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Australia will have its strongest representation in tournament history with nine Aussies to tee it up at The Chevron Championship starting Thursday night in Texas.
Led by major champions Minjee Lee and Hannah Green, the nine Aussies in the field betters the previous mark by two, achieved in 2003, 2004 and 2019.
Six Aussies played at The Club at Carlton Woods 12 months ago, those numbers bolstered by Gabi Ruffels and Hira Naveed graduating to the LPGA Tour in 2024 and Queenslander Robyn Choi returning after a single season back in 2019.
A two-time major winner, Lee has been paired with defending champion Lilia Vu and current world No.1 Nelly Korda for the first two rounds in what is the marquee group of the opening two days.
Pictured with Stephanie Kyriacou, Grace Kim and Sarah Kemp after her win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship last month, Green tees off at the same time as her fellow West Australian at 4.10am AEST alongside Pajaree Anannarukarn and Hye-Jin Choi.
Buckle up because The Random Club Challenge was quite the rollercoaster with Aussies @Stephkyriacou2 and @hannahgreengolf 😂 pic.twitter.com/oSuUOYDG7u
— LPGA (@LPGA) April 17, 2024
Ruffels first played The Chevron – known then as the ANA Inspiration – back in 2020 as an amateur, where she was tied for 15th on debut.
Still just 23 years of age, Ruffels has finished top-25 in her two starts in the event since turning professional, her last appearance a tie for 25th in 2022.
Fellow LPGA Tour rookie Hira Naveed makes her major championship debut on the back of her runner-up finish at the Ford Championship two weeks ago, a result that saw her climb 542 spots to 106th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
As the Aussie women count down to their first major of the year, there is an enormous Australian contingent this week also on the Asian Tour.
A total of 18 Aussies are in action at the Saudi Open in Saudi Arabia which began on Wednesday afternoon AEST.
Wade Ormsby birdied each of his opening two holes to lead the way early in Round 1 with Harrison Crowe, Jordan Zunic and Maverick Antcliff out in the early groups.
Off the back of their week at Augusta National, Jason Day and Cam Davis will fly the Aussie flag at the $US20 milllion RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, the West Australian trio of Haydn Barron, Connor McKinney and Hayden Hopewell are joined by Victorian Tom Power Horan at the Abu Dhabi Challenge on the Challenge Tour and defending champion Mark Hensby is among the 10 Aussies in the field for the Invited Celebrity Classic on the PGA TOUR Champions.
Round 1 tee times AEST
LPGA Tour
The Chevron Championship
The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas
11:10pm Grace Kim, Leona Maguire, Anna Nordqvist
11:32pm Robyn Choi, Jin Hee Im, Hinako Shibuno
11:43pm* Maria Fassi, Hira Naveed, Megan Schofill (a)
4:10am Pajaree Anannarukarn, Hye-Jin Choi, Hannah Green
4:10am* Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Lilia Vu
4:32am Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Stephanie Kyriacou, Polly Mack
4:32am* Gabriela Ruffels, Madelene Sagstrom, Lottie Woad (a)
4:43am Perrine Delacour, Sarah Kemp, Miyu Yamashita
4:54am Aditi Ashok, Karis Davidson, Danielle Kang
Round 2
11:10pm Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Lilia Vu
11:10pm* Pajaree Anannarukarn, Hye-Jin Choi, Hannah Green
11:32pm Gabriela Ruffels, Madelene Sagstrom, Lottie Woad (a)
11:32pm* Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Stephanie Kyriacou, Polly Mack
11:43pm* Perrine Delacour, Sarah Kemp, Miyu Yamashita
11:54pm* Aditi Ashok, Karis Davidson, Danielle Kang
4:10am* Grace Kim, Leona Maguire, Anna Nordqvist
4:32am* Robyn Choi, Jin Hee Im, Hinako Shibuno
4:43am Maria Fassi, Hira Naveed, Megan Schofill (a)
Defending champion: Lilia Vu
Past Aussie winners: Karrie Webb (2000, 2006)
Prize money: $US7.9 million
TV times: Live 12:30am-4am Friday, Saturday; Live 4am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Asian Tour
Saudi Open presented by PIF
Riyadh Golf Club, Saudia Arabia
1:20pm Ayoub Lguirati, Douglas Klein, Prince Khalid Saud Al-Faisal (a)
1:30pm Stefano Mazzoli, Lion Park, Lachlan Barker
1:40pm Ye Wocheng, Jordan Zunic, Manav Shah
2pm Ervin Chang, Deyen Lawson, Jared Du Toit
2pm* Prom Meesawat, Jack Thompson, Saud Al Sharif
2:10pm* Harrison Crowe, Agustin Errazuriz, Jeunghun Wang
2:20pm* Lee Chieh-po, Sarit Suwannarut, Kevin Yuan
