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Social clubs that provide golf clubs across the country with crucial green fee income are built upon a foundation of bringing golfers together.
In establishing Birdie Links, PGA Professional Tammy Wong recognised that women were looking for a social outlet; she simply used golf as that outlet to unite them.
An enthusiastic junior golfer growing up in Sydney, Wong was invited to coach juniors at Bexley Golf Club after taking a job in the pro shop under Paul Davis.
That exposure encouraged Wong to pursue coaching as a career, starting the Membership Pathway Program under Davis before transferring in her final year to The Ridge in Sydney’s south.
Two years ago, as a mother of three, Wong established Birdie Links.
Its’ aim is to not only provide women an entry point into golf, but to build an ecosystem that goes from beginner clinics to golf tours… and everything in between.
“I wanted to make sure that there was one streamlined pathway where they could feel like I was able to hold their hand the whole way through the process,” Wong said in a recent PGA ACE webinar.
“That was really important and I think we do now have that in place.
“The ‘Hits and Sips’ class runs every three months and gives people an opportunity to come and try the game in a fun way.
“From there, they might want to join the eight-week beginner program, which I will be running three of next term. A couple of evening sessions and one during the day just to cater to two different target markets.
“Once they graduate from the beginner program, they’re then able to do the on-course bootcamp, which is more of an intermediate program to get themselves past that beginner stage.”
What is unique about Birdie Links is the monthly subscription model that combines connection and instruction.
Graduating from a WhatsApp chat group with all of our clients where Wong tried to encourage women to coordinate games together, the social club element offers as many as four opportunities to play each in a nine-hole league with monthly prizes on offer.
The next phase are golf tours, the first of which took a group of women to the Hunter Valley in April, the next a trip to Queenstown in November.
At its core, this holistic approach to building a collective of women through golf has meant that Wong’s coaching calendar has never been busier.
“Without the social club and ladies playing, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as busy as I am coaching. It’s one big system,” Wong explained.
“Since the social club has become a thing, I have found so much more retention rather than somebody coming into a program for eight weeks and then saying, ‘OK, I’ll see you again next term.’
“They’ve got beginner programs, on-course programs and from there you’ll split it up between playing in the social club with other ladies and coming back into the learning environment if you’re not happy with where your golf is at.
“They’ve always got that fallback to come back into a safe learning environment where they feel comfortable, often with other ladies that they’ve already been playing with and learning with.”
Wherever you are in your golf journey, a PGA Professional is available to help. To find your nearest PGA Professional, click here.
For more information on Birdie Links, visit birdielinks.com.au
The complete webinar with Tammy Wong can be viewed below.
The putter switch instigated by Minjee Lee’s back-nine collapse 12 months ago gets its ultimate shot at redemption at this week’s US Women’s Open at Erin Hills.
A major winner at Evian in 2021 and at Pine Needles in 2022, Lee was at the top of the leaderboard with nine holes to play at last year’s US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club when her putter began to fail her.
For one of golf’s premier ball-strikers, putting was her occasional Achilles heel, any frailties cruelly exposed in a final nine holes where Lee shot 6-over 41 to fall into a tie for ninth.
A two-footer at the par-4 10th that didn’t touch the hole was the catalyst for change but it wasn’t until the end of the 2024 season that she and coach Ritchie Smith discussed experimenting with a broomstick putter to help clean up misses from four feet and in.
“We needed time to actually apply a bit of training to it and actually educate ourselves on it because a broomstick’s a different beast, and we’d never even considered using it,” admitted Smith.
Rather than seeking her own counsel, Lee trusted Smith to find the way it would work best.
Smith identified more stability in the face almost instantly, Lee trialling different grips with her right hand before settling on a “pistol grip”.
“He may have spoken to a couple of people about the fundamentals and the basics of how to putt with a broomstick but for me, personally, I didn’t really speak to anyone,” Lee told Golf Channel on ‘Live From The US Women’s Open’.
“You have to be open-minded to try this. The first few events were a bit of a trial for me.
“It got easier and easier as I was playing in tournaments and got a little more confidence in it.
“I don’t think I took to it straight away but it’s getting easier and easier to get the speed on more the long putts.
“The shorter putts are definitely easier.”
The numbers in 2025 back that up.
Dating back to 2021, Lee had never been higher than 127th on the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting.
