Conran takes victory in Fiji

Steve Conran has fired a final round of 66 to take out the Vuksich & Borich Fiji Legends Classic at Natadola Bay and Denarau Golf & Racquet Club on the Ladbrokes Legends Tour.

An almost flawless round consisting of seven birdies an only one bogey on the par-4 8^th hole wrapped up a great week for Conran, finishing 14-under par with rounds of 71, 65 and 66.

Playing alongside Conran in the final group, Richard Backwell of Queensland held onto second place with rounds of 69, 68 and 71 for an 8-under total.

Just one shot behind, New Zealander Dean Sipson’s last round of 66 saw him leap up the leaderboard to tie for third place with Ben Jackson on 7-under.

Tournament favourite and Ladbrokes Legends Tour Order of Merit leader Michael Harwood held fifth spot alongside defending champion Brad Burns who mounted a solid defence with rounds of 75, 67 and 69 for 5-under.

Wet, windy weather following a rain delay in round one at Natadola hampered Burns’ three-peat attempt while improved weather for the following rounds saw Burns fight back to finish among the front-runners.

The 45 senior professionals, joined by some 50 amateurs from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific enjoyed a great three days playing Natadola and Denarau which were both presented immaculately for the tournament.

The Ladbrokes Legends Tour now moves to Royal Samoa Country Club for the 2019 Samoa Senior Open, to be played from 26-28 June, 2019.

Ahead of his major championship debut at the US Open on Thursday, Web.com Tour regular and Inverell favourite son Brett Drewitt shared his journey to Pebble Beach with PGA Contributor Tony Webeck.

My first memory of playing golf was hitting balls into the paddock of our pig farm in Inverell with Dad’s old cut-down 7-iron; on Tuesday I played nine holes with Phil Mickelson at Pebble Beach in preparation for my first US Open.

Since I won a playoff last Monday to earn my first start at a major everything has been a bit of a blur.

It didn’t really hit home until I got to Pebble on Monday that I am playing a US Open.

You get to the course, go through registration and get your badges; that’s when it really hit me. I’ve been trying to soak it all in as much as I can ever since.

Switch hitter

We moved out to Inverell when I was seven years old and we had a pig farm. Dad cut down an old 7-iron and I would just spend time out in the backyard banging balls into the paddock. I played cricket so hitting a ball wasn’t too hard for me.

Growing up I had my heart set on being a professional cricketer. I made a few North-West rep teams and playing for Inverell I played a lot of my junior cricket against Josh Hazlewood when he was growing up in Tamworth. I was a batsman and he was a bowler and we had a cool little rivalry going there for a while. For him to now be opening the bowling for Australia and me to be here playing in a US Open is pretty awesome.

I’d go out to the golf course with Dad on the weekend and get up in the early hours of the morning to watch the majors on TV, watching Tiger win at Pebble back in 2000. To be here now playing in my first major at Pebble Beach is definitely a dream come true.

Like any golfer who gets this far there is a lot of hard work that goes into it but you also need a bit of luck, and I got very lucky in 2012.

I was halfway between Inverell and Sydney when I was involved in a head-on collision.

I was on my way to see my coach and came round a corner at around 2 in the afternoon. There was a car on the wrong side of the road and we just hit.

I was going around 80-90 kilometres an hour but didn’t have time to hit the brakes. To be honest, I didn’t even have time for life to flash before my eyes.

I don’t know why but my first instinct was to try and get out of the car. I was walking so I knew my legs were fine; it was a crazy experience.

All I had was seatbelt bruising. I had a couple of little cuts but I got really lucky.

I was able to fly to Thailand seven days later and play the Asian Amateur and finish seventh, which I thought was quite impressive.

It was probably good that the cars hit the way they did because there was a cliff on the left side and a hill on the right. If I’d tried to swerve I would have swerved off the cliff or swerved into the hill and maybe flipped the car and still gone off the cliff.

I got very lucky.

Prepping for Pebble

I’ve played PGA TOUR events in the past and when you think about it this week really isn’t too much different. The field is very similar, they just call it a major and the course plays a little bit harder.