2:30pm Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Settee Prakongvech, Maverick Antcliff
2:30pm* Wade Ormsby, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Kiradech Aphibarnrat
2:50pm Charlie Lindh, Aaron Wilkin, Tomoyo Ikemura
2:50pm* Denwit Boriboonsub, John Catlin, Travis Smyth
6:10pm Austen Truslow, Issa Abouelela (a), Justin Warren
6:20pm* Angelo Que, Chapchai Nirat, Sam Brazel
6:50pm Steve Lewton, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Jed Morgan
7pm* Daniel Gale, Chang Wei-lun, Rattanon Wannasrichan
7:10pm Jaco Ahlers, Scott Hend, Ratchanon Chantananuwat (a)
7:20pm* SSP Chawrasia, Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Zach Murray
7:30pm* Jbe Kruger, Todd Sinnott, Siddikur Rahman
Defending champion: Denwit Booribonsub
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1 million
TV times: Live 8:30pm-12:30am Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; Live 9:15pm-12am Saturday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR
RBC Heritage
Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
11:35pm Jason Day, Eric Cole
11:50pm Cam Davis, Byeong Hun An
Defending champion: Matt Fitzpatrick
Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1977), Greg Norman (1988), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006)
Prize money: $US20 million
TV times: Live 10:15pm-8am Thursday; Live 9:15pm-8am Friday; Live 11pm-8am Saturday; Live 8:45pm-8am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Corales Puntacana Championship
Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales Cse), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
3:21am Harrison Endycott, Parker Coody, Herman Wibe Sekne
Defending champion: Matt Wallace
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US4 million
TV times: Live 10pm-12am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 507; 9am-10:30am Sunday; 8:30am-10:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Joburg Ladies Open
Modderfontein Golf Club, South Africa
7:20pm* Emily Price, Jane Turner, Amy Walsh
Defending champion: Lily May Humphreys
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
TV times: Live 9:30pm-12am Saturday; Live 9pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour
LECOM Suncoast Classic
Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander Cse), Lakewood Ranch, Florida
10:12pm* David Kocher, Rhein Gibson, Scott Harrington
10:56pm* John Lyras, Yi Cao, Dillon Board
2:25am* Dimi Papadatos, Tag Ridings, Morgan Hoffmann
3:20am* Trevor Cone, Brett Drewitt, Jamie Lovemark
Defending champion: Scott Gutschewski
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1 million
Challenge Tour
Abu Dhabi Challenge
Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE
2:30pm Bailey Gill, Daniel Young, Haydn Barron
2:30pm* Jack McDonald, Albert Venter, Connor McKinney
5:40pm Žan Luka Stirn, Rashid Aljassmy, Hayden Hopewell
7pm* Tom Power Horan, Jamie Rutherford, Lee Slattery
Defending champion: Ricardo Gouveia
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €300,000
PGA TOUR Champions
Invited Celebrity Classic
Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas
Aussies in the field: Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Michael Wright.
Defending champion: Mark Hensby
Past Aussie winners: Mark Hensby (2023)
Prize money: $US2.2 million
TV times: 11am-12:30pm Saturday; 10:30am-12pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 7am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Americas
69th Brazil Open at Rio Olympic Golf Course
Rio Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
7:50pm Jason Hong, Devon Bling, José de Jesús Rodríguez
Defending champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US225,000
Growing up in South Africa playing amateur tournaments against the likes of Rory Sabbatini, Tim Clark and Darren Fichardt will show you – clearly – whether you’ve got what it takes to make it in professional golf.
Leon Trenerry was good. Good enough to turn professional and spend six years playing on the Sunshine Tour in his homeland after quitting his job with a telecommunications company.
But, deep down, he knew he wasn’t good enough to make a career purely out of playing golf.
“Eventually you’ve got to buy bread and milk,” he explains matter-of-factly.
In March, three months shy of his 49th birthday, Trenerry graduated the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program, opening the door to the career in golf he never thought possible.
