Seven Australasians tackle women golf’s greatest event

The major golf season continues this week with the staging of the greatest event in the female game, the US Women’s Open, to be held this year at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, just under an hour north and west of Milwaukee.

Now a favourite of the USGA, Erin Hills, at just 20 years of age, has already hosted a US Amateur and US Open (men’s) previously and is slated to stage further USGA events in the future.

The US Open for men was played there in 2017 and won by Brooks Koepka while in 2011 Kelly Kraft won the US Amateur Championship.

This week, six Australians and one New Zealander will tee it up in the event, which carries a purse of US$12 million, the richest in the female game.

Lydia Ko heads the group in terms of Rolex World Ranking, but Australia’s Minjee Lee is the only player amongst the group to have won the title previously, when she was successful in 2022 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines in North Carolina.

Lee is one of three Australians to have won the US Women’s Open, the other two being Jan Stephenson and Karrie Webb the latter of whom won in consecutive years in 2000 and 2001.

Ko and Lee will be joined by Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Stephanie Kyriacou, Gabi Ruffels and West Australian Jennifer Elliot who, like Kim, managed to earn her way into the field via local and final qualifying.

A triumph this week would give Ko victories in four of the five LPGA majors, adding the U.S. Women’s Open to the Evian Championship, Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open. Only Karrie Webb, the last to successfully defend her title – has won five different LPGA majors.

Ko has played well this season winning the HSBC Women’s World Championship and has been 6th on two other occasions in just seven events to date in 2025.

Despite her amazing success at the elite level, Ko has recorded only two top tens in 13 starts at the US Women’s Open.

Lee is playing the event for the 12th occasion and on top of her win in 2022 she has only one other top ten when 9th last year. The West Australian has been consistent this year with three top tens this season and several other top twenty finishes although she has slipped outside the top 20 in the world.

Hannah Green is already a major champion having won the Women’s PGA Championship several years ago, but she has yet to record a top ten in this event despite not missing a cut in six attempts. She did play well early in the season on the LPGA Tour however and if she can find some of that form, she could well add a second major to her resume.

Field

 

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Cameron Percy 7th behind Angel Cabrera at Senior PGA Championship


Angel Cabrera and son / caddie Angel Jr – image PGA of America

Australia’s Cameron Percy finished in a share of 7th place at the Senior PGA Championship at the Congressional Golf Club in Maryland. The 51-year-old Victorian produced a final round of 69 over the demanding layout to bounce back from a third round of 76 and record his best finish in a senior major championship.

Percy led after day one and shared the lead with Vijay Singh through 36 holes but his third round of 76 saw him slip outside the top ten before his impressive final round effort.

Percy finished just three shots from the winner, Angel Cabrera, who won his second major in succession and his third PGA Tour Champions event of the year in his first season on the tour despite now being 55 years old.

Percy earned US$99,750 for his placing.

Cabrera served 30 months in prison after being convicted of assault and threats against a former partner but the two time major winner on the regular tour, (Master and US Open) has quickly reestablished himself in world golf and having moved into second place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings this season his future on the PGA Tour Champions looks assured.

Cabrera held off challenges from Padraig Harrington, Thomas Bjorn and Jason Caron during the latter stages of the day, Harrington in fact taking a two-shot lead when he birdied the 14th hole to move to 7 under for the day.

Harrington would, though, double bogey the 15th, and when he bogeyed the last, he would share second place with Bjorn.

Of the other Australasians who made the cut, Steve Alker produced the round of the day 66 on Sunday to storm through the field and finish 14th after just making the cut, Scott Hend was 19th, Mark Hensby 21st, Richard Green and Brendan Jones 40th and Andre Stolz 55th.

Leaderboard

 

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Cameron Percy shares halfway US Senior Open lead

Cameron Percy hits his tee shot at the 4th during round two – image Darren Carroll PGA of America

A stunning approach to the dangerous final hole of the Congressional Country Club in Maryland has led to a birdie and a share of the halfway lead for Cameron Percy at the Senior PGA Championship.