It’s fortunate in some ways that it is at Pebble and I’ve played here before in 2017 and played quite well. Perhaps if I was to play my first major at Shinnecock Hills or a US Open course that I’d never played before it might be more daunting but I’ve definitely got some good vibes coming back here.

The battle to get here started at Local Qualifying in Texas and went all the way to Sectional Qualifying and the playoff in Ohio. I’d gone out in the first group of the day on the last day and from the time I finished, it looked like 4-under was going to be enough.

I had mates such as Zac Blair congratulating me on getting through but the guy who ended up making the playoff finished birdie-birdie-birdie to get to 4-under; all of a sudden we were heading back out to the 10th tee to decide the final spot.

We both got our tee shots away and the green had a tier running down the middle and the flag was back-left. His approach shot caught the ridge and went down to the bottom area to the right, my lob wedge from 95 yards came out a little hot and trickled over the back edge which left me a tricky shot from the fringe.

His putt from 40-feet didn’t get up the slope and came back to him and then with his next shot he putted up to about three feet.

I was thinking at this point that at worse we’ll be going to the 11th hole but I managed to hole a six-footer down the hill and straight away it hit me, I’m going to the Open.

When I arrived at Pebble on Monday I went out for nine holes by myself late in the afternoon and then on Tuesday I played nine holes with Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm, who I know from back home at Scottsdale.

Phil’s a great dude. We talked a lot and had a great time and given Jon’s a pretty decent friend it was good to play with him.

Phil didn’t say a whole lot about playing Pebble itself, it was more about how to manage your preparation and how to make sure you feel good in yourself.

I asked him a couple of questions about the short game given what a genius he is. At one point we were all at the back of a green watching him show us a few shots which was pretty cool.

Other than that Phil was just hitting bombs and doing his thing; it was just cool to see him do it in person.

I’m in the last group off the 1st tee on Thursday – three groups behind Tiger – so I’ll play another nine holes on Wednesday, get some work done and then just soak up the experience.

I’ve got my wife Brianna and her family with me this week along with our 3-month-old son Brady so on Thursday morning I’ll probably just hang out with them, get in a gym session and maybe even watch some of the golf to see what’s happening.

I’ve had patches this year where I’ve played well and then some bad stuff, now I’ve just got to put it all together.

You never know, it might come together this week.

Jamie Arnold will be hoping that some of Rhein Gibson’s winning formula can rub off as the pair headline a cast of three Aussies and two Kiwis at the Web.com Tour’s Lincoln Land Championship in Springfield, Illinois.

Gibson will be riding the high that comes with a tournament win, his victory at last week’s BMW Charity Pro-Am securing a return to the PGA TOUR in 2020 and validating the strong start he had enjoyed to 2019.

Like Gibson, Arnold began his 2019 campaign in a positive fashion, his tie for 17th in his second event of the year followed up by top-15 finishes at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open and Savannah Golf Championship in consecutive weeks.

Two further top-15 finishes has the Sydneysider well placed at 51st on the Order of Merit with the knowledge that a high finish will propel him to within reach of the all-important top-25.

Adding to Arnold’s confidence will be his history at Panther Creek Country Club where he was tied for 11th last year with rounds of 64-66-67-68 and was tied for 23rd in his first start in the tournament 12 months earlier.

One spot ahead of Arnold on the moneylist is Brett Coletta who has missed his past three cuts in a row.

A tie for third at the Savannah Golf Championship was an important result to bank early in his first season on the secondary US tour but he now needs to recapture that early form to be in contention for a PGA TOUR promotion at the end of the year.

Joining the Aussie trio in Illinois are Kiwi pair Steven Alker and Nick Voke who are currently 54th and 146th respectively on the moneylist.

Positive memories of less than 12 months ago and a solid start to 2019 have James Marchesani primed to lead the Aussie charge at this week’s Suzhou Open, the latest tournament of the PGA TOUR Series-China season.

Marchesani is one of eight Aussies teeing it up at Suzhou Jinji Lake International Golf Club with Troy Moses, Christopher Wood, Charlie Dann, Tim Stewart, Aaron Wilkin, James Grierson, Hayden Webb and New Zealand’s Sam An also in the field.

Tied for 28th in his last start at the Nantong Championship, Marchesani was also fifth at the Haikou Championship which places him in 32nd position on the Order of Merit. He can build on that with a return to the Suzhou Jinji Lake International Golf Club where he was tied for 18th last September with rounds of 70-69-71-70.

