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The PGA Legends Tour is proud to announce Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Australia as its official charity partner
Since opening its first House in Australia in 1981, RMHC has provided vital support to families with ill or injured children.
In 2024 alone, RMHC supported more than 69,000 families across the country with accommodation and other essential services that ease the burden during some of life’s most difficult moments.
This partnership will see funds raised at PGA Legends Tour events go directly towards supporting families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide. Many of these families are in towns and cities featured on the PGA Legends Tour schedule, strengthening the local impact of this initiative.
The PGA Legends Tour players will donate a percentage of total prizemoney to RMHC and encourage its host venues to promote the charity and take donations on the day of events.
PGA Legends Tour co-ordinator Andy Rogers said the Tour and its members were delighted to welcome RMHC as its charity partner.
“It’s a privilege to team up with partner with RMHC Australia, a charity that plays a crucial role in the lives of so many Australian families,” he said.
“Our members are passionate about giving back, and this partnership allows us to make a real difference to families going through unimaginable challenges.
“As we travel the country, we constantly hear first-hand how RMHC has helped families stay together and close to their child’s healthcare needs. It’s a meaningful connection for us, and we’re proud to support their work through our events”
Barbara Ryan, CEO of RMHC Australia, welcomed the partnership and praised the PGA Legends Tour’s commitment
“We are thrilled to partner with the PGA Legends Tour,” she said. “Their support will directly help us continue to provide essential support to families during their most challenging times.
“Together, we can ensure that families can stay close to their children and focused on what matters most – their health and recovery.”
This partnership reflects a shared mission to improve health outcomes and support families across Australia, uniting sport and charity for a cause that touches thousands of lives each year.
We woke on Monday morning with a glimmer of hope that Adam Scott was going to turn back the clock and push for major No.2 only for Quail Hollow’s infamous ‘Green Mile’ to add the Masters champ to its lengthy list of casualties.
In a week that started with Cam Davis prominent in the PGA Championship in Charlotte, he and Scott had to ultimately settle for a share of 19th as Scottie Scheffler claimed major No.3.
Scott was just three strokes back when he made the turn in 2-under to be 6-under for the tournament but an untimely bogey on 14 and three dropped shots in his final two holes ended hopes of a top-10 finish.
With less than a week’s notice that he was in the field, Elvis Smylie squeezed every ounce of juice out of his second major championship, playing all four rounds for the first time in his career after making the cut on the number.
With no tournament to play it was a quiet week for our best women golfers, West Australian Maddison Hinson-Tolchard the only Aussie to play all three rounds of the Dutch Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour.
10. Marc Leishman (Last week: 8)
The only member of Ripper GC with a LIV Golf individual win to his name the past two seasons. Next start is at LIV Golf Virginia, just three hours from his home in Virginia Beach.
9. Adam Scott (New)
Played his way into a share of second early in the back nine at the PGA Championship before succumbing to Quail Hollow’s treacherous ‘Green Mile’. Tied for 19th, Scott finished the week 13th in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and 15th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
8. Elvis Smylie (New)
Another important step forward for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner. Notified less than a week out that he had received a special exemption into the PGA Championship, Smylie showed great composure to make the cut in a major for the first time in his career.
7. Minjee Lee (7)
All eyes are on next week’s US Women’s Open at Erin Hills for the 2022 champion. Has five top-15 finishes from nine starts in 2025.
6. Jason Day (6)
Failed to make the weekend at the PGA Championship for just the second time since 2012. Tie for eighth at The Masters is one of three top-10s on the PGA TOUR this year.
5. Hannah Green (5)
In the midst of a two-week break to “knuckle down” and find the spark that can ignite her season. Has three top 10s from seven starts on the LPGA Tour this season.
4. Stephanie Kyriacou (4)
Has three top-six finishes in her past six starts, the most recent being a tie for fifth at the Mizuho Americas Open. Building nicely toward the US Women’s Open.
3. Karl Vilips (3)
All areas of Vilips’ game were put to the test at Quail Hollow as he made his first start in a major since turning professional. Took 66 putts across the first two rounds to miss the cut.
2. Min Woo Lee (2)
Fought bravely on the back nine in Round 2 but bogeys at 17 and 18 meant that Lee missed the cut by three at the PGA Championship. Taking the week off before returning to the Memorial next week.
