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A sublime eagle-par finish to force a playoff, followed by a clutch birdie on the first extra hole has sealed the 2024 North Coast Open crown for Brett Rankin.
On a thrilling final day at Coffs Harbour Golf Club, where the lead changed hands several times, the Queenslander held his nerve when he needed it at the end, rifling a 7-iron from 168 metres to about 14 feet on the par-5 17th before binning the eagle putt to draw level at 9-under-par with clubhouse leader Cameron John with a hole to play.
“It was pretty close coming down the stretch,” a delighted Rankin (65-66) said.
“Walking off the 16th (green) I knew nine-under was in the clubhouse, so I knew birdie-birdie finish, or potentially an eagle, and who knows what was going to happen.”
“Luckily, I hit two quality shots into 17 and made a good 14-footer for eagle.”
After Rankin parred the last, the duo headed back down the 18th to decide the champion. John had earlier birdied the finale as the last of five straight birdies to finish with a second round 64.
Rankin only needed one hole in the end, making birdie to seal the tournament and the lion’s share of the $50,000 purse.
“You never know what could happen in a playoff,” Rankin added.
After playing peerless golf all day, John made it difficult to win from the outset of the playoff. Missing the fairway left from the tee, he was forced to hit a creative bump and run to get onto the front edge of the green.
Rankin, meanwhile, had put himself into the perfect position to attack from the tee. Thankfully for Rankin, John’s predicament meant the more conservative path home was all that was required.
“I knew where (John) was. There was no guarantee of a two-putt, so I thought the smartest play was to hit a wedge and skipping it in.
“I played it perfectly, and as soon as I hit it, I was like, ‘if that’s not good, then I’m not good enough.'”
And good enough it was, nestling just short of the flag, leaving Rankin almost the same putt he had in regulation for the win.
After John lagged his long-range birdie effort to about a metre, Rankin made no mistake with his 7-footer to claim victory.
Along with the win, Rankin, who had to return to Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School earlier this year, also sealed his place in the $800,000 NSW Open at Murray Downs Golf and Country Club from November 14-17.
A two-time winner on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series last week, Rankin said locking his spot up in the NSW Open this early in the Australian season would be a blessing, saying it would allow him to take some time off and rest up before the big events towards the end of the year.
“I can take a few weeks off now and rest up and get ready for the PNG Open,” he said.
“I plan to go to Asian Q School, so I’m looking forward to a big end of the year.
“My game’s in a good spot right now, so looking forward to it.”
Qualifying for the NSW Open alongside Rankin were Bathurst’s Dylan Thompson and Queenslander Sam Slater.
The NSW Regional Open Golf Qualifying Series is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
NEXT UP
The next event in the NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Series will begin at Teven Valley Golf Course on August 9, with three more spots up for grabs in this year’s championship.
LEADERBOARD
-9: Brett Rankin (Qld)*, Cameron John (Vic)
-8: Kyle Michel (Vic), Andrew Kelly (Vic)
-7: Austin Bautista (NSW), Matias Sanchez (Vic), Blake Proverbs (Qld)
-6: Sam Slater (Qld), Dylan Thompson (NSW)
-5: Daniel Gale (NSW), Christopher Wood (Qld), John Lyras (NSW), Gavin Fairfax (Qld)
Rising Australian star Karl Vilips is in discussions with local golf authorities about a homecoming for the two major events of the summer.
Rookie professional Vilips, 22, said today he was keen to play the BMW Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland and the ISPS HANDA Australian Open in Melbourne if he can fit them into his schedule.
By then, he might well be a PGA Tour player, such is the speed of his elevation.
And he will expect to hear the usual chants from the bleachers, the same ones he heard when he was walking up to the 18th green at Oakridge Country Club last Sunday as he secured his first professional win on the Korn Ferry Tour.
That’s the Koala Karl chant, which channels the nickname applied to Vilips since he emerged as a phenomenal child talent in Australia, and more recently his Instagram handle.
“I don’t see that changing anytime soon,” he said of the label. “It’s kind of who I’ve been my whole life. Walking up the 18th last week they’re announcing your name and I heard the Koala Karl chants. I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. It also helps that I could make a bogey and win!”
