Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Want to recieve exclusive news, videos, tournament highlights, golf important tips and more ?
Minjee Lee’s status as Australian golf’s most recent major winner goes on the line this week with nine Australians to contest The Amundi Evian Championship in France.
The following week it will be the boys’ turn, as nine tee it up at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Adam Scott and Elvis Smylie the only two of the nine who are exempt who will prepare by playing this week’s Genesis Scottish Open.
With so many of Australia’s big guns opting not to play last week, it provided the opportunity for others to step into the limelight.
Kirsten Rudgeley returns to the Power Rankings for the first time since early April on the back of consecutive top 10s on the Ladies European Tour while Maverick Antcliff enjoyed his best international result in close to five years at the International Series Morocco.
A winner on the Asian Tour this year, Lucas Herbert entrenched his place behind Lee at No.2 by earning medallist honours at Final Qualifying for The Open Championship.
10. Kirsten Rudgeley (New)
Has bounced back impressively after a lacklustre start to her campaign in Europe. After four missed cuts was tied ninth at the Czech Ladies Open and then followed that up with a tie for fifth at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open. Now 24th on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.
9. Karl Vilips (8)
A third straight missed cut for the Puerto Rico Open champion. In 13 individual starts in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR Vilips has finished inside the top 35 on just two occasions, his Puerto Rico Open win and a tie for 11th at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
8. Stephanie Kyriacou (9)
Returns to Evian Resort Golf Club seeking to go one better than her runner-up finish at The Amundi Evian Championship 12 months ago. Currently ranked No.42 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking with three top-six finishes on the LPGA Tour this year.
7. Min Woo Lee (7)
Has arrived in the UK to prep for next week’s Open Championship in Northern Ireland. The 2021 champion has opted not to play the Genesis Scottish Open, crossing the Atlantic on the back of a tie for 13th at the Rocket Classic two weeks ago.
6. Hannah Green (6)
Arrives in France hoping to improve on previous showings at The Amundi Evian Championship. In five previous appearances the world No.11’s best result is a tie for 30th in 2019, coming shortly after her KPMG Women’s PGA victory.
5. Marc Leishman (5)
Currently 10th in the LIV Golf individual standings, Leishman will prepare for his first Open Championship since 2022 by teeing it up with the Ripper GC boys at LIV Golf Andalucia in Spain. Leishman is exempt into The Open by virtue of his tie for third at the Australian Open in December, edging Jasper Stubbs for the spot due to higher world ranking.
4. Adam Scott (4)
Denied victory at the final hole by home-country hero Robert MacIntyre 12 months ago, Scott tees it up for the first time since the Travelers Championship at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club. Top 20 in his past two major starts, including a deep run at the US Open.
3. Jason Day (3)
Holds his mantle as Australia’s highest-ranked male player despite failing to make the weekend at the John Deere Classic. Moved to 28th in the Official World Golf Ranking on the back of a tie for fourth at the Travelers Championship.
2. Lucas Herbert (2)
Bolstered the Australian contingent at The Open by topping Final Qualifying held at West Lancashire last week. Will be eager to carry that form into this week’s LIV Golf Andalucia event in Spain.
1. Minjee Lee (1)
Returns to the site of her maiden major triumph on the back of the third major win of her career at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Including her win in 2021, Lee has finished top 20 five times in 10 starts at The Amundi Evian Championship.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Mark Hensby can make it a birthday to remember after maintaining his place at the top of the leaderboard through three rounds of the US Senior Open in Colorado.
The New South Welshman will mark his 54th birthday by playing in the final group at The Broadmoor alongside major champions Padraig Harrington and Stewart Cink on Sunday after all three posted rounds of 2-under 68 in Round 3.
Harrington and Cink both made fast starts on Saturday, Hensby reviving his hopes with an eagle at the par-5 ninth and a chip-in birdie at the par-4 13th.
He assumed the outright lead at 9-under with birdie at the par-4 14th but squandered a golden chance to end the day one clear, missing a short birdie chance at the par-4 finisher to remain locked together with Harrington and Cink at 8-under par.
Hensby is seeking to become just the second Australian to win the US Senior Open and the first Aussie to win a senior major championship since Stewart Ginn at the 2002 Senior Players Championship.
