Australia’s latest DP World Tour member Connor McKinney


Connor McKinney – about to play his first event as a cardholding member of the DP World Tour 

Australia’s latest member of the DP World Tour, Connor McKinney, gets to play his first event as a cardholder of that tour when he tees it up at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane tomorrow.

Today. McKinney, the Scottish-born, now Perth-based since 2015 and a former Australian Amateur Champion, spoke to the media about his new-found status and the excitement of now holding a card to play after qualifying second at the marathon that is the Final Stage of Qualifying for the DP World Tour.

“I think I’d had that Q School circled since January,” said McKinney today. “So it was kind of just a good progression which started in Aus, going all the way along to when I played Tartan Tour in Scotland, and just felt like every round, I was just improving after a pretty horrific season last year, I had to build myself back up.

Despite his disappointing year last year, McKinney suggested it may have been a blessing in disguise.

“I think it was almost a blessing, not really having any status this year in Europe. Not having to go from Australia and just go and play 25 events on Challenge. It worked out pretty good.

“At the time, you think it’s the end of the world, but when you have a bit of time to decompress and go, this is my plan for the year, I’m going to get better at this, get better at this. And every month, it was just a good progression.

“Then winning on the Tartan Tour was – there were a lot of big steps for the pivotal points, but I think winning on the Tartan Tour was a big first step, first pro win, and yeah, just took it from there and played good golf the rest of the season.

“When I came out as an amateur I had a really good season. I had won Aus Am, Links Trophy and stuff, so you’re feeling pretty good about yourself, and then pro golf is different.

“I was probably a bit naïve. You hear people say it is different, and you’re like, ‘It’s golf, how different can it be?’ But you really have to just throw yourself in the deep end to find out, and you start with not too many great performances, and you maybe start searching and going, what’s this, what’s that?

“But I had a good team around me, like David Milne, to help me show me the ropes and I guess keep my head in one place and stick to the plan. But yeah, I guess when you’re playing 22 events a year, and you can play four or five weeks in a row, sometimes you’ve really got to figure out what works best for you and how you’re going to operate on a week-to-week basis. So I guess it was just for me, it was just finding out what works and how I operate in the scene.”

Given his strong placing at the Q School McKinney is likely to get a fairly busy schedule on the DP World Tour in 2026.

“They gave us a list of which category got into what tournaments last year. So my manager’s pretty confident I’ll get 20 to 22, which is great. I’m happy with that. And obviously, if you do well, you’ll get more. Win, and you’re out of that category, and the world’s your oyster, I guess. But the first event (after these two weeks in Australia) will be Mauritius in three weeks’ time and then I’ll have a month off after that.”

 

 

 

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Adam Scott’s longevity and desire


Adam Scott during his press conference today – image PGA of Australia

Australia’s finest golfing ambassadors of the modern era, Adam Scott, is not only impressing with the very classy way he goes about his business, but that he is still competing at a very high level despite now being well into his 25th year as a professional.

Adam Scott will tee it up at Royal Queensland on Thursday, chasing a third Australian PGA Championship, having won in 2013 and 2019 at RACV Royal Pines. Those titles, along with a victory at the 2009 Australian Open Championship at the New South Wales Golf Club, two Australian Masters titles and a Johnnie Walker Classic title, make him one of Australia’s more successful players domestically, but he remains keen to build on that legacy despite now being 45 and carrying form of late that is below his best.

“Well, I mean Greg’s resume is incredible,” said Scott when asked how he would like his own legacy to appear when his career is over. “I feel like I’ve had some close calls at the Aussie Open, other than the win. I’ve had some good performances and they just haven’t quite gone my way. And to win multiple Aussie Opens would be a nice thing, and I know it’s only getting probably tougher for me from this point.

“So while I’m healthy and feeling good, I want to make the most of it. We’re here to focus on the PGA this week, but again, to join a great list of guys winning three PGAs will be pretty special as well.”

