Travis Smyth’s year just keeps getting better

Travis Smyth – image Asian Tour

The last six weeks in the career of NSW golfer, Travis Smyth, has left the 31 year old with an embarrassment of riches in terms of playing options and this weekend he added to that elevation in his career with a win in the International Series Japan event and, with it, the biggest cheque of his career.

Smyth charged home over the final round of the event held at the Caledonian Club in Chiba near Tokyo to win the US$360,000 cheque – by some margin the biggest of his career, and take the lead on the Asian and Japan Tour’s Order of Merits to go with his success in leading the recently completed PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.

Smyth began the year with a 3rd place finish at the opening event of the Asian Tour in the Philippines, then followed up with a great run in New Zealand where he finished 5th at both the NZ PGA and NZ Open Championships before winning in Auckland.

The Australasian Tour Order of Merit victory earned him a DP World Tour card for 2027 and a start at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in July, the win in Auckland now has him with full Japan Tour status for 2026 given its joint sanctioning with the Japan Tour and of course he has status on both the Asian and Australasian Tours.

Smyth’s powerful finish, which saw him play the final six holes in 4 under, included a putt for eagle from 20 feet at the last to snatch victory over Thailand’s  Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita, both of whom had finished at least an hour earlier.

Smyth’s nearest rival in the race for PGA Tour of Australasia honours, Cameron John, was the next best of the Australians when he finished in a share of 7th and earned a cheque for US$44,000, like Smyth securing his biggest career cheque to date.

Results

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Raegan Denton impresses with 4th place Augusta National finish


Raegan Denton hits her tee shot at the 12th today – image Augusta National

18 year old South Australian Raegan Denton has finished in a share of 4th at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, her final round of 3 under 69 leaving her six shots from the runaway winner, Maria Jose Marin of Colombia, but just two shots out of second place.

Today’s final round was played over the famed Augusta National layout after the opening two rounds of the increasingly prestigious event were played at the nearby Champions Retreat, those making the 36-hole cut switching to Augusta National.

Denton, who earlier this year won the Women’s Australian Masters of the Amateurs, opened the proceedings on Wednesday with a round of 67, but after a second round of 72, she had slipped to a share of 6th.

Today, however, in what must have been a surreal experience on a layout to be used in just a few days for the first major of the year, Denton birdied five holes on her way to the turn and although bogeying the 10th and 11th, she steadied the ship for an impressive final round.

“I think there’s so many different emotions,” said Denton. “Just excitement, happiness just to be here, for one. Definitely some nerves for sure playing here today, and just overall really proud of myself. Today I could have definitely gone lower, but still, to shoot 3-under at Augusta, not a lot of people can say that, so I’m just really proud of that.

“It’s just so surreal. Even though I was told how big the crowds were, I don’t think I quite was able to picture it or expect it. I’ve played in a couple pro tournaments at home and the crowd didn’t even get close to this, so I was just shaking so much. But I was just so honoured to be able to get to have the experience.”

Denton will join the golf team at Louisiana State University later this year but she has already displayed the sort of game and competitive capabilities to make a career in golf a success.

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South Australian Raegan Denton makes cut at Augusta National Women’s Am

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Raegan Denton – file image USGA

Australian Raegan Denton might not win the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, being played this week in Augusta, Georgia. Still, she has ticked one of the boxes she had in mind for the week when she qualified to play the final round of the event at Augusta National on Saturday.

18-year-old Denton finished the opening 36 holes with a second round of 72 following her opening 67 to have her at 5 under and in a share of 6th place in the 54-hole event, six shots from the lead of American, Asterisk Talley.

The opening 36 holes were played at the Champions Retreat layout in Evans, Georgia, and she now gets to play Augusta National in a practice round on Friday and in the final round of the championship proper on Saturday, providing the chance to play one of the game’s most revered courses on two occasions.

Denton, who earlier this year won the Master of the Amateurs event at the Southern Golf Club in Melbourne, plays her golf at Royal Adelaide when at home, but is about to join the golf team at Louisiana State University.

A total of 32 golfers made the top 30 and ties cut, and for the second straight year, the number was under par at 1-under 143 over the par 72, 6,450-yard Champion’s Retreat venue.

Denton was the only Australian in the field, although New Zealand’s Eunseo Choi also received an invite but missed making it to the final round. She will, however, get to play Friday’s practice round at Augusta National.