Vilips has lived in the US for some years having shifted there for high school, and his last competitive start in his home country was five years ago at the Junior Presidents Cup in Melbourne. But he hopes to change all that over the next few months.
“I’ve been looking into playing the Australian Open and the PGA, speaking with the Golf Australia team about that and I should have spots in those,” he said today. “I don’t know how a schedule looks for the PGA Tour. I hope that I have time to come back home.”
The BMW Australian PGA Championship is from 21-24 November this year in Brisbane, with Min Woo Lee one of the first big names to commit. It is followed from 28 November-1 December by the ISPS HANDA Australian Open at Kingston Heath and Victoria golf clubs in Melbourne.
Vilips, a golfing prodigy who grew up in Melbourne and Perth, is back on the Korn Ferry Tour this weekend having secured his first win at just his sixth start as a professional.
Having finished runner-up on the KFT the week before, he is now primed to pick up a PGA Tour card for 2025 by finishing inside the top 30 on the points list for that tour.
His Australian coach for the past four years is Col Swatton, for so long Jason Day’s mentor.
“He’s been able to teach me so much about the game and what it takes to improve on your own because obviously I don’t get to see him too much,” said Vilips.
He’s playing again this week on the Korn Ferry Tour, having won at his fourth start on the tour and just his sixth as a pro. He’s 15th on the points list, with the top 30 at season’s end in October picking up PGA Tour cards.
“The last two weeks have been a little bit surprising, being able to win so quickly,” he said.
PHOTO: Karl Vilips is a star of the future … and the now. Image: Getty
This week’s Wyndham Championship marks the final event on the PGA TOUR regular season, with the top-70 players on the FedEx Cup standings making it through to the playoffs.
Min Woo Lee enters the week at No.62, with his position in the playoffs likely, but not guaranteed, the West Australian would not be playing the week after the Olympics if he didn’t have to.
Another number likely on Lee’s mind is the top-50, with players inside that number after the next two weeks advancing to the BMW Championship, and, more importantly, qualifying for next season’s Signature Events. The latter a status Lee did not have this season.
Jason Day (23rd) heads the Australians on the FedEx Cup standings followed by Cam Davis (41) and Adam Scott (42).
Further down the list are Aaron Baddeley (151) and Harrison Endycott (193).
Elsewhere, Lee’s sister Minjee and Hannah Green have their turn at Olympic glory as the women take on Le Golf National at the Paris Games.
“We all know what we need to do to get a podium finish,” Green said.
“I felt a little bit unlucky in a sense in Tokyo because of the weather delay we had and it kind of killed my momentum.
“I had to make birdie (on the final hole) to have any sort of chance, and I perhaps chose a more aggressive approach and didn’t pull it off and made bogey.”
Both Green and Lee have scored early round one tee times, so be sure to tune in over dinner tonight and cheer our Aussies on!
An incredible 18 Australians are in the field for the International Series England event on the Asian Tour, and Karl Vilips looks to continue his incredible run on the Korn Ferry Tour.
All times AEST*
Olympic Women’s Golf
Le Golf National, France
5:44pm Hannah Green
7:44pm Minjee Lee
8:06pm Lydia Ko (NZ)
Defending champion: Nelly Korda (USA)
Past Aussie winners: nil.