It marks the third straight week an Aussie has played in the final group of a major championship (Adam Scott at US Open, Minjee Lee at KPMG Women’s PGA), Hensby embracing his place within the marquee grouping.
“Any time you play with two great players like that, it’s definitely fun,” said Hensby.
“Didn’t get off to the best start, but as Padraig said, we all kind of made a few birdies there in a row and we started to get things going.
“It’s fun playing with those two guys. They’re just such great players.
“When you get two great players like that who start off as well as they did, especially Padraig, you kind of expect it to a certain extent.
“I just felt like I’ve just got to play my game and try and just do the best I can do all day and see what happens.
“Fortunately, some things started to go my way, got a couple of nice breaks.”
Expecting an early birthday call from family back home in Australia before sleeping on a share of the lead, Hensby hopes to make it a celebration to remember.
“It’s funny, my birthday is always on this week. It’s either Thursday, Wednesday, or tomorrow it’s Sunday,” he added.
“My family will call me tonight, I’m sure, but yeah, we’ll celebrate tomorrow.”
Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn is the only other player within four strokes of the lead, Kiwi Steven Alker five back after a superb 4-under 66 in Round 3.
Photo: Logan Whitton/USGA
Round 3 Australasian scores
T1 Mark Hensby -8
T6 Steven Alker (NZ) -3
T12 Rod Pampling E
T14 Steve Allan +1
T14 Scott Hend +1
T23 Greg Chalmers +3
T23 Cameron Percy +3
T29 Stuart Appleby +4
T38 Richard Green +5
MC Michael Campbell (NZ) +7
MC Mathew Goggin +11
MC Brendan Jones +13
MC Richard Lee (NZ) +15
Round 4 tee times AEST
11pm Stuart Appleby
11:11pm* Richard Green
11:22pm Cameron Percy
11:33pm Greg Chalmers
11:55pm Scott Hend
12:06am Steve Allan
12:17am Rod Pampling
12:39am Steven Alker (NZ)
12:50am Mark Hensby
A frustrated Mark Hensby defied the notion that pars win USGA championships with a wild scorecard on day one of the US Senior Open in Colorado.
Just 17 players finished Round 1 under par but none did it in quite the manner of Hensby, the Tamworth native making just three pars in his round of 3-under 67 to share the Round 1 lead with three-time major champion Padraig Harrington.
Of the 13 Australasian players in the field, Kiwi Steven Alker (69) was the only one to join Hensby in red figures, Hensby scratching his head after going out in 6-under 30 but making five bogeys in an inward nine of 3-over 37.
“Obviously I felt like I left some out there,” said Hensby.
“It’s just frustrating. I played like s*** the back nine. What else can you say?
“But I’ve never been a very consistent player. I’m hot or cold, and that kind of sucks. Certain shots I keep hitting during rounds, it just pisses me off, so to speak. So yeah, the back nine was just kind of a bit of that.”
One of very few Aussies with wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, Hensby has finished inside the top 25 in each of his past eight starts, his best result a tie for eighth at the Principal Charity Classic.
“I’ve been playing decent all year,” added the 53-year-old.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve played great this year. I think I’ve only had one top 10 on the Champions Tour. A lot of top 15 to 22. Just haven’t played that great this year.”
Cashing in on ideal early conditions, Hensby began with three straight birdies before making his first bogey at the par-3 fourth.
He shrugged that off with birdies at five and six, turning in 6-under with further birdies at eight and nine.
Three bogeys and a birdie in his first four holes saw Hensby take a backward step to start the back nine, making a third birdie on a par 3 at 16 before walking off the 18th green disappointed with back-to-back bogeys.
Defeated by Miguel Angel Jimenez in a playoff at last week’s Kaulig Companies Champinship, Alker made par on every hole on the back nine to shoot 1-under, Greg Chalmers dropping two shots in his final two holes to post even par along with fellow Aussie Rod Pampling.