Trenerry’s journey is unlike many who seek to become a PGA Professional, yet is living proof that it is never too late to pursue your passion.
After more than 10 years in the restaurant business in South Africa, Trenerry followed his sister and parents and immigrated to Australia in December 2020.
Seeking an entry point into the golf industry in Australia, he enrolled in the PGA Institute’s Diploma of Golf Management while working at Brookwater Golf and Country Club west of Brisbane.
During his studies he was encouraged to apply for the Membership Pathway Program, a program he was able to complete in two years rather than the standard three due to his prior education with the PGA.
Not only did that put a golf club back in his hands – Trenerry won the Queensland Associates Order of Merit in 2022 – but has now given him the scope to plot a career path intertwined with golf.
Currently the Assistant Professional at Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane, Trenerry hopes that his experience in and out of golf will make him a desirable candidate for management positions in future.
“I always thought maybe I’d be able to get into management or part ownership of a golf course in the future, where I can be the jack of all trades with my food and beverage background,” said Trenerry.
“I’ve managed quite substantial amounts of staff in the restaurant businesses I was involved in and obviously with having the qualification through the PGA that may be able to open up a pathway into management.”
Being an accredited PGA Professional will also provide Trenerry the opportunity to scratch the itch of playing tournament golf again.
He understands that occasionally competing against active Tour professionals on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series is unlikely to yield many victories. But he is savouring the idea of being able to enjoy the best of both worlds in what he describes as his “second chance”.
“When I gave up playing full-time golf as a 28, 29-year-old, I never thought I’d put the scorecard in the back of my pocket again, per se,” said Trenerry.
“Making a cut or top 30 amongst these youngsters would be a great result for me but the Program has given me the opportunity to be able to go do that and have a stronger financial backing than travelling around trying to make money just to get to the next tournament.
“The next step for me would be an Operations Manager role and then maybe in three or four years from now I’ll be looking for a General Manager role somewhere.
“Given the amount of people I’ve worked through my life in the restaurant business and so forth, that would be a good fit and a nice challenge for me.”
It was a Friday evening at the 1987 PLM Open in Sweden. The bus was taking the players back to the hotel and one lone golfer was taking advantage of a long Swedish summer’s light and grinding away on the practice fairway.
Noel Ratcliffe had just missed the cut by eight shots and, with some justification, we wondered what the hell he was doing. There were better times to be had in Malmo on Friday night than hitting balls on the range.
Ratcliffe was 42, and golf on the tour only gets harder over 40. But he loved playing the tour and like most at such a vulnerable age for professional golfers, he was trying desperately to hang on.
The next week we played the Benson and Hedges tournament, one of the most prestigious on the tour, in York and the most remarkable thing happened. The Sunday morning leaderboard was stacked with the big names on the European Tour including Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jose Maria Canizares and Ian Baker-Finch. Ratcliffe, a shot behind Faldo and two behind the leader, Langer, went out and shot 66 to beat them all. Nine years earlier, he and Neil Coles lost a playoff to Lee Trevino, making his win part redemption and part resurrection.
‘The Rat’ died this week, aged 79, and is remembered by all who knew him as someone who truly loved playing golf. He was, fair to say, the most deliberate player on the tour, which was a high bar given fellow Sydneysider Peter Fowler was out there as well.
He was a late starter to golf but by the very early 1970s ‘Rat’ was one of the very best amateurs in the country and he represented Australia the 1972 Eisenhower Cup in Argentina alongside Tony Gresham (who won the Individual Trophy), Mike Cahill and Terry Gale. It was arguably the finest ever Australian team to play the Eisenhower and they were second behind a great American team which included Ben Crenshaw, Vinny Giles and Mark Hayes.
We are saddened to advise of the passing of Noel Ratcliffe, aged 79.
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) April 15, 2024
A two-time winner on the @DPWorldTour and eight-time winner on the @euLegendsTour, Noel was a 47-year member of the PGA of Australia.#PGAProudhttps://t.co/fCtPayYrh1
He turned pro a couple of years later after the Australian PGA changed its rules and sensibly made it easier for the best amateurs to play the tour without going through the charade of spending a year working in a pro shop before being allowed to play professionally.
