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Kids who had never previously picked up a golf club have helped to reignite Jade Longstaff’s passion for coaching and instilled a determination to advance the game in the Northern Territory.
Now based at Alice Springs Golf Club, Longstaff’s transition from the Membership Pathway Program into a career as a PGA Professional has been a circuitous one.
Shortly after completing the MPP, Longstaff and her partner embarked on an eight-month trip around Australia, stopping to play golf courses along the way.
Longstaff also took time to offer the occasional golf lessons, including at Katherine Country Club three hours south of Darwin.
Yet when Longstaff’s partner was offered a job in Alice Springs, she didn’t immediately seek to return to the golf industry.
Challenges Longstaff faced while completing the MPP gave her cause to consider other potential careers.
She had stints as a flight attendant and working in the Northern Territory Police Force call centre, but when the chance to work under Justin Speirani at Alice Springs was offered late last year, Longstaff jumped at it.
As she introduced herself to the Alice Springs members, it was an opportunity to conduct MyGolf clinics that reminded Longstaff why she wanted to coach in the first place.
“When the MyGolf Girls program came up, my boss, Justin, said, ‘That’s perfect for you’,” Longstaff said.
“I’ve been doing those every week and we’ve actually been getting quite a few junior girls.
“Most of them are quite young – like five or six years old – but we’ve had about 15 to 20 kids rock up each week and we’re like, Where have you come from?
“A lot of them have never picked up a golf club before. The parents see free clinics during the school holidays on Facebook and they come down and we have to start from the very basics.
“It’s kind of hard to tell whether they’re going to be the ones that continue golf or if this is just a free holiday activity, because none of the girls have ever come to our Tuesday junior clinics.
“That’s why I was so surprised when I got so many of them.”
But it’s not just the little ones who are inspiring Longstaff’s coaching progression.
As she establishes her presence at Alice Springs, Longstaff is still connected with those she worked with during her time at Darwin Golf Club where she had a lasting impact.
“I feel like it’s definitely brought me back,” Longstaff said of her work with juniors.
“Even the couple of Alice Springs members that I’ve coached, they’ve come back to me after they’ve won the comp a couple of times since then.
“I saw a member from Darwin who was playing the Alice Springs Open.
“I gave him a lesson probably two years ago and he said that ever since that lesson, he’s been able to get out of bunkers first try.
“That sort of feedback is what is keeping me coaching and that’s what has made my passion come back.
“The more I do it and the more positives I see out of it, the more I realise that this is where my heart is.
“I’m glad that I came back.”
It’s been a happy hunting ground in years past and three members of this week’s Power Rankings finished inside the top 20 at the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship.
The champion in 2019, Minjee Lee made it three top-10 finishes from six starts with a share of seventh, two-time defending champion Hannah Green was a shot further back in a tie for ninth as Stephanie Kyriacou climbed into a tie for 16th with a closing 68.
Three of the seven Aussies in the field for this week’s Chevron Championship, it offers a nice sense of momentum from which to build for the first of five women’s majors for 2025.
It was a strong return to the DP World Tour for recently-crowned Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner, Elvis Smylie.
Tied for seventh at the halfway mark, Smylie cemented his place inside the top 15 on the Race to Dubai ranking with a share of 15th as Cam Davis bounced back from five missed cuts with a tie for 13th at the RBC Heritage.
10. Kelsey Bennett (Last week: 10)
Currently back home to recharge after back-to-back top-10 finishes on the Ladies European Tour’s South African swing. Scheduled to return to play at the Aramco Korea Championship early next month.
9. Stephanie Kyriacou (9)
Likely to move even higher in the Rolex Women’s World Ranking from her current position of 46th courtesy of her tie for 16th at the JM Eagle LA Championship. Certainly one to watch at this week’s Chevron Championship.
8. Marc Leishman (6)
Will enter LIV Golf Mexico City this week full of confidence on the back of his breakthrough individual win at LIV Golf Miami.
7. Karl Vilips (5)
Entered the final round of RBC Heritage inside the top 30 thanks largely to a 6-under 65 in Round 2. The Puerto Rico Open winner shot 74 in the final round to drop to a tie for 54th. Has paired up with former Stanford University teammate Michael Thorbjornsen for this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
6. Elvis Smylie (8)
Continues to look increasingly comfortable on the world stage. Smylie was tied for 15th at the Volvo China Open and remains in the hunt for the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year honour.
5. Minjee Lee (7)
Would have been in the mix late at the JM Eagle LA Championship if not for a run of four straight bogeys in Round 3. Ball-striking is at her usual lofty standard and her proficiency with the long putter improves week after week.
4. Jason Day (4)
Eight-under through 45 holes of the RBC Heritage, Day played the final 27 holes at Harbour Town Golf Links in 4-over to finish tied for 49th. After rising five spots on the back of his top-10 finish at the Masters, dropped one to now sit 32nd on the Official World Golf Ranking.