Round 1 Australasian scores
T1 Mark Hensby -3
T10 Steven Alker (NZ) -1
T18 Greg Chalmers E
T18 Rod Pampling E
T33 Stuart Appleby +1
T33 Richard Green +1
T33 Steve Allan +1
T33 Scott Hend +1
T52 Cameron Percy +2
T77 Michael Campbell (NZ) +4
T118 Mathew Goggin +7
T126 Richard Lee (NZ) +8
T152 Brendan Jones +13
Round 2 tee times AEST
11:42pm Brendan Jones
11:52pm Steve Allan
12:03am Greg Chalmers
12:24am Rod Pampling
12:24am* Scott Hend
12:34am* Steven Alker (NZ)
4:51am Mathew Goggin
4:51am* Richard Lee (NZ)
5:01am* Stuart Appleby
5:12am Michael Campbell (NZ)
5:33am* Cameron Percy
5:43am Richard Green
5:43am* Mark Hensby
Cam Davis defied a dry spell dating back to the first week in February to sit just two strokes off the lead after Round 1 of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.
With just one top-50 finish in an eight-tournament stretch that included five straight missed cuts, Davis did not present as the obvious Aussie contender leading into the second men’s major championship of 2025.
Yet the 30-year-old gained six strokes on the field on the greens to shoot 5-under 66 and trail unlikely front-runner Jhonattan Vegas (64) by two by day’s end.
The last man in the field after his first PGA TOUR win on Sunday, Kiwi Ryan Fox (67) is just one back of Davis in a share of fourth as two late bogeys saw Adam Scott (69) drop back into a tie for 20th at 2-under.
Playing alongside Vegas, Elvis Smylie impressed in his first PGA Championship round, missing a par putt on his final hole from 14 feet in a round of 1-under 71 for a share of 29th.
Admitting that his game “just kind of left me” after three top-20 finishes in his first four starts in 2025, Davis felt vindicated that hard work paid off on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I haven’t been having the best results on course over the last few months and been working really hard to turn that around,” said the two-time PGA TOUR winner.
“To see the first real sign that it’s turning around happen in the first round of a major, it’s very encouraging.
“It’s just constantly trying to go back to things that have worked, trying to keep the head in a place where you’re not feeling like you’re banging your head against the wall all the time.
“It’s letting it organically come, good processes, good routines. All those little one per centers add up to good golf eventually, and I feel like this week has been a week of good preparation.”
In addition to the three birdie putts he holed from outside 15 feet, Davis saved par from outside nine feet on four separate occasions, a formula he believes is essential for success in major championships.
“Rolled a lot of putts that went in and kept the momentum going,” said Davis, who was tied for fourth at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
“I feel like for a major, when you’re playing a difficult golf course, if you can do that, you can keep things moving forward.
“Very happy with my work today, but it’s still a four-round event. But you can definitely help yourself a lot by having a good first round.”
Starting his round from the 10th tee, Davis had the outright lead at 6-under when he holed a putt from just inside 22 feet for birdie at the par-3 sixth, part of the 164 feet and 8 inches of putts he holed for the day.
Forced to play away from the pin after just clearing the water with his second shot on his way to par at the par-5 seventh, Davis missed a 20-footer for birdie on eight and then made just his second bogey of the day when he was unable to get up-and-down from short of the green at the par-4 ninth.
Three birdies in his first five holes gave Fox the early lead, three birdies and two bogeys in his final five holes resulting in a final total of 4-under for the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic winner.
Scott’s round got rolling when he made birdie from 42 feet at the par-3 sixth, following that up with further birdies at seven and eight to turn in 3-under.
Four-under and bogey-free when he picked up another shot at the par-4 14th put Scott within one shot of the lead.
But the 2013 Masters champion was unable to make par when his second shot into 16 fed into the rough behind the green and then three-putted from 70 feet for bogey at the par-3 17th.
An early chip-in at the par-4 11th was the highlight of Jason Day’s 2-over 73, Min Woo Lee’s 74 consisted of an eagle, four birdies, seven bogeys, a double bogey and five pars and Karl Vilips and Cameron Smith both shot 78.
Five-time major champion, and career grand slam winner, Rory McIlroy will headline the men’s Australian Open for the next two years, including when it returns to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club on the Melbourne Sandbelt in 2025.
McIlroy’s return to Australia comes off the back of his historic win at the 2025 Masters Tournament to complete the career grand slam, with the world No.2 reaffirming his love for the Australian Open by committing to the next two years.
Thanks to the renewed partnership with the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria, the Melbourne Sandbelt will be the home of the men’s Australian Open until at least 2026, with the next year’s event confirmed to be staged at Kingston Heath Golf Club.