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Lee and Day in impressive Masters warm ups


Min Woo Lee – shared 3rd place this week – image PGA of Australia

Min Woo Lee and Jason Day have completed their final competitive preparations for this year’s Masters with top ten finishes at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this morning.

Lee, who was defending the title he won 12 months ago, finished tied for 3rd place, six shots behind the winner, Gary Woodland, while Day finished another two shots back in a share of 6th place.

Neither player has entered this coming week’s Valero Texas Open and so they will head to Augusta National with their respective games in good shape for the opening major of the year.

Lee began today’s final round six shots behind the 54-hole leader, Woodland, but was unable to make any progress on the leader at least, Woodland eventually winning by five over Nicolai Hojgaard.

Day recorded a final round of 68 to finish eight shots from Woodland and recorded his second-best finish in six starts this season, his best coming when runner-up at the American Express event.

Both Lee and Day have done well in appearances at the Masters, Day with five top tens, including a runner-up finish on debut in 2011 and a 3rd placing two years later.

Lee finished an impressive 14th on debut in 2022 and has made two further cuts in a total of four starts.

Other Australians Karl Vilips and Adam Scott finished 19th and 21st respectively this week, Scott holing in one during his final round of 71.

Scott is, of course, in the Masters field, although Vilips, despite winning on the PGA Tour in 2025, has not yet qualified and has only this week’s Valero Texas Open to force his way into the field.

The winner this week was truly a fairytale, Woodland a former US Open Champion, having returned to tournament golf following brain surgery to remove a tumour in 2023. He eventually returned to the tour and was just recently involved in a very emotional and candid interview regarding the impact the treatment had on him, including massive anxiety attacks.

Woodland, who shared second place in this event last year, held on throughout the final round to win by five in what was one of the more emotional victories on the PGA Tour.

“I’ll tell you what, we play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today,” said the winner. “I got a lot of people behind me, my team, my family and this golf world.

“Anybody that’s struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up, just keep fighting.

“Today was a good day. But I’m going to keep fighting. I’ve got a big fight ahead of me, and I’m going to keep going, but I’m proud of myself right now.”

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Cameron John completes fine season with National Tournament win


Cameron John – wins third event of season – image PGA of Australia

Victorian 26 year old, Cameron John, today won his third event of the 2025/2026 PGA Tour of Australasia and in doing so finishes the season in outright second place on the Order of Merit behind Travis Smyth, the difference between the pair being just 6.3 points, that margin also being the difference between Smyth securing a DP World Tour card for next season and John earning a Hotel Planner Tour (secondary European Tour) car

John’s Order of Merit title was, however, just reward for a consistent season that saw him miss only three cuts in 18 starts, though two of those came in two of the bigger events, the Australian PGA Championship and the New Zealand Open.

John today won at the first extra hole of a playoff against NSW golfer, Daniel Gale, in the final event of a seven-month-long season, the National Tournament played over the Gunnamatta layout at the National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula. In a fascinating twist, it was Gale whom John defeated in this very event last year to win his maiden title.

Gale’s 9 birdie final round of 64, completed an hour before the final group of John, John Lyras and Matias Sanchez, set the mark for those behind on the golf course, only John able to match the total of Gale, who was chasing his third win on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

The first extra hole saw Gale’s drive finish in an almost impossible position, and when John hit his approach to ten feet, the result was determined.

“I think it was a good year,” said John, perhaps stating the obvious. “I think I achieved so many goals, but things kind of shifted around a little bit honestly this season, but I’m happy with my golf and I feel like I’ve played the best golf of anyone this year.

John’s career has taken a huge leap forward this year, but so too has his personal life with the news that he is to become a dad later in the year.

“That’s going to be the most exciting thing for me. I mean, I’ve seen my oldest two brothers. They’ve both got kids of their own. My sister’s having a baby as well, so there’s going to be a lot of little ones running around, but Christmas time’s going to be something pretty special and I look forward to obviously being an uncle and also being a dad.”

The winners of the three main events on the PGA Tour of Australasia this season were David Puig (Australian PGA Championship), Rasmus Neergaard Petersen (Australian Open) and Daniel Hillier (New Zealand Open). Although none of those players played the required number of events, so they were ineligible for Order of Merit inclusion.

