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For 63 holes of the US Open, Adam Scott had Australian golf fans on the edge of their collective seats.
After contending deep into the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Scott again showed that a second major championship remains within reach at the US Open.
Tied for the lead early in the back nine at Oakmont Country Club, missed fairways ultimately caught up with Scott as he dropped five shots in his final five holes to fall out of the top 10.
This week, the women are in major mode with the likes of Hannah Green, Minjee Lee and Stephanie Kyriacou hunting victory – and a Power Rankings boost – at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
10. Kelsey Bennett (New)
Bounced back from two missed cuts and a tie for 39th with a tie for 10th at the Hulencourt Women’s Open. Her fourth top-10 finish of her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour saw Bennett climb to 20th on the LET Order of Merit and seven spots on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
9. Stephanie Kyriacou (6)
Faded over the weekend at the Meijer LPGA Classic. At 39th is the third-highest ranked Australian in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
8. Minjee Lee (7)
A tie for 14th at the Meijer LPGA Classic was Lee’s seventh top-15 finish from 11 starts on the LPGA Tour this year. Arguably Australia’s in-form player in the women’s game despite world ranking dropping to No.24.
7. Min Woo Lee (5)
Missed cut at the US Open at Oakmont a continuation of Lee’s struggles since winning the Texas Children’s Houston Open in April.
6. Jason Day (8)
Continued his strong season in the majors with a tie for 23rd at the US Open. Tied for eighth at the Masters before a missed cut at the US PGA Championship, Day’s 67 in Round 2 at Oakmont was one of the best of the day. Best US Open result since he was tied 21st in 2019.
5. Karl Vilips (4)
After failing to make the field for the US Open, the Puerto Rico Open champion may be left on the sideline again this week, currently an alternate for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.
4. Hannah Green (2)
Was Australia’s best at the US Women’s Open with a tie for 12th but an opening round of 75 kept Green from contending at the Meijer LPGA Classic. The 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA champion did shoot 68 in rounds two and four to finish tied 36th.
3. Marc Leishman (3)
Carried the momentum through from US Open qualifying and a tie for 10th at LIV Golf Virginia to impress in his first major championship since 2022. After 2-under 68 in Round 3, began the final round at Oakmont tied for 11th but, like many, struggled in the awful conditions.
2. Adam Scott (10)
The 44-year-old found himself in the hunt for a second major with nine holes to play for the second straight major championship. The 2013 Masters champ was part of a five-way tie for the lead early in the back nine Sunday at Oakmont but tangled with the dense rough too often to finish tied 12th.
1. Lucas Herbert (1)
Will be chomping at the bit when the LIV Golf season continues next week at LIV Golf Dallas. Boasts three top-five finishes on LIV Golf in 2025 to go with victory at the International Series Japan on the Asian Tour.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
A late bogey and a 15-year-old amateur conspired to deny Queensland’s Justice Bosio a maiden professional win at the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge.
Defeated in a playoff on the LET Access Series two starts back, the Caboolture product held a narrow, one-stroke advantage late in Sunday’s final round.
She dropped a shot at the par-4 16th, two-putted for par at the par-5 17th and then got up-and-down for par at the final hole to join England’s Gemma Clews, Austria’s Katharina Muehlbauer and teenage French amateur Alice Kong in the playoff.
It would need just one extra hole as Kong denied the three professionals with a birdie from 13 feet.
Despite the disappointment of not winning, Bosio earned a three-way share of the winner’s prize money and the crucial Order of Merit points.
Given her other runner-up finish, Bosio now leads the LET Access Series Rookie of the Year standings and has climbed to fifth on the Order of Merit, the top seven last season earning promotion to the Ladies European Tour.
There was an Aussie top 10 again on the Ladies European Tour this week with Kelsey Bennett tied 10th at the Hulencourt Women’s Open in Belgium.
It is the fourth top-10 finish of Bennett’s rookie season and elevates her to 20th on the Order of Merit.
There were a host of Aussie women jockeying for positions near the top of the leaderboard early at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan.
Karis Davidson led and there were six Aussies inside the top 11 through 36 holes, Davidson’s tie for seventh the best by week’s end and her best ever finish on the LPGA Tour.
Adam Scott began the final round of the US Open with high hopes of a second major championship only to fade late with a 9-over 79 while Scott Hend grabbed a share of 10th at the Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy.
