Ryan Fox – holds the trophy for the 2025 Canadian Open – file image

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox gets the chance to defend a PGA Tour title for the very first time when he tees it up at the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto this week, Fox unable to defend his first PGA Tour win at Myrtle Beach in May, as he had qualified for the opposite Signature event, the Truit Classic at Quail Hollow that week.

Last year, Fox won a dramatic playoff when he defeated Sam Burns at the 4^th extra hole at the same venue he tackles this week, the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. He had earlier holed a lengthy putt at the 72nd hole just to get into the playoff.

Fox’s approach at the par 5 18^th (the 4^th occasion)with a fairway wood,  after the hole had been relocated during the playoff, finished 6 feet from the hole, and although he missed the eagle attempt, the birdie secured the victory.

Fox also finished 7th in the event at another venue on debut in 2024.

Fox is one of four Australasians in the field, the others being Karl Vilips, the out-of-form Cam Davis, and Davis’s fellow Sydneysider, Declan O’Donovan, who earned his start by winning the Canadian Amateur Championship in Quebec last year.

Donovan has subsequently turned professional but is still eligible to take up his entry into the event.

Fox has recorded just the one top ten in eleven starts in his third season on the PGA Tour, but that 7^th place was timely in that it came at the lucrative (US$20 million) Genesis Invitational, where he earned US$603,000.

The 39-year-old Aucklander is currently in 64^th place in the FedEx Cup standings and has banked US$1,651,000 thus far.

As the defending champion, Fox faced the media on Wednesday and enthused about the prospect of defending such a significant win in his career.

“It’s always great coming back to a course that you’ve got good memories at,” said Fox. “I love the golf course. I love the fans here last year. They treated me really, really well. I’m just seeing that plaque on 18 for the first time, and that brought back a lot of memories that have shot.

“I still think it’s the best shot I’ve ever hit. Yeah, I’ve seen my face in a few different places this week than I would normally, and that’s pretty cool.”

Fox was asked about the memories he carried from last year’s win.

“I think it’s the shot on 18. Then the other one that comes to mind is I distinctly remember standing up there, waiting to get this trophy, and I saw my kids in the background, not caring, just throwing sand in the bunker on the back of 18. I’ve got a lot of memories of that, and I’ve had a few people say that to me as well, that they really enjoyed seeing that. That’s a big memory for me of last year, too.”

A plaque has been installed on the 18^th to commemorate the magnificent fairway wood approach, which ultimately led to the win, and Fox had been excited at the prospect of seeing it first hand.

“I think the thing I was looking forward to the most was seeing the plaque on 18. I’ve never had one of those before, so that was a pretty cool novelty today. And today was the first time I saw it, literally 15, 20 minutes ago. So, to see that and also look at that second shot again and try to relive that memory. Yeah, that was pretty cool.”

Fox feels his game is not too far from where it needs to be for him to be a factor again this week.

“The game’s pretty close. I feel like I’ve said that a lot this year. There was a lot of good signs last week at Memorial. I played pretty decent for the most part at the PGA. I’ve just not really put everything together this year.

“There’s always something been wrong, whether I struggled with the putter, or last week I didn’t drive it great at Memorial. So, a week’s a long time in golf, and hopefully I can figure out how to put it all together this week, and, as I said, I like the golf course.

“I think that helps a little bit where you feel comfortable around a place, and it makes it easier to pick shots and commit to shots. So hopefully that helps me a little bit this week.”

Fox was asked his thoughts on the field this week, especially given the event’s place in the schedule as the lead-up event to next week’s US Open.

“I mean, for me, it seems like a stronger field than last year. Obviously, it’s a major for all the Canadians; all of the top Canadian guys are here, and it’s great to see.

“But having Brooks, Justin Rose, Tommy, Aaron Rai, Matt Fitz, his brother’s playing great as well. Yeah, I think this event holds — it’s a tough place in the schedule, there’s going to be guys just not wanting to play the week before a major, regardless of the event.

“There’s going to be guys that will play an event regardless the week before a major that they want to play. But I think it speaks to the history of this event. I think everyone who came out of this golf course last year really enjoyed it. I think we’ve got a stronger field than last year because of that, that everyone did enjoy themselves, that there’s such a great history at this event, and it is a pretty good warm-up for next week.

The US$9,800,000 event carries a first prize of US$1.764 million.

Leaderboard / Field

Karis Davidson – in action early in today’s third round – image USGA Logan Whitton 

Karis Davidson moved within three of the lead midway through her third round of the US Women’s Open at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles with birdies at the 1^st and 10^th holes, but agonising double bogeys at her 12^th and 15^th holes before a birdie at the 16^th and another at the last, saw her eventually finish with a round of 71 and at even par for her opening 54 holes.

