thrilled with the decision to return to The Vintage for the first time in over a decade.
“This year’s Ford NSW Open presents a fantastic opportunity for us to ensure the tournament continues to be the most prestigious state championship on the Australian golf calendar,” he said.
“Murray Downs was a fabulous venue for last year’s tournament, and the crowds we saw throughout the week proved how thirsty the public are for elite-level golf.
“The general public of the greater Newcastle and Hunter region has a real love of world-class sport, and we know fans of the game will throw their support behind our flagship event.”
Ripper GC Star Lucas Herbert confirmed his status as one of Australian golf’s best in November last year with a three-shot win over his Ripper GC teammate and 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith, Sydneysider Alex Simpson, and the Hunter’s own Corey Lamb.
“Lucas’ win last year at Murray Downs captured the imagination of fans nationally, while Corey, or ‘Chops’, established himself as a crowd favourite with his quest for the Kel Nalge Cup. Hopefully, we’ll see them battle it out again this November,” Fraser added.
Ford Australia Director of Marketing Ambrose Henderson was excited that Golf NSW is building on the success of the 2024 Ford NSW Open by taking it back to the Hunter Valley region, where Ford has great connections with the local community.
“Since we started our partnership with Golf NSW late last year, we have already seen how golf in regional areas of NSW connects with the local community, and we are proud of the important role Ford and our Ford Dealers play in these communities too.
“The 2025 Ford NSW Open promises to be a spectacular event, with the anticipation of Lucas Herbert’s return to defend his title adding a dynamic edge. It’s thrilling to see such talent continue to grace our tournament, underscoring its prestige in the realm of Australian golf.
“This week we celebrate 100 years of Ford in Australia. As we stride into a new century, partnerships like Golf NSW are vital in our mission to support and uplift local communities through sport.”
Jodie Staples, Director of Sales & Marketing at The Vintage Golf Club, said the organisation was delighted to host the state’s premier golf championship again, adding the opportunity to display to the world what a fantastic destination The Vintage, and indeed the Hunter region, was.
“The Vintage Golf Club is thrilled to host the Ford NSW Men’s Open on our course, and we can’t wait to welcome the players and guests to the Hunter Valley,” she said.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to showcase our beautiful grounds while celebrating the sport we love. We look forward to hosting an incredible event in November.”
PGA of Australia’s General Manager of Tournaments and Global Tour Relationships Nick Dastey noted the Ford NSW Open’s importance on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia schedule and highlighted the excitement of returning to the Hunter Valley region.
“The efforts of Golf NSW to elevate the Ford NSW Open in recent years have been tremendous, and when combining the tournament’s history with the increased prize money, it makes it a highlight of our schedule,” Mr Dastey said.
“Everyone from the players to our staff thoroughly enjoyed Murray Downs in 2024, and I am certain it will be a similar story this year as we return to the Hunter Valley, where the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia has strong ties.”
Tournament Facts:
Host Venue: The Vintage Hunter Valley
Dates: November 13-16, 2025
Prize Fund: AU$800,000 (Min)
Website: www.nswopen.com
Minjee Lee has revealed how she almost missed brother Min Woo’s winning putt on Sunday as she returns to the LPGA Tour for this week’s T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas.
Min Woo’s Houston Open win on the weekend made he and Minjee just the third brother-sister duo with wins on both the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour.
Big sister also has two major championships to her name, the pair now within sight of writing a new chapter in golf’s storied history if 26-year-old Min Woo can one day follow suit.
But as Min Woo was trying to hold off world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and a minor case of the shakes, Minjee was mid-air riding every one of her brother’s shots… until she couldn’t.
“It only cut out twice so that was great,” Minjee said of her in-flight viewing.
“It was just before his final putt from off the green. It kind of cut out then and I was like, Oh my God. But I just refreshed it and it worked again, so not too stressed.
“The guy sitting next to me, he was looking at me a little funny because I was fist pumping when he was making birdies and stuff.
“It was a different experience. I’ve not watched golf on a plane before. It was a first time for everything.
“It was quite fun. I really enjoyed it.”
Not only are Minjee and Min Woo the third brother-sister combination with wins on the major US tours but they now both have wins on four of the world’s seven continents.
Minjee has been without a win of her own since October 2023 but has made a bright start to her 2025 campaign.
Runner-up in her last start at the Blue Bay LPGA in China, the 28-year-old looks confident using a broomstick putter and she ranks eighth for final round scoring average (67.75).
Those numbers count for little however in the T-Mobile Match Play format where Lee will first face off against Thai Jasmine Suwannapura in Round 1 and then meet Patty Tavatanakit and Madelene Sagstrom in the remaining Group Stage matches.