3. Lucas Herbert (2)
Will have a fire in the belly to emulate Marc Leishman’s win in Miami with a victory of his own at LIV Golf Mexico City this week. With two top-five finishes is currently 11th in the LIV Golf individual standings.
2. Hannah Green (3)
Began her year in earnest with a tie for ninth at the JM Eagle LA Championship. Now turns her attention to The Chevron Championship in Texas where she has missed the cut in her past two starts.
1. Min Woo Lee (1)
Perhaps suffering from something of a Masters hangover, finished tied for 61st at RBC Heritage. At No.25 in the Official World Golf Ranking remains our highest-ranked male player. Will take two weeks off before returning for the next Signature Event on the PGA TOUR, the Truist Championship in Philadelphia.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Major winners Minjee Lee and Hannah Green will head into the first major of the season high on confidence after recording top-10 finishes at the JM Eagle LA Championship.
Both past winners of the event – Green victorious in the past two – Lee began the final round best placed to make a move up the leaderboard on Easter Sunday.
A 3-under 69 was only good enough for a share of seventh, Green one shot further back in a tie for ninth after closing with six birdies in her round of 5-under 67.
Four of Lee’s six bogeys for the week came in succession to close out the front nine of Round 3 but the 28-year-old stayed within touch of the leaders with four back-nine birdies.
Despite having made birdie the previous two days at the par-5 first, Lee began the final round with six straight pars as the leaders extended their advantage.
There were birdies at seven, nine, 14 and 16 yet not enough to make an impression on the top of the leaderboard.
Yet what will please Lee and coach Ritchie Smith are ball-striking stats across the week that will hold her in good stead for The Chevron Championship starting Thursday night.
The two-time major winner hit 75 per cent of fairways and 82 per cent of greens in regulation across the week at El Caballero Country Club, numbers that she would love to replicate in conjunction with a good week with the long putter.
Green was sub-70 all four rounds in a valiant attempt to join Karrie Webb as the lone Aussies to win the same LPGA event three years straight.
There was extra motivation for Green’s defence this week as she pledged to donate to the LA Fire Relief Association for every birdie and eagle she made across the 72 holes.
That amounted to $10,500 to help the community back on their feet after the devastating wildfires in January.
“I’m super happy,” said Green after her final round.
“I did a little bit of a tally last night. At the start of the week, I didn’t really know how many birdies we were going to make, so I was hoping that it was going to be a course where we make a ton.
“Definitely a lot of opportunities where I could have made some more, so I’m grateful that I did make the amount that I did.
“Obviously going to a great cause, and good to see some of the guys come out.
“I know at least where my money is going to, so I’m very happy with that.”
One of seven Aussies to contest The Chevron, a bogey-free Sunday 68 for a share of 16th was also a nice source of momentum for Stephanie Kyriacou.
There were top-15 finishes for both Cam Davis and Elvis Smylie.
Coming in on the back of five straight missed cuts, Davis could have finished as high as a tie for third at the RBC Heritage but dropped four shots in four holes around the turn in the final round to finish tied 13th.
Tied for seventh through 36 holes, Elvis Smylie closed with four birdies on the back nine to earn a share of 15th at the Volvo China Open to stay 15th on the DP World Tour Race to Dubai ranking.
Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Results
PGA TOUR
RBC Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
1 Justin Thomas 61-69-69-68—267 $US3.6m
Won on first hole of sudden death playoff
T13 Cam Davis 70-66-67-71—274 $364,000
T49 Adam Scott 68-70-69-73—280 $48,000
T49 Jason Day 68-69-70-73—280 $48,000
T54 Karl Vilips 71-65-71-74—281 $44,500
T61 Min Woo Lee 72-71-71-68—282 $41,500
Corales Puntacana Championship
Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales Cse), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
1 Garrick Higgo 64-68-70-72—274 $US720,000
T26 Aaron Baddeley 66-70-70-75—281 $29,800
T59 Ryan Fox (NZ) 70-71-73-74—288 $8,960
LPGA Tour
JM Eagle LA Championship
El Caballero Country Club, Los Angeles, California
1 Ingrid Lindblad 68-63-68-68—267 $US562,500
T7 Minjee Lee 67-65-70-69—271
T9 Hannah Green 69-67-69-67—272
T16 Stephanie Kyriacou 69-67-70-68—274
T52 Hira Naveed 71-69-70-70—280
MC Cassie Porter 69-72—141
MC Grace Kim 71-73—144
MC Karis Davidson 75-71—146
MC Gabriela Ruffels 74-75—149
MC Fiona Xu (NZ) 77-73—150
DP World Tour
Volvo China Open
Enhance Anting GC, Shanghai, China
1 Ashun Wu 68-70-67-65—270 €381,213.83
T15 Elvis Smylie 67-70-71-70—278 €30,317.71
T20 Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 67-70-70-72—279 €26,460.72
T36 Daniel Hillier (NZ) 68-69-75-71—283 €14,575.82
T43 Jason Scrivener 67-71-73-73—284 €11,660.66
MC George Worrall 74-74—148
Korn Ferry Tour
LECOM Suncoast Classic
Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander Cse), Lakewood Ranch, Florida
1 Neal Shipley 64-68-70-64—266 $US180,000
T57 Harry Hillier (NZ) 69-68-71-71—279 $4,130
MC Rhein Gibson 66-73—139
MC Harrison Endycott 70-73—143
HotelPlanner Tour
Abu Dhabi Challenge
Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE
1 Renato Paratore 69-63-65-66—263 €42,210.53
MC Coby Carruthers (a) 69-72—141
MC Hayden Hopewell 71-71—142
MC Jye Pickin 71-72—143
MC Sam Jones (NZ) 75-71—146
WD Danny List
First-year professional Jimmy Zheng hopes to emulate his fellow New Zealander Kazuma Kobori by turning a Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School victory into a DP World Tour card.