TV times: Wednesday-Saturday from 5pm (Nine, 9Now, Stan)
PGA TOUR
Wyndham Championship
Sedgefield Country Club, Greensboro, North Carolina
9:56pm* Cam Davis
10:40pm Aaron Baddeley
10:40pm* Ryan Fox (NZ)
2:32am Min Woo Lee
Defending champion: Lucas Glover (USA)
Past Aussie winners: Steve Elkington (1990)
Prizemoney: US$7,900,000
TV times: Thursday and Friday 8:30pm-5am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 2am-8am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 9:30pm-8am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Asian Tour
International Series England
Foxhills Country Club (Longcross Course), Chertsey, UK
3:40pm* Travis Smyth
4pm* Ben Campbell (NZ)
4:15pm Maverick Antcliff, Nick Voke (NZ)
4:20pm* Scott Hend
4:30pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
4:45pm Jordan Zunic
4:55pm Jed Morgan
5pm* Todd Sinnott
5:05pm Andrew Dodt
5:15pm Jack Thompson
5:20pm* Douglas Klein (NZ)
8:35pm* Justin Warren
8:55pm* Aaron Wilkin
9:05pm* Jeff Guan
9:10pm Wade Ormsby
9:25pm* Sam Brazel
9:50pm Kevin Yuan
9:55pm* Harrison Crowe
10:05pm* Zach Murray
10:20pm Deyen Lawson
10:35pm* Lachlan Barker
Defending champion: Andy Ogletree
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: US$2,000,000
TV times: Thursday 10pm-2am Fox Sports 505 and Kayo. Friday 10pm-2am Fox Sports 506 and Kayo. Saturday 10:30pm-2am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo. Sunday 10pm-2am Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
PGA Tour Champions
Boeing Classic
The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, Washington, USA
Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Vijay Singh (FIJI), Michael Wright
Defending champion: Stephen Ames (CAN)
Past Aussie winners: Rod Pampling (2021)
Prizemoney: US$2,200,000
TV times: Saturday, Sunday and Monday 8am-10am Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse
The Club at Indian Creek, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
10:18pm Brett Drewitt
10:18pm* Dimi Papadatos
3:32am Rhein Gibson
3:43am Karl Vilips
Defending champion: Alejandro Tosti (ARG)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: US$1,000,000
Challenge Tour
Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by the R&A
Newmachar Golf Club, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Australasians in the field: Elvis Smylie, Sam Jones (NZ), Hayden Hopewell, Connor McKinney.
Defending champion: Sam Bairstow (ENG)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: €230,000
Japan Golf Tour
Yokohama Minato Championship
Fujiki Centennial, Japan
8:50am* Anthony Quayle
Defending champion: Keita Nakajima (JPN)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: ¥120,000,000
LET Access Series
Ahlsell Nordic Golf Tour
Ahlsell Trophy by Destination Jonkoping
Gränna Golfklubb, Gränna, Sweden
5pm Kelsey Bennett
5:10pm Stephanie Bunque
5:40pm Kristalle Blum
7:20pm Munchin Keh (NZ)
Defending champion: Sara Kouskova (Czech)
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prizemoney: €40,000
The Chase Is On when a new Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season starts in Port Moresby next week at the PNG Open.
Last year, it was Lachlan Barker who got his season started right with a win, while it was rookie Kiwi professional Kazuma Kobori who shone brightest, winning three times on the way to securing the Order of Merit title and all the benefits being the Australasian No.1 brings.
As the chase to follow Kobori’s stellar example begins, here’s eight “next gen” professionals aged 25 and under we think you should keep a close eye on as the season unfolds over 10 tournaments over the second half of 2024, with more to come at the start of 2025.
Cameron John
He just slips into this age group for one last season, but as the winner of the final event last season, The National Tournament presented by BMW, he is a worthy inclusion. Turning pro at 19 after an impressive amateur career, it was an up-and-down start in the pro game for the Victorian, however, last season, on the comeback from wrist surgery, he got into a groove. John’s win was one of six top-25s, and after a winter at home he will chomping at the bit to get going.
Jeffrey Guan
Another of the highly successful amateurs now in the early stages of their pro career, Guan looks set for a big season after spending the winter months playing the European Challenge Tour, where he recorded a top-10 in France. Finishing T18 and T21 at the BMW Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open respectively, Guan isn’t afraid of the big stage and is growing as a pro with each start.
Harrison Crowe
After winning the 2022 NSW Open as an amateur, and earning major starts via winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Crowe produced a mixed bag in his first season as a professional in 2023/24. Last season was highlighted by a T2 at the Queensland PGA for the New South Welshman who has been plying his trade on the Asian Tour in the winter months and is a proven winner at every level.
Elvis Smylie
Making his major championship debut at The Open Championship at Royal Troon this year, it is easy to think Smylie has been around for a long time given he was a fixture on leaderboards straight after turning pro. Learning a great deal over the past few years when results haven’t come as easily, Smylie is now part of the Ritchie Smith camp that has produced some of our best players. Now has experience at almost every venue on the schedule this season, which the lefthander will hope to take advantage of as he looks to return to the DP World Tour.