Christopher Wood is the leading Australian on the Order of Merit coming into the Suzhou Open in 24th position, two top-10 finishes and a tie for 15th at the Nantong Championship putting him in a strong position heading into the second half of the season.

Troy Moses had to come through qualifying in order to earn a place in the field this week, his round of 3-under 67 good enough for second on Monday and his first PGA TOUR Series-China event of the year.

Moses has played twice this year on the China Tour with a best finish of tied for 10th at the Wuhan Optics Valley Open.

While the majority of the golf world’s attention is focused on the US Open this week the European Challenge Tour is in France this week for the Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open at Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club, Jordan Zunic the lone Australian in the field.

Jason Day is looking for a winning edge; Marcus Fraser simply wants to share a special moment with a mate from home.

Two of the eight Australians teeing it up at the 119th US Open Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links from late Thursday night AEST, Day and Fraser are preparing for their opening rounds with familiar faces carrying their respective golf bags.

Day has enlisted the help of golf’s most accomplished caddy of all time in Kiwi Steve Williams, the man who helped to guide Tiger Woods to 13 of his 15 major championships including his record 15-stroke win at Pebble Beach in 2000.

Williams, who was on the bag with Adam Scott for his 2013 Masters triumph, is only a part-time caddy these days, working with Ryan Fox when he plays at home in New Zealand.

It is not yet known whether the Day-Williams partnership will be an ongoing one but Williams is excited about Day’s prospects at a course where he has excelled in the past.

"There are a lot of very good players in the game and I consider Jason one of those capable of winning big tournaments," Williams told AAP at Pebble Beach.

"It’s early days but to have the opportunity to caddie for one of the top Australian players is really exciting."

Top five in each of his past three starts at Pebble Beach at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Day has twice finished runner-up at the US Open as he endeavours to add to his lone major title to date at the 2015 US PGA Championship.

The expectation for Fraser is far different.

Like Williams, Fraser considers himself a part-timer these days, making occasional excursions to Asia and Europe in between rounds at his home club, Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club south of Melbourne.

That is where Fraser plays regularly with retired AFL legend Brendon Goddard who jumped at the chance to share the Pebble Beach experience.

Goddard has history on Fraser’s bag, caddying for his great mate at last year’s Hong Kong Open. When Fraser entered US Open Sectional Qualifying at Walton Heath in England he promised the St Kilda and Essendon great that if he got through he could come along, Fraser as shocked as anyone at the opportunity now before them.

“Given my current form, I didn’t think I had any hope whatsoever,” Fraser told RSN’s breakfast program, referencing his three missed cuts prior to Sectional Qualifying.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play the Open Championship at St Andrews a couple of times.

“I think playing the US Open at Pebble Beach has the same kind of ring to it.

“It’s going to be pretty special.”

The crowds when Fraser tees off in the opening group of the tournament won’t come close to the crowds Goddard played in front of in grand final appearances in 2009 and 2010 but he expects the nerves to be even greater.

"Definitely on the first tee at Pebble Beach, even as caddy," Goddard told AAP.

"I’m a little out of my comfort zone; being on the footy field in front of 100,000 fans felt more natural to me.

"But it’s great to feel those butterflies and anxiety again."

Fans across the globe tasked with collectively driving a golf ball around the world to help bring First Tee, a positive youth development program, to young people in Australia.

In celebration of the global impact of the Presidents Cup, tournament officials and Presidents Cup Global Partner Citi today announced the return of the Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge with a “Drive to Melbourne.”

Once again, Citi is inviting everyone to collectively drive a golf ball 44 million yards – the length it takes to circle the globe – either in-person or virtually. This time, the Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge is aimed at supporting the launch of a First Tee chapter, to be managed by the PGA of Australia, at the 2019 Presidents Cup.

Click here to watch Justin Thomas introduce the Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge.

Ed Skyler, Global Head of Public Affairs at Citi said, “We are proud to again partner with the Presidents Cup and support the return of the Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge and the expansion of First Tee into Australia.”

“We see golf as a platform that allows us to give back, and by supporting First Tee, we hope to provide opportunities to enrich the lives of young people around the world.