In 1977, he finally won in Australia, beating David Galloway in a playoff at the South Australian Open at Royal Adelaide. The following season in Europe he beat fellow New South Welshman Chris Tickner in a playoff at the Belgium Open.
Much of his success came as a senior player in Europe where he won eight times and led the money list in 2000. Four other years he was in the top handful of players on the over-50s tour.
Rat had a beautiful long swing, one likely the main reason he played so well as he aged as his contemporaries were losing their flexibility and wondering where all their length had gone.
He was a wonderful man, a great friend and, if you asked, a source of good advice.
We’ll all miss him, even if he did add 15 minutes to all our rounds!
Photo: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Two-time European Tour winner, Noel Ratcliffe, has passed away, aged 79.
A PGA of Australia Member of 47 years, Ratcliffe joined the Association in 1977 after an illustrious amateur career where he represented Australia in the 1972 Eisenhower Trophy alongside Terry Gale, Mike Cahill and Tony Gresham.
That team finished to an American team boasting future two-time Masters champion, Ben Crenshaw.
Ratcliffe himself would go on to forge a highly decorated career after joining the professional ranks at age 29.
Affectionately known as ‘The Rat’, Ratcliffe won 1978 Belgian Open and the 1987 Benson and Hedges International Open, when he eagled the 72nd hole for a memorable victory.
Domestically, Ratcliffe’s greatest victory came at the 1977 South Australian Open at Royal Adelaide, joining an honour roll that boasts legendary figures such as Peter Thomson, Ted Ball, Billy Dunk, Graham Marsh and Greg Norman.
Ratcliffe played The Open Championship on five occasions between 1978 and 1988, his best result coming in his final appearance at Royal Lytham and St Annes where he was tied 38th.
Upon turning 50, Ratcliffe focussed his attention to the senior circuit and had enormous success throughout Europe and Australia.
He was an eight-time winner on the European Seniors Tour, winning the Order of Merit in 2000.
He was also a prolific winner on the Australian PGA Legends Tour, including the 1995 Australian Senior Open and the 2001 and 2008 Australian PGA Senior Championships.
Photo: Phil Inglis/Getty Images
Australian Cameron Smith made it five top-10s from eight starts as Cam Davis locked up his 2025 Masters invite on an enthralling final day at Augusta National Golf Club.
World No.1 and 2022 champion Scottie Scheffler further entrenched his status as the dominant figure in men’s golf with a four-stroke triumph, fending off the brave charge of Swedish debutant Ludvig Aberg (69) with a final round of 4-under 68 and 11-under total.
Exempt through until 2027 due to his 2022 Open Championship win, Smith’s tie for sixth added to his impressive record at The Masters, a hole-out eagle from the bunker at the par-5 second the highlight of his closing round of 1-under 71.
Playing in the group behind in just his second appearance at Augusta, Davis made bogeys at one and five to effectively end his charge before making the turn, a double-bogey on 17 an unfortunate end to his round of 3-over 75.
A tie for 12th ensures Davis will be in the field for the 2025 edition as Smith continued his love affair with a golf course that plays to his creative mindset.
Renowned as one of the world’s best putters, Smith endured a frustrating week with the flatstick, joining Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood as the only players in the field not to post an over-par round all week.
“It’s just a frustrating week I think. Can’t really say much more than that,” Smith told Fox Sports.
“I hit the ball how I know I needed to and put my ball in the right spots, the putts just didn’t fall this week.
“It was very frustrating. I feel like that’s as good as I’ve played around here.
“It’s a creative golf course and I’d love to think I play my best golf when I’m creative.
“There’s so many shots that you get around here that you don’t get the rest of the year.
“It’s just such a cool place.”
ICYMI: Cam Smith is doing Cam Smith things Sunday at Augusta.#themasters pic.twitter.com/jx1XKCvzdk
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) April 14, 2024
Like Smith, Min Woo Lee eagled the par-5 second on his way to a final round of 3-under 69 and tie for 22nd, level with fellow Australian Adam Scott (72) at 4-over for the championship.
Given he came into the week nursing a broken finger, it was another step forward in Lee’s ultimate ambition of one day donning the green jacket.
“There’s a couple things I need to clean up, but overall I think it’s a solid sign,” said Lee.
“Obviously not the best prep with the finger and the flu. I guess I can kind of say that one good week of practice there I couldn’t really do, so it was a bit of rest for me.
“Hopefully I can prep better for the next one.”