This year Lee, who celebrated her 29th birthday on Wednesday, is tied ninth and is 21st in putts per green in regulation, a welcome addition to the arsenal of a player also 12th in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee.
Mentally fresh after a two-week break in which she and Smith spent time fine-tuning her swing, Lee is once again invigorated by what the USGA are going to put forth this week at Erin Hills.
“Because of the coverage, I saw so much of it on TV so it became the one I’ve always wanted to win,” said Lee.
“That win in ’22 is very special to me.
“You want it to be challenging enough, but kind of fun for the viewership to be able to follow along where you make your birdies.
“Reachable par-4s or short par-3s but that have a lot of bunkers, like the ninth hole this week.
“For us, it’s more fun and more challenging to play courses like that than more of a real grind of a golf course.
“That’s really what makes a championship a championship.”
The 80th US Women’s Open is broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo all four days. Coverage of the first two rounds is 2am-10am Friday and Saturday with coverage to begin at 3am Sunday and 4am Monday.
Round 1 tee times AEST
US Women’s Open
Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconson
10:18pm Stephanie Kyriacou
10:18pm* Hannah Green
10:40pm* Lydia Ko (NZ)
3:41am Gabriela Ruffels
4:36am Minjee Lee
4:58am* Grace Kim
5:31am Jennifer Elliott
Past champion: Yuka Saso
Past Aussie winners: Jan Stephenson (1983), Karrie Webb (2000, 2001), Minjee Lee (2022)
Prize money: $US12m
TV times: Live 2am-10am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday; Live 4am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR
the Memorial Tournament
Muirfield Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio
11:15pm Cam Davis
1:10am Ryan Fox (NZ)
1:30am Min Woo Lee
3:10am Adam Scott
Past champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1980); Greg Norman (1990, 1995)
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live 9:45pm-8am Thursday, Friday; Live 12am-9:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 12am-3am Monday on Fox Sports 507; Live 3:30am-8:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Austrian Alpine Open
Gut Altentann GC, Salzburg, Austria
4pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
4:40pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
5:05pm Jason Scrivener
8:20pm* Danny List
9:20pm* David Micheluzzi
10:15pm Elvis Smylie, Daniel Gale
Past champion: John Catlin
Past Aussie winners: Richard Green (2007)
Prize money: $US2.75m
TV times: Live 8:30pm-1:30am Thursday, Friday; Live 9pm-1:30am Saturday; Live 8:30pm-1:30am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
Principal Charity Classic
Wakonda Club, Des Moines, Iowa
Aussies in the field: Steve Allan, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Brendan Jones, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright.
Past champion: Ernie Els
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2m
TV times: 12:30pm-2pm Saturday; 1pm-2:30pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 5am-8am Monday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
UNC Health Championship
Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh, North Carolina
8:45pm* Harrison Endycott
10:30pm* Harry Hillier (NZ)
2:45am Rhein Gibson
Past champion: Kaito Onishi
Past Aussie winners: Mark Hensby (2000)
Prize money: $US1m
Japan Golf Tour
Road to the British Open Mizuno Open
JFE Setonaikai Golf Club, Okayama
12:55pm Michael Hendry (NZ)
1:25pm* Brad Kennedy
Past champion: Ryosuke Kinoshita
Past Aussie winners: Brian Jones (1990), Roger Mackay (1991), Brendan Jones (2004, 2013), Chris Campbell (2005), Brad Kennedy (2012)
Prize money: ¥100m
LET Access Series
Santander Golf Tour – AVILA
Naturavila Golf, Spain
4:50pm* Belinda Ji
5pm* Justice Bosio
5:15pm* Kristalle Blum
5:25pm* Abbie Teasdale
10pm* Stephanie Bunque
Past champion: Helen Briem
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €45,000
HotelPlanner Tour
Challenge de Cadiz
Iberostar Real Golf Novo Sancti Petri, Cadiz, Spain
4:20pm Hayden Hopewell
9pm Sam Jones (NZ)
Past champion: Jonathan Goth-Rasmussen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
Sunshine Tour
Gary and Vivienne Player Challenge
Benoni Country Club, Gauteng, South Africa
4:10pm Austin Bautista
Past champion: Daniel van Tonder
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: R2m
We’re halfway through the men’s major season as six Aussie women prepare to take on the challenge of the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills.
Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, Stephanie Kyriacou and Gabi Ruffels have all been in contention on the LPGA Tour this season without securing a win and be confident heading into their second major of the year.
