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He insists the swing needs some tweaks but Nathan Barbieri’s putter proved the difference at the Total Tree Services Perth Sun City CC Pro-Am at Sun City Country Club.
Winner of Q School in April and with a maiden adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory at the Cottesloe Open, the New South Welshman is riding high on confidence and with a flatstick to match.
Barbieri’s round of 7-under 65 was enough to edge West Australian Ben Ferguson by a shot with left-hander Ryan Peake third at 5-under 67.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
After starting his round from the par-4 12th hole it took Barbieri just two holes to record his first birdie of the day at the par-3 14th.
He backed that up with a second at the par-5 15th and then closed out Sun City’s back nine with three straight pars.
Three birdies in the first four holes to start the front nine helped to separate Barbieri from the field, two further birdies at seven and nine enough to build the buffer he needed for a second win in the WA swing.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I started well. I was a couple under through four or five holes and then picked up a couple after the turn,” said Barbieri.
“I then had the easiest stretch with the short par-4 and the short par-5s and then just played steady from there.
“I made some really nice putts all day. Didn’t have any three-putts and the greens were quick, so the putting definitely took over today.
“I’ve been rolling it really nice pretty much since I got here. I’ve still got to fix the swing a little bit before the season starts but it’s been good.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Nathan Barbieri 65
2 Ben Ferguson 66
3 Ryan Peake 67
T4 Brady Watt 68
T4 Jordan Doull 68
6 Daniel Hoeve 69
NEXT UP
The $50,000 Lexus Townsville Classic begins on Thursday at Townsville Golf Club while the WA swing continues on Friday with the Urban Quarter Dunsborough Lakes Pro-Am at Dunsborough Lakes Golf Course near Busselton.
He knows little of the golf course and has played one competitive round this year, yet Cameron Percy believes he can make an immediate impression on the over-50s circuit at this week’s KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
Medallist at PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying School last December – where fellow Aussies Steve Allan, David Bransdon and Michael Wright claimed three of the other four cards on offer – Percy is one of 14 Aussies teeing it up at Harbor Shores in Michigan.
Only the United States has a greater representation in a field where four-time PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit winner, Brad Burns, and Wisconsin-based PGA Professional, Mick Smith, join Stuart Appleby, Richard Green, Rod Pampling, Scott Hend and others in flying the Australian flag.
Percy now also joins them having celebrated his 50th birthday on May 5 with a first-time visit to the Kentucky Derby.
And, just like his fortunes at Churchill Downs – “Mystik Dan won at 20-1 and we backed it like we owned it” – Percy hopes to make it first time lucky in senior company.
Although he has been denied starts in PGA TOUR events since the RSM Classic last November, Percy has already seen where the most recent addition to the senior ranks can take his advantage.
“I basically got everything out of my body that I could, but the young guys just hit it so far now. I’m just so far behind,” Percy admitted of his final year playing the PGA TOUR.
“I played in a US Senior Open qualifier a week ago and I was 60, 70 yards ahead of my playing partners most times.
“That’s a huge advantage to me.
“I’ve watched the Champions Tour a bit on TV and the par 5s are 500-520 yards long; that’s a par 4 now on the PGA TOUR.
“Hopefully I’m going to be the one hitting it a bit further than some other guys and have shorter clubs in.
“That’s going to help me for sure once I get out there.”
We'll be at beautiful @HarborShores next week! 😍#SrPGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Y9TKqUnpum
— KitchenAid Senior PGA Champ (@seniorpgachamp) May 17, 2024
Percy is an alternate for the US Senior Open after shooting 69 in the one-round qualifier and missing out in a playoff to Mario Tiziani.
It’s an insight to the standard of his play with very limited practice and next to no strength work in the gym since contracting Long COVID four years ago.
His practice regime has been structured around the coaching he does at Wakefield High School where his son is a member of the golf team.