Results
US Open
Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania
1 JJ Spaun 66-72-69-72—279 $US4.3m
T12 Adam Scott 70-70-67-79—286 $348,967
T19 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-73-73-69—287 $242,532
T23 Jason Day 76-67-72-73—288 $161,132
T38 Marc Leishman 71-75-68-77—291 $90,408
T64 Cam Davis 74-73-82-73—302 $42,351
MC Cameron Smith 75-73—148
MC Min Woo Lee 77-72—149
LPGA Tour
Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Michigan
1 Carlota Ciganda 69-67-69-67—272 $US450,000
T7 Karis Davidson 66-70-71-69—276 $75,376
T14 Gabriela Ruffels 67-71-73-67—278 $38,877
T14 Minjee Lee 67-70-72-69—278 $38,877
T24 Grace Kim 65-73-71-72—281 $26,616
T36 Hannah Green 75-68-72-68—283 $16,039
T44 Cassie Porter 68-70-74-72—284 $12,095
T54 Stephanie Kyriacou 70-68-76-72—286 $7,755
72 Sarah Kemp 69-73-75-73—290 $5,859
MC Robyn Choi 69-76—145
MC Hira Naveed 74-77—151
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 75-77—152
Ladies European Tour
Hulencourt Women’s Open
Hulencourt, Belgium
1 Darcey Harry 71-68-68-68—275 €45,000
3 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 71-70-72-66—279 €18,000
T10 Kelsey Bennett 67-71-71-74—283 €6,300
T17 M. Hinson-Tolchard 70-71-71-73—285 €4,788
MC Kirsten Rudgeley 74-74—148
MC Momoka Kobori (NZ) 73-76—149
MC Amy Walsh 79-77—156
MC Wenyung Keh (NZ) 76-84—160
Japan Golf Tour/Korean PGA Tour
Hana Bank Invitational
The Heaven Country Club, South Korea
1 Shaun Norris 66-69-69-66—270 ¥27,352,000
Won on second hole of sudden-death playoff
MC Michael Hendry (NZ) 72-69—141
MC Brad Kennedy 72-72—144
MC Junseok Lee 72-73—145
MC Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 73-78—151
Epson Tour
Great Lakes Championship
The Highlands, The Heather, Harbor Springs, Michigan
1 Riley Smyth 72-66-66—204 $US37,500
T23 Su Oh 71-70-72—213 $2,634
MC Soo Jin Lee 77-74—151
MC Jess Whitting 82-80—162
HotelPlanner Tour
Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge
Kaskáda Golf Resort, Brno, Czech Republic
1 Palmer Jackson 65-67-67-64—263 €48,000
MC Jye Pickin 75-74—149
MC Hayden Hopewell 86-72—158
LET Access Series
Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge
Panorama Golf Resort, Kacov, Czech Republic
1 Alice Kong (a) 74-71-70—215 ——
Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff
T2 Justice Bosio 73-71-71—215 €5,115
T26 Abbie Teasdale 77-69-75—221 €630.90
T26 Stephanie Bunque 73-71-77—221 €630.90
T26 Kristalle Blum 76-75-70—221 €630.90
T44 Belinda Ji 76-74-76—226 €363.38
Legends Tour
Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy
Costa Navarino, Greece
1 Peter Baker 67-67-66—200
T10 Scott Hend 68-69-73—210
T14 Michael Campbell (NZ) 73-69-69—211
T50 Michael Long 73-75-75—223
In the end, even “old-man-par” would have fallen just short as too many tussles with Oakmont Country Club’s gnarly rough denied Adam Scott a career-defining second major at the US Open.
Shortly before heavy rain forced a 99-minute suspension of play in the final round, Scott had drawn level with 54-hole leader Sam Burns on the top of the leaderboard at 2-under par.
As Mother Nature and Oakmont applied a squeeze that at one point pushed every player in the field over par, five players – including Scott – were tied for the lead as the final group walked from the 12th green.
It was a moment for Scott to lean on experience gleaned from 96 consecutive major starts but missed fairways at 14 and 15 and two hacks from deep stuff right of the 16th green saw the 44-year-old drop four shots in three holes and suddenly out of contention.
In a chaotic finish in fading light, 34-year-old American JJ Spaun shrugged off bogeys on five of his first six holes to finish birdie-birdie and win at 1-under-par, holing the longest putt made by anyone all week on the 72nd hole, a 64-foot-five-inch roll into golf immortality.
Admitting that he didn’t adjust to the condition of the golf course after the rain delay, Scott said that missed fairways were fatal as he finished with 9-over 79 and tied for 12th.
“I hadn’t done that all week really. Then I did, and I paid the price and lost a lot of shots out there,” Scott said.
“Couldn’t recover. Conditions were just tough. They were tough at the start. Then once the fairways were soaked, it was very hard controlling the golf ball.
“It was borderline unplayable. The water was like so close to the surface. Like the shot I hit on 11, it’s bizarre. I just don’t know. It was like an aquaplane on the ground.
“It’s a tough call, but we played. Everyone had to deal with it.”
It was a win Scott craved to deem himself worthy of Hall of Fame status.
The 2013 Masters champion hit his opening tee shot 302 yards into the left-centre of the fairway to set a positive tone, but he would hit just six more in the ensuing 17 holes.
After a bogey on one, Scott squandered a rare birdie chance from 12 feet on two and then dropped a shot on three to fall two back of Burns.
A thunderous drive of 341 yards and a fortunate drop from a sprinkler head beside the green gave Scott an eagle look at the par-5 fourth, the Queenslander unleashing a rare premature fist pump when his putt from 46 feet hooked below the front of the hole late.
A par putt from five feet at five was enough to join Burns at 2-under but a three-putt on six would be Scott’s third bogey in his opening six holes.
He came up two inches short of a birdie at the par-4 seventh and was waiting on the eighth tee when USGA officials suspended play at 4:01pm local time.
Upon resumption, Scott was confronted with one of the toughest shots on arguably golf’s toughest golf course, his tee shot at the 301-yard par-3 eighth nestling down deep in the rough to the right of the green.
