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Nick Voke’s relentless birdie barrage finally slowed on Saturday afternoon of Webex Players Series Sydney, yet the Kiwi’s 11 straight pars to close Round 3 were enough to build a four-shot lead with one round to play at Castle Hill.
Voke’s two-stroke lead overnight quickly became six when the three-time PGA TOUR Series China winner had two birdies and a bogey to start his round as playing partner Declan O’Donovan made a double-bogey at the par-3 second and then dropped another shot at the par-4 third.
The lead would grow to as many as eight when Voke followed up an eagle at five with birdies at six and seven yet that’s when the runaway train stalled as Voke eyed a rarely-hit scoring mark.
“I was 5 (under) through seven thinking, What’s going on here?” Voke said after his 5-under 67 that has Asian Tour regular at 22-under for the tournament.
“Then I asked Tom (Power Horan), there might be a chance we get to 30 (under) and so that would be nice. But look, tomorrow, I haven’t looked at weather, the forecast all week, I’ll just kind roll up and whatever it is, I’ll just do the best I can and go from there.”
The stall in Voke’s scoring came as the wind lifted to its peak of the week and as the likes of Jake McLeod (65), fellow Kiwi Tyler Wood (64) and Travis Smyth (66) charged.
A perennial contender this Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season, McLeod’s round came without a bogey as the former Order of Merit winner lifted himself to 18-under and second alone.
“It was good. Another good day today,” McLeod said.
“It’s always good when you have a bogey-free day for two in a row now, so very pleased with that. The game’s been trending for a long time now. I’ve done some really good work.”
Wood’s round was also without a bogey as he returned to a venue with positive memories of a different nature, having caddied for Kazuma Kobori on his way to victory in 2024.
His 64 took the New Zealander to 15-under alongside Smyth and Jack Munro, with Cassie Porter’s round of the day, a 9-under 63, elevating her to tied sixth with Ryan Peake on 14-under.
“The opportunities are definitely out there if you want to take advantage of them. Just requires a few good shots and hopefully a few putts drop,” Porter said after recording two eagles, including one at the par-5 first hole, in her third round.
“It’s felt close for a while, but as we all know, this game has so many swings and roundabouts.
“It’s nice for it to click every now and then.”
Despite not quite clicking as well as it has in the earlier rounds, Voke’s game was still good enough to scrape through without damage. The 30-year-old’s 194 total for 54-holes is a new tournament low, bettering the 196 mark set by Daniel Gale and Jeffrey Guan in 2022 at Bonnie Doon.
Voke’s most important, and perhaps lucky, par in a streak that began at the par-4 eighth came at the par-3 17th hole, when his ball was spared a watery grave by a collar of rough and he fashioned a superb pitch shot to four feet before holing out for par.
“Did you see the break I got on 17? Yes. Did you like that three?” Voke said with a smile.
“It was really weird. I got off to an absolute flyer, just roaring out of the gates and then I played fine. The wind got up, it got tricky; a couple of 12-footers I missed.
“I had a few birdie ops, missed them, but the ones where I was in trouble, able to make my par and move on. It’s just a weird one.
“You’ve just got to say, ‘Golf’s hard. It was windy out there. Give yourself a break. Go get some Frangos (chicken) tonight and get it tomorrow’.”
Vic Open Inclusive champion Lachlan Wood has a three-shot buffer after Round 1 of the All Abilities tournament after a five birdie round of 2-under par on Saturday, with Victorian Tom Ryan the next best with a round of 1-over 73.
Meanwhile, in the Junior Players Series, Nicholas Heanes is at 1-under and three shots in front of Owen Brightman, Cooper Giddings and Kiara Connolly-Jackson.
Webex Players Series Sydney is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Kiwi Nick Voke pried himself away from his YouTube commitments long enough to set the season-low 36-hole scoring mark and take a two-stroke lead at Webex Players Series Sydney.