McIlroy’s first attempt to claim a second Stonehaven Cup will be across the world-renowned Composite Course of Royal Melbourne from December 4-7, which comprises holes from both the West and East courses and is rated among the top golf courses in the world.
The last time the 35-year-old appeared at the Australian Open was in 2014 when McIlroy defended the Stonehaven Cup the year after he went head-to-head with Adam Scott in 2013 to eventually be crowned champion.
“I’m proud to be committing to the Australian Open for the next two years, especially with it being played on the world-class Melbourne Sandbelt, somewhere I’ve always wanted to play professionally” McIlroy said.
“The success of the Australian Open is important for the global game, and I’m incredibly confident it will thrive again this year, especially with it being staged in one of the world’s great sporting cities and on two of the finest golf courses in the world over the next two years: The Royal Melbourne Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club.”
“Melbourne is known for being one of the world’s great sporting cities and I can’t wait to be part of that atmosphere and soak in everything it has to offer, both on and off the course.”
Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said the commitment from the Victorian Government and McIlroy will help elevate the men’s Australian Open to new heights.
“The Victorian Government truly understands the value that golf brings to the local economy. We appreciate their ongoing support and we look forward to partnering with them again as we host this year’s men’s Australian Open,” Sutherland said.
”Rory McIlroy, one of the best to ever play our game, playing on the world-renowned Melbourne Sandbelt, is a mouth-watering proposition for golf fans. We are committed to elevating the status of our national championship, and this announcement is a significant step in that direction.”
As the Australian Open moves away from its previous combined event, the dates and venue of the women’s Australian Open and Australian All Abilities Championship will be confirmed at a later date.
“We are confident that the revised format, with individual men’s, women’s and all-abilities events will give each event their own platform to showcase the incredible talent in golf,” Sutherland said.
A host to multiple Presidents Cups and countless other important events, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club will play host to the men’s Australian Open for the seventeenth time when the tournament returns in late 2025. It will mark the first men’s Australian Open at the venue since 1991.
“We are looking forward to hosting the 2025 men’s Australian Open Championship at our world-class venue,” Captain of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club Tony Rule said.
“Royal Melbourne has a long history of providing a supreme test of golf to the world’s best players. We eagerly await the opportunity to watch Rory McIlroy take on the challenge of mastering the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne.”
The men’s Australian Open will follow the BMW Australian PGA Championship, with both events again co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and creating a not to be missed two-weeks of world class golf.
Gavin Kirkman, CEO of the PGA of Australia which owns and operates the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, said the move to a standalone men’s event on the Melbourne Sandbelt and the confirmation of McIlroy will help elevate the men’s Australian Open to one of the most anticipated events on the global golf calendar in 2025.
“At a course where so many historic tournaments have been played, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club is the perfect stage to showcase the wonderful home-grown talent and the best international golfers like Rory, who we are so proud to welcome back to Australia for the first time since 2014,” Kirkman said.
“With two weeks of DP World Tour co-sanctioned events, the best players from the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia can also put their game to the ultimate test against the world’s best and etch their name into the history books.”
A renowned host of some of the biggest events in sport and culture, the state of Victoria will be the focus of the golf world during both the 2025 and 2026 events with McIlroy front and centre.
“These tournaments will be fantastic for our visitor economy, filling hotel rooms, restaurants and cafes and showcasing our state to millions more following on from overseas.” Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said.
“Rory is one of the greatest golfers in history and his desire to play in the Australian Open is a major coup, highlighting just how brilliant our Sandbelt courses are and why Melbourne is one of the great golfing cities of the world.”
Now a well-established presence as part of the Australian summer of golf, and the home Tour of McIlroy, the DP World Tour expects a quality field to join The Masters Champion in Melbourne during the early stages of its 2026 season.
“Starting our Race to Dubai in recent years with back-to-back events in Australia has been popular with our members and we are excited to return to the world class Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the first time on the DP World Tour since 2005,” DP World Tour Chief Tournament & Operations Officer Ben Cowen said.
“Our thanks go to the Victorian Government and Visit Victoria for their continued support of this great national open.
“We are equally looking forward to seeing Rory McIlroy tee it up in Australia once again, giving fans in the southern hemisphere the opportunity to see our most recent Major Champion up close. As a six-time Race to Dubai winner and golf’s latest Grand Slam champion, Rory is a prominent ambassador of global golf, and we are sure he will enjoy his experiences on the Melbourne Sandbelt this year and next.”