The Victorian who now calls Raleigh, North Carolina home, knows his short game needs to be sharpened and his regimen needs greater intensity. There is also a familiarity with life on tour that needs to be re-established.
He has already leant on close friend Greg Chalmers to gauge the standard of competition he can expect but knows that there is a learning curve he must expedite if he is to be one of the 36 Champions Tour players to keep their card at season’s end.
“I speak to Greg Chalmers a lot. We’re very close and he qualified for a few events and finished top 10,” said Percy.
“I said, ‘Oh, how did you play? Did you play unbelievable?’ He goes, ‘Cameron, I actually didn’t play that good but I’m so far ahead of everyone with distance off the tee that you’ve just got to play decent. If you play great, you’re going to be contending to win.’
“To be honest, I still haven’t gotten onto everything. I don’t know where everything is and which airport to fly into.
“It’s pretty weird. I’m still trying to get my head around everything.”
But, given he has missed the first 10 events and the 36th-ranked player on the monsylist has already banked close to $US200,000, time is of the essence.
As Q School medallist, Percy is exempt for all tournaments except the majors, and he knows the simplest way to start moving up the Order of Merit.
“Winning is definitely something I’m looking at doing,” said Percy, who has made 220 starts on the PGA TOUR.
“Unfortunately there was a big event, the Insperity Invitational, I got in because I won Q School but it was the week before I turned 50 so I never got to play it.
“I just think if I play well enough, I should be up there and give myself a chance to win.”
The full list of Australians teeing it up this week is Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, David Bransdon, Brad Burns, Richard Green, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Mick Smith and Michael Wright. Kiwis Michael Campbell and Michael Long are also in the field.
Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
In a sense, Declan McCollam’s career working at golf facilities around the world was the result of a gap year gone wrong.
After completing his PGA Traineeship (now Membership Pathway Program) in Perth under Graham Johnson and spending a couple of years playing on tour in Asia and Australia, Declan decided to join a number of his countrymen and teach golf in Germany.
There was a growing enclave of Aussie PGA Professionals within Germany and Declan saw it as a way to see a new part of the world, experience a new culture and return home to Australia to resume his playing career.
“I really went with the idea of going for a year to see what it was like, save some money and go play again,” Declan says.
“I ended up staying 12 years in Germany.”
Thirty years on from that initial exploration, Declan was named the 2023 PGA International Member of the Year at the PGA of Australia Awards in Brisbane last November.
His current role as General Manager of the Prestige Golfshire Club in Bangalore in India prevented Declan from attending in person, his career now serving as a blueprint for just how widely PGA qualifications can take you.
Through his association with Troon Golf that is coming up on 24 years, Declan has worked in Portugal, Russia, Italy, Morocco, the United Kingdom, Dubai and Switzerland as well as a stint back on home soil managing Troon properties such as Brookwater, Golf Club Kennedy Bay, Pelican Waters, Peregian Springs and The Cut.
He is adamant that his experiences in different countries among different cultures have armed him with the skills to be able to work anywhere and urges other PGA Professionals to invest time working internationally.
“I would recommend to all young graduates to go overseas for at least a period of time and experience what it’s like overseas,” Declan says.
“Even if it’s for one year or two years because it’s great to see what’s happening somewhere else and how different it is to the Australian system.
“If you go to a private club in Singapore, for example, seeing first-hand how they operate at such a high level is an invaluable experience.
“Any young Professional that gets that experience and has the opportunity to work in that environment, comes back with such a better understanding of how to work in the service and hospitality industry and deliver to your members.
“It’s a big feather in their cap and, when they come back, they will be highly desirable to Tier 1 clubs around the country.”
Although Graham Johnson’s acronym for FIFO may not be fit for publication, Declan insists that the principle remains the same for those who wish to work worldwide.
“You have to have the ability to adapt,” Declan says.
“I first went to Dubai not long after September 11 so there was lot of cautiousness about being in that part of the world.
“My thought was that if I make the decision to go there, it’s their country, I have to live by their rules.