Rounds of 67-67-69-68 gave the Duke University economics graduate a 17-under-par total on the Moonah Links Old Course and a three-shot margin over runner-up Ben Wharton (Victoria).
As the Qualifying School – Australia Final Stage champion, Zheng will be fully exempt for all tournaments in the 2025/26 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, which begins in August with the PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club.
His compatriot Kobori was the Q School winner two seasons ago and then went on to have a spectacular 2023/24 season, winning three tournaments to claim the Order of Merit title and earn his DP World Tour card.
One of five New Zealanders to earn a Tour card by finishing amongst the top 26 and ties today, Zheng came through the First Stage of Q School last week, advancing in a share of sixth place, before leading Final Stage for the majority of the 72 holes.
He made his Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia debut as a Monday qualifier at this year’s Heritage Classic, finishing in a tie for 28th.
“It feels like a real big boost of confidence,” the 23-year-old said of his victory.
“I’m real excited to play all the events and kind of see how my golf stacks up against all the other veterans and good golfers that have come through this system.”
Kobori’s achievements are a target for every Qualifying School professional with Zheng no exception.
“That would be the dream, honestly. Go through the PGA Tour of Australasia and get a DP (World Tour) card from the Order of Merit at the end of the season,” he said.
“Kazuma and I played a lot of junior golf together before I went over to America for uni.”
Further down the Qualifying School leaderboard, the biggest fightback in the final round came from former New Zealand Open champion Zach Murray who shot a 6-under-par 66 to retain his Tour card by a single shot.
Back at Q School after finishing 111th on the 2024/25 Order of Merit, Murray came to his last hole, the par-4 ninth, knowing he needed a birdie to reach the magic number required. He hit his approach shot to 15 feet and rolled in the putt for one of the most important threes of his career.
The 28-year-old was well back in a tie for 61st after a day one 77 but on the final day collected 10 birdies, alongside two bogeys and a double.
“It was a wild ride for sure,” the Albury professional said.
Unfortunately, it was a different story for three-time Tour winner Tom Power Horan who triple-bogeyed his final hole, the par-5 18th, to finish at 1-over-par, one shot outside the top 26 and ties mark needed.
Among the other successful qualifiers were former NZ PGA champion Louis Dobbelaar, outstanding NSW Amateur Declan O’Donovan, who featured on a number of Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia leaderboards in the recently completed season, and 2023 Japan Amateur champion Rintaro Nakano.
O’Donovan intends to retain his amateur status for now as he focusses on the big amateur events overseas in the northern summer.
The top 26 finishers and ties earned Full Tournament Membership of the PGA of Australia will be placed in a Tournament Exemption Category.
Those players finishing beyond 26th place and ties, who completed 72 holes at Final Stage, will be eligible for Full Tournament Membership of the PGA of Australia, however, they will not hold an exemption category for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
All players who played 72 holes of the Final Stage earned a Pro-Am exemption category and be eligible to enter adidas PGA Pro-Am Series events.
The 72–hole Final Stage of Qualifying – USA will be played July 15-18 and the leading six players and ties from the USA will be eligible to for Full Tournament Membership of the PGA of Australia, and will be placed in a Tournament Exemption Category. As in Australia, the winner of this stage will be fully exempt for all tournaments in the 2025/26 season.
Those players finishing from seventh to 20th place and ties at Final Stage USA, will be eligible for Full Tournament Membership of the PGA of Australia, however, they will not hold an exemption category for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
The top 20 players will also earn a Pro-Am exemption category and be eligible to enter adidas PGA pro-Am Series.