On the back of an opening round of 8-under 64, Voke spent Thursday night cultivating his YouTube channel and then matched Sydney amateur Declan O’Donovan’s 9-under 63 in Round 1 to be 17-under at the halfway mark.
His two-round total of 127 is the lowest 36-hole total this season on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and betters the previous tournament record of 128 set by Grace Kim at Bonnie Doon in 2022.
When he signed his scorecard, Voke was a seven-stroke leader yet had that reduced to two late on Friday when O’Donovan shot 6-under 66 to play his way into the final group on a Saturday for the third time this season.
Another amateur, Jazy Roberts, impressed playing partner and tournament host Peter O’Malley for a second straight day with a round of 7-under 65 to take her to a 13-under total and five back of Voke.
The New Zealander birdied four of his first five holes on Friday morning before a hiccup and dropped shot at the par-4 seventh. Voke, who finished tied for fifth at Castle Hill last year, closed out his front nine with two more birdies.
A second bogey at 10 ignited something in the two-time PGA TOUR Series China winner. Playing predominantly the Asian Tour this year, Voke birdied the 11th and then added a further four straight from the 13th.
“Maybe there’s a secret in being a part-time player,” Voke joked in response to the suggestion from a competitor that they were being beaten by a YouTube golfer.
“Maybe that’s the key. Who knows? Someone asked me the other day what per cent of my golf is pro and what percentage is YouTube. I kind of said like 80 per cent pro, 20 YouTube stuff, and I reckon there’s a secret in that 20 per cent helping the 80 per cent.
“There’s a couple of components to it. There’s something to look forward to away from the golf course and I think that’s really critical.
“Secondly, I’ve learned so much about myself playing with them and I can use those lessons when I compete.
“I’ve gone through a bit of a journey recently and the last six months have been incredible. I’m excited for the next six to see what happens.”
Also excited for what’s ahead is O’Donovan.
Popping up in the final group at the Queensland PGA and, most recently, the Vic Open, O’Donovan had fellow Avondale Golf Club members and coach Ben Patterson in the gallery on Friday afternoon to watch his round of 6-under.
“I’ve had a couple tournaments in a row now where I’ve had some low rounds,” said O’Donovan.
“In some situations I haven’t backed it up and others I have and I think I’m getting into a nice groove of how to back those days up.
“I love when there’s eyeballs watching. That’s something I’ve always loved having. Especially when I’ve got friends and family watching and them getting to see what I practise every day to do.
“It’s lovely, but when I’ve got a big crowd, it makes the good shots even better.”
There were also plenty of good shots from the chasing pack, who must have wondered at times if they were playing a different golf course to the leading pair.
Roberts followed the script of her fellow amateur when discussing the prospect of bigger crowds and TV cameras over the weekend.
“Not generally too phased by people watching or anything else that’s going on around me,” said Roberts, whose first TV appearance was as the winner of the Webex Junior Players Series at Rosebud Country Club in 2023.
“The last two days I haven’t really done much thinking. I’ve just kind of gone out and played and it’s been pretty decent, putter has been working nicely. Hopefully that continues.”
Continuing his good form, former Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner Jake McLeod sits behind Roberts on 11-under and one in front of Nathan Barbieri, Jack Munro, Quinn Croker, Webex Players Series Perth winner Jordan Doull and the sister of last year’s winner at Castle Hill, Momoka Kobori.
Travis Smyth is the next best alongside Adam Bland at 9-under after the New South Welshman made the eighth hole-in-one of the Tour season on Friday.
The hopes of the chasers over the weekend are certainly not forlorn given the low scores through 36-holes that have been assisted by the pure conditions of the Castle Hill layout.
“The last couple of days I played very solid and I’m happy with the way I played, but there’s definitely a lot of shots out there that I could have gained,” Kobori said, no doubt echoing the thoughts of all those chasing Voke.