Lee is one of five Aussies contesting the Match Play with Grace Kim to play former Gold Coast high schooler Amy Yang in Round 1.
There was little time for celebrating as Steve Allan backs up from his first PGA TOUR Champions as one of eight Aussies in the field for the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational while the Ripper GC boys are back in action at LIV Golf Miami.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Valero Texas Open
TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course), San Antonio, Texas
10:20pm Aaron Baddeley
3:41am Ryan Fox (NZ)
Recent champion: Akshay Bhatia
Past Aussie winners: Joe Kirkwood Snr (1924), Bruce Crampton (1964), Adam Scott (2010), Steven Bowditch (2014)
Prize money: $US9.5m
TV times: Live 10:15pm Thursday, Friday; Live 12am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
T-Mobile Match Play
Shadow Creek Golf Course, North Las Vegas, Nevada
Round Robin Day 1
4:25am Grace Kim (Seed: 53) v Amy Yang (12)
4:55am Stephanie Kyriacou (37) v Nasa Hataoka (28)
7:45am Minjee Lee (14) v Jasmine Suwannapura (51)
8:05am Lydia Ko (3) v Hira Naveed (62)
8:15am Gabriela Ruffels (35) v Carlota Ciganda (30)
Recent champion: Nelly Korda
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2m
TV times: Live 8am Thursday on Fox Sports 503; Live 8am Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Miami
Trump National Doral, Florida
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)
Recent champion: Dean Burmester
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live 2am Saturday; Live 1am Sunday; Live 2am Monday on 7 Mate.
Ladies European Tour
Joburg Ladies Open
Modderfontein Golf Club, Johannesburg
5:03pm Kelsey Bennett
8:15pm* Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
9:32pm Momoka Kobori (NZ)
9:43pm* Amelia Garvey (NZ)
Recent champion: Chiara Tamburlini
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
TV times: Live 9pm Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
Club Car Championship
The Landings Golf & Athletic Club (Deer Creek), Savannah, Georgia
11:10pm Harry Hillier (NZ)
3:35am Rhein Gibson
Recent champion: Steven Fisk
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1m
TV times: Live 12:30am Friday; Live 11:30pm Friday; 11am Sunday; Live 6:30am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational
The Old Course at Broken Sound, Boca Raton, Florida
Australasians in the field: Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Brendan Jones, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.
Recent champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.2m
TV times: Live 1:30am Saturday; 5:30am Sunday; Live 4:30am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Americas
70th Brazil Open
Rio Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
8:20pm Grant Booth
8:40pm* Charlie Hillier (NZ)
Recent champion: Matthew Anderson
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000
Before he won the Texas Children’s Houston Open this past week, it’s fair to say Min Woo Lee didn’t live a life remotely similar to most 26-year-olds from Fremantle.
Despite a constant social media presence and video gaming that helped inspire his “Chef” moniker, Lee’s profession, network of friends and even home base in Las Vegas is vastly different from most Australian 20-somethings.
Yet, even with his jet-setting lifestyle, Lee remains the same personality from his amateur days, and his own reaction to the response over his first PGA TOUR win showcases his ability to stay true to himself.
Among the well-wishers was one of the biggest stars on the planet, Justin Bieber, who Lee claims to be the unofficial golf coach of.
Lee today revealed that the relationship is unique given both feel they are the one to be proud of the friendship.
“The thing is he fanboys kind of over me, but obviously I’m fanboying over him,” Lee said of Bieber.
“We haven’t played (golf) yet, but I got his phone number and we just texted and texted quite often. He would send me videos of his swing and I would critique it and yeah, it’s very cool.”
Proving Lee’s suggestion of the mutual respect over the friendship, it was Bieber who shared an image of their FaceTime following the Aussie’s breakthrough Houston victory to his social media channels.
“He asked me if he could post it and I was like, ‘Bro, do whatever you want. You’re Justin Bieber, I don’t care’,” was Lee’s humorous retelling of how the post came about.
Beyond Bieber, Lee mentioned multiple NBA players among those who congratulated him, including fellow Aussie Josh Giddey and Steph Curry, however, despite their ongoing sibling rivalry, no doubt the support of sister Minjee meant a great deal.
In Las Vegas ahead of this week’s LPGA Tour match play event at Shadow Creek, coincidental timing meant the Lee’s could share a celebratory dinner in Min Woo’s hometown with their shared agent, Brent Hamilton, and coach, Ritchie Smith.
The younger sibling not missing his chance to throw shade at his sister when asked who paid for the Japanese meal on the Vegas ‘Strip’.