Percy led by one after his opening 67, and although he bogeyed his opening hole today, he recovered for an opening nine of 34 to lead although bogeys at the 10th and 15th had him trailing Vijay Singh by one playing the last. His approach to the green, semi-circled by water, finished three feet from the hole, and the resultant birdie saw him join Singh at the top of the leaderboard, although, late in the day, Y.E.Yang birdied four of his last five holes to make it a trio at the top.

The three golfers lead by two over a large group of seven golfers at 4 under, Percy surrounded by a host of major champions including Singh, Yang and Padraig Harrington with other major champions such as Justin Leonard, Darren Clarke and Angel Cabrera very much within striking distance.

“It was really hard to start with, and then it kind of felt like the wind settled down a bit,” said Percy. “Then I, actually, had some good holes downwind, and didn’t get up-and-down on 9. 10, I hit a terrible shot and didn’t get up-and-down. Then I three-putted 11, which was a really tough pin.

“I missed out on birdieing 9 and 11 which would have given me a nice little buffer there. Then I had a good chance on 12 and it spun off. I could have put a bit of a gap on them, but I didn’t. But that’s golf.”

Percy was asked how he might spend his time before tomorrow’s third round and indicated he might get some work done on a small injury he suffered today.

“I’m not going to be doing much. I’ll go to the physio and he can put me together. I hit a shot on 16 and — there’s no first cut, so my ball was against this kind of stuff. I thought I could hit it, but obviously I couldn’t because I nearly killed someone. It only went like 120 yards. I hit a 5-iron into 16, and I hit it on the 14th green, and I tweaked something, so I’ll have to go to the physios and see what they can do for that.”

The three golfers lead by two over a large group of seven golfers at 4 under, Percy surrounded by a host of major champions including Singh, Yang and Padraig Harrington with other major champions such as Justin Leonard, Darren Clarke and Angel Cabrera very much within striking distance.

Percy has yet to win on the PGA Tour Champions, but he has opened up that opportunity in what is the most significant event in over fifty golf.

Of the other Australasians, Scott Hend remains within striking distance and just six off the lead despite his second round of 74, while Mark Hensby and US-based Australian teaching professional Mick Smith are another shot back with Brendan Jones.

Andre Stolz is 2 over and eight from the lead, while Richard Green is at 3 over, and Steve Alker just made the cut on the number.

Leaderboard 

 

 

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Cameron Percy takes early lead at US Senior PGA Championship


Cameron Percy in action during his opening round of 67 at the Congressional Country Club – image courtesy of PGA of America

US-based Victorian, Cameron Percy, has taken a one-shot lead after the opening round of the US Senior PGA Championship at the Congressional Golf Club in Maryland, an eagle at his 6th hole followed by a birdie at his 17th finishing off a round of 67 to be one ahead of South African Keith Horne.

51-year-old Percy, who has played in the US since first venturing there to play the Korn Ferry Tour in 2007, has one win to his credit in the US, when he won on the Web.Com Tour in 2014. However, he did lose a playoff in his rookie PGA Tour year at the Justin Timberlake event in Las Vegas when Jonathan Byrd holed in one on him during the playoff.

Since joining the PGA Tour Champions in mid-2024 he has recorded five top ten finishes with a best of 3rd at American Family Insurance event last June, but today in the second major of the year for the over fifties he has made a fine start

“I’m pretty happy with a 5-under,” said Percy. “It was nasty out there for a while there. I thought they were going to blow the siren, but no, just keep going, and it was pretty tough. You had a lot of water on your ball and all that stuff, so it was really hard to judge.”

Percy was unable to get a full preparation ahead of the event having slipped and hurt his back last week.

“We’re all old now, so it’s pretty stiff. On Sunday it was so wet and I slipped on a rock and made a mess of myself. I’ve been in the physio Monday, Tuesday for a good hour, hour and a half and then yesterday for another hour. I’m pretty sore right now.

Stuart Appleby and Scott Hend are the next best of the Australians at 2 under and three from the lead in a share of 7th place.

Leaderboard

 

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Large field of Australiasians in Senior PGA field


Steve Alker with his 2022 win while on debut in the event –  image PGA of America

The PGA Tour Champions holds its second consecutive major when the Senior PGA Championship is played this week at the famed Congressional Country Club in Maryland outside of Washington DC.