Only two late bogeys prevented Karl Vilips from notching the third top-10 finish of his PGA TOUR rookie season, his tie for 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge putting him on the verge of breaking into the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his young career.
While the Ripper GC boys have another week to wait to resume their LIV Golf seasons, the US Women’s Open, the Memorial Tournament and Austrian Open give those currently in the Power Rankings plenty to play for.
10. Marc Leishman (Last week: 10)
The LIV Golf Miami champion returns to play next week at LIV Golf Virginia, the closest Leishman gets to a home game.
9. Adam Scott (9)
After making a spirited charge at the PGA Championship where he was tied 19th, Scott returns to Muirfield Village this week for the Memorial Tournament. Tied for ninth in his last appearance in 2023, Scott was runner-up at Memorial in 2019.
8. Elvis Smylie (8)
After playing all four rounds in a major for the first time in his career at the PGA Championship, Smylie will seek to build on his current position of 20th on the Race to Dubai ranking at this week’s Austrian Open on the DP World Tour.
7. Minjee Lee (7)
The 2022 champion has five top-15 finishes from nine starts in 2025 heading into the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills. Currently ninth in Strokes Gained: Putting on the LPGA Tour in 2025.
6. Jason Day (6)
Looking to amend a puzzling record this week at Muirfield Village which is regarded as his home course. In 15 starts at the club just 30 minutes from his home, Day has just two top-25 finishes in 15 starts.
5. Hannah Green (5)
Known for rising to the challenge presented by difficult golf courses, Green will get everything she could hope for at this week’s US Women’s Open at Erin Hills. Sixth in Greens In Regulation Percentage on the LPGA Tour this season despite sitting 110th in Driving Distance Average.
4. Stephanie Kyriacou (4)
Boasts two top-six finishes since finishing tied 30th in the first LPGA major of 2025. Enters the US Women’s Open with more eagles than anyone on the LPGA this season and averaging 1.78 putts per green in regulation.
3. Min Woo Lee (2)
Has struggled since breakthrough PGA TOUR win at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. In past four starts is best finish is 49th at The Masters.
2. Karl Vilips (3)
Was on track to log the third top-10 finish of his PGA TOUR rookie season at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas but dropped shots at both the 15th and 16th holes to finish tied 11th. Rose to a career high of 102 in Official World Golf Ranking.
1. Lucas Herbert (1)
Still cooling his heels after logging a sixth career win at the International Series Japan on the Asian Tour. Boasts three top-five finishes on LIV Golf this season. Has course records in two of his past five rounds.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
A host of recent winners from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia will headline the North Queensland Pro-Am Series starting at Sarina Golf Club on Saturday.
Starting May 31, Sarina Golf Club, Mackay Golf Club and Pioneer Valley Golf Club will each host a leg of the North Queensland Series that has become a popular feature on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series calendar.
This year’s North Queensland Series has drawn winners from the most recent Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season along with veterans including Marcus Fraser and Sam Brazel, both of whom have won internationally.
The Series is sponsored by Mackay Regional Council and events include the CMR Recycling Sarina Golf Club Pro-Am (May 31-June 1), the PIMS Mackay Festival of Golf and Roy Powell Security Pioneer Valley Pro-Am.
Highlighting the quality of players visiting North Queensland, Will Bruyeres (PNG Open), Ben Henkel (Gippsland Super 6) and Cory Crawford (Victorian PGA) will be in action on the back of wins last year along with defending champion at both Mackay and Pioneer Valley and 2024/2025 National PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit winner, Brett Rankin.
Mayor Greg Williamson said it was tremendous to have the Mackay region hosting three events in the National PGA Pro-Am Series.
“We are very excited to welcome hundreds of players, including about 60 professionals, from all over Australia, to compete in these events in Sarina, Mackay and the Pioneer Valley,” Mayor Williamson said.
“These events are also a vital stepping stone for our talented local golfers who aspire to break into the professional circuit, as they are a pathway to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
“For the spectators, there is also a lot on offer – there are three current PGA Tour of Australasia tournament winners, three former European Tour winners and one Olympian competing.
“We can’t wait to see everyone teeing off in Mackay and look forward to a fantastic series.”
PGA of Australia National Tournament Coordinator, Peter Welden, said that the support of regional centres such as Mackay was at the heart of what makes the PGA Pro-Am Series such a success.