1. Lucas Herbert (1)
Was likely a frustrated PGA Championship spectator on the back of his sixth career win at the International Series Japan on the Asian Tour. Was tied for eighth at International Series Macau and has three top-five finishes on LIV Golf this season.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Brisbane’s Michael Wright made the most of a late call-up to record his second top-10 finish in a senior major at the Regions Tradition in Alabama.
Heavy rain that inundated Greystone Golf and Country Club on Sunday morning prevented the final round from reaching its conclusion, Angel Cabrera and Jerry Kelly tied for the lead at 18-under with three and four holes to play respectively.
Kiwi Steven Alker is within two shots of the lead with three holes still to complete, all 10 Aussies getting through 72 holes before play was suspended due to darkness.
Tied for seventh at the Kaulig Companies Championship last year, Wright played the weekend in 11-under par to sit in eighth position and guaranteed to finish as the lone Australian inside the top 10.
It is a performance made even more noteworthy given the 51-year-old was only added to the field when Scott Verplank withdrew from the tournament.
Inspired by a 7-under run on his final 11 holes on Saturday, Wright started with a birdie on Sunday and remained bogey-free the entire final round, making eagle at the par-5 13th for the second straight day to go with birdies at 11 and 15 in a round of 5-under 67.
Victorian Richard Green held the 36-hole lead after rounds of 63-68 but dropped from contention when he shot 3-over 75 on Saturday.
Leading the Legends Tour Order of Merit, Scott Hend was tied ninth at the OFX Irish Legends and Adam Scott and Cam Davis both finished tied 19th at the PGA Championship in Charlotte.
Seven strokes back of Scottie Scheffler through 54 holes, Scott was in a tie for second and just three off the lead early on the back nine but, like many, succumbed to Quail Hollow’s demanding closing stretch including a double-bogey on the 72nd hole.
Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Results
US PGA Championship
Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
1 Scottie Scheffler 69-68-65-71—273 $US3.42m
T19 Cam Davis 66-74-70-72—282 $193,442
T19 Adam Scott 69-71-69-73—282 $193,442
T28 Ryan Fox (NZ) 67-71-72-73—283 $115,820
T72 Elvis Smylie 70-73-77-74—294 $23,655
MC Min Woo Lee 74-72—146
MC Jason Day 73-75—148
MC Cameron Smith 78-71—149
MC Karl Vilips 78-75—153
PGA TOUR Champions
Regions Tradition
Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Alabama
To be completed Monday morning
8 Michael Wright 70-71-66-67—274
T15 Richard Green 63-68-75-71—277
T22 Mark Hensby 70-73-68-68—279
T27 Greg Chalmers 67-71-70-73—281
T36 Cameron Percy 70-69-73-70—282
T38 Stuart Appleby 72-71-69-71—283
T38 David Bransdon 69-71-72-71—283
T46 Steve Allan 73-68-73-71—285
T46 Rod Pampling 73-70-68-74—285
74 John Senden 76-75-75-84—310
Ladies European Tour
Dutch Ladies Open
Goyer Golf and Country Club, Eemnes, Netherlands
1 Mimi Rhodes 69-69-69—207 €49,500
T4 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 70-69-71—210 €11,550
T25 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 69-76-70—215 €3,545.14
T53 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 77-67-75—219 €1,210
MC Kirsten Rudgeley 75-76—151
MC Wenyung Keh (NZ) 76-77—153
MC Kelsey Bennett 78-75—153
Korn Ferry Tour
AdventHealth Championship
Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri
1 S.H. Kim 66-65-66-71—268 $US180,000
T21 Rhein Gibson 69-73-68-70—280 $10,950
MC Harry Hillier (NZ) 73-78—151
Korea PGA Tour
SK Telecom Open
Pinks GC, Korea
1 Jaewoong Eom 66-69-67—202
MC Wonjoon Lee 71-71—142
MC Changgi Lee (NZ) 72-75—147
MC Junseok Lee 77-77—154
MC Sungjin Yeo (NZ) 76-78—154
Epson Tour
Copper Rock Championship
Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah
1 Gina Kim 69-65-69—203 $US37,500
MC Soo Jin Lee 80-74—154
Legends Tour
OFX Irish Legends
Mount Juliet Estate, Co Kilkenny, Ireland
1 James Kingston 66-72-66—204
T9 Scott Hend 67-69-72—208
T45 Michael Campbell (NZ) 75-74-71—220
T49 Michael Long (NZ) 75-75-72—222
Sunshine Tour
Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am
Irene Country Club, Centurion, South Africa
1 Luis Carrera 63-67-66-62—258
T31 Austin Bautista 69-69-69-71—278
His best major finish in six years slipped through Adam Scott’s fingers as American Scottie Scheffler survived a Sunday scare to claim the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
The world No.1 seemed destined to convert a three-stroke lead into a third major championship triumph at the start of play, yet a front-nine struggle gave others a glimpse at causing a boil over.