“It was me. It was me. Of course it was me. I made a nice little cheque last couple days ago,” Min Woo said. “My sister could have been nice and she could have got it, but it’s all good.”
Family will also be a theme next week for Lee when he contests The Masters for a fourth straight year.
Mum Clara will be on site at Augusta National, where Lee will hope to improve on his already impressive record of T14-MC-T22, with last year’s result perhaps his most impressive giving the preparation.
Unlike this year when he enters the year’s first major as a last start winner, in 2024 Lee teed it up with a broken finger and suffering from illness Monday to Wednesday, a sickness he blames on giving up his jumper to a young fan when watching Minjee in the cold the week prior.
Breaking the digit in the gym, Min Woo plans to be much more careful as he prepares to challenge for his first major title having now accumulated five professional wins in his burgeoning career.
“First of all, obviously just to not drop a dumbbell on your finger. I think that’s priority one. I’ll probably be a bit safer when I’m in the gym right now this week,” he joked of his preparations for Augusta.
“I mean going into it feeling good and yeah, it’s last week felt like an exhausting week, so I just relax and enjoy my time doing nothing really over the last couple days and the next day or so. And yeah, get ready for the big dance.
Adding of his new place as the highest ranked Australian men’s player in the Official World Golf Ranking heading into The Masters: “I mean, it’s crazy. I looked up to these guys and I still do and it’s awesome to be the No.1 ranked Aussie. I still feel like a little kid growing up and I don’t feel 26, I feel 18, 19, 20 as a youngster.
“But there’s youngsters that come out and are very young and you don’t feel as young anymore. But it is very cool. It’s cool to be there. I feel like I inspire kids and inspire people to love and play golf.
“So it’s quite cool to be the top spot, I guess in Australian golf and hopefully I can keep going.”
That attempt to keep going will be alongside major champions Cam Smith, Adam Scott and Jason Day, as well as Cameron Davis in a five-strong Australian contingent at Augusta.
Day continues to do his bit to help Lee become part of the Australian major winner club that his sister is already a member of as a two-time major champion.
“Jason’s been amazing help to me. I think he’s helped me the most out of any player and just advice just in general,” Min Woo said.
“I told him how I felt, really how I felt during THE PLAYERS and I just felt like I wasn’t myself and I was trying to be someone else and he just said just to trust the process and keep hitting good shots and if not, it’s okay.
“And funny, I did that and I won … it’s only love between us and it’s very cool to have a big brother out on Tour.”
The Masters is live and exclusive on Fox Sports, available via Foxtel and Kayo Sports.
Two of Australian golf’s most feted young players delivered the goods when it mattered the most in a memorable week for Aussie golf at home and abroad.
The talent that had never been questioned was paired with a greater work ethic and mental strength to clinch Min Woo Lee his first PGA TOUR win as Harrison Crowe rode the ferocious winds of the Mornington Peninsula to go bogey-free in the final round and win The National Tournament.
The 2022 New South Wales Open champion as an amateur, it marked Crowe’s first win as a professional as Anthony Quayle was rewarded for an ultra-consistent season back on home soil with his best finish of the summer.
Major champions Hannah Green and Jason Day showed promising signs in their return to action as Kirsten Rudgeley closed out her run of events in Australia with a tie for fourth at the World Sand Greens Championship.
10. Harrison Crowe (New)
Re-established his status as a player for the big occasion with a thrilling victory at The National Tournament in Victoria to round out the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season. Completed a sneaky-good season to finish eighth on the Order of Merit with top-10 finishes at the Australian Open, BMW Australian PGA Championship and Ford NSW Open.
9. Kirsten Rudgeley (8)
Tied for second at the Ford Women’s NSW Open, Rudgeley kept the competitive juices flowing with a tie for fourth at the World Sand Greens Championship at Binalong. Is now set up for her third season on the Ladies European Tour where a breakthrough win beckons.
8. Jason Day (6)
Solid return to play after Day was forced to withdraw from THE PLAYERS Championship with a stomach virus. Shot 66 in the final round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open to earn a share of 27th in a nice tune-up two weeks out from The Masters.
7. Anthony Quayle (10)
He described it as the best shot of his life and it will be a contender for shot of the season after Anthony Quayle blistered a 2-iron 215 metres at the 72nd hole for the birdie that clinched outright second at The National Tournament. It also clinched DP World Tour status for 2026 in what was his eighth top-five finish of the season.
6. Elvis Smylie (5)
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner had the luxury of taking the week off as he sets his sights on a comprehensive campaign on the DP World Tour.
5. Minjee Lee (4)
Embraced the role of cheerleader as little brother wrapped up his maiden PGA TOUR win in Houston. Returns to play this week at the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas.