An up-and-down from right of the ninth green saw Scott go out in 3-over, coming up six inches short of a much-needed birdie from 44 feet at the par-4 10th.
Despite an impressive putt from 14 feet for bogey, a dropped shot after traipsing through knee-high fescue rough behind the 11th green the first of four bogeys along with the double-bogey on 16 marking the beginning of the end.
Birdie chances from 21 feet and 38 feet would stay above ground at 12 and 13, Scott suffering at the hands of Oakmont once again when his tee shot on 14 became semi-buried near the front lip of the right fairway trap, leaving nothing but a sideways blast that travelled just 30 feet into the rough again.
Playing as a single after Canadian Corey Conners withdrew pre-round through injury, Kiwi Ryan Fox continued his hot run with a closing 1-under 69 to finish in a tie for 19th at 7-over par.
Jason Day shot 73 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 23rd, Marc Leishman (77) was tied 38th and Cam Davis – also playing as a single – making four birdies on the back nine in a round of 73 to be tied 64th.
Final Australasian scores
T12 Adam Scott 70-70-67-79—286
T19 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-73-73-69—287
T23 Jason Day 76-67-72-73—288
T38 Marc Leishman 71-75-68-77—291
T64 Cam Davis 74-73-82-73—302
MC Cameron Smith 75-73—148
MC Min Woo Lee 77-72—149
Photo: Chris Keane/USGA
Lachlan Armour and Jack Sandic have taken out the Victorian PGA 4BBB Match Play Championship with a dominant victory in the final at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
A win on the 18th hole in the semi-final was the closest of the three matches Armour and Sandic played prior to facing off against Ryan Lynch and Kris Mueck.
Winners of this event in 2017, Lynch and Mueck endured a similar fate to those who had faced Armour and Sandic, going down 5&4 in the final on Friday.
This year marked the return of the Victorian PGA 4BBB Match Play Championship to the schedule for the first time since 2020.
Seemingly out of contention after just three holes, Samuel Slater produced a sensational comeback to claim a share of top spot at the Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Golf & Country Club Pro-Am today.
The long-hitting Queenslander played his final 13 holes in 10-under-par to post a 6-under-par 66 and join Christopher Wood and Harrison Wills as the titleholders at Middlemount, the opening leg of the Central Queensland swing on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series.
Wood and Wills were the first to 6-under before eventually being joined by Slater when he birdied his second last hole of the day to cap his charge into contention.
While Wood, who had seven birdies and a solitary bogey in his round, has been a prolific pro-am winner for more than a decade, Middlemount is victory number one for Wills, an infrequent pro-am entrant who collected nine birdies.
Turning point
Slater was near the tail of the field when he double-bogeyed the sixth and seventh holes, his second and third of the day, and was still at 4-over-par when he began the back nine.
The first signs of a remarkable turnaround came when he reeled off four consecutive birdies and an eagle from the 10th hole to move under-par for his round before another four-birdie streak came on the 18th through to the third.
Quick quotes
Slater said: “I was a bit rattled, that’s for sure. But anything can happen out there. That’s the approach I took to it. I’ve been working really hard on the short game. That’s the thing that’s let me down for several years, so it’s good to finally get that on track.”
Wills said: “Being from out here, all these little tracks like Middlemount are like a second home. It’s nice to be able to come out here, catch up with everyone and put a round together. I’m going to play a fair bit over the next couple of months and see what comes.”
Wood said: “I spent a good part of the first probably three or four years when I turned pro out here, coming out and supporting these events so it was good to come back after a few years off. The course is definitely a lot better than I can remember. I would’ve liked to have probably got off the tee a bit better, but I putted well and holed some good putts to get the momentum going.”
Leading scores
T1 Sam Slater 66
T1 Christopher Wood 66
T1 Harrison Wills 66
4 Ben Hollis 67
5 Jay Mackenzie 68
T6 Nathan Page 69
T6 Brendan Smith 69
T6 Lachlan Wood 69
T6 Cameron Bell 69
T6 Anthony Choat 69
Next up
The Central Queensland swing continues with the ABM Blackwater Pro-Am on Saturday and Sunday with Jay Mackenzie as the defending champion.
Former world No.1 Jason Day has delivered a brutal reality check for club golfers as he sets his sights on becoming the first Australian to win a US Open at famed Oakmont Country Club.
Built in 1903 with the express purpose of being the toughest golf course in the world, Oakmont has undergone a recent renovation under the guidance of Gil Hanse and promises to be as torturous as it has ever been.
Rough brushing players’ calves and sloping greens nudging 15 on the Stimpmeter have many questioning whether the best players on the planet will break par for 72 holes.
Wearing shorts emblazoned with the American flag that caused a social media stir of their own, Day said in a video posted to DP World Tour social media channels that not only would an 18-handicapper not play to their handicap, they’d need more than triple that number to even come close.
“A legit 18 marker, I think 150 is pretty solid,” said Day, which averages out to more than eight shots on every single hole.
“They would just struggle.
“I mean, it’s difficult out there. Most 18 handicappers typically don’t have the greatest control off the tee box. They’re probably hitting this swipey cut into the right rough. They’ve got no knowledge of how to hit the angle of attack on some of these so they’re hitting these shots which are coming out way left.