With Angel Cabrera taking out last week’s Regions Traditions event in Birmingham, Alabama, the tour for the over fifties heads north and east to USA capital where nearly 10% of the field are Australians or New Zealanders.

Steve Alker, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Michael Wright, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, Stuart Appleby, Brendan Jones, Scott Hend,  Michael Campbell, David Bransdon, Andre Stolz and Mick Stuart, all tee it up in the US$3.5 million event, won previously by only two Australasians, Peter Thomson (1984) and Steve Alker (2022)

In last year’s event at Harbor Shores in Michigan, Richard Green also finished runner-up to England’s Richard Bland.

Brendan Jones is the only first-timer in the event amongst the Australians, the 50-year-old in his rookie season on the PGA Tour Champions.

Steve Alker won the event in 2022 and finished 5th in 2023, but did not play in 2024 due to family reasons.

Mick Smith is perhaps the odd man out in terms of name players in that group, the former leading amateur back in Australia, now a teaching professional in Wisconsin but a player good enough to have qualified for this event and a US Senior Open previously.

Tee Times and Leaderboard

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Scottie Scheffler asserts his domination with five shot PGA win


Major # 3 for Scottie Scheffler – image courtesy of PGA of America

Stuttering finishes over Quail Hollow’s demanding closing stretch of holes have cost Australians Adam Scott and Cam Davis a place inside the top ten of the PGA Championship. The pair finished in a share of 19th place at 2 under when both players had been 6 and 5 under, respectively, with just a few holes to play and vying for a top-ten finish or better.

The Green Mile, as it is known, is statistically the toughest finishing stretch in PGA Tour golf and it proved to be the case today with not only Scott and Davis struggling but for several others looking to close out the event with a strong finish and, in the case of Jon Rahm, a potential win.

The winner would be Scottie Scheffler who confirmed (if indeed it needed any further validation) his place at the top of the game with a five shot win over Bryson DeChambeau, Davis Riley and Harrison English, securing his 15th PGA Tour title and his third major championship to go with his two previous Masters victories.

“Finishing off a major championship is always difficult, and I did a good job of staying patient on the front nine,” said the champion. “I didn’t have my best stuff, but I kept myself in it, and I stepped up on the back nine and had a really good nine holes.

“I’m just really proud of the way I fought this week. I was battling my swing the first couple days. I didn’t have as good a prep week as I wanted to. It was a battle out there.

Teddy (caddie) did a good job of keeping me in it, and Randy (coach) helped me figure out things on my swing. Morris (conditioner) helped get my body right. It was a real team effort this week. I’m proud of the whole squad. Looking forward to celebrating this one.”

Adam Scott moved into a share of second place when he birdied three of his first ten holes to go with one bogey to be at 6 under and although still three back of the leader Scheffler at that stage, things looked promising for the Queenslander to perhaps produce his best PGA Championship finish.

That was until he made a mess of the reachable par 4 14th, missed the green right at the par 3 17th and took three to get down and then, after a superb drive at the last, pulled his second, found the penalty area and eventually double bogeyed to finish in a share of 19th place.

Davis, too, was on track to possibly equal or better his previous best in this championship of 4th place when he birdied the 15th to move to 5 under for the tournament. However, he, too, would fall victim to the closing stretch with bogies at his last three holes to finish at 2 under for the tournament and in 19th position.

After contending early in the week, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox battled through the front nine today in 2 over, but produced the almost obligatory birdie at the driveable 14th, although a double bogey at the par 3 17th after finding the water from the tee proved costly. Fox would though birdie the last to finish at 1 under and in a share of 28th place, no doubt with mixed emotions for the week, given his great win last week and what had been a promising start to this week.

Given the hype and impact of his breakthrough win last week however, it is perhaps understandable that it would have been hard to follow up with another week in strong contention, and his performance overall carries some merit

Elvis Smylie was the only other Australasian to make the weekend but rounds of 77 and 74 over the final 36 holes would see him finish in 72nd position.

What can be said about Scheffler however, with yet another win of three shots or more in his three major titles to date.