While his international season has not been a great one by his normal standards, he still believes his game is in good enough shape to be a factor wherever he tees it up.

“I still feel like, by some of the indicators that everyone judges the game by today, I’m relevant. I was in the last group at the US Open this year on Sunday and didn’t have a great day, but I feel like I’ve still got the game to compete at the highest level.

“But everything is a bit of a balance, and managing my schedule and what I can and can’t do is the challenge. And at the moment, I’m kind of a little bit on the back foot with that, not completely controlling everything myself, but it can all turn around quickly in golf, a couple of good weeks and you’re firing again. My focus is on playing and really sharpening that focus to a point where I’m focused on winning tournaments, and that generally takes care of everything.”

“I’m starting to turn into that kind of old golf pro who’s out there. I remember when I turned pro, and I looked at some of those guys who are my age now, and how old I thought they were, and now that’s me. But personally, I feel physically and mentally able to do it still. Fortunately, I’m not in an aches-and-pains phase yet, and I’m really motivated and until I get to that point I’ll at least try and keep competing. I really think I just need to sharpen up my focus a little bit and get back in that winning circle. Hopefully that’s the next couple of weeks, and I can kick on and still have some good golf ahead of me.”

Like Ryan Fox and Elvis Smylie, who also spoke to the media today, a focus for Scott is to make it onto the 2026 International Presidents Cup team where his longtime friend and peer, Geoff Ogilvy, will captain the International side.

“Top of my list with winning tournaments is making the Presidents Cup team next year. A lot has been put into the International team over the last years. We had a tough Cup in Canada, and the team’s been dealt some tough blows the last three or even four Cups. Geoff’s really engaged and taken the bull by the horns for the International players and I really mean, for personal reasons, I’d really love to be on that team.

“Geoff and I have played golf since we were juniors together, and I would love to get my game in shape to make that team and get that International win. I think it’s close, and people might not think it’s that close, but I think it is coming down to… even in Canada it was just losing or winning the last hole a couple of times made the difference. I’ve seen a lot of buy-in from the young guys the last few years who want to play under that International shield. So it’d be fun to make it another time and hopefully be there for a win.”

But first to this week and Scott’s history as a member of Royal Queensland in his amateur days and a good finish here in 2023 after leading early, suggests he could have a good week.

 

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Elvis Smylie twelve months on from his historic victory


Elvis Smylie, today holding the trophy that has already meant so much to his career – image PGA of Australia

Royal Queensland Golf Club copped one of its worst thunderstorm batterings on Monday just three days ahead of the Australian PGA Championship and more stormy weather is predicted over the next few days with an improvement by Friday, although more rain is expected on Saturday.

Practice was suspended on Monday, but today the field was out in force as they tried to get in as much practice as possible ahead of the looming weather in preparation for the A$2.5 million event.

Defending champion Elvis Smylie faced the media, reflecting on a victory that, twelve months ago, allowed him not only to claim a significant title but also to secure a DP World Tour card, which he has used to great effect in his rookie season in 2025.

Smylie finished the season in 23rd place in the Race to Dubai rankings with earnings over €1 million, establishing himself on the DP World Tour and setting himself up for an even better season in 2026.

Late in the DP World Tour season, Smylie was in line for one of the 2026 PGA Tour cards handed out to the leading ten players in the race to Dubai rankings, but was unable to finish the last three events off as strongly as he would have liked.

With the benefit of one full season in Europe now behind him, however, the chances of something even better for the 23-year-old appear likely and exciting for one still in the relatively early stages of his career.

“It’s great to be back,” said Smylie referring to his return to a club he was a member of previously and, of course, where he produced such an important win.  “This is my first time defending a title, so it’s really nice to do it back here in Brisbane at home in front of family and friends and it’s a great field that the tournament has assembled, so I’m looking forward to the week ahead and hopefully the weather is kind to us this year.”