“You never really know what happens in a round, but probably I think there is a chance that I could probably get a low one in, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Webex Players Series Sydney is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Sydney-based right-hander Travis Smyth has added to his hole-in-one heroics at the 2023 Open Championship with another in-tournament ace in Round 2 at Webex Players Series Sydney.
Ensconced inside the top 10 late on day two at Castle Hill Country Club, Smyth gave his round on Friday an early injection of momentum by holing his 8-iron at the 155-metre par-3 11th.
A winner on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia as an amateur and with a single title to his name on the Asian Tour, Smyth delivered one of the tournament highlights at Royal Liverpool two years ago when he became the first player to ace the new par-3 17th, also in Round 2.
Asked post-round to tally up his total aces after this latest addition, Smyth started counting before he landed on, “I think it’s four. Yeah, it’s four in tournaments.”
Smyth’s latest ace led some in the clubhouse to reminisce on that perfect shot in golf’s most storied championship. Similarly to that occasion, Smyth lost the ball in flight and admitted his tee shot in Sydney was not always intended to be on such an aggressive line.
“I didn’t see it. I lost it completely,” Smyth conceded.
“It’s a tucked right pin. I was trying to hit it just a little bit past into the left, maybe about 10 feet left and went straight into the sun. I said to ‘Deano’ (caddie Dean Kinney), ‘Where is that?’
“He goes, ‘It’s right at it.’ And then it was like, one bounce, in.”
Happy with the achievement, Smyth noted the differences to his last ace in competition, given this one came just after 8am. He will need more low scoring over the weekend if he is to chase down clubhouse leader Nick Voke on 17-under through two rounds.
“There was no real extra adrenaline that I felt by the next shot. The Open Championship was a little bit different, but no, I felt fine,” Smyth added.
“If anything, it narrowed my focus even better. It felt like I could hole out more shots.
“I’m sitting on the fairway and I was saying to my caddie, it changed your mentality after actually holing one out. You feel like you can do exactly what you want the ball to do.”
We’ve come a long way since the first days of pizza delivery. Forget endless take-away alternatives delivered straight to your door, you can now get groceries, medication and even a nice bottle of red without ever having to leave your house.
The same now applies to golf coaching.
Like so many elements of the global golf industry, online coaching exploded in popularity as golfers sought ways to stay sane during Covid-19 lockdowns.
PGA Professionals around the world began generating content for social media, offering solutions to golf’s most common swing ailments.
Ryan Mouque was based at Wynnum Golf Club in Brisbane at that time, commuting as much as an hour each way to give a half-dozen in-person lessons each day.
Mouque now gives as many as 20 lessons a day to clients all over the world, all without having to leave his backyard.
Nominated for both the PGA Coach of the Year – Game Development, and Coach of the Year – High Performance, at the 2024 Queensland Golf Industry Awards, Mouque gave 4,000 online lessons in the past 12 months.
He is adamant online coaching is as, if not more, effective than in-person lessons.
“The biggest thing with online is realising that too much information for someone can be overwhelming,” explains Mouque.
“If they’ve got set-up issues, grip issues, takeaway issues, wrist angles at the top of the backswing issues, online you can nail the set-up as their first lesson.
“Obviously you can do that in person, but you might not see them for another month or more.
“Players on my unlimited plans can send me a video immediately after practising their set-up in their loungeroom and I will give them feedback within 24 hours.”
More and more golfers have access to simulators and many have nets set up in their backyard, yet Mouque and other PGA Professionals don’t need to see a ball in the air to make meaningful improvements.
If that sounds contradictory, consider that the great Norman Von Nida gave lessons later in his life purely by the sound the ball made off the clubface.
“Someone hitting into a net in their basement, I’ve seen that many swings I know what ball flight is coming out of that particular swing 95 per cent of the time,” says Mouque.
“I don’t necessarily think you need to see ball flight to help someone. You can make a big enough change in someone without seeing the ball flight. Most of the time you can see the swing and know the ball flight produced by that swing.”