“The challenge also helps unite people around the world in pursuit of a common goal, reminding us in the process that the circumference of the globe is a mere 44 million yards!”

The Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge will feature a web-based game, a simulator, and a mobile game, allowing fans from all over the world to play and enjoy an interactive experience, while driving toward the opportunity to expand First Tee programs in Australia.

The simulator will be placed in popular locations throughout Australia, and other select locations, to build excitement and increase awareness for the 2019 Presidents Cup, which will return to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club for a third time from 9-15 December, 2019.

The full list of Simulator locations is still being determined but fans in Melbourne got a preview this past weekend, at popular Federation Square. The first location in the United States debuts today at Brookfield Place New York.

The Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge will drive toward a launch of First Tee programs in Australia later this year. Each year, First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) provides education programs to young people throughout the United States on golf courses, in schools and at other youth-focused locations.

The launch of a First Tee chapter in Australia will mark the organization’s sixth international location, including Canada, Japan, Korea, Morocco and Mexico. First Tee positively impacts the lives of young people through the game of golf by providing education programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values.

“Citi has been an engaged and valued Global Partner of the Presidents Cup. The Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge is a fantastic extension of the core values of giving back that makes The Presidents Cup special. We are excited to bring it to life as the buzz and momentum continues to build toward what we believe will be the best Presidents Cup yet at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club this December,” said Matt Kamienski, Executive Director of the Presidents Cup.

After winning his first PGA TOUR event in New Orleans in 2017, Australian Cameron Smith made a significant donation to a local First Tee Chapter in Florida.

Along with the donation he wrote a note that read, “I remember being your age, hitting balls, dreaming of being on the world’s biggest stage and practicing making putts to win PGA TOUR tournaments… Without the nine core values, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Using these values each day, I strive to be a great person before a great golfer.”

Smith also recognized Citi for their efforts. “It’s great that Citi is not only launching this initiative to help bring awareness to the Presidents Cup, but First Tee will have a lasting legacy on the youth in Australia, not just as golfers, but to build overall life lessons and opportunities outside of the game.”

“We’re grateful to Presidents Cup, Citi and PGA of Australia for collaborating around the idea of bringing First Tee programs to young people in Australia as a part of 2019 Presidents Cup,” said First Tee President Greg McLaughlin.

“While our programs have been in place in the U.S. for more than 22 years, I am pleased we are able to look for ways to strategically expand through relationships like this.”

The Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge mobile game will allow participants to take shots on the 18^th Hole at Liberty National Golf Club (host of the 2017 Presidents Cup) and the 18^th Hole at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club (host of the 2019 Presidents Cup).

The online game can be accessed globally by users who go to www.PresidentsCup.com/Citi and Presidents Cup social channels. The game will be available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.

Fans in select countries who play the Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge will be entered into a once-in-a-lifetime sweepstakes, with one (1) grand prize winner and one (1) first prize winner.

Grand Prize: Trip for two (2) to the 2019 Presidents Cup, which includes the following:

Round trip airfare (economy)
Five (5) nights’ accommodation (Crowne Plaza)
Four (4) days return transfers to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club
Four (4) days Captains’ Club tickets to the Presidents Cup (Thursday – Sunday)
Presidents Cup spectator function, Thursday evening at Official Hotel Crown
Presidents Cup souvenir merchandise

First Prize: A framed 2019 Presidents Cup pin flag signed by Tiger Woods and Ernie Els

Grand Prize entries must be received by 11:59 pm USA ET on August 22, 2019

First prizes – December 15, 2019 by 11:59 pm AUS local time

Citi cardmembers will receive access to a fast pass lane, with Citi-specific signage promoting the benefit, for all simulator stops during the Citi 44 Million Yard Challenge. Locations include the Citi Interactive Zone on-site at the tournament.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit PresidentsCup.com.

Dale Williamson has shot rounds of 66, 64 for a 130 tournament total to claim victory by one shot over Luke Paroz in the Glencore Oaky Creek Coal Tieri Pro-Am.

The Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series event was reduced from three rounds back to a two round event following a deluge of rain on Friday evening which closed the Tieri Golf Club to play on Saturday.