“If you’re going to go somewhere, you need to fit in and you need to assimilate and behave in a professional manner.
“I think this is why Australians do so well overseas. We have the ability to adapt to any culture or race of people whereas other people perhaps don’t have that ability.”
Thirty years in, Declan continues to supplement his in-workplace development with continuing education through the PGA ACE Program.
Wherever he is in the world, Declan believes that continued learning is critical to success.
“It’s important to me, and it should be important to all Members because knowledge is everything,” he says.
“You cannot stop learning. If you stop learning, it’s like applying the brake to everything. It then gets to the point where everyone’s passed you by so far that it’s hard to catch up.
“The guys that have been really successful have never stopped learning and knowing how to adapt and grow their business.
“That’s very important. And the PGA has now realised that and are giving us the tools to be very knowledgeable, very well-rounded and understanding of what’s happening outside of the golf industry.
“That can only benefit us within our own industry.”
Reigning champion Brett Rankin is vowing to bring a Tour mentality to the defence of his Lexus Townsville Golf Classic at Townsville Golf Club starting Thursday.
The $50,000 54-hole event marks the start of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series North Queensland swing and boasts a field littered with Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and WPGA Tour of Australasia players.
The week of golf begins with a free junior clinic from 4pm on Tuesday which will be followed by a junior shootout competition and junior pizza party.
The Sponsors Day will be held in conjunction with a club competition on Wednesday with PGA Professionals to be involved in a Q&A and Calcutta at the club on Wednesday evening.
Round 1 of the Lexus Townsville Golf Classic tees off at 6:45am Thursday morning with the champion to be crowned on Saturday afternoon followed by a Shootout on the 18th hole
Rankin, who got up-and-down at the par-3 18th in regulation and then again at the first playoff hole to edge Shae Wools-Cobb 12 months ago, won the NT PGA Championship in 2019 and has been a dominant figure on the Pro-Am circuit for a decade.
With an 18-month-old daughter now at home in Brisbane, Rankin is more judicious with his scheduling and is treating his Townsville defence with the same mindset he takes into a 72-hole Tour event.
“For a one-day event, you try and make as many birdies as you can,” said Rankin, the 2019 NT PGA champion.
“You’re being super aggressive with the attitude of, well, if I don’t pull it off, I’ve got a new event tomorrow.
“With three days it’s more like a Tour event. It’s more like Tour golf. It’s a bit more like a chess match instead of a Big Bash event.
“I enjoy playing the two, three and four-day events more. You can play a bit smarter and play a bit more consistent.”
Four shots back at the start of the final round, Rankin believes it was that patient approach that proved so effective last year, coming home strong with a round of 6-under 65.
“There are a few guys that are quite good at making a lot of birdies, but they’re super aggressive,” he added.
“Sometimes you can just be a bit more patient and eventually they might slip up and consistency will come through at the end, which it did for me last year.
“I enjoy playing multiple days and I still love playing golf, too. You’re playing three or four days in a row, it’s quite exciting. It’s just fun to do.”
Not only does Rankin believe that the patient approach is effective in a three-day event, he says that the Townsville Golf Club layout also plays into the hands of those prepared to plot their way around.
“It’s a course that really bites you in the arse,” Rankin said.
“If you’re going with the aggressive play and you don’t pull it off, you can get into a lot of trouble.
“Just be a bit more cautious off the tee and get it in play and then try and score from that 100-120-metre mark instead of driving some greens and bringing out-of-bounds or water hazards into play.
“I’ve found that the more patient and safer you are off the tee, it normally plays to my advantage.
“Last year the greens were quite good, so you can just play smart off the tee, give yourself looks at birdies and eventually hole a few.”.
Given the growth of the Webex Players Series in recent years, the presence of Kelsey Bennett, Jordan O’Brien, Danni Vasquez, Sarah Yamaki Branch and Rhianna Lewis adds another element to the event.