More than anything, Mouque says that the immediacy and convenience of having a golf coach on call is why so many of his clients see consistent and sustained improvement.
“Essentially, you’ve got a coach in your back pocket 24/7,” Mouque adds.
“I’ve been able to create some pretty insane transformations to students’ golf swings and their games.
“I’ve taken one guy from a seven handicap to a plus-two. That’s even more satisfying because there are a lot of people out there that say, ‘Oh, online’s not for me. I need that personal touch.’
“My response is always, ‘I honestly bet that you don’t. And if you gave me six months, I can prove it.’”
THE PRO WILL KNOW
Whether in person or online, PGA Professionals are key to playing your best golf. To find a PGA Pro near you click here
The story of the day from the top of the leaderboard of the Webex Players Series Sydney was good groupings and good times as Sydney amateur Declan O’Donovan took the round one lead with a 9-under 63.
Technically counted as a new course record with two new tees in place at Castle Hill Country Club since last year’s event, and a complete course redesign since the days of Paul Gow’s 60 in 2000, O’Donovan leads by one from fellow Sydneysiders Nathan Barbieri and Kiwi Nick Voke.
LPGA Tour player Cassie Porter another shot further back on 7-under in her adopted hometown, with Victorian amateur Jazy Roberts impressing tournament host Peter O’Malley during her 6-under opening round to sit tied fifth with Louis Dobbelaar.
“I guess for some people it would help them and it definitely seemed like it helped me today,” O’Donovan said of his all Avondale Golf Club first round trio alongside Christopher Fan and Rachel Lee.
“It’s very, very weird feeling playing with people I play with a lot in a tournament, especially in a professional tournament because usually I’m playing with people I’ve never met before and it makes me kind of zone in a little more.”
It was a similar sentiment from Barbieri, who played Thursday’s first round with good friend James Conran and Kristalle Blum. Barbieri’s good feelings further extended by the company of Josh Greer, Jack Thompson and Dobbelaar staying at his family home in Sydney’s North West.
“I mean it’s always good staying in your own bed,” Barbieri said.
“We’ve got a few boys this week (staying at home), so it’s a good vibe. And this is very similar to where I play at Monash. Kikuyu. It’s slopey greens. I feel very comfortable.”
Barbieri believing his only error came off the 10th tee, where he managed to recover for par, while O’Donovan remarkably included a dropped shot at the par-4 sixth hole in his 63.
Voke and Porter the only players in the first handful to manage bogey-free rounds. Voke’s good play coming as he focuses energies elsewhere including helping friend and golf influencer Luke Kwon.
“It almost seems less significant out here,” Voke said.
“The side things that I am doing, I really enjoy it and I’m with really cool people … It’s just nice not being fully, having my identity fully as just a pro golfer.”
For Porter the nice side was a bounce back from her less than ideal start to her LPGA Tour career earlier this month, with five birdies in six holes around the turn powering an opening 65.
“When I got here, no,” she said when asked if her score of 7-under, or even O’Donovan’s, was on her mind early Thursday.
“I wasn’t actually feeling too great on the range, but sometimes that’s good. You just lower your expectations and hit it to a foot on the first.
“I love playing at home. I’ve got all my family here and they’re coming out on the weekend, so it’s a bit of motivation to make the cut, so they’ve got something to do.
“I mean, last week was, elephant in the room, was a bit of a nightmare, but it was Bermuda (grass). Coming out here on the Kikuyu, it’s just quite refreshing.”
The unique nature of Sydney golf something Roberts picked up during her round with O’Malley and Marcus Fraser.
“I was definitely watching what they were doing,” Roberts said.
“Some of the shots they hit, I would never have thought of ever doing. I think it was the second hole using a wood from off the grain to chip. Probably would never do that, but it was cool to watch.”