Josh Greer
Another of the Ritchie Smith stable, Greer will be better after his first full season as a professional at home, where his best result came in the form of a runner-up at the Webex Players Series South Australia. Settling well into Tour life, Greer will look to make his mark early in his home state of Western Australia, with the Scottish-born Greer very comfortable at the WA Open that he has been playing since the age of 14 and in Kalgoorlie where he was T9 last season.
Hayden Hopewell
Yet another of the promising crop of players coming from the West, Hopewell is already a Tour winner after claiming the WA Open as an amateur back in 2020. Playing a full schedule on the Challenge Tour in Europe this year, Hopewell hasn’t quite produced what he would have liked, but once back home he is one of the players to watch. A renowned hard worker, Hopewell is another who will look to make some noise early in the WA swing.
Max Charles
Turning pro after finishing in a tied fourth at last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, Charles’ opportunities to show what he can do as a pro have been limited to date. Losing in a play-off at the final stage of Qualifying School this year, gaining starts won’t be such an issue for the Victorian who enjoyed a strong amateur career that included a five-year stint at Boise State University in America. A member of Kingston Heath, Charles will be keen to start well and perhaps secure Australian PGA and Australian Open starts via the mini Order of Merit in the first half of the season.
Victorian Adam Henwood defied a “twitchy” putting stroke to shoot a 6-under-par 64 and grab a two-shot win in the Pine Rivers Legends Pro-Am today.
So good was Henwood striking the ball tee to green, he thinks a round in the 50s – only the second in PGA Legends Tour history – had been there for the taking had his putting been up to standard.
Queenslander Andre Stolz (66) took outright second, while Victorian Michael Isherwood recorded the best of the morning rounds, a 2-under-par 68, to share third with Brad Burns (Qld).
It’s Henwood’s second win, and 17th top-10 finish, for year on the PGA Legends Tour.
HOW THE WINNER’S ROUNDS UNFOLDED
Starting his round from the 10th tee, Henwood quickly jumped to 3-under with birdies at 12, 13 and 15. His only bogey for the afternoon came at the 270m par-4 17th.
But he was soon back on track, picking up a shot at the first before an eagle on the par-5 sixth and then a birdie on Pine Rivers’ longest par-3, the 195m eighth where he hit a seven-wood off the tee and then holed a speedy downhiller.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I played great, really great but threw a couple of short misses in. Coming down the stretch I made an 18-footer and a 20-footer and they were probably the two hardest putts I had all day,” Henwood said.
“It was one of those days when I could have had round I’d never forget, something like 13 or 14-under.
“It was a tough day with the putter. I was a bit twitchy out there believe or not.
“This is a great little golf course. It’s tight, it’s tricky and it’s fun.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
64: Adam Henwood (Vic)
66: Andre Stolz (Qld)
68: Michael Isherwood (Vic), Brad Burns (Qld)
69: Michael Graham (Qld), Scott Barr (WA), Mark Boulton (Vic)
70: Simon Tooman (Qld), Murray Lott (Qld), Roland Baglin (Vic)
NEXT UP
The PGA Legends Tour heads to the challenging Brookwater Golf and Country Club for the Golf Car Parts & Repairs Brookwater Legends Pro-Am on Wednesday followed by the 36-hole Centenary Legends Pro-Am at neighbouring Wolston Park Golf Club and Gailes Golf Club on Thursday/Friday.
Photo: Adam Henwood (right) with Pine Rivers president Morris Smith
Hannah Green and Minjee Lee spent Sunday at Le Golf National in green and gold and supporting Jason Day and Min Woo Lee on the final day of men’s competition.
But they move into the bigger spotlight from today as they prepare their own quest for a piece of history in the Olympic Games women’s strokeplay starting Wednesday at the same venue.
Both Green and Lee are experienced Olympians – Green came close to winning a medal in Tokyo in 2021 finishing tied-fourth, a shot out of a playoff for third, and Lee has previously represented Australia at Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo where she was tied-29th.