Other players of note are 2016 Hong Kong Open champion Sam Brazel, rising stars Elvis Smylie and John Lyras and new additions to the pro ranks, Jye Pickin and Connor McDade.
Today marks the first day of National Volunteer Week, and Golf Australia, the PGA of Australia and the WPGA of Australasia would like to say “Three Cheers for Volunteers!”.
Like many sports, volunteers are at the heart of golf. From ball spotters, to first tee starters, to the board members who make Australian clubs tick, golf could not be enjoyed without the crucial role volunteers play.
Across the summer of golf in Australia, 1600 volunteers made sure that the Australian touring professionals and elite amateurs had a well-run tournament at each and every stop around the country.
Also assisting at professional and elite amateur events were more than 50 Tournament Support Officials, helping with refereeing, registration, course setup, and more.
At clubs across Australia, there are 1732 registered Community Instructors, dedicated to helping more Australians play more golf, and almost 14,000 board members facilitating welcoming and inclusive golf facilities.
Golf Australia’s Head of Workforce Engagement, Claudia Marazita, thanked Australian volunteers for their contributions on and off the course to help make Australian golf even bigger and is excited for the relationships that have been built going forward.
“To have a total number of volunteers in Australian golf that exceeds 30,000 is both extremely reassuring and exciting,” she said.
“Without volunteers, our events, tournaments, and day-to-day golf at grassroots level would simply not be possible, so thank you to everyone who has made their contribution to our game.
“Volunteers are the backbone of Australian golf, and the success and growth of our sport would not be possible without their passion and dedication.
“Introduction of online volunteer management system Rosterfy has allowed us to streamline our volunteer process, and has helped us build an ongoing relationship with those who wish to continue volunteering into the future.
“We are committed to ensuring that every volunteer feels appreciated, recognised and supported by the industry in the process of working towards our vision that those wanting to volunteer choose golf.
“We cannot say thank you enough, so again, three cheers for volunteers!”
Two late birdies and a judicious decision on the final hole has secured Brady Watt a one-stroke victory at the 50th playing of the Mitchell and Brown Spalding Park Open in Geraldton.
A round of 6-under 66 gave Watt a one-stroke lead after Round 1 at Spalding Park Golf Club, an advantage he extended to three courtesy of a 4-under par round of 68 in Round 2.
Paired with Ryan Peake and Scott Strange for the final round, Watt was somewhat slow out of the blocks.
Six pars and a bogey in his opening seven holes gave the likes of Jordan Doull (64) and rwo-time champion Daniel Fox (68) a glimmer of hope that Watt could be reined in.
Birdies at eight, nine and 11 re-established Watt’s ascendancy, building a two-stroke buffer with further birdies at 15 and 16.
He dropped a shot at the par-4 17th to reduce the deficit to one but used a conservative approach to secure the par he needed for his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series win in close to a year.
“It’s always hard to win wire-to-wire,” Watt said post-round.
“I felt a little nervous this morning but how the course was set-up was kind of tricky, so you’ve got to hang in there.
“I didn’t look at the live scoring too much. I looked after nine and saw that a few guys were going quite well so just tried to have a couple more birdies coming home, checked it on the last and managed to get it done.”
Although not quite wire-to-wire, it was a solid performance from PGA Legends Tour Order of Merit leader Chris Taylor to claim the Mitchell and Brown Spalding Park Legends Open.
One back of Terry Pilkadaris after Round 1, Taylor opened up a four-stroke buffer with a second straight round of 3-under 69 on day two.
Two early birdies in the final round saw that lead balloon to six early, Taylor completing a comfortable three-stroke win despite making bogey at each of the final two holes.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
With Watt out in front, it did not take long for contenders to make their move in the final round.
New South Welshman Alex Edge made three birdies and an eagle in his first four holes after starting on the 10th tee while Cameron John threatened to make it three wins on the WA swing when he used two birdies and an eagle to draw within two of Watt.
As Watt struggled early, Doull made his move.