“If I’m in, I’ll play for sure.”@JDayGolf has put any conjecture to bed, confirming he wants to represent the @AUSOlympicTeam at @Paris2024, writes @TonyWebeck.https://t.co/nChw613BqI
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) April 14, 2024
Declaring his desire to represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics publicly for the first time, Jason Day also left Augusta with a positive mindset after a round of 3-under 69 on Sunday.
“The short game’s nice. Putting’s nice,” Day surmised.
“I just made too many cheap errors out there, not enough capitalisation on the opportunities that I had, especially with the par-5s. And then just soft bogeys.
“Clean that up, tighten the swing up a little bit, and I should be good to go.”
Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Final scores
1 Scottie Scheffler 66-72-71-68—277
T6 Cameron Smith 71-72-72-71—286
T12 Cameron Davis 69-72-73-75—289
T22 Min Woo Lee 74-74-75-69—292
T22 Adam Scott 76-74-70-72—292
T30 Jason Day 75-73-76-69—293
MC Jasper Stubbs (a) 80-76—156
Darcy Brereton was rewarded for his decision to push through a bout of tonsilitis by taking out the Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am by one stroke.
Chasing his first victory on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series, Brereton made the trip up to the New South Wales Riverina from Melbourne despite battling illness early in the week.
Although he struggled at the two-day pro-am at Griffith, his health improved, and so did his scores.
He opened with a superb 7-under 65 on day one at Leeton and then backed it up with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to pip Blake Windred (68-66) by a shot.
“The start of the week was pretty ordinary but I thought given that I was up here, I might as well try,” Brereton said of his decision to play.
“I needed to blow some rust off after three or four weeks off after the end of the Tour season so I thought just gut it out and go play.”
Kick-started by an eagle at the par-5 eighth, Windred made a charge around the turn, picking up six strokes in the space of six holes to pile the pressure on Brereton.
But the tying birdie proved elusive over his final five holes, Brereton hanging on with Kyle Michel (67-69) closing with two straight birdies to snare outright third.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDED
Four birdies and an eagle in his final six holes in Round 1 gave Brereton a two-shot buffer heading into the final round.
He had a birdie and six pars to start his second round before making bogey at the par-5 eighth for the second day in succession.
Brereton got that shot back and then some with an eagle at the par-4 10th and then picked up three birdies in the space of four holes from the 12th to keep the chasing pack at bay.
A bogey on 16 gave the likes of Windred and Michel a glimmer of hope but Brereton was able to close out a maiden win with two pars to finish.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID
“I actually played OK at Griffith – a little sloppy here and there – but the game was still OK.
“Obviously yesterday and today it tidied up a little bit. Every day I started to feel five to 10 per cent better where now I’m feeling a lot better than when I got here.
“I drove it really well and cleaned up all my putts inside six feet pretty well.
“Never going to have many long putts but tidied up and drove it well.
“I finished the Tour season scraping into 50th on the Order of Merit so that was lucky and sets me up for next year.”
LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Darcy Brereton 65-68—133
2 Blake Windred 68-66—134
3 Kyle Michel 67-69—136
T4 Tim Hart 69-68—137
T4 Aiden Didone 68-69—137
6 Alexander Simpson 70-68—138
T7 Cameron Kelly 72-69—141
T7 Adam Henwood 69-72—141
T7 Jayden Cripps 71-70—141
T7 Marcus Fraser 67-74—141
NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series heads to Tasmania this week for the 54-hole Men’s Tasmanian Open, starting Friday at Launceston Golf Course.
Australia’s No.1-ranked male golfer has confirmed that he “made a mistake” by not competing at the 2016 Olympic Games and wants to make amends at Paris 2024.
Currently ranked No.21 in the world, Jason Day closed out his 2024 Masters Tournament with a round of 3-under 69 that is projected to see him finish in a tie for 30th.
It may be enough to move back inside the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking and, barring something extraordinary from his fellow countrymen, ensure he will don the green and gold at Le Golf National in August.
Since his resurgence the past 18 months, Day’s status as a potential Olympian has been a point of conjecture.
He was among a number of Aussie male golfers who chose to skip golf’s Olympic return in Rio eight years ago, citing concerns over the Zika virus and family.
The 36-year-old has been in regular contact with Australian Olympic Golf Captain, Karrie Webb, without publicly declaring his availability.