“Given the support these events from the local communities, it is no surprise that so many of our best players want to be part of the North Queensland Series,” said Welden.
“There is close to $100,000 in prize money to be won, including a bonus $4,500 for the player with the lowest aggregate total across the three events.
“The quality of the golf courses is outstanding and the North Queensland hospitality is exceptional. With the players we have in each field, I expect the quality of golf to be world class.”
Other former Tour winners to have entered include Dimi Papadatos, Deyen Lawson, Aaron Pike and Louis Dobbelaar.
A final round of 3-under 69 has earned Victorian Cameron Percy his best finish in a senior major at the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.
Co-leader through 36 holes, Percy lost ground with 4-over 76 in Round 3 but responded with 3-under in the final round as Argentine Angel Cabrera won a second straight senior major championship in as many weeks.
One-over through his first four holes on Sunday, Percy was within two strokes of the lead on the back of four birdies in the space of six holes around the turn.
That run of birdies would end with par at the par-4 12th, Percy unable to make any further inroads as he parred his way to the clubhouse and 5-under total.
That was enough to finish outright seventh, his first top-10 finish in any major championship, bettering his previous best of a tie for 11th at the 2024 Kaulig Companies Championship.
Kiwi Steven Alker surpassed Percy for low round of the week with a 6-under 66 to finish tied 14th, Scott Hend (69) and Mark Hensby (72) finishing tied for 19th and 21st respectively.
Percy was one of four Aussies to finish inside the top 10 globally this week with Robyn Choi’s tie for ninth at the Riviera Maya Open her first LPGA Tour top 10 outside Australia.
A tie for seventh at the LET Access Series’ Allegria Stegersbach Ladies Open in Austria is Justice Bosio’s best international result since turning professional while New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori had a hole-in-one on her way to a share of 10th at the Jabra Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour.
Karl Vilips was on track to log the third top-10 finish of his PGA TOUR rookie season at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas but dropped shots at both the 15th and 16th holes to finish tied 11th.
Results
PGA TOUR
Charles Schwab Challenge
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
1 Ben Griffin 66-63-68-71—268 $US1.71m
T11 Karl Vilips 70-66-68-70—274 $203,775
MC Cam Davis 76-71—147
PGA TOUR Champions
Senior PGA Championship
Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland
1 Ángel Cabrera 72-69-70-69—280 $US540,000
7 Cameron Percy 67-71-76-69—283 $99,750
T14 Steven Alker (NZ) 75-73-72-66—286 $51,412
T19 Scott Hend 70-74-74-69—287 $38,490
T21 Mark Hensby 71-74-71-72—288 $30,572.50
T40 Richard Green 71-76-74-72—293 $10,317.50
T40 Brendan Jones 71-74-75-73—293 $10,317.50
T55 Andre Stolz 73-73-78-73—297 $5,216.67
67 Mick Smith 72-73-79-79—303 $3,930
MC Rod Pampling 72-78—150
MC Stuart Appleby 70-81—151
MC David Bransdon 72-79—151
MC Michael Wright 75-78—153
MC Michael Campbell (NZ) 77-81—158
LPGA Tour
MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba
El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
1 Chisato Iwai 68-74-68-66—276 $US375,000
T9 Robyn Choi 74-72-69-70—285 $45,995
T16 Karis Davidson 72-74-68-72—286 $32,184
T21 Gabriela Ruffels 71-69-71-76—287 $26,546
T52 Sarah Kemp 73-74-74-73—294 $8,110
MC Hira Naveed 77-72—149
MC Cassie Porter 75-74—149
MC Sarah Jane Smith 84-74—158
MC Su Oh 78-80—158
DP World Tour
Soudal Open
Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
1 Kristoffer Reitan 71-66-72-62—271 €412,807.64
Won on second hole of sudden-death playoff
T25 Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 67-71-71-70—279 €23,432.90
T37 Jason Scrivener 69-68-73-71—281 €16,026.65
MC David MIcheluzzi 70-73—143
MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) 73-72—145
MC Daniel Gale 73-75—148
Asian Tour/Korean PGA Tour
Kolon Korea Open presented by ELORD
La Vie Est Belle (Dunes Cse), Korea
1 Sadom Kaewkanjana 69-69-69-70—277 $US362,844.70
T15 Kevin Yuan 74-69-69-74—286 $9,644.41
T21 Jed Morgan 67-72-74-74—287 $7,830.19
T42 Maverick Antcliff 75-69-73-77—294 $4,571.84
57 Ryan Peake 71-75-75-79—300 $3,657.47
MC Travis Smyth 73-78—151
MC Aaron Wilkin 78-74—152
MC Danny Lee (NZ) 83-72—155
MC Junseok Lee 85-79—164
Ladies European Tour
Jabra Ladies Open
Evian Resort Golf Club, France
1 Sara Kouskova 66-70-67—203 €45,000
T10 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 70-68-71—209 €6,600
T34 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard 73-73-69—215 €2,526
T39 Kelsey Bennett 66-73-77—216 €2,115
MC Kirsten Rudgeley 75-73—148
MC Wenyung Keh (NZ) 70-81—151
Korn Ferry Tour
Visit Knoxville Open
Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville, Tennessee
1 Pontus Nyholm 65-66-68-66—265 $US180,000
Won at first hole of sudden-death playoff
T35 Harry Hillier (NZ) 72-68-69-67—276 $5,650
63 Rhein Gibson 68-68-71-74—281 $4,040
MC Harrison Endycott 69-73—142
HotelPlanner Tour
Danish Golf Challenge
Bogense Golf Club, Bogense, Denmark
1 Jonathan Goth-Rasmussen 66-70-66-67—269 €48,000
T64 Sam Jones (NZ) 75-67-72-75—289 €750
74 Hayden Hopewell 72-68-79-75—294 €510
PGA Tour Americas
Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship
Club El Rincón de Cajicá, Bogotá, Colombia
Reduced to 36 holes due to rain
1 Davis Lamb 61-68—129
T54 Charlie Hillier (NZ) 71-71—142
T94 Grant Booth 74-72—146
LET Access Series
Allegria Stegersbach Ladies Open
Sudburgenland of the Allegria Golf Resort, Austria
1 Gemma Clews 71-66-70—207 €8,000
T7 Justice Bosio 74-69-68—211 €1,500
T14 Kristalle Blum 74-69-70—213 €875
T26 Stephanie Bunque 74-69-74—217 €656
Victorian Cameron Percy will need to call upon his Round 1 heroics to drag himself back into contention at the Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.
Needing to hit a provisional ball off the tee on his way to an opening bogey in Round 3 was the worst possible start for Percy, who would drop further shots at two and three to lose the share of the lead with which he began the day.
Troubled by a back injury that was exacerbated in Round 2, the 51-year-old righted the ship with birdies at four and seven yet turned 3-over after back-to-back bogeys at eight and nine.
The response was again swift with birdies at the par-3 10th and par-5 11th but further dropped shots at 12, 13 and the par-4 18th would see Percy post 4-over 76 and fall into a tie for 12th at 2-under par.
A congested leaderboard will see Percy start the final round just three strokes back of the lead, major champions Retief Goosen (68) and Angel Cabrera (70) tied with Jason Caron (71) and Phillip Archer (71) at 5-under par.
Percy’s 67 in Round 1 remains the low round of the tournament and gives the 2005 Victorian PGA champion hope of a maiden PGA TOUR Champions win in one of the year’s five senior majors.
Mark Hensby’s 1-under 71 was the best of the Australasian contingent on day three, elevating the New South Welshman into a tie for 19th and within five strokes of the lead.
Australasian scores
T12 Cameron Percy 67-71-76—214
T19 Mark Hensby 71-74-71—216
T27 Scott Hend 70-74-74—218
T38 Steven Alker (NZ) 75-73-72—220
T38 Brendan Jones 71-74-75—220
T47 Richard Green 71-76-74—221
T58 Andre Stolz 73-73-78—224
T58 Mick Smith 72-73-79—224
MC Rod Pampling 72-78—150
MC Stuart Appleby 70-81—151
MC David Bransdon 72-79—151
MC Michael Wright 75-78—153
MC Michael Campbell (NZ) 77-81—158
Photo: Courtesy PGA of America
He admittedly left a few cards on the table yet Victorian Cameron Percy did enough in Round 2 to retain a share of the lead at the Senior PGA Championship in Maryland.
The combination of Congressional Country Club’s demanding test and gusty winds kept scores largely in check on day two, just six players breaking 70.