A week into his professional career, Doull started the final round seven shots back of Watt but had drawn to within one courtesy of an outward nine of 5-under 31.
He added three further birdies in a bogey-free round that would ultimately come up one shot shy.
Watt’s two birdies prior to the turn proved crucial in building momentum into the back nine.
He took advantage of the short par-4 11th to edge further ahead and following a dropped shot at 13, responded with birdies at 15 and 16.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I try to make as many (birdies) as I can while limiting the bogeys,” said Watt.
“I like playing quite aggressive so it’s hard sometimes to aim away from the pin but on the last, being in the middle of the fairway, it’s 100 metres, it’s actually hard to aim right of the flag and try to make a four.
“But that’s how you close out golf events and really happy that I did today.
“I got my card back at Q School and I’ve just been continuing to work and tie in these pro-ams to test how I’m going.
“It’s all starting to come back to where it can be so it’s exciting to get a win, especially at a place I’ve been coming since I was a junior.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Brady Watt 66-68-70—204
T2 Jordan Doull 68-73-64—205
T2 Daniel Fox 68-69-68—205
4 Tom Addy (a) 69-72-65—206
5 Scott Strange 68-69-70—207
T6 Cameron John 70-70-68—208
T6 Kim Felton 69-71-68—208
T6 James Marchesani 70-70-68—208
NEXT UP
The WA swing of the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series moves on to Watt’s junior club, Sun City Country Club, on Wednesday for the Total Tree Services Perth Sun City CC Pro-Am where he is also the defending champion. On the east coast of the country, the Queensland run begins on Thursday with the $50,000 Lexus Townsville Classic.
Sydney professional Josh Clarke broke through for his first adidas PGA Pro-Am Series victory by shooting a Sunday 65 to claim the Cowra Lamb Pro-Am by a single shot.
Coming off two top-three pro-am finishes in February and regaining his Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia card at Qualifying School in April, Clarke posted a 36-hole total of 9-under-par to overtake the first-round leader James Conran (66-68),
Matthew Docking (68-67) and Blake Windred (68-67) shared third place.
With the Asian Tour Qualifying School as his next major target, Clarke said he is seeing the results of plenty of time on the practice fairway with coach Blake Dowd at Castle Hill.
Former Australian amateur representative Jye Pickin made his professional debut at Cowra and finished in 12th at 3-under-par.
HOW THE LEADING SCORE UNFOLDED
Clarke rode a hot putter across the two days, collecting 13 birdies.
Six of those came on day one when he also mixed in three bogeys.
In his 6-under 65 on Sunday, which matched John Lyras for low round of the day, Clarke rolled in another seven birdies with his sole bogey coming on the 383m par-4 ninth which he also bogeyed in round one.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I putted pretty well on both days,” Clarke said.
“I didn’t hit it the greatest on day one but much better day two and still just holed heaps of putts whether it was pars or birdies and even a couple of bogey putts. I just putted really good.
“I’ve been continuing to work hard with my coach Blake who is now at Castle Hill. Working on the same type of swing stuff. Still trying to hit fades just control the flight a little bit better.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
133: Josh Clarke (68-65)
134: James Conran (66-68)
135: Matthew Docking (67-68), Blake Windred (67-68)
136: Jack Walden (69-67)
137: Andrew Evans (71-66), Nathan Page (70-67), Anthony Choat (69-68), Justin Warren (68-69)
(*all NSW)
NEXT UP
The next adidas PGA Pro-Am series event in New South Wales is the Northbridge Pro-Am in Sydney on July 26.
West Australian Min Woo Lee believes he is a step closer to a major championship breakthrough after finishing as the leading Aussie at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.
American Xander Schauffele had to birdie the 72nd hole to earn his own maiden major victory with a record score of 21-under par, edging Bryson DeChambeau (64) by a single stroke.
Tied with two-time major champion Collin Morikawa entering the final round, Schauffele holed a birdie putt from 27 feet at the first to take the outright lead.