Watching a theme for friends and families with plenty of local players putting themselves in contention early, including O’Donovan whose score was a measure of his development.
“I played this event last year and I was definitely a different golfer,” O’Donovan said.
“I finished my round 6-over last year in the first round, which is, and I honestly, I didn’t see an 8-under out there, which Josh Armstrong had last year after the first round, and I think it was a nice little wake up call to how good you got to play to compete out here.
“I teed it up today definitely seeing a score like that, but I’m very, very happy with how I’ve played.”
Webex Players Series Sydney is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
The ‘Kiwi Challenge’ are ready to take on the rest of the field as they prepare to re-claim the New Zealand Open title next week at Millbrook Resort
The ‘Kiwi Challenge’, a key feature of the New Zealand Open this year, brings together the nation’s top golfers as they compete against an international field for the Brodie Breeze trophy.
This won’t be an easy task though as the tournament, which will be played for the 104th time, will feature arguably the strongest professional field in recent history.
“The ‘Kiwi Challenge’ is something we have done to support the current generation of Kiwi pros who are not only representing the country around the world, but all desperately want to see the next name on the trophy a Kiwi name,” said Tournament Director Michael Glading.
Millbrook Resort’s picturesque location in Queenstown will be the backdrop for a thrilling week of golf, with the leading players from Asia and Australasia competing for a slice of the NZD $2 million prize purse. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the Kiwi Challenge as they take on the world.
In a move to enhance the spectator experience at the New Zealand Open, all the Kiwi players will feature special caddie bibs featuring the New Zealand flag.
The distinctive bibs, featuring the iconic red, white, and blue design of the New Zealand flag, will allow spectators to quickly spot New Zealand’s top golfers and cheer them on throughout the tournament.
“This is a fantastic way for fans to show their support and recognise the incredible talent representing New Zealand. It’s all about celebrating local players and creating an unforgettable experience for everyone involved,” said Glading.
The Kiwis who are in the field for the 104th New Zealand Open presented by Sky Sport are:
Travis Smyth now spends his professional life on the Asian Tour but is embracing the rare chance to tee it up in his new hometown at this week’s Webex Players Series Sydney at Castle Hill Country Club.
Hailing from Shellharbour on the South Coast of New South Wales, Smyth already boasts two top-20 finishes in 2025 and is one of the favourites in his return to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.
“I try to play as good as I can every single time, whether it’s at the start of the year, end of the year,” Smyth said Wednesday.
“I’m just really happy that the schedule allowed me to come back and play an Aussie Tour tournament.
“The schedule’s really hard to try and play both nowadays. I’m just super stoked. I can sleep in my own bed and play a familiar golf course. Although it has changed.
“I probably haven’t played here for, I don’t know, seven or eight years. It’s in great shape. I’m really excited.”
Like every player, a tournament week is also a chance to practise and work on his body, with Smyth having a big circle around next week’s co-sanctioned New Zealand Open. A dream scenario of two victories in two weeks has the potential to change his plans further for 2025.
Noting the limited pathways on offer in Asia and the current state of the men’s professional game, Smyth is fully aware of what’s on offer on his home Tour where he won as an amateur at the 2017 NT PGA.
“You always like to play two or three events before something big,” Smyth said of his appearance this week.
“It doesn’t always work out that way. I feel like you learn a lot from the week prior that you’re not as intense about. And obviously next week New Zealand Open being a big event, a co-sanctioned Asian Tour event.
“I feel like whatever I learn from this week, there’s just that little bit more sharpness and intense focus on what I need to do to be better.
“There isn’t really a pathway out of Asia.
“I’ve finished top 10 three years in a row now and normally I would be exempt to final stages of DP World (Tour) and Korn Ferry (Tour) and that sort of thing. And I feel like with three attempts at final stage, I would probably see myself on a bigger tour.”