Both women prioritise the Olympics and have openly said this is their major focus of 2024.
With world rankings of No. 6 for Green and No. 11 for Lee, and with both being major championship winners, Australia’s chances theoretically are better on the women’s side.
No Australian has ever won a medal in golf at the Olympics, with the sport having been reincluded after a break of more than a century at the 2016 Rio Games.
The field at Le Golf National is white hot, headed by world No. 1 and reigning champion Nellie Korda of the USA, and all of the top-ranked players.
The tournament begins at 5pm Wednesday AEST.
AUSTRALASIAN PLAYER PROFILES
HANNAH GREEN
Age: 27
The Perth star is having her best year on the LPGA Tour with two wins. Currently ranked No. 6 in the world, she is No. 3 on the tour rankings and hellbent on going a step farther than her Tokyo campaign when she finished a single shot out of a playoff for bronze. One of four Australian women to win a major championship having secured the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship.
MINJEE LEE
Age: 28
Already a three-time Olympian at just 28, Lee has had a quieter year and was overtaken in the world rankings by her compatriot Green, but she is still just outside the top 10 in the world, has won two major championships and has set herself the goal of making the LPGA Hall of Fame. A win in France would help her cause markedly, and she could be dangerous this week. Two majors – the 2022 US Women’s Open and the 2021 Evian Championship – already have her as an all-time great of the sport.
LYDIA KO (NZ)
Age: 27
Still chasing a coveted gold medal after she won silver in Rio de Janeiro and bronze in Tokyo, the remarkable Kiwi is still playing superb golf and will most likely be a strong challenger in France. Has had one win and a string of top-10s in 2024 to show that she is still highly competitive.
THE COURSE
The women’s course will play one shot higher to par at par-72 this week and 700 metres shorter than it was for the men. The 18th hole, a par-4 for the men, becomes a par-5 for the women. The course plays to 5828 metres overall.
Le Golf National’s L’Albatros Course is built on unremarkable land a clay base almost an hour out of Paris, near Versailles. There is dispute over its designer – the original architect was Hubert Chesneau but his routing for the two 18-hole courses was scrapped by consultant Robert van Hagge – and they had to work hard for their money, moving 1.5 million cubic metres of dirt to shape the course because of the flatness of the terrain.
The federation wanted a TPC-style course, and it’s said to have touches of Florida – looking in parts like Sawgrass with nine holes having water in play – plus a sprinkling of Ireland, too with a linksy feel. It is far from the best course in France, but it does cater for up to 80,000 spectators and its 18th hole has a spectacular amphitheatre.
Le Golf National’s biggest moment was in hosting the 2018 Ryder Cup, won in memorable fashion by Europe, but it has also hosted 29 playings of the men’s Open de France on the DP World Tour since opening in 1990.
TV COVERAGE
*All times AEST.
Rounds One-Four: Wednesday-Sunday from 5pm (Nine, 9Now, Stan)
Link to 9Now: https://www.9now.com.au/shows/2024-olympic-games
DEFENDING CHAMPION:
Nelly Korda (USA)
LIVE SCORES:
https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/results/golf/men-s-individual-stroke-play/fnl
At just his sixth start at a pro, Australian Karl Vilips has won the Korn Ferry Tour’s Utah Championship to set himself up for a stellar career.
Vilips, 22, shot 67-62-64-66 to win by two shots in Farmington, Utah, even allowing for a bogey at the 72nd hole and picked up $US180,000 prizemoney.
He was runner-up in Chicago last week and now is projected to jump to 15th on the tour standings. The top 30 at season’s end graduate to the PGA Tour for 2025.
Vilips was a child prodigy growing up in Melbourne and then Perth, winning the United States Kids Championship aged nine. He spent the last part of his high school years in the USA, then studied at Stamford University on scholarship where he won the Pac-12 individual title in 2024.
Remarkably, he only turned pro in June. His victory in the Pac-12 allowed him to finish 10th in the PGA Tour University ranking, which earned him conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour and fully exempt status on the PGA Tour of Americas.
Turning pro has agreed with him, clearly; he has carded eight rounds in the 60s in a row.