He would never trail from that point on, yet had to navigate a treacherous final hole to better DeChambeau’s clubhouse mark of 20-under par.
His tee shot at the par-5 18th came so close to the fairway bunker that he was forced to play his second shot with both feet in the sand. An awkward 7-iron from 247 yards hooked into the fairway 36 yards short of the green, his subsequent pitch coming up six feet short of the hole.
Raise it high, Xander Schauffele! You're a PGA Champion! 🏆#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/onxnK4f0ZC
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2024
As DeChambeau thundered driver swings on the practice range in preparation of a possible three-hole playoff, Schauffele stepped in and found enough of the left edge of the hole to make birdie and join the pantheon of major champions.
At 25 years of age, it is a place Lee wants to one day occupy and he left Valhalla feeling confident that he remains on the right path.
“Definitely trending in the right direction,” Lee told the PGA of America after a round of 4-under 67 that elevated him into a tie for 26th.
“I feel like I’m slowly becoming a better player.
“I left some out there but that’s just how it is. I think we can learn from that; solid week.”
A shot to just three feet at the first hole on Sunday set Lee up for a Sunday flurry.
He converted that birdie opportunity and a second from nine feet at the second to begin his final round in the best possible fashion.
There would be a dropped shot at the par-4 fifth but birdies at seven, nine and 10 had Lee 4-under on his round with eight holes to play.
He was unable to get up and down when he came up short of the green at the par-3 11th but got that back with a birdie from 17 feet at the 520-yard par-4 16th.
Thirteenth for the week in Strokes Gained: Putting, Lee was left to lament a 57% driving accuracy off the tee that restricted his birdie chances throughout the week.
“My driving wasn’t too good the last couple of days,” he admitted.
“If my driving’s up to scratch then I can definitely attack and make some more birdies. It didn’t feel comfortable the last two days so it was quite tough to make some birdies.
“I thought I did pretty good with my recovery the last few days, very happy.”
Tied for 16th through three rounds and chasing a first top-10 finish in a major, Lucas Herbert was on the back foot early with a double-bogey at the first, falling to a tie for 43rd with a closing 3-over 74 alongside fellow Aussie Jason Day (71).
Cameron Smith had six bogeys and four birdies in his round of 2-over 73 while Kiwi Ryan Fox shot 74 to finish 75th.
Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
US PGA Championship
Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky
1 Xander Schauffele 62-68-68-65—263 $US3.3m
T26 Min Woo Lee 72-66-70-67—275 $113,962
T43 Jason Day 71-67-69-71—278 $48,969
T43 Lucas Herbert 69-67-68-74—278 $48,969
T63 Cameron Smith 68-70-70-73—281 $25,202
75 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-68-72-74—286 $22,350
MC Adam Scott 72-73—145
MC Cam Davis 78-71—149
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 73-77—150
West Australian Hannah Green has fallen just short in her quest to win for a third time this season in an epic showdown with world No.1 Nelly Korda at the Mizuho Americas Open.
Seeking to join Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb as the only Australians to win three times in a single LPGA Tour season, Green began the final round two shot back at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey.
Green’s birdie at the opening hole and Korda’s bogey on two brought the two together at the top of the leaderboard and it quickly turned into a two-horse race.
The 27-year-old took the outright lead when Korda dropped a shot at the par-4 seventh but joined Korda again at 11-under when she made bogey at the par-5 eighth.
The pair made a trio of matching birdies at 10, 13 and 15 to move out to 14-under and four strokes clear of the field.
They are neck and neck! 🏃♀️@HannahGreenGolf birdies and @NellyKorda follows 🐥 pic.twitter.com/t5LAZvAdik
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 19, 2024
Each hole was an absorbing round of a heavyweight title fight.
Every time that Green landed a body blow, Korda countered with one of her own.