Two-time defending champion Hannah Green has shared her big prediction for 2025 as she chases her own slice of history at this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship.
After back-to-back wins at Wilshire Country Club in 2023 and 2024, Green’s quest for a three-peat takes on a new look at El Caballero Country Club as she seeks to become the first player to win an LPGA event three years straight since Inbee Park won the LPGA Championship from 2013-2015.
Karrie Webb’s Australian Ladies Masters dominance from 1998-2000 is the only other time an Australian has achieved the feat but given a light schedule to start 2025, Green is trying to temper expectations, including her own.
As the 28-year-old looks to follow up her three-win season in 2024, Green doesn’t expect to be the only Aussie pushing for tournament wins this year.
With a record nine Australians exempt on the LPGA this season, Green has become a mentor and sounding board to the likes of Grace Kim, Stephanie Kyriacou, Hira Naveed and Cassie Porter in recent years.
Kim already has a Tour win to her name, and Green expects others to follow.
“We had a question with media at Bradenton, like what’s your prediction for 2025, and I said a young Aussie will win for the first time on Tour,” said Green.
“I was talking to someone the other day back in Australia and saying that we have the most Aussies on Tour. But also, all of those players are talented enough to become really good players and win on Tour.
“It’s nice to have some of the younger girls out and they reach out to us and ask for some help.
“I feel like I’m one of the veterans, I guess you could say, so it’s nice to see the girls have come through and how they’re experiencing and learning things.”
Next in line looks to be Kyriacou.
Ranked No.46 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, Kyriacou was denied a major win at last year’s Evian Championship when Japan’s Ayaka Furue played the final five holes in 5-under, including an eagle at the 72nd hole.
How she handled that moment has Green convinced a first LPGA win is simply a matter of time.
“Steph is a close friend of mine and obviously she came so close at Evian last year,” said Green.
“I think she handled herself really well. Ayaka just played amazing on that back nine. Steph unfortunately did make a bogey on 17 but she made birdie on 18 to try and press her.
“That took a lot of guts, and hopefully that brings in some confidence for her.
“Getting back into the top 50 I think was probably one of her goals, and we have the International Crown of course this year, so she really wants to make that team.
“She works really hard, so I really hope she has some success.”
Elsewhere this week, five Aussies will contest the RBC Heritage Signature Event on the PGA TOUR, the past two Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winners, Elvis Smylie and Kazuma Kobori, are playing the DP World Tour’s Volvo China Open and Jye Pickin and Concord amateur Coby Carruthers are playing the HotelPlanner Tour event in Abu Dhabi.
Pickin and Carruthers both received invitations thanks in part to PGA of Australia Member Kieren Pratt, who is the Championship Director for the Emirates Golf Federation.
Round 1 tee times AEST
PGA TOUR
RBC Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
11:25pm Adam Scott
1:10am Karl Vilips
2:25am Jason Day
2:55am Cam Davis
3:50am Min Woo Lee
Recent champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1977), Greg Norman (1988), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006)
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live 9:30pm-8am Thursday, Friday; Live 10:30pm-8am Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Corales Puntacana Championship
Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales Cse), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
2:21am* Ryan Fox (NZ)
2:33am Aaron Baddeley
Recent champion: Billy Horschel
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US4m
TV times: Live 12am-3am Friday, Saturday; Live 5am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
JM Eagle LA Championship
El Caballero Country Club, Los Angeles, California
12:26am Grace Kim
12:59am* Hannah Green
1:21am Stephanie Kyriacou
2:16am Gabriela Ruffels
5:37am Fiona Xu (NZ)
6:10am Minjee Lee
6:21am Cassie Porter
6:54am* Karis Davidson
7:05am Sarah Kemp
7:16am* Hira Naveed
Recent champion: Hannah Green
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2019), Hannah Green (2023, 2024)
Prize money: $US3.75m
TV times: Live 8am-11am Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Volvo China Open
Enhance Anting GC, Shanghai, China
9:20am Jason Scrivener
1:30pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
2:20pm Daniel Hillier (NZ)
2:50pm Elvis Smylie
3:30pm* George Worrall
Recent champion: Adrian Otaegui
Past Aussie winners: Scott Strange (2009), Brett Rumford (2013)
Prize money: $US2.55m
TV times: Live 2:30pm-7:30pm Thursday, Friday; Live 2:30pm-7pm Saturday; Live 2pm-7pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
LECOM Suncoast Classic
Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander Cse), Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Round 1
T13 Rhein Gibson 66
T64 Harry Hillier (NZ) 69
T82 Harrison Endycott 70
Recent champion: Tim Widing
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1m
HotelPlanner Tour
Abu Dhabi Challenge
Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE
1:50pm Sam Jones (NZ)
2:20pm* Jye Pickin
2:30pm* Coby Carruthers
6:50pm Danny List
7pm* Hayden Hopewell
Recent champion: Garrick Porteous
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US300,000
Some of the biggest names in Australian golf over the past 30 years will be on show when the 54-hole NSW Senior Open returns to Albury in late October.