Less than four months before competition begins, that conjecture has now been put to bed.
“I’ll play. If I’m in, I’ll play for sure,” confirmed Day, pictured after winning the 2013 World Cup with Adam Scott at Royal Melbourne.
“I’m looking forward to it. I think I made a bit of a mistake not going down to Rio, even though part of it was family related.
“I kind of missed out on that, and I probably should have gone. But if I get the opportunity, I’m looking forward to going.”
If the Australian Olympic golf team were to be selected this week Min Woo Lee would be Day’s teammate in Paris.
The former world No.1 said that he has no preference for who he pairs with in Paris, acknowledging that Cameron Smith is reliant on strong showings in the majors given his commitment to LIV Golf.
“Whoever is playing the great, that would be great,” said Day.
“Min Woo is playing good solid golf, too. And obviously ‘Smithy’, playing in LIV, you don’t get World Ranking points. He needs to play well in the major championships, trying to shoot himself up the leaderboard.”
Entering the week feeling the effects of a broken finger, Min Woo Lee also signed off from The Masters with a round of 3-under 69.
Shortly after completing his round, he was told of his potential pairing with Day in Paris.
“When you’re a professional, you don’t really get to represent the Australian side,” said the world No.32.
“Obviously every week, week in and week out you represent Aus, but when you’re an amateur, I got to play for Australia a lot of times. I do miss putting on the green and gold.
“Jason as a playing partner and a teammate, that will be really special.
“My sister (Minjee Lee) is going to be in there, too, so it will be an unbelievable experience.
“Hopefully it can stay this way and I can play.”
Day had four birdies and a lone bogey in his final round of the 2024 championship at Augusta National, the highlight a near ace at the par-3 16th.
He hopes it will provide the foundation for a strong summer of majors and, ultimately, Australia’s first Olympic golf medal.
“The short game’s nice. Putting’s nice,” Day added.
“I just made too many cheap errors out there, not enough capitalisation on the opportunities that I had, especially with the par-5s. And then just soft bogeys.
“Just kind of clean that up, tighten the swing up a little bit, and I should be good to go.”
Photo: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images
Australian pair Cam Davis and Cameron Smith remain in the hunt to become their country’s second Masters champion on a day of wild fluctuations at Augusta National Golf Club.
Davis burst out of the blocks with birdies at two of his opening three holes but dropped four shots after the turn in a third round of 1-over 73.
Smith is among just a handful of players without an over-par round through 54 holes, his second straight round of even par 72 putting him in a tie for ninth and six shots off the lead.
There are just five players between Davis and the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday’s final round, his 2-under par total enough to earn a share of sixth and five back of 2022 Masters champion and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (71).
Two inside the top 10, one round to play.
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) April 13, 2024
Our hopes of a second green jacket are very much alive.#themasters
📺 Watch it LIVE on @FOXSportsAUS and @wwos, available on @Foxtel and @kayosports: https://t.co/sRHxrsY4FY pic.twitter.com/Fa2qqYlxkT
Conceding he may have paid the price for being slightly too aggressive after making the turn, Davis vowed to give Aussie golf fans back home something to cheer for when they awake in the early hours of Monday morning.
“I’m trying my hardest. It’s hard out there, but I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” said Davis, who is making just his second start at The Masters.
“I feel like today I wasn’t laying up, and I was giving it a good crack. Tomorrow hopefully we’ll make the right decisions in the moments and come away with a round that’s as good as we can make it.
“I’m trying, but it would be awesome to have a great day tomorrow.”
Just three strokes off the lead after his early birdies, Davis made double-bogey on 10 when he lost his tee shot left and was forced to chip out to return to the fairway.
He hit a perfect tee shot on 11 but left his approach shot short and right, unable to get up-and-down to drop another shot.
Davis came up short also with his second into the par-5 13th, finding Rae’s Creek on his way to bogey to drop to 1-under but got that shot back with a birdie from 10 feet on 14.
For the second time in three holes he hit a ball in the water, his second into 15 bouncing off the front of the green and trickling back into the pond. Thankfully he was able to get up-and-down to end the day within five of the lead.
“I was trying to make it happen on a couple of the par-5s and it didn’t,” Davis admitted.
“Just a few poorly executed shots turned it into a little bit of a mess for a little while there.
“I’m still in pretty good spirits despite not having my best stuff today. It will be fine. I’m looking forward to getting back out here as trying again as soon as I can.”