On a perfect day for scoring, spectators were treated to some spectacular golf at the Tieri Golf Club as the chase was on to catch the round one leaders.

Williamson started the day as joint leader with Aaron Townsend and Dane McArdle and played solidly in his final round, reeling off 10 birdies and just the one bogey on his way to a 9-under 64 scorecard.

Williamson made the turn at 5-under 32 and closed with five straight birdies on his final five holes.

“I’ve been reading this awesome book called Relentless, which was written by a guy who works with many famous Basket ball players and it really kept me in a great headspace allowing me to remain focused out there today,” said Williamson.

“I’ve been working really hard on my game with my Coach Michael Gannon. It’s difficult being away for long periods of time playing but we have managed to do Skype calls and video analysis which has kept my game on track.

“I played with Justin Warren today and we were neck and neck on the back-9 which definitely made me really focus and spurred me on.”

Sunshine Coast based professional Luke Paroz started the day three shots behind the leaders but fired the low score of the tournament and a career best 11-under 62 to storm home and finish outright second.

“I’m thrilled with my round today,” said Paroz.

“It’s been a long time since I have played the Onsite Rentals Mining Towns Series and it was a last minute decision to travel to Queensland to play this swing of events. I’m travelling with my wife and kids and we have been on the road now for 6 months playing Pro-Ams.

“The course was presented well for the tournament and the greens were some of the best we have played in recent months, full credit must go to all the volunteers who give their time on the course.

“The recent reconstruction of some of the holes has really transformed this golf course into one of the best in the region.

Brett Rankin and Justin Warren finished in third position on a score of 14-under 132 ahead of Aaron Townsend who rounded out the top five at 13-under the card.

Tim Hart still holds a commanding lead in the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series, currently sitting on 49-under par, five shots clear of Brett Rankin who sits on 44-under followed by Williamson on 38-under.

The next stop on the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series is the Blackwater Country Club for the ABM Contractors Blackwater Pro-Am where play begins at 6.45am on Wednesday 12 June 2019.

Australian golfing superstar Jan Stephenson has fulfilled a lifelong dream this morning, being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California.

Stephenson was inducted into the prestigious World Golf of Fame, a who’s who of golf, including compatriots Karrie Webb, Greg Norman, Peter Thompson, Kel Nagle, David Graham and Walter Travis, and legends of the game Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez.

Also inducted at the ceremony in Carmel today alongside Stephenson was South African Retief Goosen and Americans Peggy Kirk Bell, Billy Payne and Dennis Walters.

For Stephenson the honour was overwhelming, having twice been rejected the 67-year old had felt that her dream of becoming a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame would probably remain just that.

However, a telephone call from her colleague and good friend Nancy Lopez back in October last year changed all that.

Lopez had been the one to deliver the bad news the past two years that Stephenson had not been selected to the Hall and when Stephenson saw Lopez’s number come up on her phone she braced herself once again for more bad news.

However, this time the news was not bad, and an emotional Lopez finally blurted out the good news that Stephenson had waited what had seemed like a lifetime to hear, this time she had been voted in!

An emotional Stephenson took to the stage in Carmel and paid tribute to those who had an impact on both her career and her life.

“Looking around the room I see so many people who have helped me and supported me over the years,” said Stephenson in her World Golf Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

“It is amazing to see friends from all walks of life and from all kinds of places, be here because of the incredible game of golf. To all my friends and family, thank you for your support.

“As I look back on my career, more than the wins and the fame, what stands out most to me is the remarkable women I’ve had the opportunity to compete with, get to know and call my friends. I consider myself lucky to have played in some of the most amazing times.

“I even got to witness the birth of career women’s golf and got to play with fellow Aussie and friend Karrie Webb in her very first professional event in Australia.

“To be now counted amongst the stars as a World Golf Hall of Famer is not only an honour, but it’s so humbling.

“Golf has taken me on a wonderful journey, allowing me to travel around the world and make relationships that have lasted a lifetime and now it has taken me here to the World Golf Hall of Fame. It’s truly a dream come true.”

Fellow Australian and World Golf Hall of Fame Member Karrie Webb was onsite at Pebble Beach to witness her good friend’s induction and paid tribute to Stephenson’s career.