Two-under on his round courtesy of birdies at four, seven and 10, Scott was briefly in a share of second and just three strokes off the lead as Scheffler played the front nine in 2-over to drop back to 9-under for the championship.
Tied with Spain’s Jon Rahm, Scheffler moved one clear again with birdie at the par-5 10th and then picked up shots at both 14 and 15 to apply a squeeze that crushed the hopes of Rahm and any other potential contenders, the five-stroke margin of victory testament to his toughness and pure will to win.
Scott’s hopes effectively ended with a bogey at the short par-4 14th.
In the right rough with his tee shot, the 44-year-old took a full swing with lob wedge but came up short in the greenside bunker, unable to get up-and-down to save par to drop back to 5-under.
He missed a birdie chance from 22 feet at the par-5 15th and then made bogey at the par-3 17th when his chip from the right of the green came up 18 feet short of the hole.
A blistered drive of 331 yards into the left fairway on 18 was squandered when Scott’s approach shot finished left of the hazard that runs along the left side, a miraculous chip from a downhill lie inside the penalty area a final piece of wizardry on his way to a double-bogey at the 72nd hole.
Those three dropped shots in two holes saw Scott fall to a tie for 19th with a round of 2-over 73 and level with fellow Australian Cam Davis (72) at 2-under.
Davis made three birdies in succession on the front nine as he made the turn 1-under, moving to 2-under on his round with birdie at the par-5 10th.
But after a birdie on 15, the infamous ‘Green Mile’ would hit Davis hard also, dropping shots at each of the final three holes to end the week at 2-under.
The week after a maiden PGA TOUR win, Kiwi Ryan Fox closed with a round of 2-over 73 to finish tied 28th as Elvis Smylie rounded out his first weekend at a major with a round of 3-over 74.
Victorian Richard Green will need to conjure something special on Sunday after his flatstick failed him in Round 3 of the Regions Tradition in Alabama.
Chasing his first PGA TOUR Champions win in the first senior major of the year, Green will start the final round five back due to a frustrating day on the greens in a round of 3-over 75.
The silky left-hander was even par through eight holes of the third round but a bogey on nine followed by a double-bogey due to two poor chips at the par-3 10th saw him dethroned from the top of the leaderboard.
He would par his way in as American Jerry Kelly (65) charged, Green unable to find any joy with the putter as he hit 15 of 18 greens in regulation.
The 54-year-old will start the final round in a share of 10th at 10-under par, Brisbane’s Michael Wright just one shot further back at 9-under on the back of a productive Round 3.
Kelly’s 65 was the only round better than Wright’s 6-under 66 on day three, the 51-year-old making eagle at the par-5 13th and three birdies on the trot from the 15th hole to climb 19 spots and into a tie for 13th with one round to play.
Greg Chalmers (70) will start Sunday in a tie for 15th at 8-under par, Rod Pampling and Mark Hensby both rising into a tie for 32nd on the back of rounds of 4-under 68.
Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
He has been a professional less than a year yet Aussie prodigy Karl Vilips is “definitely on the radar” of 2026 Presidents Cup captain and major winner Geoff Ogilvy.
Vilips will further his progression when he plays his first major championship as a professional at the US PGA Championship starting late tonight AEST, the 23-year-old paired with Thorbjorn Olesen and Laurie Canter for rounds one and two.
A maiden PGA TOUR win in just his fourth start at the Puerto Rico Open in March earned Vilips his place in the field at Quail Hollow Club, and gave Ogilvy further cause to sit up and take notice.
Named captain of the International team for the 2026 matches in Chicago a fortnight ago, Ogilvy has been aware of Vilips from his day as a pint-sized precocious kid with his own YouTube channel collecting junior trophies across the globe.
That he is now being considered a contender to take on the might of the US is a surprise even to the man tasked with engineering an International win more than 25 years in the making.