Seeking to join Adam Scott (2013) as Australia’s only Masters champion, Smith had 16 pars, a birdie at three and bogey on 18 to stay inside the top 10 with one round to play.
Renowned for his proficiency with the putter, Smith cut a frustrated figure after a day in which birdie putts refused to fall.
“I don’t think I hit bad putts; I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole,” said the 2022 Open champion.
“I probably hit a bad putt there on the last to be fair. Other than that, I can’t think of one that I’d want to have again.
“Just kind of frustrating. I feel like my game’s in a really good spot and I’ve done everything right and not much has gone right.”
Despite facing a six-shot deficit, Smith knows all too well that ground can be made up quickly on Sunday at Augusta.
“I think I’m still in the golf tournament,” said Smith.
“The way that the golf course is playing, I feel really confident with my ball-striking, probably the best I’ve felt in a while.
“I feel like I’m in the golf tournament. It’s only one or two their way and one or two my way, and it’s really close.”
Only Chris Kirk (68) and Collin Morikawa (69) went lower than Adam Scott on Saturday, the Queenslander climbing into a tie for 26th with a round of 2-under 70 after making the cut on the number.
West Australian Min Woo Lee dropped into a tie for 41st with a round of 3-over 75, one stroke to the better of fellow Aussie Jason Day (76) who is tied for 45th at 8-over.
Gold Coast’s Dillon Hart has claimed the biggest win of his career with a one-stroke win at the B&C Plumbing Griffith Charity Pro-Am at Griffith Golf Club.
Third on the adidas PGA Pro-Am Series Order of Merit in his rookie season in 2023, Hart edged fellow Queenslander William Bruyeres by a shot after the pair ended day one tied on top with rounds of 5-under 66.
After a slow start to the second round, Hart came to his final hole tied with Bruyeres, a closing birdie at the par-5 17th enough to come out on top with a round of 2-under 69 and 7-under total. Bruyeres (70) claimed outright second at 6-under, one clear of Marcus Fraser (69-68) with Aiden Didone (72-66), Mark Panopolous (70-68) and Alex Simpson (67-71) sharing fourth at 5-under.
HOW THE WINNING ROUND UNFOLDEDBoth Hart and Bruyeres dropped a shot at their opening hole in Round 2 – Hart at the 18th, Bruyeres at one – but it was Hart who would steady the ship best.He made birdies at one and three to get to 6-under, Bruyeres dropping four shots back at 2-under after a bogey on one and double bogey at the par-4 fourth.Back-to-back birdies at five and six saw Bruyeres claw his way back into contention, drawing level with Hart again when he made birdie at the par-5 ninth.The lead changed hands again when Hart dropped a shot at the par-3 11th but he soon regained control, making birdies at both 12 and 13 to edge ahead at 6-under.Birdies at 15 and 16 earned Bruyeres the outright lead at 7-under but a bogey at the par-5 17th would prove fatal, Hart’s birdie on his final hole securing a one-shot victory.
WHAT THE WINNER SAID“I played well last year through the pro-ams so it’s nice to come back in 2024 and kick-start the way I did last year.“Drove the ball really well and short game saved me a lot of times.“I struggled a bit with the wedges but when the short game’s on that can keep you going along.“I’ll be back up in Queensland for the Mining Towns Series so it will be nice to play again having seen the courses for the first time last year.” LEADERBOARD RUNDOWN
1 Dillon Hart 66-69—135NEXT UP
The adidas PGA Pro-Am Series remains in the Riverina region of New South Wales for the Leeton Golf Club SunRice Pro-Am where Darcy Brereton takes a two-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round.
Australia’s hopes of a second green jacket are alive and well after Cameron Davis and Cameron Smith both played their way inside the top-10 in brutal conditions on day two of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
Starting his second round as others completed their first, Davis looked to take advantage of the relatively benign early conditions at Augusta National before ultimately signing for even par 72 and a 3-under total.
Tied fifth at the halfway point, the Sydneysider is the best of the Aussies, three behind the leading trio of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa who are at 6-under, Nicolai Hojgaard outright fourth at 4-under.
On a day when Tiger Woods (1-over) set a new Masters record for consecutive cuts made (24), and Adam Scott extended his cut streak to 15, Davis burnt the edge at the first for birdie in an example of what could have been for the New South Welshman.