While perhaps now out of contention for a very high finish, it has nonetheless been a spirited US Women’s Open debut for the 27-year-old Queenslander. who is six shots behind the joint leaders, Nelly Korda and Sei Young Kim and in a share of 18th place.

Appearing to be cruising with two birdies and nine pars when she reached the 12^th fairway, Davidson found herself just 104 yards from the hole after a powerful drive of over 280 yards. She hit a poor approach into the right-hand bunker, took two to get out, and the resultant double bogey saw her slip back in the field.

Another double at the 15^th after finding the left rough from the tee and coming up short with her approach saw her slip further back before a rebound birdie from 20 feet at the 16^th and another from 15 feet at the last.

Given the disappointment in the middle of her back nine, it was a great comeback for Davidson and leaves her not without the chance of what a week ago might have seemed a dream performance.

Without even a start in the event until the final spot became available, thanks to her alternate standing amongst the qualifiers, Davidson has gone steadily about her business on the demanding layout.

Davidson, who played her first couple of years as a professional on the Japan LPGA Tour before heading to the US in 2022, earned her status via the Q School in late 2001.

She played both the LPGA and Epson Tours in 2022, but has made steady progress since, to the point she has now made all nine cuts this season.

Tomorrow, she has a good opportunity to add considerably to the US$241,000 in LPGA earnings she has to her name already in 2026.

Of the other Australians, Minjee Lee is the next best after a 3rd round of 71 to be at 3 over and tied for 34th, Grace Kim at 4 over and Hannah Green, perhaps surprisingly, after a round of 75 in a share of 46th.

Leaderboard 

Daniel Hillier – file image courtesy of New Zealand Open / Photosport NZ

Several players were yet to complete their second rounds of the KLM Open in Amsterdam when darkness finally brought a halt to the weather-delayed round, but, irrespective of what happens in the final two hours of play when those players return to the course on Saturday morning, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier will be very much in contention for a second DP World Tour title.

A strong finish to his opening round on early on Friday, after day one’s play had also been suspended, was followed by a blistering start to day two when the 27-year-old Wellingtonian birdied five of his first eight holes and was out in 30 to take a share of the lead.

Hillier birdied his 12^th and 13^th holes, but a bogey at his 15^th would cost him the chance of the lead through 36 holes. At 7 under after his round of 65, however, he trails Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg by just one, although he will need to wait until Saturday for his final 36-hole position to be determined.

Hillier’s form in 2026 has been mixed, beginning the season with two excellent finishes in the Middle East before his win at his own National Open in Queenstown, but in his next five starts, he would miss three cuts.

An impressive week at the PGA Championship, where he finished only midfield, but not all that far from contention, was encouraging, and although he missed the cut the following week, a 7^th place finish in Austria last week suggested things were in good shape.

The finish in Austria moved him to 10^th on the Race to Dubai ranking, and he has started this week as if he might well improve a few spots further by Sunday.

“There was a little bit tired,” said Hillier, referring to the additional holes he was forced to play.

“It was just one of those days where everything was in sync, which was nice, and seeing a couple of putts go in early gave me a bit of momentum.

“Hopefully I can get a good night’s rest tonight and come out firing tomorrow.”

Former New Zealand Open winner, Ryan Peake, has four holes to play in round two but at 4 under and just four from the lead, he has improved sharply on his recent run of five consecutive missed cuts. When he returns on Saturday morning, he has a 15 foot putt for birdie to move him within three of the lead.

Kazuma Kobori is the next best of the Australasians at 3 under and four from the lead, having completed a second round of 68.

Leaderboard

Hannah Green – preparing for the US Women’s Open this week – image Kathryn Riley USGA

Australian women golf’s three most recent major winners, Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Grace Kim are amongst six Australians in the field for this week’s US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club in the suburbs of Los Angeles, with Hannah Green at number 5, now the highest world-ranked of the three.

Green will play her 8^th US Women’s Open with a best of 12^th in her previous seven attempts, but importantly for the 29-year-old she enters the event in some of the best form of her career. In just seven starts on the LPGA Tour this year, Green has recorded two wins, two other top tens, and a 14^th place at her most recent start. She also won twice in Australia.

Green has steadily improved her results, the more she has played the US Women’s Open and given the style of game she possesses and the confidence she must surely be playing with at present, then she deserves consideration to become the 4^th Australian (joining Jan Stephenson, Karrie Webb and Minjee Lee as winners of the female game’s most coveted title.