“I’m really excited for Jan to finally be recognised for her outstanding career and her contributions to golf in being inducted into the WGHOF,” said Webb.

“As an Australian woman, Jan was really the trailblazer for all Aussie girls to aspire to one day compete on the LPGA tour in the US. With her success on and off the course creating her notoriety, it inspired the generations behind her to believe that they too could be successful playing on the LPGA.

“I am glad that I could be here with Jan tonight to celebrate her induction with her.”

Australian golfing legends and PGA of Australia Board members Ian Baker-Finch and Chairman Rodger Davis believe the World Golf Hall of Fame membership is a fitting way to honour Stephenson’s career.

“It’s really great to see Jan inducted, she is an icon of her time and has been a role model for many both in Australia and around the world,” said Rodger Davis.

“It was a pleasure to play in the same era as her, see her go from strength to strength throughout her career and become a legend of our game.”

“It is fantastic to see Jan join the World Golf Hall of Fame; it’s a position that she absolutely deserves,” said Ian Baker-Finch.

“The work Jan has done for golf both on and off the course has bettered our game and is a testament to who she is as a person and the love she has for our sport.

“She should be really proud, as we are, of her career, her achievements and her new position among elite company as a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.”

There is absolutely no doubt that Stephenson, 67, had the golf resumé to warrant her selection — 16 LPGA Tour victories, plus wins on the Ladies European Tour, LPGA of Japan and Asian Tour as well as three LPGA major championships: the 1981 du Maurier Classic (then a major), 1982 Women’s PGA, and 1983 U.S. Women’s Open. She also was the 1974 LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

Since her playing days Stephenson has been a driving force behind the fast-growing LPGA Legends Tour and these days keeps herself busy as the owner of Tarpon Woods, a golf course in the Tampa area which she purchased in April 2017.

The club had seen better days when she purchased it, but Stephenson put her own distinct stamp on the property, making it a home for military veterans, first responders and the disabled.

Stephenson, an ambassador for blind and disabled golf through ISPS Handa, bought the club through her foundation, Jan Stephenson’s Crossroads where her mission is, "Giving to those that have given so much," and "Every day is Military Appreciation Day at Tarpon Woods."

In 2017 Stephenson was awarded the prestigious Military Order of the Purple Heart for her services to the military in the US.

Stephenson also has her Jan Stephenson line of wines and a new line of flavoured rums which she is extremely passionate about.

With her new business ventures Stephenson doesn’t get to play much golf these days and almost dreads when she does compete in a tournament.

"I’m so upset because I haven’t had a chance to play or practice and it makes it even worse, and then you don’t feel like you can compete, and then you have a high score and you feel miserable," she said. "That part never goes away."

Stephenson thought an induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame would never come her way after being passed over so many times, but there she was at Pebble Beach today with fellow inductees Retief Goosen, Billy Payne and Dennis Walters finally receiving the accolades and the recognition she deserves.

The 119th US Open championship returns to one of American golf’s most iconic venues for a sixth time in 2019 with eight Australians and two Kiwis hoping to create a new slice of history at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Only three Australasian men – David Graham (1981), Michael Campbell (2005) and Geoff Ogilvy (2006) – have claimed the United States Golf Association’s showpiece event.

The Pebble Beach roll of honour reads like a who’s who of golf’s best of the modern era, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Kite, Tom Watson, Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell all raising the US Open Championship trophy on Pebble Beach’s famed 18th green.

Below is a comprehensive guide to the 10 Australasians teeing it up from the early hours of Friday morning, their US Open history, how they have fared at Pebble Beach and how they qualified.

Jason Day
Round 1 (1.02am AEST): Si Woo Kim, Rickie Fowler
World Ranking: 16
Best finish in 2019: T4 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (PGA TOUR)
Best finish at the US Open: 2nd at Congressional Country Club (2011), T2 at Merion Golf Club (2013)
Best finish in a major: 1st, 2015 US PGA Championship
Best finish at Pebble Beach: T2 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (2018)
How he qualified: Winners of the PGA Championship 2014-2019
Fast fact: Has enlisted the help of the game’s most accomplished caddie, Kiwi Steve Williams, to aid his quest at Pebble Beach. Williams was on the bag with Tiger Woods for his 15-shot win at Pebble in 2010.