“I just leant on all the moments in the past where I’ve been in contention,” said Vilips. “I’ve had a few of those recently, and just tried to stay confident and committed and trust the swing. I was happy to see that.”
Vilips was delighted to have his father Paul at the course. “Him being here, seeing all the ups and downs and to celebrate the success of today is something special.”
Afterward he said his aim for the rest of 2024 was to “get as high up the points list as I can”.
At the Olympics in Paris, Jason Day could not make a final-day charge but finished inside the top 10 in the men’s individual strokeplay on his Games debut.
On the LPGA Tour, Grace Kim logged another top-10 finish in Portland.
PHOTO: Karl Vilips celebrates today. Image: Getty
Results
Olympic men’s golf
Le Golf National, Versailles, France
• 1 – Scottie Scheffler (USA) 67-69-67-62 – 265
• T9 Jason Day 69-68-67-68 – 272
• T22 Min Woo Lee 76-65-68-68 – 272
• T35 Ryan Fox (NZ) 67-73-68-74 – 282
• 55 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 75-73-70-73 – 291
LPGA Tour
Portland Classic
Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Portland
1 – Moriya Jutanugarn (Thai) 67-69-64-66 – 266 $US 262,500
• T9 Grace Kim 66-65-70-70 – 271 $US
• aT39 Robyn Choi 67-67-70-73 – 277
• T52 Gabriela Ruffels 67-69-71-72 – 279
• T60 Hira Naveed 67-70-71-73 – 281
• MC Su Oh 72-70 – 142
• MC Sarah Kemp 75-71 – 146
• MC Sarah Jane Smith 73-67 – 153
Korn Ferry Tour
Utah Championship
Oakridge Country Club, Utah
• 1 – Karl Vilips 67-62-64-66 – 259 $US180,000
• T8 Brett Drewitt 66-64-64-70 – 264 $25,630
• T27 Curtis Luck 66-68-67-67 – 268 $6950
• T36 Rhein Gibson 65-66-68-70 – 269 $5275
• MC Dimi Papadatos 71-72 – 143
• MC Charlie Hillier (NZ) 75-71 – 146
Challenge Tour
Irish Challenge
K Club, Ireland
• 1 – Joakim Lagergren (Swe) 63-71-70-68 – 272 €43,200
• MC Connor McKinney 70-75 – 145
• MC Hayden Hopewell 70-76 – 146
• MC Tom Power Horan 76-78 – 154
PGA Tour Americas
BioSteel Championship
Ambassador Golf Club, Canada
• 1 – Barend Botha (Sth Af) 64-63-64-63 – 254 $US40,500
• T11 Harry Hillier (NZ) 65-67-63-66 – 261
• MC Grant Booth (NZ) 66-67 – 133
US Senior Women’s Open
• 1 – Leta Lindley (USA) 69-71-71-64 – 275 $US180,000
• MC Sue Wooster 76-77 – 143
European Legends Tour
Staysure PGA Legends Championship
Trump International Golf Links, Scotland
• 1 – Robert Coles (Eng) 69-69-75-71 – 284
• T7 Michael Campbell (NZ) 69-73-75-73 – 290
• T13 Scott Hend 70-79-75-68 – 292
• T13 Jason Norris 78-70-72-72 – 292
• T28 Michael Long (NZ) 74-72-75-74 – 295
• MC Peter Fowler 75-79 – 154
Australia’s wait for an Olympic golf medal will extend into week two of the Paris Games after Jason Day came up just short in the men’s competition at Le Golf National on Sunday.
By Tony Webeck
American and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler added to his growing legacy in the game with a course record of 9-under 62 to claim the gold medal at 19-under par, one clear of Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood (66).
Tied for the lead at the start of the day, Fleetwood earned the silver medal at 18-under par with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (65) claiming the bronze medal at 17-under.
Frenchman Victor Perez fell one shot shy of a medal but created a legion of fans with a breathtaking 8-under 63 that was serenaded by his countrymen and women throughout his 18 holes.
Playing in the group behind, Jason was immersed in the pulsating atmosphere but could not produce his best golf when he needed it most.