“I’m not massive on social media, but I was always pretty aware that he was pretty good,” said Ogilvy.
“He went to Stanford and went all four years, which was impressive because these prodigies usually end up getting out there too early. That was really smart.
“Then he comes out of college and just goes win-win bang. And now he’s out here and he’s won on the main Tour. It’s pretty impressive.
“If you look at the top players in the world, usually they’ve had lives like him. Tiger (Woods) and Justin Thomas and (Phil) Mickelson and all these guys, and Ernie Els, they start golf when they’re starting to walk.
“And Karl was the same.
“That transition from college or amateur golf to pro golf is not easy – we’ve seen a lot of guys stumble at that hurdle – but he’s just made it look pretty easy.
“The future is bright for him. He’s definitely on my radar.”
Vilips first came on the radar of Jason Day’s long-time coach Colin Swatton at the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst when introduced by Karl’s father, Paul Vilips.
It wasn’t until Vilips broke his finger playing basketball and was enduring a challenging period in his development that Golf Australia’s High Performance Director, Brad James, reached out in 2020 to see if Swatton would coach a talented teen in need of direction.
“I met a kid that was extremely low on confidence, didn’t know really the direction his game was going to come out on the back end of the surgery,” Swatton shared.
“He was looking at changing grip positions because of the broken finger and he had some stuff going on in his swing that was definitely a red flag.
“Paul basically asked me to get involved from a short-game perspective and it wasn’t long until I was working with him from a long-game perspective.”
As he refines a swing and overall game that has already proven itself at the highest level, Swatton has marvelled at Vilips’ mental make-up.
Before he had played his first event as a PGA TOUR member, Vilips was speaking excitedly about playing the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town, one of his favourite golf courses.
The issue, as Swatton saw it, was that the RBC was a limited-field Signature Event worth $US20 million that his rookie charge was a long shot of playing.
And then Puerto Rico happened.
“I just thought to myself, here’s a kid that saw himself somewhere months before it happened,” Swatton added.
“And it’s the law of attraction. What you focus on is what will become your beliefs and your future.
“He wasn’t focused on anything else other than where he thinks he needs to be.
“It took Jason three years to figure out how to win on the PGA TOUR and he’s won within the first four events of being on TOUR.
“He’s definitely ahead of the curve and I think he could be really, really special.
“Given the right environment, given the right people around him, given the right information, I think he could be one of Australian’s great golfers.”
Ten Aussies will endeavour to end more than two decades of missed opportunities in senior major championships at the first over-50s major of 2025 this week in Alabama.
The influx of Australian talent onto the PGA TOUR Champions has been on an upward trajectory for the past three years yet tournament wins – including in the five biggest events each year – have proved elusive.
While Kiwi Steven Alker has amassed nine Champions Tour wins – including the 2022 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – only Mark Hensby (pictured, right), Rod Pampling and Steve Allan have won on the senior circuit in the US the past two years.
The drought in senior majors stretches back to 2002 when Stewart Ginn won the Senior Players Championship, one of only four Aussies along with Ian Stanley, Graham Marsh and Peter Thomson to claim one of the showpiece events on the senior circuit.
That drought could end this week at the Regions Tradition with a contingent of Aussies who have come close in recent years.
Victorian Richard Green was twice a runner-up in senior majors last year, Greg Chalmers (pictured, left) had a share of the lead going into last year’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship while Hensby, Pampling and Stuart Appleby all boast top-three finishes since 2022.
It is a rare double week of major championship action with seven Australians and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox to contest the US PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club.
While our three most recent major champions in Cameron Smith, Jason Day and Adam Scott are present again, it also marks the emergence of the next wave of Aussie superstars.
A breakthrough PGA TOUR win at last month’s Houston Open was the next step in Min Woo Lee’s progression and both Karl Vilips and Elvis Smylie will play the PGA Championship for the first time.
Vilips only graduated from Stanford University 12 months ago but has already earned his first PGA TOUR win while Smylie received a special exemption as Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner.
It is the second major championship for both and an opportunity for Smylie to take what he learned at last year’s Open Championship and apply it in a major setting.
“I feel like I’ll do a really good job at just not burning myself out too much,” said Smylie, who played a practice round with Day and Lee on Tuesday.
“My tendency last year at The Open was wanting to play a lot, just because it’s a major, it’s just really exciting.