Running from October 31st to November 2nd, 2025, the $150,000, 54-hole tournament is an integral part of the PGA Legends Tour.
This year’s event will be the seventh edition at the Thurgoona Golf & Country Club Resort.
Graeme Phillipson, Golf NSW Chief Operating Officer, said the tournament was an extremely popular event for players, both professional and amateur.
“We are thrilled to continue to bring one of our most popular tournaments back to the Albury region and the Thurgoona Country Club,” said Graeme Phillipson, Golf NSW Chief Operating Officer.
“The sporting public of the Murray region and the Liverpool Catholic Club have supported this event from its inception, and it is a pleasure to continue to return to a venue and city where everyone involved in the tournament, including the players, officials, and staff, have been so warmly received.”
“Golf is the number one pastime Australia-wide for those over 50, and the popularity of tournaments like the NSW Senior Open assists us in promoting the game as the ideal recreational activity for young and old,” Mr. Phillipson added.
Last year’s champion, Victorian David McKenzie, is expected to defend his championship crown, against a field which is likely to feature many of the greats of Australasian Golf, including
• Peter Lonard: a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia and a US & European Tour winner
• Andre Stolz – current leader of the PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit
• Mathew Goggin, the 2024 Runner Up
• Scott Barr – Asian Tour winner and PGA Legends Tour regular
• Terry Price – European Tour winner
• Steven Conran – Japan Tour winner
Other notables and past champions expected to play include Peter O’Malley, Michael Harwood, Grant Kenny, and 2019 champ Brad Burns.
PGA Legends Tour Coordinator Andy Rogers said the tour and its players were excited by the opportunity to return to Thurgoona for a record seventh time, having enjoyed all previous six stagings on the Murray River.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be heading back to Thurgoona again this year for the NSW Senior Open,” Rogers said.
“The players have become very familiar with not only the course but the surrounding area as well, and both are perfect hosts for the event. This event is a significant part of the PGA Legends Tour schedule, and to return to a host venue that has proven itself time and again as a perfect fit is very exciting.”
The fan experience at this year’s tournament will allow unparalleled access. Spectators can walk the fairways beside their favourite players and see golf played at its best.
“There won’t be a better opportunity for sports fans in the Albury region to get up close and personal to witness the legends in action,” Adam Fitzgerald, general manager of the Thurgoona Country Club Resort, said.
EVENT FACTS
Host Venue: Thurgoona Country Club Resort.
The Thurgoona Country Club Resort is a par 72, 18-hole championship course measuring 6372 metres. A Peter Thomson & Mike Wolveridge design, the course features couch fairways and large bent grass greens.
Tournament Dates: October 31st – November 2nd, 2025 (54 holes)
Website: www.nswsenioropen.com.au
Prize Fund: AUD 150,000
Field Size: 120 players consisting of
• 82 players from the 2025 Legends Tour exemption categories
• 1 Player from Asian Senior Tour
• 32 Amateur players from Golf NSW exemption categories
• Five professional pre-qualifying positions
Past Champions:
2024 David McKenzie (Vic)
2023: Adam Henwood (Vic)
2022: Richard Green (Vic)
2020: Brad Burns (QLD)
2019: Michael Long (NZL)
2018: Grant Kenny (NSW)
By Golf NSW
Photo: Victorian David McKenzie is expected to defend his NSW Senior Open Crown later this year.
We had Jason Day in the hunt until deep into the first men’s major of the year; now it’s the turn of our Aussie women to take centre stage.
Starting with this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship where Hannah Green will seek to make it three straight and building into the first women’s major of 2025 next week with the Chevron Championship.
All nine LPGA Tour exempt Aussies are in the field this week and over on the Ladies European Tour, Kelsey Bennett’s third-place finish at the SA Women’s Open was her second straight top-10 finish.
We have entered the best four months of the golf year and our Aussies are primed to play leading roles.
10. Kelsey Bennett (New)
Is at a career high of No.227 in the world on the back of her best finish on the Ladies European Tour. On the back of a tie for eighth at the Joburg Ladies Open, Bennett was third at the SA Women’s Open. The 25-year-old is now 16th on the Order of Merit in her rookie season on the LET.
9. Stephanie Kyriacou (Last week: 9)
Despite having the week off, rose another two spots in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking and is now No.46 in the world. That is a career best and with the first women’s major of the season a week away, looks ready to join Hannah Green and Minjee Lee as a consistent contender in golf’s showpiece events.
8. Elvis Smylie (7)
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit winner resumes his rookie season on the DP World Tour this week at the Volvo China Open on the back of shooting 59 in the club comp at Southport Golf Club.