Tickets for the men’s Australian Open are on sale now at www.ticketek.com.au
There were plenty of players on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia who definitely trended in the right direction in season 2024/25.
Here’s a look at some of our biggest improvers in the top 20.
Cory Crawford (pictured above) – up 118 to No.13
The highlight of Crawford’s summer was a one-shot win at the Vic PGA Championship at Moonah Links in December, his first on Tour in more than seven years. In a consistent run in the first half of the 2024/25 season, the 32-year-old had top-20s in five consecutive events. He added a tie for seventh at Webex Players Series Victoria after the Christmas-New Year break.
Tyler Hodge – up 101 to No.20
With thoughts of retirement from Tour life in his head, the New Zealander produced the best result of his career with a win at the Wallace Development NZ PGA Championship at Hastings. His other big point hauls came with an 11th at the Ford NSW Open and share of eighth at the Heritage Classic.
Ryan Peake – up 79 to No.2
The West Australian’s thrilling one-shot win at the NZ Open presented by Sky Sport was one of the big highlights of 2024/25. It changed his life. Less than 12 months after playing in the Tour Q School, the lefthander earned a winner’s category on the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia and Asian Tour and a 2025/26 DP World Tour card. He also had five other top-10s on his summer record.
Jack Buchanan – up 65 to No.6
In his second year as a professional, Buchanan was one of the stars of the first half of the 2024/25 season, beating Jordan Doull in a playoff for his first Tour win at the CKB WA PGA Championship presented by TX Civil & Logistics before coming from behind to claim Webex Players Series South Australia in front of a home crowd. He also produced a T5 finish at the Ford NSW Open and a season-ending T6 at The National Tournament.
James Conran – up 64 to No.15
Conran came close to his first Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia title last August, finishing as runner-up to Will Bruyeres in the PNG Open. When he next made it into contention at the Heritage Classic, he completed the job, producing a fantastic wedge shot on the final hole to set up a tournament-clinching birdie and a one-shot margin over Nathan Page.
Jack Thompson – up 60 to No.16
The South Australian cashed in at the NZ Open presented by Sky Sport, coming within a shot of forcing a playoff with Ryan Peake after closing with a brilliant 63 at Millbrook. That result came after a T9 at Webex Players Series Sydney and gives him plenty of confidence for an Asian Tour campaign in 2025.
Corey Lamb – up 53 to No.9
The phrase “knocking on the door” was made for Lamb who was equal second at Webex Players Series SA and the Ford NSW Open and third at the Gippsland Super 6. He was also well in contention at Webex Players Victoria before finishing tied for 11th. A place inside the top 10 on the Order of Merit represented a huge jump for the NSW pro who came through Qualifying School last April.
Elvis Smylie – up 30 to No.1
Two victories, including an Aussie major, plus another five top-10 finishes made it a season to remember for the young Queenslander who now has a DP World Tour card and a position in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Smylie also produced arguably the shot of the year – an approach in near-gale force winds to inside a metre, setting up a birdie to clinch the Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open at Mandurah Country Club.
Blake Proverbs – up 24 to No.17
The Queenslander was one of 13 first-time winners on Tour this season, triumphing in a playoff against Jason Norris at Webex Players Series Murray River. Earlier in the season, he again showed his linking for Nudgee Golf Club with a tie for third at the Queensland PGA Championship after being a joint runner-up in the same event 12 months earlier.
Harrison Crowe – up 18 to No.8
A victory at the season-ending National Tournament was a just reward for a strong season from the former Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion and GA Rookie Squad member. He fired in the big events with a T5 at the ISPS HANDA Australian Open, T7 at the Ford NSW Open and T8 at the BMW Australian PGA Championship. His bogey-free 68 in strong winds to close out the win at The National was one of the rounds of the season given the circumstances.
He may not have a win to his name yet in 2025 yet Lucas Herbert’s consistently strong performances for Ripper GC have finally made his claim to No.1 spot undeniable.
Winner of the Ford NSW Open during the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season and tied for fifth at the Australian Open, Herbert shot a stunning 10-under 61 in the final round at LIV Golf Mexico City to finish tied for second.