Asked if the attraction of three DP World Tour cards via his home circuit Order of Merit was on his mind, Smyth was clear that the life of a professional golfer means changing plans at the drop of a hat. Especially having seen and heard of the success of the likes of David Micheluzzi and last year’s Webex Players Series Sydney champion, Kazuma Kobori.
“I guess if I were to win then I would probably purposely miss a bigger event in Asia just so I could get my four events and maybe have a run at it,” Smyth admitted.
“That’s probably on the cards. That’s probably a more reasonable pathway than what Asian Tour has to offer.”
Beyond the perfect result of winning this week and next, the familiar faces and home comforts have a smile permanently across the face of Smyth. It is sure to continue over the opening rounds in one of the marquee groups alongside Ladies European Tour rookie Kelsey Bennett and two-time Queensland PGA winner, Phoenix Campbell.
“It’s great,” he said of playing at home.
“I mean, there aren’t too many Aussies on the Asian Tour. It’s great seeing familiar faces and I look forward to competing alongside them coming down the stretch on the weekend.”
Webex Players Series Sydney is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
Australian prodigy Karl Vilips will begin his PGA TOUR debut at this week’s Mexico Open by stepping into the shoes of his idol, Tiger Woods.
Literally.
The 23-year-old, who spent time in both Melbourne and Perth growing up before completing high school in the US, was announced on Wednesday as the first brand ambassador for Woods’s clothing line, Sun Day Red.
Vilips first met Woods as a star-struck 6-year-old. He is embracing all that Woods stands for as the realisation of a dream come true turns into a fairytale beyond the most creative imagination.
“To have me on the team is something that I take to heart,” said Vilips, whose maiden PGA TOUR start was delayed by a bulging disc in his back that flared up after the Australian Open in December.
“I want to represent him the best way that I can.
“Everything that he stands for, I stand for as well.”
In a post shared to Instagram by Sun Day Red, Woods himself left no doubt as to why he saw the young Aussie as the ideal representative of his clothing label.
“Karl’s journey has been marked by success at every level he’s played,” said Woods.
“We were drawn towards his relentless work ethic, and pioneering spirit that embodies what we stand for and look for in our athletes.
“With his impressive track record and determination, I have no doubt he will make a significant impact quickly on the PGA TOUR and is one of the game’s future stars.”
Providing his missing suitcase is delivered to VidantaWorld in time for Round 1, Vilips will step onto the first tee fully kitted out in Sun Day Red, from shoes and socks to the pants and belt that will hold them in place and the polo shirt bearing the Sun Day Red logo.
The sheer ridiculousness of the situation he now finds himself in is not lost on a young man who was still an amateur playing college golf at Woods’s alma mater, Stanford University, just 12 months ago.
“The first time I met him, I was 6 and I was just awestruck looking at him,” Vilips recalled.
“Couldn’t really say anything. Just listened to whatever he had to say, which I couldn’t tell you what that was now.
“Throughout this whole process, it’s been really cool to hear what he’s had to say about me in picking me as an ambassador.
“It’s a huge honour.”
Vilips’ path to the PGA TOUR has been closely monitored since he won US Kids World Championship titles at age seven and nine and then the Callaway Junior World Championship as a 10-year-old.
After graduating from Stanford last year, Vilips played two events on the PGA TOUR Americas, won in his fourth start on the Korn Ferry Tour and finished 19th on the points list as well as being named Rookie of the Year.
It’s all led to this moment yet he is adamant there will be much more to the Karl Vilips story.
“It’s a dream come true to get the card, that’s what I always wanted,” said Vilips.
“But this is also part of the plan, to get to where I want to be which is the best player in the world.
“My game’s in a good spot at the moment where I can compete and it’s just all about how I handle it out there, getting into a flow and just embracing everything around me.
“Dream come true and a big step to where I want to be.”
As Vilips makes his PGA TOUR debut, Grace Kim makes her LPGA Tour season debut at this week’s Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club.