“I’m doing my best at being able to prepare like any other tournament, so that’s where the experience of having Ritchie (Smith, Smylie’s coach) around will be really beneficial.”
Photos: Getty Images
Round 1 tee times AEST
US PGA Championship
Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
9:05pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)
9:49pm* Jason Day
10:11pm* Min Woo Lee
10:17pm Karl Vilips
2:36am* Cam Davis
3:03am Adam Scott
4:09am Cameron Smith
4:26am* Elvis Smylie
Past champion: Xander Schauffele
Past Aussie winners: Jim Ferrier (1947), David Graham (1979), Wayne Grady (1990), Steve Elkington (1995), Jason Day (2015)
TV times: Live 3am-9am Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
Regions Tradition
Greystone G&CC, Birmingham, Alabama
1:15am David Bransdon
1:48am Stuart Appleby
1:59am Cameron Percy
2:10am Mark Hensby
2:10am* Steven Alker (NZ)
2:21am John Senden
2:54am Richard Green
3:16am Steve Allan
3:27am Greg Chalmers, Rod Pampling
3:27am* Michael Wright
Past champion: Doug Barron
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1999)
Prize money: $US2.6m
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday, Saturday; Live 4am-7am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Dutch Ladies Open
Goyer Golf and Country Club, Eemnes, Netherlands
Australasians in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Momoka Kobori (NZ), Kelsey Bennett, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Wenyung Keh (NZ), Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
Past champion: Jana Melichova
Past Aussie winners: Corinne Dibnah (1993), Stephanie Kyriacou (2021)
Prize money: €330,000
Korn Ferry Tour
AdventHealth Championship
Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri
11:46pm Harry Hillier (NZ)
3:43am* Rhein Gibson
Past champion: Harry Higgs
Past Aussie winners: Michael Sim (2009), James Nitties (2011)
Prize money: $US1m
Korea PGA Tour
SK Telecom Open
Pinks GC, Korea
8:12am* Changgi Lee (NZ)
8:23am Sungjin Yeo (NZ)
8:45am* Junseok Lee
1:02pm Wonjoon Lee
Past champion: KJ Choi
Past Aussie winners: Kurt Barnes (2011), Matthew Griffin (2013)
Prize money: KRW1.3b
Epson Tour
Copper Rock Championship
Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah
5:59am* Su Oh
Past champion: Fiona Xu
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US250,000
Legends Tour
OFX Irish Legends
Mount Juliet Estate, Co Kilkenny, Ireland
Australasians in the field: Michael Campbell (NZ), Scott Hend, Michael Long (NZ)
Past champion: Adilson da Silva
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Sunshine Tour
Kit Kat Cash & Carry Pro-Am
Irene Country Club, Centurion, South Africa
Aussies in the field: Austin Bautista
Past champion: Kieran Vincent
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: R2m
Long-time coach and mentor Col Swatton has taken Jason Day back in time to unlock a future he is convinced will feature further major championship success.
Reunited at the start of this year, it is 10 years since Swatton and Day celebrated one of the seminal moments in Australian golf when they fulfilled major championship destiny at the 2015 US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Not only did it mark the summit of a shared journey that began when Day came under Swatton’s watch as a troubled teen attending the Hills International School west of the Gold Coast, it was the centrepiece in a stretch of golf that made Day the best player in the game.
In the decade since, Day’s family with wife Ellie has expanded to five children, he has endured a debilitating back injury and, after parting ways with Swatton in 2020, sought swing changes with a range of coaches and a period where he chose to go solo.
The past decade has also seen Day record runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship (2016) and The Open Championship (2023) and win a further six times on the PGA TOUR, spending 51 weeks as the world No.1.
Now 37 years of age, Day spent the majority of 2022 outside the top 100 but has enjoyed a resurgence, a resurgence Swatton believes can continue by looking back at what made him great in the first place.
“Jase just needs to, in his own words, quiet the noise that he’s been going through for the last three or four years,” said Swatton, who has both Day and rookie Karl Vilips in the field this week at Quail Hollow Club.
“He also needs to get back to the things that have made him great, and I think he’s gotten away from those a little bit in the last three or four years.
“Part of my job and part of my role is to come back in and say, ‘Hey, this is what you did when you were the best player in the world.’ Remind him of that, but also to hold him somewhat accountable to that. To be able to say, ‘This is what you did. We need to get back to that winning formula and allow everything else to fall into place.’”