7. Minjee Lee (6)
Six years after winning this tournament, looks to ramp up her preparation for next week’s Chevron Championship at the JM Eagle LA Championship. Expect one of golf’s best ball-strikers to be firing when major season rolls around.
6. Marc Leishman (5)
Blew past Bryson DeChambeau to claim LIV Golf Miami for his first LIV Golf individual win and lead Ripper GC to their first team win of 2025. Back in action next week at LIV Golf Mexico City.
5. Karl Vilips (4)
Earns his place in this week’s RBC Heritage Signature Event by virtue of the Aon Swing 5 ranking. Has missed his past three cuts on the PGA TOUR since winning the Puerto Rico Open.
4. Jason Day (New)
Showed once again that he is the man for a big occasion at the Masters. Having reunited with boyhood coach Col Swatton, Day was just three strokes back deep into the back nine on Sunday at Augusta National but dropped shots at both 17 and 18. In the 70 holes prior he had made just three bogeys but struggled to convert numerous birdie opportunities.
3. Hannah Green (3)
The two-time JM Eagle LA Championship defending champion has a new venue to try and make it three straight. If she does so, Green will become the first Australian to win the same LPGA Tour event three years running since Karrie Webb’s hat-trick of Australian Ladies Masters wins from 1998-2000.
2. Lucas Herbert (2)
Has become the bedrock of the Ripper GC team and was strong in the team’s victory at LIV Golf Miami. The Ford NSW Open winner will likely draw inspiration from Leishman’s recent win to get one of his own sooner rather than later.
1. Min Woo Lee (1)
Was in the mix heading into the weekend at the Masters but a third round of 5-over 77 made a Sunday charge impossible. Houston Open winner backs up for this week’s RBC Heritage at Harbour Town.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
It was Jason Day’s best Masters finish in six years yet it will be forever remembered as the crowning glory in the extraordinarily complex career of Rory McIlroy.
In an enthralling, chaotic and ultimately gratifying final round that will go down as one of the most compelling in major championship history, McIlroy (73) had to go one extra hole against Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose (66) to complete the career grand slam and claim his first coveted green jacket.
His final pairing with his US Open nemesis Bryson DeChambeau was built to break box office records.
That his two-shot advantage was thrown away with a double-bogey at the opening hole followed by a DeChambeau birdie at the second to take the lead made the storyline all the more absorbing.
There were shots only McIlroy can hit – his second into seven, a hooked 7-iron from 208 yards to six feet at the par-5 15th – yet there were also mistakes that have plagued the Northern Irishman for a decade.
An inexplicable pitch into Rae’s Creek beside the 13th green saw what was a five-shot lead as he strode down the 11th hole disintegrate into a three-way tie at 10-under with both Rose and Ludvig Aberg (72).
The birdie on 17 would prove pivotal after McIlroy failed to get up-and-down from the greenside bunker on 18. He would fulfil his destiny with a perfect tee shot at the first playoff hole, an approach that spun back toward the hole and the longest two-foot tap-in of his life.
It was Day’s best finish since he was tied for fifth in 2019.
With all manner of drama unfolding behind him, Day was just three strokes from the lead with four holes to play.
He left a birdie attempt out to the left from the back fringe of the par-5 15th and then two-putted from 72 feet for par at the par-3 16th.
Closing bogeys at 17 and 18 were just his fourth and fifth for the week as the 37-year-old relished his return to the heat of major championship Sunday.
“It’s nice to be like third group from the end, at least trying to give myself a chance at winning the Masters,” said Day, who now has five top-10 finishes at Augusta National.
“I’m pretty gutted right now. It’s annoying to give myself the opportunities out there and not be able to take them.
“I mean, it’s a step in the right direction. That’s all I can say. It’s hard to walk off the golf course and go straight into an interview even though… I’m pretty headless right now.
“Just a few minor tweaks here and there and a few more putts go in, it might be a different story this week.”
The final round was a day of give and take for Lee.
The 26-year-old began brightly with an exquisite pitch shot to set up birdie at the par-5 second but, as would be the case all Sunday, Augusta National soon took it back, and then some.
There were bogeys at three, four and six before Lee hit another superb approach from the left rough on his way to birdie at the par-4 seventh.
He bogeyed 10 and 12, picked them back up again with birdies at 13 and 14 and then, finally, dropped to 2-over on his round with a bogey at the par-5 15th.
Holing out from the greenside bunker for par at the 72nd hole was a very Min Woo way to finish as he continues to build his database of Masters memories.
“I had a chat with my caddie Bo walking up 18, and I just asked him if it’s more of a mental or a technical battle here,” said Lee.
“Obviously you need to be on with your game, but I think the mental has to be right up there.
“The top players mentally are going to be at the top of the leaderboard, which I think they are.