The 36-year-old narrowly missed a birdie putt on one but hit a brilliant tee shot into the par-3 second and holed a 26-foot putt for birdie on three to remain in medal contention.
But as his round stalled through the latter holes of the front nine, the likes of Scheffler, Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy (66) and Jon Rahm (70) surged.
Six-under for the day through 10 holes, Rahm established a four-stroke lead only to fade out of medal contention with bogeys at 11, 12, 17 and 18 and a double-bogey at the par-5 14th.
At 13-under with four holes to play, Jason remained in the mix but dropped shots at 15 and 17 – either side of a birdie at 16 – saw him end the week at 12-under and tied for ninth.
“Top-10 finish for not quite having the stuff that you needed, it was quite nice,” Jason said.
“It was a weird scenario. I drove it pretty poorly the first three days, hit irons really nice and it was the reverse today, had no idea where the ball was going.
“It was nice to keep my round going with my short game and my putting.
“Some guys are playing phenomenal golf right now and I’ve got to do a lot of work to get to that level.
“It’s just a good step in the right direction.”
With sister Minjee and world No.6 Hannah Green at the course in support, Min Woo Lee completed his maiden Olympic campaign with a final round of 3-under 68 and tie for 22nd.
On the back foot following a 5-over 76 in Round 1, Min Woo displayed admirable spirit to make inroads on the leaderboard each of the final three days.
“Obviously the first day, I felt devastated. Felt like I let the country down,” Min Woo admitted.
“But made sure I bounced back and I thought I did a pretty good job the next three days.
“The crowds were really special this week.
“It was special. It was cool. I was very surprised at how big it turned out.
“It’s great for golf.”
Speaking about the passion for the game that has been reignited within him, Jason already has eyes on representing Australia again at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
“It’s amazing what sport can do to bring people together,” Jason added.
“This is a week that we are not playing for money. We are playing for a medal and your country.
“It’s brought out old feelings that I still have deep down. Why we play golf and why we love it so much.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the week and I’m hoping that I get to play LA in four years.”
The women’s golf competition begins at Le Golf National on Wednesday where Hannah Green and Minjee Lee will vie to become Australia’s first golf medal winner.
Mercurial Matt Millar dispelled months of self-doubt today by winning the NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying tournament at South West Rocks Country Club.
Millar carded rounds of 66 and 68 for a two-round total of 10-under-par to claim victory by three shots from Queenslander Will Florimo ( 71-66) and Victorian Kyle Michel (69-68).
Five players finished in a tie for fourth at -6 – Lachlan Aylen, Jay Mackenzie, Concord amateur Blake Phillips, William Bruyeres, and 2008 NSW Open champion Aaron Townsend.
Millar, who began the final round a shot back from the leader, the big-hitting Lincoln Tighe, made his move early in the final round, erasing the overnight deficit with a birdie on his first hole (the 10th).
He followed up with two more on the second and third (12th and 13th) to grab the outright lead and was never seriously threatened from there.
A couple of challengers made moves during the round. Phillips seemed the player most likely to make a serious move when he turned for home to get to within three shots, while Florimo matched the mark at -6 after 10 holes.
The day, however, belonged to the 47-year-old ACT product, who underwent spinal fusion surgery in January and was unable to pick up a club for over four months.
“I’m so thrilled to get this one,” a delighted Millar beamed. “I had a second place a couple of weeks ago in Queensland and a few fourth places.
“There have been some good signs, but saying that, I’m just happy to get back out here and be playing; I’ve missed it so much.”
“I like coaching back home at Federal, but I really love playing and competing.
“It’s great to get out here and have a reward like this and get a win; I’m really, really happy.”
With Millar already exempt from this year’s NSW Open, interest was high in who would take out the coveted three confirmed spots in the field for the $800,000 Championship, part of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
Several players looked likely to grab the spots but stumbled at the end. The lucky three to secure their starts at Murray Downs in November were Queensland’s Will Florimo, Victoria’s Lachlan Aylen, and Ballina Product Jay Mackenzie.
NEXT UP
Coffs Harbour will host the next NSW Open Qualifier, the North Coast Open, on Tuesday-Wednesday.