With Min Woo Lee taking the week off in Las Vegas and Hannah Green missing the cut at the Chevron Championship, Herbert’s third top-five finish of the year elevates him to top spot in this week’s Power Rankings.
PGA TOUR rookie and Puerto Rico Open winner Karl Vilips also moved up the rankings courtesy of his tie for fourth alongside Michael Thorbjornsen at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
10. Kelsey Bennett (Last week: 10)
Holds onto 10th spot despite cooling her heels back home in Mollymook ahead of the Aramco Korea Championship next month. Tied for eighth and tied for third in her two most recent starts, Bennett sits 16th on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.
9. Marc Leishman (8)
A winner at LIV Golf Miami, Leishman was tied 30th at LIV Golf Mexico City as Ripper GC finished two shots back in second place in the teams event.
8. Stephanie Kyriacou (9)
Continues to solidify her place within the upper echelon of the women’s game. On a day in which only four players broke 70, Kyriacou’s even-par 72 in the final round saw her climb into a tie for 30th at the Chevron Championship in Texas.
7. Elvis Smylie (6)
Began the final round of the Hainan Classic just two strokes off the lead but three bogeys on the trot early on the front nine on Sunday cruelled any hopes of a second DP World Tour win. A closing 2-over 74 saw Smylie drop into a tie for 16th after he was tied for 15th at the Volvo China Open.
6. Minjee Lee (5)
The only Aussie ever in the mix at the first LPGA major of the year. Lee began the final round of the Chevron Championship five strokes off the lead in a share of 10th but shot 74 in the final round, finishing tied for 14th.
5. Jason Day (4)
Tied for eighth at The Masters and holding steady at No.32 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Day’s next start is likely to come at next week’s Truist Championship at The Philadelphia Cricket Club.
4. Hannah Green (3)
Missed the cut at the Chevron Championship for the third consecutive. A tie for ninth at the JM Eagle LA Championship is one of three top-10 finishes this season.
3. Karl Vilips (7)
It’s either feast or famine for ‘Koala Karl’. The Puerto Rico Open winner had missed three cuts and finished tied 54th at RBC Heritage before teaming up with former Stanford University teammate Michael Thorbjornsen to finish tied fourth at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Moves up to 53rd on the FedEx Cup standings.
2. Min Woo Lee (1)
Took to the socials to whip up support for sister Minjee ahead of the Chevron Championship in his week off. Will skip this week also before teeing it up at the Truist Championship in Philadelphia.
1. Lucas Herbert (3)
Dating back to his win at the Ford NSW Open and tie for fifth at the Australian Open, no Aussie has put themselves in contention more than Herbert in 2025. Shot 10-under 61 to finish tied for second at LIV Golf Mexico City, his third top-four finish in six starts on LIV Golf this season. A win beckons.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
Australian Min Woo Lee says he is better placed to handle the cauldron of TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course after earning a share of the lead at the halfway mark of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Two years after playing his way into the final group alongside world No.1 Scottie Scheffler in his debut appearance, Lee backed up an opening round of 5-under 67 on day one with 6-under 66 to be tied with American Akshay Bhatia at 11-under par.
The pair are one stroke clear of another American, JJ Spaun, with major champions Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa and American Alex Smalley tied for fourth at 9-under par.
Lee leant on his 2-iron off the tee to navigate his way around the Pete Dye masterpiece, a course he has already shown a great affinity for.
A birdie at the par-4 10th was the ideal springboard to Round 2, further birdies at 15 and 16 seeing the 24-year-old make the turn in 3-under.
That would be just a precursor to what was to follow as he picked up four birdies in five holes from the par-4 first.
It is familiar territory for the West Australian who believes he has the tools both physically and mentally to finish the job.
Lee was tied for the lead through three holes of the final round in 2023 before hitting a shot into the par-4 fourth that spun back into the water, the resulting triple bogey all but ending his chances.
“Big learning curve. Especially the fourth hole, that’s probably one shot that I regret in my career,” said Lee, whose tie for sixth was his first PGA TOUR top 10.
“It was a wedge that I got steep on and it’s been the narrative for a long time.
“My approach play, I just see the ball flight coming in low and I get a little bit too steep. It’s nice to actually just hit it up in the air and trust it.
“That’s a big part of why I’m getting a little bit better with my approach play.