“They’re going to be beaming the ball across, back and forth.
“150 I feel like is very good for an 18-marker.”
Day played a practice round with fellow Australian Min Woo Lee on Tuesday, who also said that players who average 90 in their club competitions have no chance of breaking 100 at Oakmont at its fiercest.
“120,” was Lee’s estimation, 30-over an 18-marker’s handicap.
“The greens are so slick and slopey. And the rough is … I mean, we can barely get it out of the rough, so I don’t think an 18 handicapper would be able to get out of the rough.
“I don’t know if that’s ridiculous or generous, I’m not sure.
“Hopefully someone can experiment and average it out for us. But it’s a lot.”
Lee and Day make up a third of the Aussie contingent at Oakmont while there are 10 Australians teeing it up at the LPGA Tour’s Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
A week out from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, major winners Minjee Lee and Hannah Green will head the charge as Kirsten Rudgeley, Kelsey Bennett, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Amy Walsh line up for the Hulencourt Women’s Open in Belgium.
Photo: Mike Ehrmann/USGA
US Open
Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania
9:18pm* Adam Scott
10:02pm Cam Davis
10:02pm* Cameron Smith
2:41am Ryan Fox (NZ)
3:03am Min Woo Lee
3:36am Jason Day
3:58am* Marc Leishman
Recent champion: Bryson DeChambeau
Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1981), Geoff Ogilvy (2006)
Prize money: $US21.5m
TV times: Live 8:30pm-10am Thursday, Friday; Live 12am-10am Sunday; Live 1am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Michigan
9:15pm Sarah Kemp
9:15pm* Fiona Xu (NZ)
9:48pm Cassie Porter
9:48pm* Hannah Green
10:10pm Robyn Choi
10:10pm* Minjee Lee
11:05pm* Karis Davidson
11:16pm Grace Kim
3:10am* Stephanie Kyriacou
3:54am* Gabriela Ruffels
4:05am Hira Naveed
Recent champion: Lilia Vu
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US3m
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 5am-8am Saturday; Live 6:30am-8am Sunday; 9am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Hulencourt Women’s Open
Hulencourt, Belgium
4:43pm* Kelsey Bennett
4:54pm* Kirsten Rudgeley
5:16pm* Momoka Kobori (NZ)
5:38pm Amy Walsh
9:17pm Amelia Garvey (NZ)
10:01pm Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
10:23pm* Wenyung Keh (NZ)
Recent champion: Patricia Isabel Schmidt
Past Aussie winners: Karen Lunn (1988, 1990), Corinne Dibnah (1991)
Prize money: €300,000
TV times: Live 11:30pm-2:30am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 9pm-11:30pm Saturday; Live 9:45pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Japan Golf Tour/Korean PGA Tour
Hana Bank Invitational
The Heaven Country Club, South Korea
8:01pm Brad Kennedy
9:40pm* Junseok Lee, Michael Hendry (NZ)
Recent champion: Takashi Ogiso
Past Aussie winners: Junseok Lee (2022)
Prize money: KRW1.3b
Epson Tour
Great Lakes Championship
The Highlands, The Heather, Harbor Springs, Michigan
Australians in the field: Su Oh, Jess Whitting
Recent champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US250,000
HotelPlanner Tour
Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge
Kaskáda Golf Resort, Brno, Czech Republic
9:30pm Hayden Hopewell
9:30pm* Sam Jones (NZ)
9:40pm* Jye Pickin
Recent champion: Hamish Brown
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
LET Access Series
Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge
Panorama Golf Resort, Kacov, Czech Republic
Australians in the field: Stephanie Bunque, Justice Bosio, Belinda Ji, Abbie Teasdale, Kristalle Blum
Recent champion: Helen Briem
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €45,000
Legends Tour
Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy
Costa Navarino, Greece
5:17pm Michael Campbell (NZ)
5:28pm Scott Hend
6:23pm Michael Long (NZ)
Recent champion: Clark Dennis
Past Aussie winners: Nil
In a year in which Australia is enjoying a record representation on the LPGA Tour, Gold Coaster Robyn Choi is quietly going about taking that tally into double digits.
After the heartbreak of failing to retain her card by a single stroke at Q-Series Final Qualifying in December, Choi entered the 2025 season with limited status on the main tour and a full card on the Epson Tour.
The 27-year-old has made good use of those infrequent starts to currently sit 74th on the Race to CME Globe standings, rise 71 spots in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking in the past six weeks and enter the Australian Golf Power Rankings for the first time.
10. Adam Scott (Last week: 9)
Enters the US Open ranked No.42 in the Official World Golf Ranking after a strong showing at the PGA Championship and a tie for 41st at The Memorial Tournament.
9. Robyn Choi (New)
On the back of her first career LPGA Tour top-10 outside Australia at the Riviera Maya Open in Mexico, Choi was the leading Australian again at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Her tie for 11th saw her rise nine spots in the Race to CME Globe standings, enough to earn a place in this week’s Meijer LPGA Classic for what will be her fourth start of the year.
8. Jason Day (8)
Will need the issue in his left wrist that forced his withdrawal from The Memorial to be fully healed for the US Open test awaiting at Oakmont Country Club. Was tied eighth when the US Open was last played at Oakmont in 2016 when Day was at the height of his powers and ranked No.1 in the world.