Not since Tiger Woods great reign between 1997 and 2008 have we seen such dominance in the game and given the manner in which he goes about his business, there is surely a lot more to come, including major championships. The possibility of him joining the truly greats in the history of the game is now a genuine possibility.

Leaderboard

 

 

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Scott heads Australasians but Scheffler takes control at Quail Hollow


Adam Scott in action during round three – image Darren Carroll PGA of America

Adam Scott has emerged as the leading Australasian after the third round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, moving one ahead of Ryan Fox and Cam Davis, courtesy of his 3rd round 69 to be at 4 under and seven shots off the lead held now by Scottie Scheffler.

Playing his 25th PGA Championship since his debut in 2001, Scott has recorded six previous top tens in that time but another round of 69 or better tomorrow might well see him adding yet another top ten and perhaps significantly better.

“I think I played solid,” said Scott. “I feel like I’ve played solid all week. It’s been hard work on the greens. I’ve had a few three-putts, and it feels a bit costly at the moment when it’s so bunched up like this. But overall, my game feels really solid. I just need a day where the putts get rolling in tomorrow.

“I’ve just kind of fought being comfortable all week (with the putter). You’re good for a few holes and then you hit one surprisingly short or something. It just knocks the confidence around a little bit, and it’s those emotions I’m trying to manage the best I can out there.”

Scott currently shares 13th place and although seven shots from Scheffler, he is just four shots out of second place and so if he is able to find a way to put a low round together on day four, then he might well end up well inside the top ten.

At the age of 44, Scott is still getting it out there from the tee with an average of 317 yards in the measurable driving holes to be in 14th place in that regard.

Fox began the day four off the lead and at one stage (though 8 holes) moved within one of a second-round leader, Jhonattan Vegas, who bogeyed his opening two holes. Fox, however, played his next ten holes in 3 over to finish at 3 under for the championship and in a share of 17th place along with Cam Davis and others.

Davis, playing with Scott today, struggled to the turn today in 3 over but then reeled off a closing nine of 4 under 32, including a pitch in for eagle from 60 yards at the par 5 15th to finish at 3 under and in that share of 17th place.

The only other Australasian to make the cut was Queensland’s Elvis Smylie, who found the going tough on day three, but making the cut in his first PGA Tour event in the US was a considerable achievement for the talented 22-year-old.

The tournament now does however appear to be at the mercy of Scottie Scheffler whose round of 65 was the best of the day and moved him from three off the lead at the start of the day to now three ahead and given the manner in which he played today, then a 15th PGA Tour title and a third major appear likely.

Scheffler’s round was highlighted by a brilliant 3 wood to 3 feet at the driveable par 4 14th hole, which he converted for eagle and then proceeded to add three more birdies to finish, playing his final five holes in 5 under par to break clear of the field.

When asked what a third major would mean to him, Scheffler responded; “ It would mean a lot. “You know, these tournaments are very important to us, and you work your whole life to have a chance to win major tournaments, any tournament for that matter, and tomorrow I have a good opportunity to go out there and try and win the golf tournament.

“But it’s going to take another really good round. There’s a lot of great players chasing me on the leaderboard and someone is going to put up a great round and it’s up to me to go out there and have another really good round and finish off the tournament. Looking forward to the challenge.”

Leaderboard

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Ryan Fox remains in contention at PGA Championship


Ryan Fox – in action this week – image courtesy of PGA of America

Ryan Fox has rebounded from a slow start to the second round of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow with two late birdies, including a delightful approach to the last, to move within four of the lead held by Jhonattan Vegas.

Vegas, who produced a stunning finish on Thursday with five birdies in his last six holes, fell victim to the dangerous 18th hole today when, ahead by four shots, double bogeyed, opening the door for many golfers to move into genuine contention for the title.

Fox was amongst those when, after bogeys at his second and third holes, he fought back for a round of even par 71 to be at 4 under for the event and within striking distance of Vegas and just two shots out of second place.

His approach to the last off a stunning drive finished 2 feet from the hole, and the resultant birdie has the 38-year-old heading into the weekend with some nice momentum.