Two of those were Fijian Vijay Singh and Korea’s YE Yang, the pair of major champions joining Percy in the 36-hole lead at 6-under par with rounds of 4-under 68.
Two-under through nine holes on Friday, Percy dropped shots at 10 and 15 before making birdie on 18 for a round of 1-under 71 to keep a hold on top spot.
He could have maintained the solo lead but let birdie chances slip at par 5s either side of the turn.
“I missed out on birdieing nine and 11 which would have given me a nice little buffer there,” Percy conceded.
“I didn’t get up-and-down on nine. Ten, I hit a terrible shot and didn’t get up-and-down and then I three-putted 11, which was a really tough pin.
“Then I had a good chance on 12 and it spun off.
“I could have put a bit of a gap on them, but I didn’t. But that’s golf.”
Tied for 21st a year ago, the 51-year-old had a limited preparation this week due to injury.
Percy hopes to use the benefit of a late-early draw to give his body the best chance of holding up over the weekend.
“I was pretty happy with the draw when I saw it,” said Percy, who tweaked his back when he slipped on a rock on Sunday.
“I’ll go to the physio and he can put me together.
“I hit a 5-iron into 16, and I hit it on the 14th green and tweaked something.
“I’ll have to go to the physios and see what they can do for that.”
Percy was one of seven Australians along with Kiwi Steven Alker to finish two rounds inside the cut-line of 5-over.
Perhaps most notably was the performance of Wiscon-based PGA Professional Mick Smith.
Hailing from Sydney and making the cut at the Senior PGA for the second consecutive year, Smith has shot rounds of 72-73 to be 1-over and tied for 31st alongside fellow Aussies Mark Hensby and Brendan Jones.
Australasian scores
T1 Cameron Percy 67-71—138
T22 Scott Hend 70-74—144
T31 Mark Hensby 71-74—145
T31 Mick Smith 72-73—145
T31 Brendan Jones 71-74—145
T42 Andre Stolz 73-73—146
T49 Richard Green 71-76—147
T61 Steven Alker (NZ) 75-73—148
MC Rod Pampling 72-78—150
MC Stuart Appleby 70-81—151
MC David Bransdon 72-79—151
MC Michael Wright 75-78—153
MC Michael Campbell (NZ) 77-81—158
Photo: Courtesy PGA of America
Without the benefit of a full practice round as he rested a back issue, Australia’s Cameron Percy has grabbed the first-round lead at the US Senior PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club.
A 5-under-par 67 in Maryland gave Percy a one-shot margin over South Africa’s Keith Horne as he attempts to win his first over-50s major.
Percy revealed post-round that his physiotherapist had advised him to rest pre-tournament, restricting his preparation to a full course walk around Congressional with his caddie, and playing nine holes in the rain on Wednesday.
“On Sunday, it was so wet and I slipped on a rock and made a mess of myself,” the Victorian said.
“I’ve been in the physio Monday, Tuesday for a good hour, hour-and-a-half and then yesterday for another hour. I’m pretty sore right now.
“I didn’t have a practice round, so I was still trying to work out where to go on the course and that, so it was pretty tricky.
“In the weather we had today, I’m pretty happy with a 5-under. It was nasty out there for a while.”
Percy’s bogey-free round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 sixth, his 15th hole of the day, where his 4-iron approach finished inside a metre from the cup.
He then moved past Horne into the outright lead with a birdie at the par-4 eighth.
Percy admitted post-round it was the remarkable start by his playing partner, Denmark’s Soren Keldsen, that had helped him to his lead.
“I was really just trying to keep up with Soren. He started incredible,” Percy said.
“He started eagle-birdie-birdie, and could have birdied a few more holes.
“He sort of dragged me along to start with. He was playing so nicely, it definitely helped.”
The next best Australians are Stuart Appleby and Scott Hend, who are in a big group tied for seventh at 2-under-par.
Appleby, who had five birdies in his round, was 3-under before he dropped a shot at the closing hole, while Hend picked up four birdies mixed in with two bogeys on the back nine.
The Senior PGA Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo, starting at 3am on Friday and Saturday and 5am Sunday and Monday.
Australasian scores
1 Cameron Percy 67
T7 Stuart Appleby 70
T7 Scott Hend 70
T24 Brendan Jones 71
T24 Richard Green 71
T24 Mark Hensby 71
T35 David Bransdon 72
T35 Rod Pampling 72
T35 Mick Smith 72
T48 Andre Stolz 73
T71 Michael Wright 75
T71 Steven Alker 75
T107 Michael Campbell 77
Photo: PGA of America
The 2025 Webex All Abilities Scholarship recipients have been announced, with four new scholars receiving funding to pursue their golf dreams.