“That leaderboard up there has a lot of major champion winners and guys who have played well over the past whatever years.
“A lot of learning to do. I’m really early in the stages of hopefully my career at Augusta, so I can’t wait for whatever the next few years have in store.”
Day’s wasn’t the only top-10 finish by an Aussie this week as Kelsey Bennett recorded her career-best result on the Ladies European Tour.
Bennett, who started the final day in a tie for eighth, dropped her only shot of the day on the fifth hole, before having three birdies in a row on the back nine.
Tied for eighth a week ago at the Joburg Ladies Open to climb to No.266 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, Bennett finished three shots back of Perrine Delacour in outright third.
That surpasses her tie for seventh at last year’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France and elevates her to 16th on the Order of Merit in her rookie season on the LET.
Making early inroads on the leaderboard with birdies at two and four, Bennett’s Sunday charge hit a hurdle with a bogey on five.
The 25-year-old responded with birdie at the par-5 seventh but it wasn’t until she peeled off three on the trot from the 13th hole that she dared look at the leaderboard.
“I just gave myself plenty of opportunities so I’m glad a few on the back nine dropped,” said Bennett.
“I wasn’t looking at the leaderboard too much until I had three birdies in a row and then said to Michelle [caddie and partner], ‘I need to see.’
“Then that felt pretty good.”
Results
Masters Tournament
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
1 Rory McIlroy 72-66-66-73—277
T8 Jason Day 70-70-71-72—283
T50 Min Woo Lee 71-72-77-74—294
MC Adam Scott 77-72—149
MC Cameron Smith 71-78—149
MC Cam Davis 74-79—153
Japan Golf Tour
Token Homemate Cup
Tokken Tado Country Club, Nagoya, Mie
Reduced to 54 holes due to rain
1 Tatsunori Shogenji 66-64-66—196 ¥19.5m
T54 Michael Hendry 72-68-70—210 ¥231,353
66 Brad Kennedy 71-68-74—213 ¥213,525
Ladies European Tour
Investec SA Women’s Open
Erinvale Country and Golf Estate, South Africa
1 Perrine Delacour 65-69-70-70—274 €51,000
3 Kelsey Bennett 69-68-73-67—277 €17,850
T20 Amelia Garvey (NZ) 71-71-71-70—283 €4,246.91
T45 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 69-73-73-72—287 €1,598
HotelPLanner Tour
UAE Challenge
Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club, Ajman, UAE
1 Renato Paratore 69-68-64-65—266 €42,538.46
T50 Hayden Hopewell 69-70-72-71—282 €1,042.19
MC Danny List 73-71—144
MC Sam Jones (NZ) 74-72—146
Sunshine Tour
Qualifying School Final Stage
Heron Banks Golf & River Resort
1 Luis Carrera 66-69-68-61—264
T12 Austin Bautista 67-67-71-71—276
T49 Ben Eccles 71-70-73-71—285
DQ Phoenix Campbell
He sensed an air of confidence before they even teed off on Saturday yet Australian Jason Day insists he is close enough to deny Rory McIlroy’s Masters dream at Augusta National Golf Club.
A second straight round of 6-under 66 and 12-under total has given McIlroy a two-shot buffer from a surging Bryson DeChambeau (69) heading into the final round as the Northern Irishman seeks to break free of his Masters torment and complete the career Grand Slam.
Top five on three separate occasions, Day will start Round 4 seven strokes back in a tie for sixth but conscious that momentum can change quickly on a Sunday at Augusta.
A chip-in for birdie at the par-4 14th was the highlight of Day’s third round of 1-under 71 as fellow Aussie Min Woo Lee dropped from contention with a round of 5-over 77 that included a penalty stroke when he was deemed to have made his ball move on the 13th fairway.
Day’s first birdie of Round 3 came courtesy of a clinical pitch shot to four feet at the par-5 second, his second via a curling 18-foot birdie putt at the par-4 fifth.
He scrambled pars at six, 10 and 11 but made his second bogey for the week after hitting his tee shot long and left at the par-3 12th to drop back to 5-under.
He was in a share of fifth when he holed out from the back of the 14th green but the 37-year-old dropped back to a tie for seventh when he made bogey at the par-3 16th, choosing to chip sideways from the top shelf of the green to feed his ball down to the hole location on the bottom section.
“Sundays at Augusta is unlike any other tournament. You just never know what potentially could happen,” said Day.
“I know that if you shoot a low one, you can use the crowd as momentum, and it also works against you, as well.
“He seems like he’s very focused and level-headed right now, and he’s going to be a very, very difficult person to beat tomorrow, just the way that he is looking off the golf course before the round. Very confident, very balanced in himself.
“I know it’s in the back of his mind, but I think he’s running off so much confidence and he has so much belief in his game that it almost… like he knows it’s going to happen, kind of thing.