The PGA Tour of Australasia begins its 2026/2027 season in August.

Results

Final Order of Merit

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Lydia Ko records her lowest ever LPGA score at Ford Championship


Lydia Ko – file image courtesy of USGA

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko has produced the lowest round of her LPGA Tour career with  12 under par 60 at the Ford Championship Presented by Wildhorse at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix.

Interestingly, however, the brilliant start to the week has her just one ahead of last week’s winner in California and the defending chmapion this week, Hyo Joo Kim,

“I think the number 59 did cross my mind by the time I holed my birdie putt on 6, but it wasn’t like the pressure was — like it wasn’t like I had a lot of pressure to like break 60,” said Ko. “It was just more like oh, it’s really cool to be in this position. I think that’s my career low score.

“I think the lowest score that I had before that is maybe at the Australian Women’s Open maybe, somewhere along those lines. Yeah, definitely a fun round to have.

“I don’t think I’ve ever actually started a round with four birdies, so it was nice to take advantage of the good start and continue that on my back nine as well.”

Ko began the season well with two top 5 finishes, but her last two weeks have been below her best, although a change of putter might have been the catalyst for the form reversal.

“I think, like as every golfer does, when things go well you also think about the things that could go terribly wrong as well. I feel like I stayed patient and was rolling it really well. Yeah, I actually put in a new putter this week. Like I’ve had my old putter for a really long time, like the same model, so it was kind of different just to have something else.

“And maybe it’s a honeymoon phase, who knows. But you take a more easy day like this on any occasion.

“It’s a new Scotty Cameron 12. As most people know I have a thing — I have my love towards Scotty Cameron putters, so it’s very unusual for me to change out of my putter.

“It’s been a while since I have tried a different model than the prototype that I have.

“It just rolled good. Went in the bag on Tuesday and I think even Paul at Scotty Cameron and Tom were kind of surprised that I was going to change.

“But I felt like you never know until you play out there and obviously I — this has only been one round but it’s a good start. You know, really couldn’t have been any better.

“I felt very calm. Honestly, like when I was younger I hated birdieing the first hole for some stupid reason. I think a lot of people have that kind of superstition. I’m like what happens when you hit it to a foot, right? It’s not like you’re going to miss that putt because you’re worried about what the rest of your day is going to be like.

“I got into a really good momentum and I think that is what helped me kind of stay in my zone. I really wasn’t out of position that many times so it’s a lot easier to be in that kind of rhythm and tempo.

“But I think when you’re in the zone, you’re just focused and there are not as many external thoughts going in and out of your head. You’re just focused on what shot you have in front of you, and then — and not get too carried away about the outcome of it.

“Staying in the zone is almost like being able to switch on and off between shots and having full commitment when you’re about to hit it. Outside of that, just being as relaxed as possible.”

Ko is currently the world number 8, having slipped from number 3 twelve months ago.

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Min Woo Lee returns to scene of PGA Tour victory


Min Woo Lee and his Houston Open trophy – file image Getty Images 

Min Woo Lee returns to the scene of his first and only PGA Tour victory to date when he tees it up at the Texas Children’s Houston Open at the Memorial Park Course on Thursday.

Lee won the event by a shot last year, defeating Gary Woodland and Scottie Scheffler in a nailbiter to win the US$1.7 million of the US$12 million the 27-year-old has won to date in his still relatively young PGA Tour career.

Lee, who became the first golfer to win this event on debut in 16 years, is making his 7th start of the season, having recorded two top tens, and is currently in 8th position in the FedEx Cup standings.

Ahead of Thursday’s start, Lee spoke to the media as the defending champion.

“It was one of the best feelings in the world, to work hard and then hold that trophy at the end of the week. So hopefully I can do that this week and defend. But very excited for this week, playing very good golf. Had a nice week off last week. Yeah, it’s going to be a warm one, but I’m ready for it.

“Pebble was a very nice week,” said Lee, referring to his runner-up finish at Pebble Beach, one of two top tens this season (the other was when 6th at the Arnold Palmer event).

“It felt like I put four good rounds together. That’s all you have to do, you’ve got to put yourself in contention. I feel like I’ve been doing that, just getting a lot familiar with my game, putting well, and doing everything pretty solid.