In a possible precursor to the US Women’s Open in two weeks’ time, two players with seven wins between them this season battled until the 72nd hole when Green’s fourth missed fairway of the day would prove costly.
The deep rough left of the fairway grabbed hold of her club as she played her second shot, the ball diving left and short of the putting surface.
The 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA champion showed great touch to give herself a par putt of some 10 feet but it missed on the low side as Korda clinched her sixth win in her past seven starts.
Although disappointed to come up agonisingly short, Green was proud of how she stood up against one of the greatest stretches by anyone in golf history.
“To lose to Nelly… it’s sad, but then it’s also Nelly Korda,” Green reflected.
“She’s obviously so dominant right now. To feel like second behind her is quite nice.”
Green is looking toward the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club where she attended as a spectator in 2015 as a Karrie Webb scholarship holder.
“I’m super excited for the next stretch of events,” Green added.
“To go back to somewhere that I haven’t actually played but been outside the ropes, that was the thing that made me want to become a professional golfer, watching Karrie there.
“I’m really excited for Lancaster.”
Green wasn’t the only outstanding performance from an Australian woman this week.
Gabriela Ruffels continued her outstanding rookie season on the LPGA Tour with a third third-place finish to will propel her inside the top 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings while Kirsten Rudgeley shot 65 in the final round to finish tied for fourth at the Amundi German Masters on the Ladies European Tour.
Another very solid week at a major for @Minwoo27Lee.
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) May 19, 2024
He breaks down his @PGAChampionship ⬇️
📹 @PGA pic.twitter.com/FhuUdsuOyA
A final round of 4-under 67 saw Min Woo Lee finish as the leading Australian at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.
Lee’s four-round total of 9-under earned the 25-year-old a tied for 26th as American Xander Schauffele (65) birdied the 72nd hole to win his maiden major championship by a single stroke from Bryson DeChambeau (64).
It was another winning week too for the Kiwis, with Harry Hillier shooting 59 on his way to an eight-shot win on the PGA TOUR Americas and Fiona Xu winning the Copper Rock Championship on the Epson Tour by seven.
Results
US PGA Championship
Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky
1 Xander Schauffele 62-68-68-65—263 $US3.3m
T26 Min Woo Lee 72-66-70-67—275 $113,962
T43 Jason Day 71-67-69-71—278 $48,969
T43 Lucas Herbert 69-67-68-74—278 $48,969
T63 Cameron Smith 68-70-70-73—281 $25,202
75 Ryan Fox (NZ) 72-68-72-74—286 $22,350
MC Adam Scott 72-73—145
MC Cam Davis 78-71—149
MC Kazuma Kobori (NZ) 73-77—150
LPGA Tour
Mizuho Americas Open
Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey
1 Nelly Korda 70-68-65-71—274 $US450,000
2 Hannah Green 71-71-63-70—275 $277,738
T3 Gabriela Ruffels 68-70-68-72—278 $146,358
T21 Minjee Lee 69-72-71-69—281 $30,238
T51 Karis Davidson 71-70-71-77—289 $10,189
T51 Sarah Kemp 73-67-72-77—289 $10,189
T53 Stephanie Kyriacou 74-69-71-76—290 $9,427
MC Grace Kim 72-72—144
MC Robyn Choi 73-74—147
MC Lydia Ko (NZ) 72-77—149
Japan Golf Tour
Kansai Open Golf Championship
Meishin Yokaichi Country Club, Shiga
1 Takahiro Hatachi 69-65-65-67—266 ¥16m
T14 Michael Hendry 72-67-70-66—275 ¥1.376m
MC Brad Kennedy 77-67—144
MC Anthony Quayle 70-76—146
Korn Ferry Tour
AdventHealth Championship
Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri
1 Harry Higgs 71-67-65-66—269
Won in sudden-death playoff
MC Rhein Gibson 72-71—143
MC Dimi Papadatos 75-70—145
MC Brett Drewitt 75-70—145
MC Steven Bowditch 75-78—153
Ladies European Tour