Adam Scott
Round 1 (6.47am): Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar
World Ranking: 17
Best finish in 2019: 2nd at Farmers Insurance Open, 2nd at The Memorial (PGA TOUR)
Best finish in the US Open: T4 at Chambers Bay (2015)
Best finish in a major: 1st, 2013 Masters
Best finish at Pebble Beach: T52 at 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
How he qualified: Top 60 in Official World Golf Ranking as of May 20
Fast fact: Runner-up finish last start at The Memorial saw Scott return to the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time since September 4, 2017.

Marc Leishman
Round 1 (12.51am): Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm
World Ranking: 21
Best finish in 2019: T3 Sony Open (PGA TOUR)
Best finish at the US Open: T18 at Oakmont Country Club (2016)
Best finish in a major: T2, 2015 Open Championship
Best finish at Pebble Beach: T21 at 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
How he qualified: Qualifying for the 2018 Tour Championship
Fast fact: Has not played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am since 2011 having missed the cut at the 2010 US Open with rounds of 77-74.

Cameron Smith
Round 1 (1.24am): Matt Wallace, Xander Schauffele
World Ranking: 34
Best finish in 2019: T6 at WGC-Mexico Championship (PGA TOUR)
Best finish in the US Open: T4 at Chambers Bay (2015)
Best finish in a major: T4, 2015 US Open
Best finish at Pebble Beach: T11 at 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
How he qualified: Qualifying for 2018 Tour Championship
Fast fact: With an eagle at the final hole of the 2015 US Open Smith broke into the top 100 for the first time, moving up from 160th to 89th.

Ryan Fox
Round 1 (12.07am): Thorbjorn Olesen, Emiliano Grillo
World Ranking: 89
Best finish in 2019: 1st ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth (ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia/European Tour)
Best finish in the US Open: T41 at Shinnecock Hills (2018)
Best finish in a major: T27, 2018 PGA Championship
Best finish at Pebble Beach: First appearance
How he qualified: Sectional Qualifying
Fast fact: Ryan was introduced to the game of golf by attending corporate days with his father, All Blacks Grant Fox, as a youngster.

Aaron Baddeley
Round 1 (7.09am): Justin Harding, Andrew Putnam
World Ranking: 180
Best finish in 2019: T2 at Puerto Rico Open
Best finish in the US Open: T13 at Oakmont Country Club (2007)
Best finish in a major: T13, 2007 US Open
Best finish at Pebble Beach: 4th at 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
How he qualified: Sectional Qualifying
Fast fact: The only Australian in the field to have played both the 2000 and 2010 US Open championships at Pebble Beach, receiving a special invitation from the USGA in 2000 following his 1999 Australian Open victory as an amateur.

Matt Jones
Round 1 (7.20am): Daniel Berger, Kodai Ichihara
World Ranking: 187
Best finish in 2019: T5 at AT&T Byron Nelson
Best finish in the US Open: MC (2014, 2018)
Best finish in a major: T21, 2015 US PGA Championship
Best finish at Pebble Beach: T7 at 2015 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
How he qualified: Sectional Qualifying
Fast fact: Was forced to withdraw after the opening round of his US Open debut at Bethpage Black in 2009 with a herniated disc.

Marcus Fraser
Round 1 (11.45pm): Sam Saunders, Carlos Ortiz
World Ranking: 467
Best finish in 2019: T17 at ISPS HANDA Vic Open (ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia/European Tour)
Best finish in the US Open: T45 at Oakmont Country Club (2007)
Best finish in a major: T20, 2015 Open Championship
Best finish at Pebble Beach: First appearance
How he qualified: Sectional Qualifying
Fast fact: Will have former AFL legend Brendon Goddard on the bag in his fourth US Open appearance.

Brett Drewitt
Round 1 (7.42am): Eric Dietrich, Guillermo Pereira
World Ranking: 1,017
Best finish in 2019: T14 Evans Scholars Invitational (Web.com Tour)
Best finish in the US Open: First appearance
Best finish in a major: First appearance
Best finish at Pebble Beach: T33 at 2017 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
How he qualified: Sectional Qualifying
Fast fact: Hailing from Inverell in north-west New South Wales, Drewitt was fortunate to escape serious injury when involved in a serious car crash in 2012.