“You’ve got to do that to win and put yourself in that spot. Yeah, it’s not rocket science, you’ve got to play very good. You feel like you can’t miss many shots over the course of the week to end up on top, and especially with great players like Scottie and Gary. Especially Scottie, he just doesn’t make a mistake. He rarely makes a mistake and just plots along and makes a lot of birdies. That’s what we’re all trying to do, and we’re getting there.

“It’s just something about this course I really enjoyed and really liked. I think I had a bit of an advantage, hitting it quite a long way. Again, just a great week to putt well. Yeah, it was just a great combination of those two things.

Someone who might well have been a thorn in his side this week, Scottie Scheffler, has withdrawn from the event, and when asked on that subject, Lee responded.

“Yeah, obviously Scottie not playing hurts that. I guess a few of us are saying, nice that he’s not playing. He’s a great player. And obviously, I’m not sure what the reason was, but yeah, again, it doesn’t matter if he plays or not, we again try to do the best we can.

“We’re trying to set up for major tournaments and big tournaments. He’s going to be there, so you can’t fear him or anything. Yeah, the field’s awesome. I mean, a lot of the guys, big hitters, I guess, come and play this event, so it’s fun. It’s one of those courses where it’s not penalizing, but it’s fun. Like, I think it was a good ending last year. Scottie up there, Rory up there, and I was just trying to keep in front. It was tough, it wasn’t easy. Winning’s definitely not easy. I was saying it a lot after the win; it was exhausting, but it was just an amazing feeling.

Lee will be joined in the field by fellow Australasians Jason Day, Adam Scott, Ryan Fox, and Karl Vilips.

Tee Times

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PGA Tour of Australasia draws to a close at the National Golf Club


The National Golf Club’s Gunnamatta Layout – image PGA of Australia

Seven months after the 2005/2006 PGA Tour of Australasia began in Papua New Guinea last August, it reaches its climax this week with the staging of the National Tournament at the National Golf Club on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

Played over the Tom Doak designed Gunnamatta layout, one of three courses at the complex at Cape Schank, the event brings to a conclusion the race for Order of Merit honours and, despite its relative minor standing in terms of prizemoney, plays a key role in determining the future of several golfers looking to either retain status on the PGA Tour of Australasia or take advantage of the benefits certain standings on the completed list offers.

The winner of the Order of Merit has already been determined. New South Wales golfer, Travis Smyth’s impressive run through the three recent events in New Zealand, allowing him to ascend to the top of the standings.

Smyth earned DP World Tour, Japan Tour and Open Championship playing rights courtesy of his efforts, in addition to his already established Asian and Australasian Tour status. Still, there are other benefits up for grabs this week.

Two cards for the 2027 Hotel Planner Tour (DP World Tour’s feeder tour) are on the line, as well as access to various qualifying for other tours later in the year.

As many as eight golfers have a mathematical chance of securing playing rights on the Hotel Planner Tour, although currently it is Victorians Cameron John and James Marchesani who are in 2nd and 3rd place behind Smyth.

At the other end of the scale are those vying to retain their playing privileges on the PGA Tour of Australasia, the leading 50 players able to play events in the 2026/2027 season.

Those not making it inside the top 50, and not otherwise exempt, will get another chance via the PGA Tour of Australasia Qualifying School beginning almost immediately at the Heritage and Moonah Links Golf Clubs, with the final to be played at the Sandhurst Golf Club a few days later.

The defending champion this week is Harrison Crowe, who has struggled for much of this season with a best of 10th in 12 starts and has slipped to 72nd on the Order of Merit, although his win last year assures him of status in Australasia for another twelve months.

It will be interesting to see if a return to a venue which provided him his first and only victory to date helps him regain some of the form which saw him finish 8th on the Order of Merit last year.

The tournament offers A$200,000 in prize money and 190 Order of Merit points to the winner.

 

Tee Times 

Current Order of Merit

 

 

 

 

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Steve Alkers remarkable run on PGA Tour Champions continues in Tucson


Steve Alker – file image courtesy of New Zealand Open / Photosport NZ

Steve Alker’s impressive come-from-behind victory in this week’s Cologuard Classic in Tucson added to an already remarkable set of statistics in his 4.5-year career on the PGA Tour Champions.

The victory came in Alker’s 100th start at this level, and this was his 11th title in that time but that he has been able to record now 74 top tens in that stretch, 41 of those top 3 finishes, confirms just how dominant the now 54 year old New Zealander has been since first qualifying to play an event in August of 2001 by Monday qualifying.

