Karl Vilips earns US Open start


Karl Vilips – file photo courtesy of USGA

Indonesian born but now US based West Australian amateur, Karl Vilips, will join seven other Australasians in the field for this year’s US Open following the completion of Final Qualifying over 36 holes at ten venues across the USA this morning.

Vilips, who is currently attending Stanford University in Northern California, earned one of the four spots available amongst 60 golfers at his venue in Maryland and will play his first US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club on June 15th.

Vilips finished tied for 1st at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville after rounds of 68 and 70.

Vilips, a winner of multiple Junior World Championships, a winner of the Southern Amateur Championship, a member of the Junior Presidents Cup team and a quarter finalist at the 2019 US Amateur, amongst his many achievements in the game to date, is currently a key member of the Stanford Golf Team but now gets his chance on a truly international stage.

Other Australians at the same venue included Marc Leishman who finished in 8th place today and Travis Smyth who finished 22nd.

There were several other Australasians competing at other venues but only Vilips has played his way through the demanding qualifying process and earned the right to play the third major of the year.

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Final US Open Qualifying offers further hope


The US Open – over 10,000 entries narrowed to 156 – photo USGA

If you have ever fancied the idea of playing the US Open, just consider, if you will, the odds of even getting into the field and the respect due those who make it to the first tee at the Los Angeles Country Club on June 15th.

With over 10,000 original entries, the field will eventually be narrowed to 156 and with around 110 of those already eligible through various qualifying criteria, another 45 or so face the prospect of being amongst the 645 players at ten different venues across the USA on Monday June 5th, chasing one of those 45 or so further spots available in the field for the third major of the year.

Included amongst those 645 teeing it up in pursuit of a place in the field are 14 Australasians, including the likes of 2006 Champion Geoff Ogilvy, two time Australian Open champions Matt Jones and Aaron Baddeley and Marc Leishman.

The Australasians already exempt into the field are Cameron Smith, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert, Min Woo Lee and Ryan Fox.

Final Qualifying fields and scoring

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Rose Zhang confirms superstar status with debut LPGA Tour victory


Rose Zhang – with the first of what will no doubt be many trophies Image Getty / LPGA

Women’s golf have uncovered a rising superstar, the game’s hottest amateur golfer, American Rose Zhang, making an immediate and successful transition to the professional ranks by winning at her first professional start.

Zhang was playing the event on an invitation by the tournament sponsors after making the move to the paid ranks just last week. As a result of the win she now has full LPGA Tour status.

The only recently turned 20 year old, parred the second extra hole of a playoff between her and Jennifer Kupcho to take the Mizuho America’s Open title at the Liberty Golf Club on the shores of Upper New York Bay after Kupcho had gained five shots on the 54 hole leader with a final round of 69.

Two weeks ago Zhang was winning the NCAA title for the second consecutive occasion as part of the Stanford University team but that was one of many prestigious titles she won during her stellar amateur career. Zhang also won the US Amateur Championship in 2020 as a 17 year old defeating Australia’s Gabriella Ruffels in the process and in 2021 was the US Junior Girls Champion.

In April she won the Augusta National Women’s title and, as the World’s Number One female amateur, she entered the pro ranks with expectations on her to perform early in paid ranks, but that she has been able to win and to do so over a demanding golf course in tough conditions and to survive a playoff speaks volumes for her future.

Zhang wins $415,000 for her victory and she is now likely to be part of the US Solheim Cup team in France later this year.

Australia’s Minjee Lee and New Zealander Lydia Ko started the event well but struggled over the weekend and it would be NSW’s Stephanie Kyriacou who would lead the Australasians at week’s end.  Kyriacou finished tied for 10th, her third round of 65 the catalyst for her best finish of the year.

Lee finished 13th and Ko 33rd after a horror weekend which she played in 6 over par.

Grace Kim was 43rd.

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Adam Scott impresses in US Open warm-up


Adam Scott – file photo PGA of America

Adam Scott might not have contended for the Memorial Tournament’s first prize in Dublin, Ohio, this week but by finishing inside the top ten (9th) he has completed his final tournament preparations for the US Open beginning on June 15th in excellent style and heads to the Los Angeles Country Club with his game in good shape.

Scott’s final round of 71 on a demanding Muirfield Village layout saw the 42 year old improve 23 places to finish just five shots from the playoff between Viktor Hovland and Denny McCarthy, Hovland winning with a par at the first extra hole.

Scott will play his 22nd US Open but has only three top tens to his name, the best of those when 4th behind Jordan Spieth at Chambers Bay in 2015.

Ryan Fox, playing in his first PGA Tour event with special temporary membership, was the only other Australasian to make the cut and finished 30th after a final round of 70. Fox has shown in his few starts on the PGA Tour in 2023 that he can look forward to a bright future in the US.

Like, Scott, Fox’s next start will be at the US Open which he will play for the 5th occasion having a best of 41st in 2018.

This week’s winner, Hovland continued an impressive run of form of late having finished 7th at the Masters and runner-up at the recent PGA Championship, suggesting he will be quite a force at the US Open.

Hovland’s win was his 6th victory on the PGA Tour.

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Minjee Lee and Lydia Ko contend in New Jersey

Minjee Lee seen during round two today – photo LPGA / Getty Images

Minjee Lee and Lydia Ko, two of the more dominant players on the LPGA Tour in recent times have been below their best for much of early 2023, but at the halfway mark of the Mizuho Americas Open in Jersey City, New Jersey, they find themselves very much in contention in the inagural staging of the event.

Lee’s second round of 64 saw the 27 year old jump from 55th after an opening round of 73 to a share of the lead with American Cheyenne Knight while Ko added a second consecutive round of 69 to be just one shot from the lead.

A few players are yet to complete their second rounds after play was suspended and the likes of Jin Young Ko and India’s Aditi Ashok could yet make a difference.

Lee raced to the turn in 30 and, in fact, birdied eight of her first twelve holes at the Liberty National Golf Club before the momentum slowed somewhat over the closing stages but she signed for an 8 under par round and a share of the lead.

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t really feel like my score reflected sort of how I played yesterday, so I really just came in with a positive attitude,” said Lee. “I knew there was probably going to be less wind this morning, so just tried to take advantage of the good conditions that were given to me.

Lee gave an indication at the Founders Cup three weeks ago that things were on the improve after a start to the season which saw her record a best of only 41st in four early season starts. She finished runner-up there and this continues that impressive effort.

Lydia Ko today – image Getty / LPGA

Ko also has had an indifferent run by her standards on the LPGA Tour thus far in 2023. She finished 6th in the season opener in Thailand but has a best of 41st in four other LPGA Tour starts so this represents a significant improvement for the world number three.

She did however win an LET event in Saudi Arabia early in the year and was 3rd in an LET event in Florida two weeks ago.

“I haven’t — to be honest, haven’t been playing that great leading up to this week, said Ko. “I played much better and solid on the LET event a couple weeks ago, so that was a good momentum shift.

“Yeah, I think it’s kind of given me time to work with my team and reset. I think we’re moving in the right direction. It’s not perfect, but I feel a lot more comfortable and confident now than maybe a couple weeks ago.

“So I’m just taking it day by day and trust my team, and I think that’s the biggest key thought for me out there.”

Rookie, Grace Kim, is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 17th place and five shots from the lead.

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