7. Minjee Lee (6)
Returns to play this week at the Meijer LPGA Classic on the back of a strong performance at the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills. The former world No.2 is currently ranked No.23 in the world with a best result in 2025 a runner-up finish at the Blue Bay LPGA.
6. Stephanie Kyriacou (5)
A missed cut at the US Women’s Open was a disappointing result for a player with three top-six finishes in her previous five starts. Among the 10 Aussies in the field for this week’s Meijer LPGA Classic.
5. Min Woo Lee (4)
Struggled to make an impact since his breakthrough PGA TOUR win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in April. Was 49th at The Masters and missed the cut at the PGA Championship.
4. Karl Vilips (2)
Missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open in the same week he failed to advance from US Open Final Qualifying. Tie for 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge a fortnight ago is his best individual result since winning the Puerto Rico Open.
3. Marc Leishman (7)
Tuned up for his first major appearance since 2022 by leading the Ripper GC charge at LIV Golf Virginia. Days after playing 38 holes on golf’s longest day to earn a spot in the field for the US Open, Leishman shot 66 in the final round at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club to finish tied 10th.
2. Hannah Green (3)
Despite taking the week off, rose two spots in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking to be sixth heading into the Meijer LPGA Classic. Led the Aussie charge at the US Women’s Open with a tie for 12th, her best result in women’s golf’s toughest test.
1. Lucas Herbert (1)
On the back of missing out on qualifying for the US Open, Herbert struggled in the opening two rounds at LIV Golf Virginia before shooting 68 in the final round. Finishing 46th is his worst result of the LIV Golf season but he remains fifth in the individual standings.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Photos: Mogie Adamchik (Lee); Australian Golf (others)
A stalemate that required a change of hole mid-playoff produced the “best shot I’ve ever hit” as Kiwi Ryan Fox claimed a second PGA TOUR win in his past four starts at the RBC Canadian Open.
Tied for the lead entering the final round just three weeks after his breakthrough win at the Myrtle Beach Classic, Fox was stuck in neutral for much of Sunday at TPC Toronto.
One-under through 13 holes and bogey free, the 38-year-old threatened to become victim to a Sam Burns buzzsaw, the American matching the low round of the week – 8-under 62 – to post 18-under.
A three-time winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, Fox converted from 21 feet at the par-3 14th and then drew to within one of Burns with a brilliant wedge into three feet at the par-4 15th.
He squandered a birdie chance from just outside eight feet at the par-4 17th but found enough of the left edge of the hole at the par-5 18th to force a playoff with Burns.
Both made pars the first two trips back down 18 before greens staff change the hole location for the third playoff hole, an adjustment on-course commentator Wayne Riley had never seen his decorated playing and television careers.
After another halved hole, Fox stepped up and hit 3-wood from 269 yards at the fourth playoff hole to just seven feet.
While he would miss his eagle try, his proximity to the hole elicited a three-putt from Burns, tapping in for birdie as New Zealand’s All Whites soccer team raucously cheered on from an adjacent marquee.
“It’s the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life. There’s nothing close to that,” said Fox.
“We had a couple scrappy holes there, and then to hit the shot I hit on 18 on the fourth playoff, it was pretty surreal.
“Sam probably let me off the hook three-putting there, but I felt like I put pressure on him with that shot.
“It was pretty cool to have a nice little tap-in there and kind of soak it all in.”
Already through to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the All Whites defeated African champions Ivory Coast 1-0 in Toronto on Saturday, Fox thrilled to have his countrymen in the crowd so far from home.
“To have the Kiwi support out there, it was great. They were there all day,” said Fox, who has rocketed from 119th to 32nd in the Official World Golf Ranking in the past four weeks.
“We seem to have a lot of weeks where random Kiwis pop up, and to have the All Whites say, ‘Hey, is there any chance we can come out and watch on Sunday?’ was really cool.
“To be able to meet them all there at the end and get a photo with them was pretty special.”
As our ‘adopted Aussie’ claimed victory, there were a host of notable performances from Australians around the world.
Robyn Choi continues to make good use of limited playing opportunities on the LPGA Tour with a tie for 11th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Marc Leishman followed up from qualifying for the US Open with a tie for 10th at LIV Golf Virginia and Maddison Hinson-Tolchard earned her best result on the Ladies European Tour with a tie for eighth at the Tenerife Ladies Open in Spain.
Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
RBC Canadian Open
TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, North Course, Ontario
1 Ryan Fox (NZ) 66-66-64-66—262 $US1.764m
Won on fourth hole of sudden-death playoff
MC Harrison Endycott 67-71—138
MC Karl Vilips 73-69—142
MC Aaron Baddeley 70-72—142
LPGA Tour
ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer
Seaview Golf Club, Galloway, New Jersey
1 Jennifer Kupcho 68-64-66—198 $US262,500
T11 Robyn Choi 68-66-70—204 $30,575
T26 Karis Davidson 69-68-70—207 $15,906
T54 Sarah Kemp 71-69-71—211 $5,481
MC Sarah Jane Smith 74-69—143
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 73-72—145
MC Su Oh 73-75—148
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Virginia presented by MAADEN
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, Virginia
1 Joaquín Niemann 67-68-63—198 $US4m
T10 Marc Leishman 67-71-66—204 $361,000
T19 Ben Campbell (NZ) 72-73-62—207 $235,000
T23 Cameron Smith 70-70-68—208 $193,333
43 Danny Lee (NZ) 69-72-73—214 $128,000
46 Lucas Herbert 75-73-68—216 $125,000
T50 Matt Jones 75-75-70—220 $56,667
PGA TOUR Champions
American Family Insurance Championship
TPC Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
1 T. Bjørn/D. Clarke 59-58-64—181 $US300,000
6 B. Langer/S. Alker (NZ) 66-57-63—186 $75,000
T10 C. Percy/D. Bransdon 63-59-67—189 $43,500
T10 S. Appleby/M. Wright 63-63-63—189 $43,500
T12 S. Allan/G. Chalmers 65-61-64—190 $36,000
T15 T. Jaidee/B. Jones 62-64-65—191 $26,375
T15 M. Hensby/R. Green 61-62-68—191 $26,375
T15 R. Pampling/J. Senden 64-62-65—191 $26,375
DP World Tour
KLM Open
The International, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1 Connor Syme 65-72-66-70—273 €408,798.36
T26 Jason Scrivener 68-75-69-73—285 €19,701.33
T26 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 70-72-72-71—285 €19,701.33
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 76-74—150
MC David Micheluzzi 76-76—152
MC Daniel Gale 83-75—158
WD Danny List 77
Ladies European Tour
Tenerife Women’s Open
Abama Golf, Tenerife, Spain
1 Sara Kouskova 71-68-69-71—279 €75,000
T8 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 72-71-72-68—283 €11,250
T8 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 73-69-68-73—283 €11,250
T30 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 73-74-73-70—290 €4,494.44
T49 Wenyung Keh (NZ) 72-73-70-78—293 €2,450
MC Kirsten Rudgeley 76-73—149
MC Kelsey Bennett 76-77—153
Japan Golf Tour
BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup
Shishido Hills Country Club West Course
1 Taiga Semikawa 68-69-69-66—272 ¥30m
Won on first hole of sudden-death playoff
T24 Brad Kennedy 69-71-70-72—282 ¥1.35m
T62 Michael Hendry (NZ) 72-72-74-74—292 ¥336,000
Epson Tour
FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship
Battle Creek Country Club, Battle Creek, Michigan
1 Samantha Wagner 68-70-65—203 $US33,750
T25 Jennifer Elliott 70-72-70—212 $2,034
MC Soo Jin Lee 70-79—149
MC Jess Whitting 79-73—152
HotelPlanner Tour
Swiss Challenge
Golf Sempach, Lucerne, Switzerland
1 Félix Mory 67-68-68-69—272 €48,000
Won in sudden-death playoff
T36 Sam Jones (NZ) 67-73-70-73—283 €1,890
MC Hayden Hopewell 71-75—146
LET Access Series
Montauban Ladies Open
Golf de Montauban, France
1 Reina Fujikawa 70-68-71—209 €7,200
Won in sudden-death playoff
T4 Belinda Ji 69-72-70—211 €1,524.38
T14 Abbie Teasdale 74-66-73—213 €774.90
T25 Justice Bosio 71-74-70—215 €598.50
T35 Stephanie Bunque 74-71-72—217 €475.50
T43 Kristalle Blum 71-69-79—219 €382.50
T58 Amy Walsh 74-72-86—232 €135
Korn Ferry Tour
BMW Charity Pro-Am
Thornblade Club and Carolina Country Club
1 Austin Smotherman 65-62-66-67—260 $US180,000
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 72-72—144
MC Rhein Gibson 77-77—154
Korean PGA Tour
Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open
Asiad Country Club, Busam, South Korea
1 Hongtaek Kim 70-69-66-68—273
T45 Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 72-71-73-73—289
MC Changgi Lee (NZ) 76-73—149
MC Wonjoon Lee 74-75—149
MC Junseok Lee 77-74—151
Sunshine Tour
The Mopani Zambia Open
Nkana Golf Club, Kitwe, Zambia
1 Samuel Simpson 72-65-71-69—277
T53 Austin Bautista 72-72-73-76—293
NSW professional Andrew Campbell claimed one title and shared another as the North Queensland Series came to an end at the Roy Powell Security Pioneer Valley Pro-Am on Sunday.
Campbell was one of four players to shoot rounds of 6-under-par 66 on the Mackay region layout to share top spot in the final event of the five-round series, wrapping up the overall title and an additional $3000 bonus.
His 21-under-par total over Sarina, Mackay and Pioneer Valley was seven shots clear of runner-up, Victorian Lachlan Aylen.
The Coffs Harbour-based pro was joined by Queenslanders Cory Crawford and James Mee, as well as Victorian Andrew Kelly at the head of the Pioneer leaderboard.
Mee held the solo lead at 7-under until he bogeyed his final hole of the afternoon, the par-4 12th.
His share of the Pioneer Valley title was his second adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory for 2025, while Crawford, the 2024 Vic PGA campion on the Challenger PFA Tour of Australasia, and Kelly won for the first time this year.