Daniel Hillier (a)
Round 1 (7.31am): Alex Prugh, Zac Blair
World Ranking: 1,905
Best finish in 2019: 2nd at Muriwai Open (NZ)
Best finish in the US Open: First appearance
Best finish in a major: First appearance
Best finish at Pebble Beach: First appearance
How he qualified: Sectional Qualifying
Fast fact: Ranked No.24 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, by advancing through Sectional Qualifying at Walton Heath in England Hillier has followed the same path as fellow Kiwi Michael Campbell prior to his 2005 US Open win at Pinehurst.

Daniel Fox has posted a sensational final round 5-under 67 to overtake overnight leader James Anstiss and secure his second Mitchell & Brown Spalding Park Open title.

The winter weather continued for the remainder of the weekend but the winds had strengthened to test the 33 players making the cut for the final round.

James Anstiss held a four shot lead over his nearest rival Brad Moules moving into the last days play, but it wasn’t going to be easy to secure his biggest win yet in the WA swing of the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series.

Jumping out of the blocks with two birdies in his first 3 holes and extending his lead to five shots it looked like the title was going to the New Zealander.

Fox on the other hand had also got off to a flying start, making four birdies in his first six holes to put pressure on Anstiss at 10-under par.

Both players had hiccups on the short par-5 9^th with Fox making a double bogey and Anstiss bogeying the 9^th and 10^th.

Bouncing back with consecutive birdies on the 10^th though 12^th holes Fox made his move by to get to 5-under for the day and move to an 11-under total.

He would eventually par the last six holes and have to sit back and watch Anstiss who was still holding a one shot lead with 5-holes to play.

Another bogey stumble at the 14^th hole brought Anstiss back level with Fox with four holes to play and put his destiny in his own hands.

Missing a good opportunity on the par-5 16^th and a par following on 17^th, Anstiss needed a birdie for the win on his last hole, a par for a playoff and anything worse would hand Fox the title.

Unfortunately his second shot finished plugged in the greenside trap and was going to test his great short game skills to get up and down to force the playoff.

A great shot left him with an 8 foot putt to force the playoff, this unfortunately slid past the cup, handing Fox his second title at this event.

Anstiss still held his head high after the finish.

“It was a tough day out there and I’m disappointed I didn’t get the win but I’ll take the positives away from this week and keep pushing. Congrats to Daniel on a fantastic round in tough conditions,” said Anstiss.

Fox, whose nickname on tour is “arrow” referring to how straight he hits his iron shots, relied on these shots on the way to claiming the title

“I knew it was a lot (6 shots) to make up but the wind being this strong makes the course super tricky, so I just hung tough hitting some good solid shots to give myself some great opportunities, knowing that if could get to a 10 or 11 under total it could put some pressure on James,” said Fox.

“I love this place, Chris Clarkson and his team did an amazing job to get the course the way it was through a few awful days of weather. Credit must to go James also, he’s been playing great the whole series and I have no doubt he’s going to be a player of the future.”

The Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series WA Swing now heads further north to the CITIC Pacific Mining Karratha Pro-Am on Thursday 13 June, followed by The Roy Hill Port Hedland Classic on Saturday 16^th and Sunday 17^th, then to the last event of the May/June swing for the Broome Furnishing Carpet, Paint and Tile Open.

Headlines at a glance

Steve Conran has fired a final round of 66 to take out the Vuksich & Borich Fiji Legends Classic at Natadola Bay and Denarau Golf & Racquet Club on the Ladbrokes Legends Tour.

An almost flawless round consisting of seven birdies an only one bogey on the par-4 8^th hole wrapped up a great week for Conran, finishing 14-under par with rounds of 71, 65 and 66.

Playing alongside Conran in the final group, Richard Backwell of Queensland held onto second place with rounds of 69, 68 and 71 for an 8-under total.

Just one shot behind, New Zealander Dean Sipson’s last round of 66 saw him leap up the leaderboard to tie for third place with Ben Jackson on 7-under.

The Ladbrokes Legends Tour now moves to Royal Samoa Country Club for the 2019 Samoa Senior Open, to be played from 26-28 June, 2019.