Amundi German Masters
Golf and Country Club Seddiner See, Berlin, Germany
1 Alexandra Forsterling 70-70-69-67—276 €45,000
Won in sudden-death playoff
T4 Kirsten Rudgeley 73-74-68-65—280 €12,150
T24 Momoka Kobori (NZ) 74-73-68-72—287 €3,510
MC Amy Walsh 73-79—152
Korean PGA
SK Telecom Open
Pinx Golf Club, Seogwipo, South Korea
1 K.J. Choi 71-64-72-74—281
Won in sudden-death playoff
MC Wonjoon Lee 77-74—151
MC Junseok Lee 78-73—151
MC Kevin Chun (NZ) 84-73—157
PGA TOUR Americas
Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship
Club El Rincón de Cajicá, Bogotá, Colombia
1 Harry Hillier (NZ) 68-59-68-67—262 $US40,500
T45 Jason Hong 70-70-76-69—285
Epson Tour
Copper Rock Championship
Copper Rock Golf Course, Hurricane, Utah
1 Fiona Xu (NZ) 67-63-64—194 $US37,500
T30 Cassie Porter 74-68-71—213 $2,166
MC Su Oh 74-72—146
MC Amelia Garvey (NZ) 77-72—149
Victorian Lucas Herbert is poised to push for his best finish in a major championship as he continues to lead the Aussie charge at the US PGA Championship.
Herbert’s 3-under 68 has him at 9-under through 54 holes, six shots back of co-leaders Xander Schauffele (68) and Collin Morikawa (67) as Northern Ireland’s Shane Lowry joined the fray by equalling the low majors mark with his round of 9-under 62.
Herbert likely needs something similar to join the list of genuine contenders for the Wanamaker Trophy yet the 28-year-old remains determined to fight for the best finish possible.
A tie for 13th at the PGA Championship two years ago is Herbert’s best result in a major to date and a maiden top-10 is among a handful of boxes he would like to tick at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.
“There’s plenty to play for,” Herbert told the PGA of America.
“There’s a stack of exemptions based on wherever you finish so I’ve got that to think about.
“Even just getting to double digits under par in a major is pretty cool and something that not many people can say they’ve done.
“If I was able to get to that score I think that would be a pretty good achievement.
“I’ve done a lot of work this year on my game so I’d love to play a nice, solid round tomorrow, at worst, and if we finish in the top 10 that would give me a lot of satisfaction for the hard work that I’ve put in.”
At 9-under par Herbert is three shots clear of Jason Day (69) as the leading Aussie, Min Woo Lee (70) and Cameron Smith (70) both tied for 38th at 5-under par and 10 strokes off the lead.
Once Round 2 was completed and a short suspension due to heavy fog was lifted, Herbert set about making an impression on the leaderboard.
He hit his approach shot from 196 yards at the second to 10 feet and made the putt for birdie and then backed that up with a 26-foot putt for birdie at the par-3 third.
He erased a dropped shot at six with a birdie at the par-5 seventh, his final birdie of the day coming from 20 feet at the short par-4 13th.
Herbert received a free drop when his tee shot on 18 went left but made a par putt from nine feet to carry momentum into the final round.
“It’s nice to get off to a good start like that and obviously you want to continue it, but you do have to check yourself and make sure you don’t get too far ahead of yourself,” Herbert said of his bright start on Saturday.
“Off to a good start and, to be honest, I’m reasonably happy with the day. I probably left two shots out there – missed a short one on 10 and then made a bogey on six. Any time you can say you left two shots on the course you’ve had a pretty good day.
“I just need to iron out a couple of things to get ready for tomorrow and shouldn’t be too far away from things.”
Min Woo Lee is the first of the Aussies out at 12:55am AEST followed by Cameron Smith at 1:15am. Jason Day is paired with Zac Blair from 1:35am with Herbert to begin his final round at 3:15am alongside Belgian Thomas Detry.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