One of three Aussies teeing it up in Thailand, Kim won in her rookie season in 2023 but struggled physically last year in a gruelling 28-event schedule.
Prioritising additional time in the gym over the first two events of the season is designed to put her in position for further wins in 2025.
“I played 30 events, which was a lot, and that wasn’t always the plan,” Kim said of a 2024 season in which she had three top-10s and finished 46th in the Race to CME Globe ranking.
“I just wanted to get the rankings up, the points up and everything but this year the plan’s a little bit different.
“We’re playing less events and hopefully spending more time at home, using those development blocks to hopefully have better results in less events.”
The DP World Tour is in Kenya this week where Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winners Daniel Gale and Brett Coletta will fly the flag alongside Danny List fresh off his PGA TOUR debut at the Genesis Invitational.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
Mexico Open at VidantaWorld
VidantaWorld, Vallarta, Mexico
1:36am* Ryan Fox (NZ)
5:21am* Aaron Baddeley
6:27am Karl Vilips
Recent champion: Jake Knapp
Past Aussie winners: David Graham (1980), Jarrod Lyle (2008, Nationwide Tour)
Prize money: $US7 million
TV times: Live 2am-11am Friday, Saturday; Live 1am-10am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LPGA Tour
Honda LPGA Thailand
Siam Country Club (Old Cse), Chonburi, Thailand
11:50am* Gabriela Ruffels
11:57am Grace Kim
12:14pm* Stephanie Kyriacou
Recent champion: Patty Tavatanakit
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US1.7 million
TV times: Live 2pm-7pm Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 503; Live 2:30pm-7:30pm Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
DP World Tour
Magical Kenya Open
Muthaiga GC, Nairobi, Kenya
5:10pm* Daniel Gale
9:20pm* Brett Coletta
9:40pm* Kazuma Kobori (NZ)
9:50pm Danny List
Recent champion: Darius Van Driel
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US2.5 million
TV times: Live 9pm-2am Thursday, Friday; Live 8:30pm-1am Saturday; Live 8pm-1am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
The Webex Players Series reaches its 2024/25 finale this week as the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season hits the business end and the WPGA Tour of Australasia gets into full swing.
Being played for the second time at Castle Hill Country Club, Webex Players Series Sydney features a field of 144 men and women competing for one prize purse and one trophy joined by all abilities and junior players on the weekend.
New host Peter O’Malley is in the field and no doubt harbouring hopes of presenting himself the trophy.
O’Malley is joined by another veteran in Brendan Jones, who not only holds a record three top-10 finishes at this event, but is also a member at Castle Hill with his photo on the wall as an adidas Australian Amateur winner. He is bound for the PGA TOUR Champions this year.
The two experienced campaigners are joined by some of the brightest lights of the local circuits, including Cassie Porter in a final Australian tune-up before she heads back to the LPGA Tour in her debut year.
Porter is joined on the women’s side by birthday girl Kelsey Bennett who enters in red-hot form after firing a 7-under round at Terrey Hills Golf Club on Monday in a pro-am, while the sister of last year’s winner, Momoka Kobori, returns from a top-30 in Saudi Arabia.
The men’s field features seven winners from this season, as well as past Order of Merit winners Jake McLeod and Jed Morgan. A strong contingent of Asian Tour -based Aussies, including Travis Smyth and Jack Thompson, will also be hoping to have some success in the north-western suburbs of the Harbour City.
For those who teed it up last year, the challenge will present differently after the 2024 event was played following a deluge of rain in Sydney that left the course softer and slower than desired for all.
Firmer and faster playing surfaces have been a constant theme early in the week at the Bob Harrison-redesigned layout, which will feature five new tee locations across both the men and women with more chances to challenge the par-5s for the women’s field.
The closing stretch will provide plenty of interest, with lots of scoring opportunities starting at the par-5 15th, driveable par-4 16th, par-3 penultimate hole and par-5 last.