Fox shared 7th place when he finished his round and although he may drop a place when play finally draws to a close, he is nicely placed to improve further over the final two rounds.

Adam Scott and Cam Davis are the best of the Australians in the field, the pair tied in a share of 28th place at 2 under and six off the lead but only four out of second place.

Despite dropping three shots over his closing two holes, PGA Championship debutante Elvis Smylie has made the cut on the number, an impressive showing in his first involvement in a major championship in the US.

Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, Cam Smith and Karl Villips will have the weekend off to ponder thier efforts.

Leaderboard

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Richard Green leads Steve Alker in PGA Tour Champions major


Richard Green – photo PGA of America 

While the world of regular male golf is playing its second major of the year, the PGA Tour Champions also have a major on their schedule this week, and Australasian golf is well and truly to the fore, with Richard Green one ahead of Steve Alker at the halfway stage of the Regions Traditions in Birmingham, Alabama.

The event has been played as one of the five majors on the PGA Tour Champions since its inception in 1989 with Jack Nicklaus (4) and Steve Stricker (3) the most prolific winners of the event.

Green led after a first round of 63 on Thursday and today added a round of 68 to lead by one at 12 under over Alker with another three shots back to Y.E Yang.

54 year old Green, who is still looking for his first win on the PGA Tour Champions despite some impressive performances, including six runner-up finishes, birdied his final two holes in today’s second round to finish ahead of Alker, who was playing nearly two hours behind.

“It felt a little bit like probably what I should have got out of the day,” said Green, referring to his strong finish. “I hit a lot of great iron shots and set up a lot of birdie chances and just missed ’em all. They’re a bit tricky, some of the reads today, so I was pleased to have finished well.

“Good golf’s been brewing for a little while so it was nice to be hitting good iron shots and setting up putting opportunities. If I can keep doing that through the weekend, I’ll be happy.”

Greg Chalmers is the next best of the Australians in a share of 13th place.

Leaderboard

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Cam Davis shares opening round lead at Quail Hollow


Cam Davis in action today – image courtesy of PGA of America

Sydney’s Cam Davis, now a resident of Seattle in the US, has a share of the opening round lead late on day one of the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, his round of 5 under 66 leaving him tied with Ryan Gerard and one clear of a group of five players, including New Zealand’s Ryan Fox.

Playing in the afternoon field, Davis, whose best finish in a major championship came in this event when 4th in 2023, produced seven birdies and two bogeys including one at his final hole and while the score is not his best in a PGA Championship (that came with a final round of 65 in 2023), it was an encouraging effort especially given his most recent form has been below his best.

Davis missed five consecutive cuts through March and April and, while not getting ahead of himself, he is delighted with the manner in which he handled the opening day.

“Really good,” said Davis when asked to describe his thoughts on the round. “I haven’t been having the best results on the course lately over the last few months and been working really hard to turn that around, and to see the first real sign that it’s turning around happen in the first round of a major, it’s very encouraging.

“I actually played really well at the beginning of the year and felt like I was playing well enough to actually win an event. I was constantly in contention, and then it just kind of left me.

“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 percenters add up to good golf eventually, and I feel like this week has been a week of good preparation.

“But yeah, rolled a lot of putts that went in and kept the momentum going, and 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.”

The two-time PGA Tour winner and former Australian Open and Australian Amateur Champion continues to build platforms for himself in the US, and while this effort today is a reversal of his form of late, he is capable of big things in the game.

Adam Scott moved to 4 under par and was bogey-free through 15 holes before bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes proved costly, but at 2 under and just three off the lead, he is well enough placed, especially with a morning tee time on day two. Playing in his 25th PGA Championship, Scott is one of the event’s most experienced participants, and his solid start is encouraging for what lies ahead.

Australian PGA Champion and PGA Championship debutant, Elvis Smylie, produced an impressive start with a round of 70 to be in a share of 30th place.

Of the other Australians in the field, Jason Day has 2 over 73, Min Woo Lee 74, Cam Smith 77, and Karl Vilips 77.

The cut appears as if it will fall at 2 over 3 over tomorrow.

Leaderboard

 

 

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