Smylie was asked his thoughts on the season and how much of a better player he feels he is now compared to the then 22-year-old who won so impressively at Royal Queensland twelve months ago.

“Yeah, I think spending the whole year on the DP World Tour, travelling around different countries, exploring different climates, I feel like it’s been a real character-building year, both on and off the course. Majority of the year I travelled by myself, so you do learn a lot about yourself when you’re in countries where it’s not always English-speaking, you’re having to use Google Translate and yeah, I’ve really enjoyed it.

“I mean, if you told me 12 months ago that I’d be standing here, I finished 23rd on the Race to Dubai, so I’ve guaranteed myself a spot in The Open championship again for next year. Royal Birkdale, which I’m excited about, played in two major championships and made it to the end-of-year Race to Dubai event I would have been surprised. As the year’s gone on however, I felt more and more comfortable mixing it with the best, and I started to enjoy it a little bit more as the year went on.”

When asked just how Royal Queensland should best be played, Smylie opened up regarding a golf course he knows so well.

“Yeah, I think the thing with Royal Queensland that is really important is you’ve just got to know when to go forward and when to lean back a bit. The greens are pretty firm and fast at the moment, so as well as around the greens, you’ve got to know how to deal with the grain.

“You’ve got to be really smart with your shot selection. Plenty of 9-irons, bumping around 3-woods and then being able to deal with the bounce really well with your lob wedge. I would like to say it’s quite generous off the tee, but you really do have to zone in with your second shots.”

Like Adam Scott and Ryan Fox before him in front of the media today, Smylie eyed the prospect of making the Presidents Cup team in 2026 and the years ahead.

“Yeah, without a doubt. Adam’s been a role model of mine ever since I was a little kid and Geoff’s going to be the captain next year, Geoff Ogilvy, and that’s something that I’m striving for to try and make that team. But then, when Adam eventually is the captain, that’s something that is a very big motivator for me, to try and make that team and play under him and represent the International Shield as well.”

When asked if he would like to join the greats of Australian golf and win multiple titles in this country, Smylie expressed enthusiasm.

“It’s been a long season. I’ve played 24 events around the world this year, but the two events at the end of the year are always the two that I want to really do well in. It means a lot to me to be the Australian PGA champion, and to be able to have the opportunity to try and win the Australian Open as well is something that hasn’t been done that many times before, so I would like to leave a legacy of being one of the best in Australia.

Smylie is a considerably better golfer than the 22-year-old left these shores to ply his trade in Europe this year, and don’t be surprised if that improvement manifests itself in him being in contention at the pointy end of the event this week.

 

 

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Refreshed Ryan Fox back from eight week break


Ryan Fox during his press conference today – image PGA of Australia

New Zealander Ryan Fox returns from an eight-week break from tournament golf, excited about being back and ready to take on much stronger fields than he has faced in previous years in Australian events, in the knowledge that he is now the leading world-ranked Australasian in this week’s Australian PGA Championship.

Fox’s two wins on the PGA Tour in his second season as a cardholder there ensured he not only comfortably retained his status on the PGA Tour, he is now in a category which allows him to play not only all the lucrative signature events on the PGA Tour but all of the game’s majors, providing an ease of mind for the now 38 year old and access to untold riches.

As someone who likes to travel with his family, Fox’s success and the security of tenure that he has now earned, has allowed him the luxury of a permanent place of residence for he and his family including his wife and two daughters in Jupiter in Florida, and such security should ensure he builds on his already impressive start in the USA.

Fox will play this week’s Australian PGA Championship and next week’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne, and no doubt take a break ahead of playing the PGA Tour season’s opening event in Hawaii, but, first, he will tackle a field which this week includes several of Europe’s best, along with Australia’s leading players other than Jason Day.

Fox has won three events on Australian soil, although none since his breakthrough European Tour title in 2019 when winning the Super 6’s event in Perth but, given his significant standing in Australasian and World golf, that could well change this week.