“A bit more level-headed and a lot of learning between then and now.”
The secret weapon to Lee’s success at Sawgrass this week is a 2-iron that has been a fixture in his bag for a number of seasons.
“If your 2-iron goes 300 yards, it’s pretty good. I just love the club,” said Lee, who would have had the outright lead if not for a closing bogey at the par-5 ninth.
“I can step up on the tee and hit a little draw and if it just gets past some hills and bounces off hills, it goes a long way.
“It can nearly go as far as 3-wood or a driver sometimes if it plugs. Instead, it rolls all the way. It rolls 50, 60 yards sometimes.
“When I hit it good it ends up going a long way. That helps.”
Lee will play a lone hand for Australia across the final two rounds after Adam Scott (72), Karl Vilips (78) and Cam Davis (80) all missed the cut, Kiwi Ryan Fox (70) tied for 49th at 2-under par.
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
After more than two decades of facing up to the examination that is TPC Sawgrass, Adam Scott has developed a formula for not just survival but success: Don’t make mistakes.
The 2004 champion of THE PLAYERS Championship has been a constant presence dating back to 2002 with a tournament resume that also includes top-10 finishes in 2005, 2007 and 2017 and six top-20 finishes.
With the late addition of Karl Vilips courtesy of last week’s Puerto Rico Open victory, Scott is one of five Aussies in the field for golf’s unofficial ‘fifth major’.
He is also one of five Australians to have conquered the Pete Dye masterpiece, if at least for one week at a time.
While those who get on its bad side view TPC Sawgrass as a beast, Scott acknowledges the inherent beauty of a layout with no let-up.
“It’s the kind of course where you need a lot of things to go right to be in the mix,” Scott said.
“The penalty is extreme. That’s a trait of Pete Dye golf courses. There’s water everywhere and it’s hard to recover from the water. A couple of visits to the water during the week makes it hard playing catch-up, because then you have to force it and you have to risk.
“It’s there, but if you’re not on it, it’s hard to always post a good number here. Hard to get it in the clubhouse the last three holes.
“Scottie (Scheffler) was the first guy to successfully defend last year, so it’s been challenging for every champion.”
Scott has twice shot rounds of 7-under 65 at golf’s most famous purpose-built theatre – in 2004 and 2016. In his 25th year as a professional, he remains adamant that he can continue to be a force in the sport’s biggest events.
“I don’t think my days are numbered just yet,” said the 44-year-old.
“There’s no signs pointing to that. I still think I have the form to be out here and believe, on my week, I can compete and hold my own.
“I’m enjoying being out here very much. And I say that knowing that it’s not going to last forever.”
While Scott acknowledges his career at the highest level is closer to its end than its beginning, he is excited to see the emergence of a new Aussie star in Karl Vilips.
THE PLAYERS Championship represents the latest step in Vilips’ meteoric rise that has caught the eye of his veteran countryman.
“It’s incredible,” Scott effused. “Understanding where he came from and coming through the college system, I think the college system is just unbelievable these days.
“He’s done an incredible job, even down to doing the YouTube and putting himself out there.
“It’s a different generation than me, for sure, but I know he’s working, he’s got a great team around him, and it’s paying off.
“He’s set himself up for the beginning of what can be an incredible career on the PGA TOUR.”
Elsewhere this week, Ripper GC will defend their teams title at LIV Golf Singapore, the trio of Su Oh, Robyn Choi and Caitlin Peirce are in action on the Epson Tour and West Australians Hayden Hopewell and Haydn Barron are in the field for the Kolkata Challenge on the HotelPlanner Tour.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
PGA TOUR
THE PLAYERS Championship
TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Cse), Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
11:46pm* Jason Day
12:08am Cam Davis
3:45am Ryan Fox (NZ)
4:07am Min Woo Lee
4:40am Adam Scott
5:13am* Karl Vilips
Recent champion: Scottie Scheffler
Past Aussie winners: Steve Elkington (1991, 1997), Greg Norman (1994), Adam Scott (2004), Jason Day (2016), Cameron Smith (2022)
Prize money: $US25m
TV times: Live 10:30pm-10am Thursday, Friday, Saturday; Live 10:30pm-9am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
LIV Golf
LIV Golf Singapore
Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
Australasians in the field: Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Marc Leishman, Matt Jones, Ben Campbell (NZ), Danny Lee (NZ)
Recent champion: Brooks Koepka
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US20m
TV times: Live from 11:30am Friday, Saturday, Sunday on 7 Plus.