On the packed leaderboard, another three players finished just a shot off top spot in a tie for fifth, while Mackay Festival of Golf champion Gavin Fairfax took a share of eighth after shooting a 68.
Turning point
The winner at Sarina to kick off the NQ Series presented by Mackay Regional Council, Campbell played a five-hole stretch of the Pioneer Valley front nine in 5-under-par, including an eagle at the par-5 seventh.
After two bogeys, and with challenges coming from all over the course, he then birdied 15, 16, 17 to ensure the double success.
Quick quotes
Campbell said: “To have three birdies coming home to end up tying for the lead was just a great way to finish off the week up here.
“It was a nice incentive to come up here and go for the series prize. It was going to test me and see where my game’s at, and it is great to know that it’s in a good place to start the season off.”
Leading scores
66 – Andrew Campbell, Cory Crawford, James Mee, Andrew Kelly
67 – Elliot Beel, Nathan Page, Brett Rankin
68 – Connor McDade, Anthony Choat, Jack Pountney, Alexander Simpson, Gavin Fairfax, Aaron Townsend, Mark Panopoulos, Will Florimo, Douglas Klein
69 – Leon Trenerry Bailey Arnott, Sam Brazel, Jay Mackenzie, Lachlan Aylen, Jayden Cripps, Caleb Bovalina, Aiden Didone
Next up
The adidas PGA ProAm Series has events coming up in Queensland and Western Australia this week.
In WA, first up is the Bennco Karratha Pro-Am on Karratha Country Club (June 11-12).
In Queensland, the Foxleigh Mine Middlemount Golf & Country Club Pro-Am will be played at Middlemount Golf Club on June 12.
June 6
Bogey-free Fairfax claims title in Mackay
Rounds of 63-67 gave the Queenslander a 36-hole total of 12-under-par and his first pro-am title for 2025.
Tighe (NSW) produced the lowest round of the event, a 9-under-par 62, in the final round, which included a front nine of 30, to end up one shot behind after starting Friday in a share of 14th.
Host club amateur Josh Reid finished in impressive tie for seventh after shooting a 65 in the second round.
The pro-am, contested by a host of regulars from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, was one of the features of the celebrations for Mackay Golf Club’s 100th anniversary.
Turning point
A two-shot leader after day one, Fairfax immediately set about consolidating his advantage with birdies at the first and third holes on day two, while his nearest challenger, James Gibellini, fell away.
Fairfax completed his 36 holes without a bogey and had the luxury of only needing a par on the par-5 18th to secure the one-shot win, his first title since Keysborough last March.
Quick quotes
Fairfax said: “I think I was 3-under through nine. I got both the par fives and then hit a good approach into the third, so that kind of got the momentum going a little bit.
“On the back nine, I kind of knew where I sat so I played away from a few pins. And being honest, I probably should have played a little more aggressively on the back nine.
“I did enough just to not put any damage on the card and I think that’s the main objective when you’ve got a lead and you’re trying to get it done.”
Leading scores
1 Gavin Fairfax (Qld) 63-67 – 130
2 Lincoln Tighe (NSW) 69-62 – 131
3 Douglas Klein (Qld) 66-67 – 133
4 Lucas Higgins (NSW) 69-65 – 134
T5 Alex Edge (NSW) 69-66 – 135
T5 Sam Brazel (NSW) 67-68 – 135
T7 Jack Munro (Qld) 71-65 – 136
T7 Josh Reid (Qld, a) 71-65 – 136
T7 Lachlan Aylen (Vic) 71-65 – 136
T7 James Gibellini (Qld) 65-71 – 136
Next up
The North Queensland swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series finishes with the Roy Powell Security Pioneer Valley Pro-Am on Sunday.
Andrew Campbell leads the standings in the North Queensland Series sponsored by Mackay Regional Council at 15-under-par, three ahead of Brendan Smith and four clear of Lachlan Aylen.
June 1
Campbell cashes in at Sarina
Coffs Harbour-based professional Andrew Campbell hopes to repeat his North Queensland Series win of two years ago after a three-shot win at the CMR Recycling Sarina Golf Club Pro-Am.
Victory at Sarina two years ago put Campbell on the path to claiming the North Queensland Series, a double he hopes to repeat in 2025.
Trailing Ben Henkel by three after Round 1, Campbell shot 6-under 64 in Round 2 for an 11-under total, three clear of Tropics Pro-Am winner Connor McDade (67), fellow Coffs product Jack Pountney (68), Will Bruyeres (65) and Brendan Smith (63).
“Fortunately, two years ago when I won this event, it set me up to win the Series prize,” said Campbell.
“That was my focus coming up here. I wanted to play good golf and put myself in a position to win that Series prize because that means, ultimately, I’m going to play five good rounds of golf.
“It’s almost like a tour event with an extra round. I just want to see where my game’s at and put myself in contention.
“There’s nothing like winning.”
Turning point
With ground to make up in Round 2, Campbell warmed into his work with two pars to start and then unleashed a birdie barrage.
He made four on the trot from the par-5 fifth and then made it six in seven holes with back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11.
A dropped shot at the par-4 12th was a slight stumble, one he regained with a birdie at the very next hole.
Quick quotes
“This win feels a little bit different to the rest,” said Campbell.