Players needing to find their best to challenge Kazuma Kobori’s mark of 24-under-par for the event, a winning total still one short of the tournament scoring record of David Micheluzzi from 2023.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPION: Kazuma Kobori
PRIZEMONEY: $250,000
LIVE SCORES: www.pga.org.au; www.wpga.org.au;
TV COVERAGE: Webex Players Series Sydney is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.
*All times AEDT.
Round 3: Saturday 3pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 1pm-6pm (Fox Sports 503/Kayo)
HEADLINERS
Jack Buchanan – 2024 WA PGA and Webex Players Series SA champion
Cassie Porter – LPGA Tour member
Jediah Morgan – 2021 Australian PGA Championship winner
Kelsey Bennett – 2024 The Athena champion
Brendan Jones – PGA TOUR Champions player
Momoka Kobori – 2023 Women’s NSW Open winner
Anthony Quayle – Two-time Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia winner
Jeongmin Cho – Five-time LPGA of Korea Tour winner
Phoenix Campbell – 2023 & 2024 QLD PGA winner
Abbie Teasdale – 2025 Melbourne International champion
Torrey Pines played tough, Ripper GC struggled to make a run at The Grange and our top two women enjoyed a week off.
Hira Naveed’s tie for eighth at the PIF Saudi Ladies International was a notable performance that hints at further success in her second year on the LPGA Tour while Scott Hend narrowly missed out on becoming the first Aussie to win internationally on the Legends Tour in Spain.
The next fortnight will likely be pivotal to the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season standings with the $NZ2 million New Zealand Open to follow the final Webex Players Series event of the season at Castle Hill Country Club in Sydney.
10. Anthony Quayle (Last week: 10)
Enjoyed the week off after fighting the ferocious winds to a tie for 12th at the Vic Open. Currently seventh on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit, Quayle returns this week as one of the form players on tour at the Webex Players Series Sydney at Castle Hill Country Club.
9. Min Woo Lee (9)
Battled gamely through cold and windy weather to shoot 71 on day one of the Genesis Invitational but dropped from the frame with 77 in Round 2. Closed with 2-under 70 to finish in a tie for 48th to add to his three top-20 finishes in his previous three starts including a tie for 12th at the WM Phoenix Open.
8. Kelsey Bennett (7)
Rose to a career high of 304 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking on the back of her fourth-place finish at the Vic Open. After a week off returns to the WPGA Tour of Australasia this week at Webex Players Series Sydney where she missed the cut on the number 12 months ago.
7. Lucas Herbert (8)
Began the final round of LIV Golf Adelaide in a share of ninth and with aspirations of a podium finish. Tied for fourth in the season-opener, Herbert shot 75 in the final round at The Grange but shapes as one of the tournament favourites at next week’s New Zealand Open.
6. Elvis Smylie (6)
The BMW Australian PGA champ is currently catching his breath before the New Zealand Open in Queenstown next week. Will tee it up at Millbrook Resort with the opportunity to clinch the 2024-2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
5. Minjee Lee (5)
After two encouraging performances first up on the LPGA Tour has returned home to continue her preparation for the bigger block of the 2025 season. Slated to return to play at the HSBC Women’s World Championship next week in Singapore.
4. Jason Day (4)
On the back foot after shooting 76 in the rain and wind of day one at the Genesis Invitational. Added one final memory to a course where he has tremendous history, holing a 33-footer for eagle on the 72nd hole despite finding the trap with his tee shot.
3. Adam Scott (3)
Was our highest-placed finisher at Torrey Pines, making birdie at each of his final two holes to climb into a tie for 37th at the relocated Genesis Invitational.
2. Cam Davis (2)
Missed the cut in challenging conditions at the Genesis Invitational after earning a tie for fifth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
1. Hannah Green (1)
Spent the week home in Perth working with coach Ritchie Smith on the back of a fourth-place finish at the Founders Cup. A six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Green will next tee it up in defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship next week in Singapore.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