4. Karl Vilips (2)
It appears to be either feast or famine for Karl Vilips, the Puerto Rico Open winner missing his past three cuts including last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open.
3. Lucas Herbert (3)
Managed to hold on to third on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit and now has a DP World Tour exemption category available to him at the end of the year should he need it. Has two top fives on LIV Golf this year along with a top 10 at the International Series Macau.
2. Hannah Green (1)
Sharpened her game for the long campaign ahead with a tie for 44th at the Ford Championship, just Green’s fourth tournament of the year. Already boasts two top-seven finishes as she seeks to follow up her three-win 2024 season.
1. Min Woo Lee (7)
The late urging from his manager to tee it up yielded Min Woo Lee’s first PGA TOUR win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The four-stroke lead he held at the start of the final round had been eaten into, necessitating a clutch up-and-down from the back fringe to win by one. Now Australia’s highest-ranked male player at No.22 in the world.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
West Australian Ryan Peake capped his Rookie of the Year season with confirmation of a spot on the DP World Tour in 2026 as Anthony Quayle produced the shot of his life to also secure a pathway to Europe.
As Harrison Crowe completed a clinical final round of 4-under 68 to win The National Tournament by two strokes at The National Golf Club, the Order of Merit ramifications happening just below him on the leaderboard were frenetic.
A two-time winner this season, South Australian Jack Buchanan started the final round fifth on the Order of Merit and the man most likely to claim the card made available by Cameron Smith’s DP World Tour exemption as the 2022 Open champion.
The final nine holes of the season saw Quayle and West Australian Curtis Luck switch back and forth between sixth and seventh on the projected Order of Merit, each birdie opportunity and every dropped shot more significant than either could have anticipated.
When Luck made birdie at the par-3 16th in a howling wind he moved into outright second on the leaderboard and sixth on the live Order of Merit projections.
His bogey-bogey finish would prove costly not only for him, but for Buchanan.
Trailing Crowe by three strokes playing the final hole, Quayle hit a 2-iron from 215 metres to eight feet from a back-left pin at the 72nd hole for the birdie that secured second place alone in the tournament and the 107 points he needed to leapfrog Buchanan into fifth by just 10.3 points.
“It was 215-odd metres into a massive wind,” reflected Quayle, who quit the Japan Golf Tour late last year to dedicate himself to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and the pathways it offers.
“Just the shot itself is hard, but I think the circumstance might make that the best shot I’ve ever hit.
“For the last few months, I’ve really not been allowing myself to get too far ahead of myself, which is difficult to do.
“I feel like I was able to have one goal in mind and that was just to win each week I teed it up. I didn’t achieve that, but I feel like I had a really good chance in more than half my starts.
“I’m just incredibly proud and happy with the way I kind of just stuck with it.
“I’ve had three top-fives to finish the year to just sneak past and secure this.
“It’s pretty awesome.”
Peake entered the week with No.2 on the Order of Merit guaranteed.
With Elvis Smylie earning DP World Tour exemption via his victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, it promises Peake an almost full schedule when he joins the DP World Tour as a member for the 2026 season.
Although his well-publicised past will make it challenging to maximise the Asian Tour card he earned by winning the NZ Open, he can now look forward to joining the best players on the planet on a major world tour later this year.
“It just solidified the fact of why I came back to the game and gave it another run,” Peake said of his future on the DP World Tour.
“Obviously with words of encouragement which everyone knows from certain people, (coach) Ritchie (Smith), my family and all that.
“It just shows that I’ve proved myself right in making the right decision to come back and play and give it another go.
“It will take a little while before I start getting on the road and start playing these events that it will kind of really sink in then.
“I’m just excited to get going.”
Buchanan was the hard luck story of Sunday’s season finale but there is still a chance he will join Peake and Quayle with a DP World Tour card for next season.
Lucas Herbert’s exemption as a DP World Tour winner runs out at the end of this season.
As the Ford NSW Open champion has now finished third on the Order of Merit, he would be entitled to that exemption if he chose to maintain his membership for the 2026 season.
If not, or if he becomes otherwise exempt, Buchanan is next in line.
Order of Merit final standings
1 Elvis Smylie 1,358.96 (9 events)
2 Ryan Peake 1,012.59 (19)
3 Lucas Herbert 758.47 (4)
4 Cameron Smith 735.68 (4)
5 Anthony Quayle 688.46 (15)
6 Jack Buchanan 678.16 (16)
7 Curtis Luck 594.12 (6)
8 Harrison Crowe 591.81 (12)
9 Corey Lamb 490.63 (17)
10 Jordan Doull 470.61 (18)