“It’s sort of been a little while since I’ve had a win and to come back here and get another win a couple of years since I won here… it feels a bit different.
“It’s really nice after having three months off and being stuck in Coffs where it’s been raining and really haven’t had much time to practise.
“Promising signs to start the season off.”
Leading scores
1 Andrew Campbell 65-64—129
T2 Jack Pountney 64-68—132
T2 Connor McDade 65-67—132
T2 William Bruyeres 67-65—132
T2 Brendan Smith 69-63—132
T6 Dillon Hart 70-63—133
T6 Ben Henkel 62-71—133
T6 Aaron Pike 64-69—133
T6 Tim Hart 67-66—133
Next up
After a couple of days’ rest, the North Queensland Series continues on Thursday for the two-day PIMS Mackay Festival of Golf at Mackay Golf Club.
May 28
McDade cruises home at Tropics
Melburnian Connor McDade has produced two superb days of golf to capture the Mercedes-Benz Tropics Golf Club Pro-Am by two shots, as the North Queensland Swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series got underway.
It is McDade’s first win of the year, however it is only his second event, and the win pockets him a nice $4,490 for topping the $25,000 event moving him to seventh on the National Pro-Am Order of Merit.
With rounds of 66 and 65, the Royal Melbourne Golf Club member finished at 13-under, clear of Brendan Smith (11-under) in second, and the in-form Jay McKenzie (8-under) in third.
Turning point
With Smith and McKenzie matching McDade’s final day 65, it was really the Victorian’s opening round that proved the difference.
His 6-under 66 on day one was the best round by two-shots on a day where only six players in the field carded a sub-70 round.
Quick quotes
McDade said: “It’s a nice hot start to the Troppo Tour, which is what I was looking for, so I’m stoked to put two hot rounds together.
“Brendan (Smith), he’s obviously a great player and has been for a long time. I don’t think he ever got within one shot of me at any time, but I just felt the pressure from him all day long. He had no let up and he was really trying to win the event, so that made it a lot tougher down the stretch.
“He (Smith) nearly holed his pitch shot on the last. He was really aggressive off the tee and put himself about 40-metres out from the green and nearly holed it. So that would’ve made it a little bit more interesting. But yeah, I made a really solid par on the last, so got it done.”
Leading scores
1 Connor McDade 131
2 Brendan Smith 133
3 Jay McKenzie 136
4 William Bruyeres 137
5 Lachlan Aylen, Dean Jamieson, Ben Hollis 140
Next up
The North Queensland Series sponsored by Mackay Regional Council begins with the 36-hole CMR Recycling Sarina Golf Club Pro-Am starting Saturday.
Victorian Marc Leishman has had a career to date that most golfers only dream of, however, there are two notable absences from his otherwise illustrious resume.
The boy from Warrnambool is yet to break through in an Australian Open or a BMW Australian PGA Championship, and major championship glory has proved just as illusive.
However, if playing – and surviving – 38-holes on Tuesday at US Open Final Qualifying wasn’t evidence enough, 41-year-old Leishman revealed to Australian media today that despite his nearly three-year absence from the sport’s greatest tests, his hunger still burns bright.
“Obviously golf’s a funny game and you need a lot of stuff to go right on the right weeks, particularly the major weeks,” he said.
“I’ve never treated them any different to the event I’m playing this week or to the Australian PGA or whatever it might be.
“I just sort of prepare the way I prepare and hope that I’ve got my good stuff on the right week.
“I feel like that my game is probably as good as it’s ever been. My mindset is as good as it’s ever been and hopefully I can get the breaks and come out on top.”
Leishman has six top-10s in majors, yet none have come at the US Open, which he confesses have not been his “forte”.
Tied for 14th at The Country Club (Brookline) in 2022 – his last US Open start – is his best finish to date, however prior to that, it was his T18 finish in the 2016 championship, at none other than next week’s venue, Oakmont Country Club.
While the US Open may have not proved kind to Leishman in the past, he says that Oakmont is a very familiar and inviting venue for him.
“I love it,” he said of the Pennsylvanian links-inspired layout. “I love the feel of the place, not even just at a US Open, obviously there’s people everywhere and all that, but the feel of the golf course, it’s very working class.
“It reminds me a lot of home. The members are all, they seem like really good people and I feel like I fit in there.
“The golf course is unbelievable. I love how hilly the greens are, how fast the greens are. I feel like if I can have a good week with my driver, and I’ve been driving it well, I can really let my iron play do its thing.”
Yes, Leishman would have loved to have been a part of the 2023 and 2024 majors, however he says the two years away has given him some added perspective which may bode well for him at Oakmont.
“I never really enjoyed the mental test of it to be honest,” he said of the most penal of the men’s major championships. “Obviously I enjoyed being there, but how mentally draining it is, I never really enjoyed that.
“I think the older I’ve gotten the more I’ve embraced that and enjoyed it.
“Also the way my game’s evolved over the years, I’m driving it a lot better or probably better than I ever have, and I’ve gradually improved that over the last, particularly since probably about 2015.
“It’s gotten a lot better since then and I think that lends itself to good play in the US Open.”
Leishman will be joined at Oakmont by fellow Australians Cam Davis, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith.