So, after his lengthy break, how is he feeling about his game?

“Very refreshed. It was a really busy PGA TOUR season, and last year I had some forced time off at the end of the year with a bit of a hip injury, and this year was kind of the opposite.

“It was like, well, I’ve got a chance to just take a break, go home, be dad, be normal, and I’m buzzing to be back into it this week. It probably felt like it was a couple of weeks too much.

“I was watching a couple of events on TV going, ‘I’d quite like to be playing that one’, which obviously a couple of months earlier, I didn’t want to see a golf club, but I’m looking forward to this week.”

When asked about the motivation for returning to Australia to play, he responded.

“I’ve always really enjoyed coming back to Aussie and playing. Obviously, this is the first Tour I played when I turned pro, and I would’ve loved to come back last year, but injury kept me out of coming back, and this year it fitted in perfectly.

“I’ve had a chance to have a really, really nice break, but looking at it going forward, I don’t want to take three months off golf and try to go back into early next year and find it again. And obviously, we’re playing two great golf courses the next two weeks, great fields, and I really wanted to be a part of it basically. It was a no-brainer for me.”

With two victories on the PGA Tour this season and the benefits that have brought, what are his goals moving forward?

“Obviously, I’d love to build on it. It’s hard to beat a year I had this year. Other than maybe making the Tour Championship, I ticked every box that I wanted to tick.

I think this year the big one is to be on Geoff’s (Ogilvy’s Presidents Cup) team in September for next year. So that’s something I feel like I’ve missed out on the last couple of years and I’m in a good place.

“I’m in all the big events for next year, so I really want to be a part of that team, and I’d love to make the Tour Championship; that’s another goal to take off. I’m in all the big events next year so contending in one of those would be great. It’s a nice place to be. I know my golf game is good enough to compete with the best players in the world, and I give myself a few more chances with that next year.”

So, with the benefit of his first season behind him in 2024, how has he benefited from playing the PGA Tour for a second season?

“Yeah, this year has been a lot easier than last year. I think we did it the hard way last year. We didn’t really know where we wanted to base ourselves. So we spent a bit of last year trying to figure out where we’d like to go and ended up in Jupiter where most of the TOUR is anyway, but we travelled for I think it was like 20 weeks in a row just dragging kids through airports, hotels and golf courses and that got pretty tiring pretty quickly and this year we made sure we didn’t do that again. We had a base in Jupiter, rented a house there for seven months this year and actually worked really well, knowing the events too.

“So we bought a place in Jupiter, and you’re going to be out there at least for the next three years, which is cool and kind of daunting at the same time. But for the most part, the family enjoyed it last year, that 28 degrees in Florida in the middle of winter, with the kids being able to swim in the pool, they tended to quite enjoy that, and they liked the travelling around for the most part.

“It’s going to get a little different for us this year. Our oldest is going to be school age, so we’ve got a little bit of logistics to work out there, where she’s going to go to school, and how that’s all going to work with travel and stuff like that. But we know we’re going to be based predominantly in the States over the next few years and for the most part, we enjoyed it this year and are looking forward to doing it again next year.”

Given the standing Fox now has in the game, he deserves consideration as a potential contender over the next two weeks. It may be that the rust developed over his eight week break takes a while to wear off, but there is little doubt he is a far more credentialed player than he has been previously when on Australian soil, and the likeable Aucklander will garner more than his share of support from both New Zealanders and Australians.

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Cameron John claims QLD PGA title


Cameron John – enjoying a special moment – image Australian Golf Media

26-year-old Victorian Cameron John, today won his second PGA Tour of Australasia title with a two-shot victory over the brilliant 20-year-old amateur from the Gold Coast, Billy Dowling, at the Queensland PGA Championship at the Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane.