Alker recorded rounds of 62 and 65 over the final 36 holes to come from 9 shots off the first round lead in the 54-hole event and claimed the title with a birdie at the first extra hole of a playoff to defeat Padraig Harrington and successfully defend a title he also won in a playoff twelve months ago.

After missing a putt from under three feet on Friday to record an opening round of even par 71, Alker rebounded with his brilliant weekend to earn the winner’s cheque of US$330,000, taking his career earnings on the PGA Tour Champions to more than US$13 million.

In just two starts this season of four events played, Alker is now in 4th position on the 2026 Schwab Cup points table.

“Yeah, it’s great,” said Alker in his opening remark in the media centre. “It kind of feels like deja vu, to be honest, the way it played out. Yeah, happy to have a chance to win the golf tournament, and ultimately it all worked out. 100th start, really special. I had no idea. It’s just gone so quickly, I’m having so much fun out here. To win here again is pretty special.

“As I said, this tournament means more,” added Alker, referring to the Cologuard cause, which is a test to identify Colon cancer.  “Winning the helmet, winning the golf tournament’s about the cause and what they’re doing here. To have two is nice. I mean, my wife and I have got one now.”

Steve Allan and Richard Green were the next best of the Australasians in the field when they tied for 10th.

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Hannah Green rewarded for her support of Australian golf


The Women’s Australian PGA Champion with Australia’s greatest ever female golfer, Karrie Webb

29-year-old Perth golfer Hannah Green has been rewarded for not only her outstanding golf but also her commitment to the support of Australian women’s golf with her third consecutive victory in four starts in 2026.

Green’s four-shot victory over Germany’s Alexandra Fosterling and South Africa’s Casandra Alexander brought to a close a month where she has contended in nearly every one of her 20 rounds in 2026.

While the financial reward for her victory today (A$90,000) pales in comparison to the US$450,000 she won in Singapore in late February, it is likely that she adding yet another Australian title to the Women’s Australian Open she won last week in Adelaide provides a great deal of satisfaction.

Green would no doubt have had the option to play the LPGA Tour event in California this week, where the first prize was again US$450,000, but she has always shown a tendency to support the game here, and so the event benefited greatly from her presence as the world number 7.

The win this week is unlikely to impact her current ranking but she will head back to the US tomorrow to begin her 2026 campaign in that country full of the confidence that the three wins will no doubt bring, and there is every reason to believe her current ranking will rise even higher over the next few months.

Green began the final round two ahead of Swiss golfer Vanessa Knecht and Alexander, and three birdies in her opening four holes threatened to blow the tournament apart. Then came two consecutive bogeys at the 5th and 6th holes, but although it gave her chasers a glimpse of hope, Green birdied the 9th to be out in 2 under 35 and hardly put a foot wrong as she cruised to her four-shot win.

“I knew that my game was all going to be good for the season early on, but I didn’t really imagine having three wins this early in the season,” said Green.

“I think I actually said to Jaryd (husband and interim caddie) before Singapore that I hope I have a win this year, and obviously now I’ve won three times. Obviously, I’m on such a high right now, and I know golf can go the other way.

“So it’s going to be really hard when I don’t have a winning tournament. So I think I just have to stay patient. I think that will be the next thing. I’m glad that I have a week off to kind of recoup and get ready for when I go back to the States and just get myself back down to level and not on such a high so that I can continue to perform like I am.

“I really think the win in Singapore and Adelaide has helped with my nerves, which obviously really helps when I am going to be in contention hopefully this year. So I think I’ve played well on some tough courses and I’ve also been able to play well on courses where you have to make a lot of early. So that’s nice to have the variety of both of those.

“But the major championships are definitely the events that I’m going to be trying to peak for. And so hopefully with how I’ve kind of laid out my schedule, I haven’t given myself too many tournaments before that to hopefully not tire myself out. So just little things like that in preparation, hopefully, are what can give me my best performance this year. But I think obviously I’m in a really good headspace now. So I think that’s definitely going to help.”

The round of the day on Sunday came from yet another Perth golfer, Maddison Hinson Tolchard, whose 5 under 66 saw her jump 20 places to a share of 9th.

The next best of the Australasians after Green was New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey, who shared 5th place.

RESULTS

 

 

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