Tom Ryan (full scholarship), Kane Leonard, George Vassiliadis and Lachlan Smith (development scholarships) are the four new golfers in this year’s intake, joining returning scholars Cameron Pollard, Natascha Tennent, Steven Alderson and Noah Schammer, who all continue to perform on both the national and international stage.
Full scholars receive funding to the value of $6000 each and the development scholars will receive a scholarship worth $3000 each.
In addition to funding for coaching and tournament support, scholarship holders will receive clothing and equipment support courtesy of Australian Golf partners adidas and Callaway, as well as technology support to continue to elevate their performances.
“With thanks to Webex it’s great to see some new players elevate their games and receive a scholarship,” said PGA of Australia Senior Manager – Coaching Programs, Nick Bielawski.
“The panel believes there is a good mix of current performers and future stars. The next 6-12 months will be exciting to see how they all develop.”
Ryan, who had a big summer of golf at home including winning the Webex Players Series All Abilities Murray River and Riversdale Cup, said the scholarship would help him fulfill his dream of playing internationally.
“It means a lot that we have the opportunity to access some of this funding thanks to Webex and the PGA of Australia,” Ryan, from the Eastwood Golf Club in Melbourne, said.
“It helps me develop my game onto the next stage. The goal is obviously to try and win the Australian All Abilities Championship, or win any major within the next 18 months, so this will help a long way to get to that point.
“I had one win, two second places and a third this past summer, so if I can try and translate that into a couple more wins, I’d be even more happy.”
Currently undertaking the PGA Membership Pathway Program at Sandy Links, Ryan is a busy man establishing his career in golf. The scholarship will also allow him to keep on top of his studies while competing at the same time.
Full list of 2025 scholars
Full Scholarship: Cameron Pollard, Natascha Tennent, Tom Ryan, Steven Alderson, Noah Schammer
Development Scholarship: Kane Leonard, George Vassiliadis, Lachlan Smith
Brisbane’s Michael Wright intends to lean on his relative youth to tame what shapes as a brutal test at the famed Congressional Country Club for this week’s Senior PGA Championship.
Wright is one of 11 Australians and two Kiwis in the field for the second senior major championship in as many weeks, Wright buoyed by shooting 11-under across the weekend to finish eighth at the Regions Tradition.
But while he went 66-67 the final two rounds in Alabama, Wright expects that the 7,152 yardage and lack of a first cut of rough will make any score under par for four rounds a competitive one.
Now in his second year on the PGA TOUR Champions, Wright believes that his length will be a particularly effective weapon this week.
“Someone told me it was playing 7,200 yards which is very strong when you’ve got the wind as well,” said the 51-year-old, who will have son Noah on the bag.
“There are some par 4s that are 480 yards and you play those into the wind and you are hitting some pretty strong clubs in.
“The second hole is brutal. It’s an uphill par 3, really hard to stop it on the green, but it’s not a standout because they’re all freaking tough.
“That’ll play into my hands a little bit. I feel young on this tour and I can hit it pretty long. Even if you put me on against the young guys, I don’t feel out of place.
“It’ll be a big advantage having a little bit of length there.”
A first-time visitor to the Masters last month, Wright was in awe of the grandeur of Congressional when he arrived on Monday.
Host to the US Open in 1964 (Ken Venturi), 1997 (Ernie Els) and 2011 (Rory McIlroy), Congressional has been consistently ranked among the top 100 golf courses in America, and Wright is understanding why.
“Walking in for the first time early this week, I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been to quite a few golf courses now,” said Wright, who won Webex Players Series Victoria on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in January.
“I was talking with Rob Labritz, who has played nine PGA Championships and hundreds of golf tournaments around the world, and he said he’s never seen anything as in good a condition as this.
“That’s saying something. I mean, I haven’t either. I went to Augusta a month ago and… it’s not Augusta, but oh man, it’s so nice. It’s just like nothing I’ve seen before.
“It’ll be a good challenge. And you have to think your way around it.
“A bit like Carnoustie in the Senior Open last year. That was a very mentally draining week because you have got to think about every shot.
“There’ll be a little bit of that going on this week.”