“And when you’re playing like that, it’s very dangerous.”
Lee made a bright start to Saturday when he holed a sliding left-to-right eight-footer for birdie after almost driving the green at the 350-yard third.
He almost holed his second shot from 177 yards at the par-4 fifth but would three-putt from just inside 20 feet and make bogey.
Missed greens led to bogeys at both 10 and 11 and then Lee incurred a penalty stroke at the par-5 13th after it was assessed that his actions near the ball caused it to move in the fairway.
That resulted in a third bogey in four holes which became four in five when a wayward tee shot had the 26-year-old out of position on his way to a dropped shot on 14, his final bogey coming with a third three-putt for the day on 17.
Photo: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images
Jason Day is already targeting a Sunday charge at Augusta National after playing his way into a Masters weekend for the 11th time in his career.
Day and fellow Paris Olympian Min Woo Lee are the only two Aussies to advance past the 36-hole cut-line as Adam Scott (72), Cameron Smith (78) and Cam Davis (79) all finished shy of the 2-over mark.
Day shot 2-under 70 for the second straight day to be in a tie for ninth at 4-under and four back of leader Justin Rose (71), his only bogey of the tournament to date coming at the par-4 18th in Friday’s second round.
After starting Round 2 with a double-bogey, Lee also dropped a shot on 18 in his round of even-par 72 that has him in a share of 22nd at the halfway point.
Runner-up on debut in 2011 and with three top-five finishes to his name, Day knows what to expect of a weekend at the Masters: Survive Saturday and charge home Sunday.
“We know that Saturday usually is the tougher day of the two,” said Day.
“I know it’s going to be tough, but get the opportunities, try and capitalise on them and then get myself into contention on the back nine on Sunday.”
Being unable to capitalise on opportunities has been a frustration for Day the first two rounds.
The 37-year-old has hit 27 of 36 greens but converted just five birdie chances, a stat he hopes will turn over the final two days.
“This golf course, it can frustrate you,” Day added.
“It’s a funny golf course because where they put the pin locations, if you’re leaving yourself 30 to 35 feet, very rarely do you hit it very close. You’re always leaving yourself two, three, four-footers, and that can be very frustrating.
“That’s why you feel mentally fatigued getting off the golf course at the end of the day, just where they place the pin locations.
“But when you’re missing putts and giving yourself opportunities, it is what it is.
“I feel like the stats will soon kind of turn for me, and hopefully it’s this weekend.”
After hitting his second shot from the pine straw left of the fairway, Day got up-and-down from 43 yards to make birdie at the par-5 second and then hit a gorgeous tee shot to seven feet for birdie at the par-3 sixth.
Another wayward tee shot had Day scrambling at the par-5 eighth but his wedge play again came to the fore for a third birdie on the front nine and turn 5-under for the championship.
It was the worst possible start to Round 2 for Lee.
His tee shot on one went left onto the ninth fairway and he clipped the trees as he tried to make his way back to the fairway.
The 26-year-old would make double-bogey but got both shots back with birdies at two and three.
A bogey followed when Lee came up well short at the 240-yard par-3 fourth but two brilliant iron shots got him back in red numbers with a birdie from 13 feet at the par-4 10th.
He moved to 2-under with birdie from 12 feet at the par-5 15th but dropped back to 1-under when he missed his par putt from six feet after missing the green long and left at 18.
Even par on his round and 1-under as he entered the back nine, Smith’s aspirations faded in a four-hole stretch.
The 31-year-old was unable to save par after finding the bunker at the par-4 10th and then made double-bogey at 11 after finding Ike’s Pond with his second.
The 2022 Open champion missed a birdie chance from nine feet at 12 and then made bogey on 13 when his third shot failed to carry the bank and bounced back into Rae’s Creek.
Wayward tee shots led to further bogeys at both 16 and 17 as he missed the cut at the Masters for the first time in his ninth appearance.
Two bogeys in his final three holes would cruel any chance that Scott had of making the cut.
A sand save at the par-5 second and birdie from eight fee at the par-3 sixth had the 2013 champion 1-under through 14 holes of his second round.
After choosing to lay up at the par-5 15th, Scott missed the green long with his approach from 99 yards and was unable to get up-and-down for his par.
He responded with a superb shot to five feet to make birdie on 16 but dropped back to 5-over when he missed a par putt from four feet on 17.
It was late in his round again where Davis’s score ballooned.
Needing an under-par round to be any hope of making the weekend, the 30-year-old turned in 1-over.
But, like so many before him, he would be brought undone by the mystic beauty of the par-3 12th.
Davis’s tee shot pitched into the bank at the front of the green, his ball bouncing back into Rae’s Creek on his way to a double-bogey.
He would find the water twice more on his way in, making bogeys at both the par-5 13th and par-5 15th along with bogeys at both 17 and 18.