Minjee Lee tees off in practice this week – image USGA

Green’s fellow West Australian, Minjee Lee, won the title in 2022 at Pine Needles in North Carolina, setting a still-alive scoring record of 271 when doing so. Lee has missed only one cut in 12 attempts in the event, but her form in 2026 is well below that she was in before her win four years ago, and there is a question as to her capacity to contend this week.

Other than her win in 2022, Lee’s only other top ten at the US Women’s Open was when 9^th   behind Yuka Saso in 2024.

Grace Kim practising this week – image USGA

Grace Kim’s win at last year’s Evian Championship came as a surprise so early in her career, but she had finished an encouraging 13^th at the US Women’s Open in 2023, suggesting even then she had the constitution to do well in the demands of golf at the highest level.

Kim has yet to record a top ten in an LPGA Tour event this season, but arrives at Riviera with a series of solid if unspectacular finishes to date this year.

Kim’s lack of distance from the tee might work against her on a golf course where a capacity to at least be adequate in distance appears as if it will be a considerable advantage.

Australia will also field Stephanie Kyriacou, Karis Davidson and Gold Coast amateur Sarah Hammett in the US$12 million event, but it appears as if Hannah Green should start as the favourite amongst the Australians.

Leaderboard

Lydia Ko – in action on Tuesday – image Logan Whitton USGA

14 years on from her first appearance in a Women’s US Open in 2012, when she played the event as a 15 year old amateur, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko will tee it up for the 15^th time in the female game’s most significant event when she takes to the fairways of the famed Riveira Country Club in the suburbs of Los Angeles this Thursday.

Ko has missed only one cut in those 14 previous starts, but with only two top-ten finishes, she has perhaps performed below the standards she has set in her overall career to date.

Ko is currently in 11^th position in the Race to the Globe in 2026 and is now number 10 in the Rolex standings, her worst standing in nearly two years, perhaps as other things become equally, if not more, important in her life as she approaches 30 (she is now 29).

Ko will, however, be one of the more fancied players this week, given her brilliant career to date. If she were able to finish 3^rd alone or better this week, she would move past the great Annika Sorenstam to become the greatest prizemoney winner in the history of the LPGA Tour.

That milestone will surely come at some stage, it would seem, Ko needing another US767,000 to pass the US$22,584,000 Sorenstam earned in her 15-year LPGA Tour career.

Ko spoke to the media on Tuesday and put the chase of Sorenstam’s record in perspective.

“To be honest, it’s hard to compare myself to her record just because she won 70-something times and 90-something times worldwide,” said Ko.

“I think I’ve won a decent amount, having 23, but like 70-something is a completely different level than what I’ve done. We’re playing in a very different generation right now. You win CME, you get $3 million. Jeeno has played two tournaments, and she’s won like $6 million-plus, including the Aon she won one year.

“It’s cool to be, I guess, compared to that record and hopefully surpass it at some point, but it’s like very hard to kind of like compare it because we are playing for a lot more money than she did back in that day.

“For me, the win count is probably a little bit more meaningful. Not that the money isn’t meaningful. Obviously we’re very grateful that we get to play for a lot more money, and the last few majors, it’s been like a million-dollar purse increase starting in L.A. So it’s very exciting for the women’s game, but record-wise, no, I just feel like I’m like an ant and she’s — I don’t know what the biggest bug or living thing is, but she’s that.”

Ko was asked her thoughts on how the Riviera Country Club, so often used in men’s events, will set up for a women’s event of this standing for the first occasion.

“I think it’s fairly long. The wind direction is going to be a huge factor. I hit pitching wedge into one of the greens two days ago, and then I hit 5-iron today. It’s not like the wind has been very strong.

“So just with the combination of how strong the wind is and what time of the day you play, the course is going to firm out a little bit more.  I truly think it’s just advantageous for the person who necessarily hits it 20 yards further.

“I think it’s got a lot of character. I think that’s why it’s going to be difficult but fun and fair. You don’t often get to go to super fair courses, and I think this is a true testament of that.”

There has often been speculation as to just when Ko will pull the plug on her competitive playing career and perhaps her answer to a question on the LA Olympics gave a hint of her thinking in that regard.

“The L.A. Olympics? Who knows? I could be a part of it in a different place rather than just competing, and I do take pride in competing for New Zealand at the Olympics, and I really hope that I can be a part of it somehow in some shape or form. But no. Three Olympics, and that stress was enough.”

Ko has an afternoon (1.14) tee time on day one.