LEADERBOARD
-10: Matt Millar (ACT)
-7: Will Florimo (Qld), Kyle Michel (Vic)
-6: Lachlan Aylen (Vic), Jay Mackenzie (NSW), Blake Phillips (a, NSW), William Bruyeres (Qld), Aaron Townsend (NSW)
-5: Jye Pickin (NSW), Andrew Campbell (NSW), Josh Clarke (NSW), Jacob Boyce (Qld), Riley Taylor (NSW)
Queenslander Will Florimo, Victorian Lachlan Aylen and Ballina’s Jay Mackenzie scored the three spots in the 2024 NSW Open at Murray Downs in November
Jason Day has refused to rule out securing a historic medal for Australia despite a late stumble on day three of the Men’s Golf competition at Le Golf National.
Day has a five-shot deficit to make up in Sunday’s final round to be in medal contention, Spain’s Jon Rahm (66) and Tokyo 2020 champion Xander Schauffele (68) of the US co-leaders after 54 holes at 14-under par.
They have a one-shot lead over Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood (69) after a day where the top of the leaderboard came into view for a host of medal hopefuls.
Day (67) and fellow Australian Min Woo Lee (68) were among those to improve their positions significantly before drifting back into the field with late bogeys.
Tied for 10th with one round to play, Queenslander Day had drawn to within one of the lead when he made birdie at 12 to go 6-under on his round.
But dropped shots at both 14 and 17 have left him with little choice if he is to win Australia’s first medal in Olympic golf.
“I’m going to be pushing tomorrow. I need to try and win a medal. That’s my goal,” said a determined Day.
“The other guys that are kind of in the lead, they are going to be thinking a lot. There’s a lot more pressure on them, which is totally understandable.
“Closing for a medal is a lot more difficult than just finishing on a Saturday.”
Day, himself, has given up shots on the back nine each of the first three days.
His struggles off the tee emerged at the par-5 14th, where a missed fairway to the right left the former world No.1 with no option but to hack the ball just 100 metres out of the rough.
The resulting bogey on the second-easiest hole on the golf course set Day back as fellow major winners in Rahm and Schauffele established their position at the front of the pack.
Given Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard matched twin brother Rasmus’ course record of 9-under 62 in Round 3, Lee is backing his Aussie teammate to apply pressure on the lead groups on the final day.
“Jason is obviously playing well and hopefully we can see him on the podium,” Lee said.
“Even if it was a normal tournament and I was around, I would for sure stay and support, especially Jason.
“He’s been a good role model.”
Min Woo himself was just five strokes off the lead following an impressive run during the middle of his round.
Sparked by a birdie from 10 feet at the par-4 sixth, Lee holed a chip-shot for eagle at the par-5 ninth and then birdied both 10 and 11 to get to 6-under for the tournament.
He went to 7-under with a birdie at the par-5 14th but an errant tee shot that found the water on 15 would lead to the first of three bogeys in his final four holes, ending the day at 4-under and tied for 29th.
“I was really keen on chipping it and thought I had a good chance,” Lee said of his eagle at nine.
“Came out perfectly and went in.
“The front half of the round was unreal, actually. Didn’t really miss a shot and hit some shots that I never really hit.
“It was really good to see that.”
Whether he leaves Le Golf National with a medal or not on Sunday, Day has been so moved by the Olympic experience that he is already daring to dream of Brisbane 2032 in his home state of Queensland.
“It’s definitely reconnected myself with why I play the game and why I love the game so much,” said Day, who will be 44 years old when Brisbane hosts the 2032 Games.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed representing something bigger than myself. That’s been a complete honour to do that.
“It must be an absolute thrill to be a Frenchman or Frenchwoman playing and competing for your country here in the Olympics.
“I’m just hoping Brisbane comes around and I’m still young. That be would nice.”
Lee tees off in the final round at 10:55am on Sunday (6:55pm AEST) with Day to follow at 12:06pm (8:06pm AEST) alongside reigning Australian Open champion Joaquin Niemann and Swedish star Ludvig Aberg.
Tony Webeck is on site at Le Golf National as media liaison for the Australian team.