When the pair combined for major championship glory, Day was a tenacious 27-year-old in the midst of four wins in the space of six events with world golf at his mercy.
The motivating forces may have changed in the decade since, yet Swatton sees the game and a new cause driving him to the best in the sport again.
“Jason’s in a different place now. He’s got five kids; Dash (Day’s eldest) is a very fine golfer in his own right,” said Swatton.
“When you reach the highest of highs and you become the best player in the world, you get to the top of the mountain and you go, OK, that’s great, it smells and looks a little different up here.
“I think Jase wants to set examples and sort of say, ‘This is what your dad did, but also, too, this is who your dad is.’ Set examples, lifetime lessons for his kids.
“I think he wants to prove not only to himself, but to his family, that this is who Jason Day is.
“I’ve definitely seen the signs that I need to see to feel encouraged and I think Jason’s seen the signs that he needs to also feel encouraged.
“Whether it’s this year or not, I definitely think he’s got another (major) in him, if not more.”
Day was at the peak of his powers when he held off world No.1 Jordan Spieth at the 2015 PGA Championship with Swatton on the bag.
With legacy on his shoulders and Lake Michigan sitting ominously to his left, Day delivered a superb tee shot to the heart of the green at the par-3 17th to protect his three-shot advantage.
When Day marked his ball after his birdie putt from 40 feet came to rest a foot from the cup on the 72nd hole, tears began to flow.
Reflecting on that moment, Swatton admitted that he started to become overcome by emotion back in the 18th fairway.
“It is a tough hole to get it done, to be fair. It’s a difficult shot,” Swatton recalled of the par-4 finisher.
“It’s a semi-blind tee shot and the second shot you are hitting to this amphitheatre green with the whole clubhouse in the background and the crowd lining the right side of the fairway.
“I remember Jason turning to me and I’m trying to have this conversation with him. I’m trying to give him the yardage, give him the wind direction, give him everything else and he just said, ‘Tell me where to hit it.’
“It was probably that moment, for the first time all day, that I kind of got a little nervous and I allowed the moment to get a little bit… not out of control, but just envelop us both.
“It was like, you knock it on the green here and you manage the two putt and you’re going to become a major championship winner and win the PGA Championship.
“That’s probably the moment that I kind of allowed it to get maybe a little too much for the both of us.
“That embrace after he knocked that putt in and watching Jase just do the belly cry and sob, there’s nothing better than that.”
Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Any debate regarding Australia’s in-form golfer was erased when Lucas Herbert completed a five-stroke wire-to-wire win at the International Series Japan.
Two years since his last win on foreign soil – also in Japan – Herbert opened by matching the course record of 9-under 62 and conjured two eagles in his final four holes on Saturday to enter the final round with a share of the lead.
The Ford NSW Open winner last November, Herbert lost the lead early Sunday but only briefly, making eagle on the 72nd hole for a commanding margin of victory.
But Herbert was not the only player in the Power Rankings to enjoy a good week.
Stephanie Kyriacou’s tie for fifth at the Mizuho Americas Open was her second straight top-six finish while Kelsey Bennett returns after a third consecutive top-10 finish on the Ladies European Tour.
This week the focus turns to the second men’s major of the year where there are seven Aussies and Kiwi Ryan Fox in the field for the US PGA Championship.
10. Cameron Smith (Last week: 10)
A tie for seventh in his last start at LIV Golf Korea was the Ripper GC captain’s third top 10 in LIV Golf events in succession. After an uncharacteristic missed cut at The Masters is back on the major stage at this week’s PGA Championship.
9. Kelsey Bennett (New)
Sitting at a career high of 225th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking courtesy of her third consecutive top-10 finish on the Ladies European Tour. Now sits 15th on the Order of Merit in her rookie season courtesy of her tie for eighth at the Aramco Korea Championship.
8. Marc Leishman (8)
A win at LIV Golf Miami is the high point of Leishman’s season that also includes a tie for sixth at the first event of the year at Riyadh. Currently 10th in the LIV Golf individual standings.
7. Minjee Lee (7)
Bounced back from her withdrawal from the Black Desert Championship with a tie for 15th at the Mizuho Americas Open. That result was Lee’s sixth top-15 finish from nine starts this season.