HotelPlanner Tour
Kolkata Challenge
Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
1:15pm* Haydn Barron
5:10pm* Hayden Hopewell
5:30pm Sam Jonez (NZ)
Recent champion: Rasmus Neegaard-Petersen
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US300,000
Epson Tour
IOA Golf Classic
Alaqua Country Club, Longwood, Florida
Australasians in the field: Robyn Choi, Su Oh, Caitlin Peirce
Recent champion: Jessica Peng
Past Aussie winners: Hannah Green (2017), Grace Kim (2022)
Prize money: $225,000
The climb of ‘Koala’ Karl Vilips shows no signs of abating. The former child prodigy is now a PGA TOUR winner in just his third start as a full member.
Including last year’s US Open, the Puerto Rico Open was just Vilips’ fourth start on the PGA TOUR, making him just the 12th player to win in so few starts dating back to 1970.
Not bad for a kid who was still in college less than 12 months ago.
Since graduating from Stanford University, Vilips has won on the Korn Ferry Tour, won on the PGA TOUR, risen more than 1,000 spots on the Official World Golf Ranking and become the first brand ambassador for the Tiger Woods clothing line, Sun Day Red.
He’s also a big mover in this week’s Power Rankings as Minjee Lee continued her stellar start to the LPGA Tour season, Cassie Porter returns after a top-five finish in her second start on the LPGA Tour and Jason Day and Lucas Herbert both log top-10 results.
10. Ryan Peake (9)
Failed to make the cut at the Wallace Development NZ PGA on the back of an emotional NZ Open triumph. With two events left in the season, remains in the hunt for the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit on the back of top-10 finishes at Webex Players Series Murray River and Webex Players Series Sydney.
9. Min Woo Lee (8)
Narrowly missed advancing to the weekend of the Arnold Palmer Invitational but is showing a greater level of consistency in the game’s showpiece events. Returns to one of golf’s great theatres – TPC Sawgrass – where he played his way into the final group on Sunday on debut two years ago.
8. Cam Davis (3)
Shot 80 in the second round in brutal conditions to miss a second straight cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Shapes as one of our best hopes at THE PLAYERS Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass.
7. Cassie Porter (New)
Responded to a missed cut in her LPGA debut with a tie for fourth at the Blue Bay LPGA. Tied for 13th at Webex Players Series Sydney after shooting 63 in the third round at Castle Hill, Porter entered the final round in China in a share of second, just two strokes off the lead. She closed with even-par 72 for a top-five finish and career high of 177th in Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
6. Elvis Smylie (2)
Entered for next week’s Heritage Classic as he endeavours to wrap up the 2024/2025 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit. Top 10 at the New Zealand Open, Smylie skipped the NZ PGA as he looks ahead to rejoining the DP World Tour.
5. Lucas Herbert (7)
Continues to be the form player for Ripper GC early in the LIV Golf season. Shot 6-under in the final round to finish outright fourth at LIV Golf Hong Kong on the back of a tie for 21st at the New Zealand Open.
4. Jason Day (6)
Reunited with former coach and mentor Col Swatton, Day delivered one of the best rounds seen at Bay Hill in recent years with a superb 64 in Round 2. Finished tied for eighth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and rose to No.33 in the world ranking.
3. Minjee Lee (4)
Gave younger brother Min Woo Lee something to live up to with numerous chip-ins across the weekend of the Blue Bay LPGA in China. A runner-up finish to Rio Takeda continued her strong early season form that includes a tie for fourth and tie for 11th in four starts.
2. Karl Vilips (10)
Completed a historic rise to claim his maiden PGA TOUR win in just his fourth start at the Puerto Rico Open. Still to graduate from Stanford University 12 months ago, Vilips has climbed from a world ranking of 1,185 last July to be now ranked 106th in the world.
1. Hannah Green (1)
Tied for seventh in the defence of her HSBC Women’s World Championship title in Singapore, Green will next tee it up at the Ford Championship in Arizona from March 27-30.
The Australian Golf Power Rankings is a subjective list developed with input from members of the Australian Golf media team.