Smith is at 1-under and in a share of eighth, with Min Woo Lee and Jason Day, both 4-over, and Scott two further back. Amateur Jasper Stubbs (12-over) fell on the wrong side of the 6-over cutline.
Making his first birdie of the day at the second, and nearly another at the next when chipping with the flag out, Davis was edging closer to first round leader Bryson DeChambeau and his 7-under total.
Converting birdie from 11 feet at the par-3 sixth, Davis was 5-under and looking comfortable before an unforced error when the 29-year-old pitched into the front bunker of the seventh and walked away with double-bogey.
Recovering the shot at the next with a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-5 eighth, Davis would bogey the ninth to turn in even par.
“It’s a good test out there right now. I feel like pars are good scores,” Davis said.
“I had a couple of stumbles, but I felt like I battled well and made some nice putts to keep the momentum.”
One of those moments came at 10 after Davis dropped his club in frustration following a pulled approach to the par-4. A world class pitch helped to start a par run that ended at the 13th, when Davis charged his birdie putt off the back of the green.
Davis nearly holed the comeback chip for par before tapping in for the second time on the day with the leading edge of his wedge.
Despite a brilliant 3-wood from 260 yards at the 15th, Davis walked away a little disappointed after missing a 15-footer for eagle. The subsequent birdie returned him to 3-under that was solidified with a 15-foot par putt at the last.
“I feel like 3-under in the conditions I played in, I feel pretty proud of,” he said.
Headed to put his feet up and spend the afternoon with the large family contingent in Augusta this week, Davis might have had a wry smile watching as winds picked up to the point of sand blowing from bunkers.
No one got more of that wind than Smith, who was out in Friday’s final group.
Bogeying the first, Smith got back the shot at the next and made the turn in even par. The 2022 Open champion got under par for the day when he birdied the par-3 12th only to immediately give the shot back at the 13th with a three putt.
Smith, like Davis, missed an opportunity to improve his score at the 15th when a birdie try from seven feet slipped past the hole. His renowned short game and recovery skills came to the fore for pars at 16 and from the pine straw at 17, before a two-putt par at the last.
“I’m pretty proud of the way I hung in there, it was tough,” Smith said.
Unlike the first round, when the front nine beat Min Woo Lee to the brink of internal embarrassment, the West Australian had a fairly straightforward Friday where bogeys at the first, 12th and 18th were the only blemishes on a card that had a lone birdie at the eighth.
The 25-year-old’s final dropped shot came after his tee shot struck a tree and required a hybrid for his second to the 18th hole.
Completing five holes with a 48-minute turnaround to return to the first tee for Round 2, Day disappointingly closed Round 1 with a double bogey at the 16th and another dropped shot at 18.
The highlight of the Queenslander’s second round 73 coming at the ninth when he rolled in an 11-foot birdie to turn in 1-under. Bogeys at 11 and 18 perhaps unsurprising due to the wind, early start and extra holes.
“It was nice to get in the house, especially after this morning, shoot 3-over with five holes left,” Day told Fox Sports.
“To kind of grind out 1-over in the second round was quite nice.”
Scott also had extra holes to play early Friday and his hopes of a second green jacket, or even playing the weekend, took an immediate hit.
Hooking his tee shot at the 15th, the former world No.1 then found the water and an eventual double-bogey seven at the par-5, where Jordan Spieth also came unstuck with a nine in the morning.
Scott bogeying the 18th for a 4-over first round, before a second round comprising four birdies, four bogeys and what at the time appeared a missed cut deciding double-bogey six at the 11th.
Scott likely spending the afternoon stewing over missing the weekend for the first time at The Masters since 2009 before the wind took its toll on the final groups and brought the 43-year-old and other 6-overs back into the fold.
Having set the cut as his target, Stubbs made the perfect start to the second round with a birdie from seven feet at the first.
A trio of bogeys from the fourth and two more at 10 and 11, however, all but ended the dream of two more rounds at Augusta for the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, who bravely fought back with birdies at the 14th and 16th before two bogeys and a 76.
“It’s been an amazing week,” Stubbs said. “It’s a pretty special place, and obviously the tournament was a bit tough itself with this wind.
“I’m still really happy with my week. It’s something I’ll remember forever for sure.”
The Masters is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo, as well as 9GemHD and 9Now.