The strong Aussie presence in Maryland is replicated globally this week.
There are eight Australians playing the inaugural MEXICO Riviera Maya Open on the LPGA Tour, seven Aussies are playing the Kolon Korea Open co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Korean PGA Tour and there are five Australasians in the field on both the DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour.
Photo: Courtesy PGA of America
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
Charles Schwab Challenge
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
3:56am Cam Davis
3:56am* Karl Vilips
Past champion: Davis Riley
Past Aussie winners: Bruce Crampton (1965), Bruce Devlin (1966), Ian Baker-Finch (1989), Adam Scott (2014)
Prize money: $US9.5m
TV times: Live 3:40am-9am Friday, Saturday; Live 3am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Champions
Senior PGA Championship
Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland
9:27pm* Andre Stolz
9:38pm* Michael Campbell (NZ)
9:44pm Michael Wright
9:55pm Brendan Jones
11:01pm Richard Green
2:25am Mark Hensby
2:31am* Mick Smith
3:09am Stuart Appleby
3:20am Scott Hend
3:26am* Steven Alker (NZ)
4:21am* Rod Pampling
4:32am* Cameron Percy
4:37am David Bransdon
Past champion: Richard Bland
Past Aussie winners: Peter Thomson (1984)
Prize money: $US3.5m
TV times: Live 3am-6am Friday on Fox Sports 505; Live 3:15am-6am Saturday on Fox Sports 506; Live 5am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
MEXICO Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba
El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
11:33pm Hira Naveed
4:22am* Sarah Kemp
4:44am Robyn Choi
4:55am Cassie Porter
5:06am* Gabriela Ruffels
5:28am Su Oh
5:39am* Sarah Jane Smith
6:01am Karis Davidson
Past champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.5m
TV times: Live 1am-4am Friday on Fox Sports 506; Live 2am-4am Saturday on Fox Sports 505; Live 5am-8am Sunday on Fox Sports 507; Live 2am-5am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Soudal Open
Rinkven International GC, Antwerp, Belgium
3:50pm Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
3:50pm* Daniel Hillier (NZ)
4:40pm Daniel Gale
5:20pm* David Micheluzzi
9:10pm* Jason Scrivener
Past champion: Nacho Elvira
Past Aussie winners: Noel Ratcliffe (1978)
Prize money: $US2.75m
TV times: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 9:30pm-2am Saturday; Live 9pm-2am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Asian Tour/Korean PGA Tour
Kolon Korea Open presented by ELORD
La Vie Est Belle (Dunes Cse), Korea
7:41am* Ryan Peake
9:20am Maverick Antcliff
12:30pm Kevin Yuan
12:41pm Danny Lee (NZ)
12:41pm* Aaron Wilkin
1:03pm Junseok Lee
1:14pm* Jed Morgan
1:25pm Travis Smyth
Past champion: Min-kyu Kim
Past Aussie winners: Junseok Lee (2021)
Prize money: KRW1.4b
TV times: Live 2pm-6pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 2pm-6pm Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Jabra Ladies Open
Evian Resort Golf Club, France
4:33pm Wenyung Keh (NZ)
4:55pm* Momoka Kobori (NZ)
5:17pm* Kelsey Bennett
9:35pm Kirsten Rudgeley
10:30pm Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
Past champion: Morgane Metraux
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
Korn Ferry Tour
Visit Knoxville Open
Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville, Tennessee
8:45pm* Rhein Gibson
10pm* Harrison Endycott
3:40am Harry Hillier (NZ)
Past champion: Harry Higgs
Past Aussie winners: Kim Felton (2005), Jarrod Lyle (2008)
Prize money: $US1m
HotelPlanner Tour
Danish Golf Challenge
Bogense Golf Club, Bogense, Denmark
4:20pm Sam Jones (NZ)
4:20pm* Hayden Hopewell
Past champion: Andreas Halvorsen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
PGA Tour Americas
Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship
Club El Rincón de Cajicá, Bogotá, Colombia
10:35pm* Charlie Hillier (NZ)
2:25am* Grant Booth
Past champion: Harry Hillier
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000
LET Access Series
Allegria Stegersbach Ladies Open
Sudburgenland of the Allegria Golf Resort, Austria
4:41pm* Justice Bosio
4:33pm Kristalle Blum
9:45pm Stephanie Bunque
Past champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €50,000