6. Jason Day (6)
A decade on from his US PGA Championship triumph, Day returns to Quail Hollow this week where he was victorious at the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. Was a late withdrawal from last week’s Truist Championship but held his spot at No.32 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
5. Hannah Green (5)
Now ranked No.8 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking after finishing tied for 33rd at the Mizuho Americas Open. Won’t play again until the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills starting May 29.
4. Stephanie Kyriacou (4)
Moved inside the top 40 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking for the first time on the back of a tie for fifth at the Mizuho Americas Open. Has not finished outside the top 30 in her past six starts and boasts three top-six finishes in that time.
3. Karl Vilips (3)
Spent time working with coach Col Swatton after missing out on a call-up as an alternate for the Truist Championship. The Puerto Rico Open winner is making his US PGA Championship debut this week at Quail Hollow.
2. Min Woo Lee (2)
After a bright start, shot 2-over across the weekend to finish tied for 51st at the Truist Championship. Dropped two spots to 27th on the world ranking as a result.
1. Lucas Herbert (1)
Solidified his place as Australia’s most in-form golfer with a five-stroke win at the International Series Japan. Herbert’s first Asian Tour title was his sixth career win and comes on the back of three top-five LIV Golf finishes this season.
Poring over Rory McIlroy’s past success at Quail Hollow and standing alongside the Masters champion on the range has convinced Elvis Smylie he is ready to take his place among the game’s best at this week’s US PGA Championship in Charlotte.
As the 2024-2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner, Smylie was last week granted a special exemption to play the year’s second major championship and the second major of his career.
While hopeful he might receive the same exemption granted to the previous two Order of Merit winners David Micheluzzi and Kazuma Kobori, Smylie’s late call-up necessitated a mad dash to North Carolina.
The Queenslander took to Quail Hollow on Sunday to begin his tournament preparation but is somewhat familiar having watched highlights of McIlroy’s four wins at the venue along with Justin Thomas’s 2017 PGA Championship victory.
That, combined with exposure to the game’s stars since joining the DP World Tour, has the 23-year-old in a positive frame of mind ahead of his first start as a professional in the US.
“I remember watching the 2017 PGA Championship when Justin Thomas won there so I’ve gone back and watched the extended highlights of that year and then also the Wells Fargo Championship (now Truist Championship) the past few years when Rory’s won and Max Homa,” said Smylie.
“I’ve gone back and had a bit of a look and seen the course and it looks amazing.
“I’m really excited to play in America for the first time as a professional. That’s something that I haven’t done yet so to be able to get right into the deep end is going to be really exciting because I feel like that my game has gone to that next level after playing in Europe.”
Smylie’s transition to the DP World Tour was fast-tracked by his victory at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in November.
That win in the co-sanctioned tournament secured a playing category effective immediately, status he used to tee it up in elite company.
Tied for fifth at the Australian Open, Smylie was in South Africa the next week for the Nedbank Golf Challenge alongside the likes of Max Homa, Corey Conners, Will Zalatoris and Masters champion Danny Willett.
Next up was the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament headlined by McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Patrick Reed.
“When I look around and see the names … Rory McIlroy was in the field at the start of the year in Dubai along with Jon Rahm and Adam Scott, world-class players that I’ve grown up watching on TV,” added Smylie, who narrowly missed the cut at The Open last year.
“To be competing against them in the same tournament, I feel like I really do belong.
“I don’t really get overwhelmed too much. I more so think of it as an opportunity to see how good my game is against these guys.”
And while he fully intends to link up with fellow Aussies such as Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cameron Smith and Jason Day for a practice round, Smylie is conscious of not over-doing it before Round 1 tees off.
“My tendency last year playing The Open was wanting to play a lot, just because it’s a major, it’s just really exciting,” Smylie conceded.
“But I’m doing my best at being able to prepare like any other tournament.
“That’s where the experience of having Ritchie (Smith, Smylie’s coach) around will be really beneficial.
“I’d love to play all four rounds of the major. I think that’s a realistic goal for me.
“Once we can get through those first two rounds, then it’s just about really embracing what you’re feeling and just going after it.”
Smylie is one of seven Australians in the field this week alongside Cam Davis, Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cameron Smith and Karl Vilips.
They are joined by Kiwi Ryan Fox following his debut PGA TOUR at the weekend.
Photo: Jason Butler/Getty Images
All four rounds of the US PGA Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Round 1 coverage begins Friday morning at 3am AEST.