John, whose previous victory came in early 2024 when successful at the National Tournament on the Mornington Peninsula in his home state of Victoria, began the final round one shot behind his fellow Victorian Zach Murray, who was chasing his third PGA Tour of Australasia title but his first since 2019.

Over the closing nine holes it essentially became a battle between John, Murray and Dowling, John taking the lead with two birdies and an eagle in the opening five holes to take the lead at 15 under but Murray fought back after a slow start to take the lead and was joined by Dowling whose stretch of birdies in the middle of the round suggested he might break through for a win as an amateur.

The big moment of the day came when John, who was trailing both Dowling and Murray when he reached the 15th hole, managed to produce an eagle from the trees at the par-5 and then followed up with a birdie at the 16th to grab the outright lead and then held on to win.

John moves to third on the 2005/2006 PGA Tour of Australasian Order of Merit.

Dowling, who had birdied five of seven holes in the middle of the round, bogeyed the 16th but after a magnificent shot to the par 3 last, holed from 12 feet for birdie to move into outright second place, one ahead of Murray, who bogeyed the 16th and 18th to finish 3rd but he will take the second cheque given Dowling’s amateur status.

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Minjee Lee shares 5th place through 36 at CME Globe Championship

Minjee Lee – within striking distance at the halfway stage – file photo USGA

The LPGA Tour’s flagship event, the CME Group Tour Championship, has reached a crucial stage at the Tiburon Golf Club on the Southwest Coast of Florida and once again the game’s most dominant player in 2025, Jeeno Thitikul has staked a claim to win yet another title this season.

The defending champion in one of the richest events of the season, Thitikul, has opened up a three-shot lead over another former winner of the event, Sei Young Kim.

Thitikul has been either 1st or 2nd in six events this season, has a win on the Ladies European Tour in addition and has established a significant lead in the Rolex World rankings over the dominant player of 2024, Nelly Korda.

When asked to draw a comparison between winning this event and a major title, Thitikul responded.

“I think should be the same,” said the 22-year-old Thai golfer, now in her fourth LPGA Tour season.

“I think like the course condition-wise, definitely I think the major is more like tougher and harder. I think it really depends on like how you play out there in those particular days. Like — in every tournament, I am trying to feel the same as always.

But I like the course conditions, the players, the pressure sometimes I know it’s different, but I’m always trying to stay grounded and be the same.

Thitikul was also asked about the expectations on her coming into the event as the world number one.

“I don’t have expectations about myself, so I don’t think I need to like expect — like manage any expectation from others.

Because when you talk to others, everyone might talk the same and then might think the same because you came here as the world No. 1, but obviously, what number you are has the same chance as everyone else, starting any week.

So this is any week as well. Tomorrow, it’s a new day. Sunday is a new day. Everything can happen with golf.”

Minjee Lee leads the Australasian charge, the Perth golfer five shots from the lead after a second round of 67.

“I mean, I had a pretty nice start,” said Lee. “Four birdies on the front and then one birdie on the back. But I feel like I’m going pretty steady out there. I think for the most part it was pretty solid. Just going to try and clean up my shots a little bit and hope for a really great weekend.

“I’m going to try to do my very best like I do every single week, week in, week out. Yeah, that’s just the way it is for everyone. It’s the end of the year. Yeah, you just got to put all your energy into it and hopefully have a great event.”

That energy needed over the weekend becomes even more important when the carrot of US$4 million to the winner is considered.

Two-time winner of the event, Lydia Ko, is seven shots from the lead after her round of 68 today.

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Hopes of local New Zealand Open win increase with commitment of leading players


Steve Alker – a national open would be a fitting reward for one of New Zealand golf’s finest ambassadors – image PhotosportNZ 

The news this week that four of New Zealand’s top five male golfers have committed to February’s New Zealand Open is great news for tournament organisers and local golf fans.

Given the success of Steve Alker, Daniel Hillier, Kazuma Kobori, and, to a lesser extent, Ben Campbell in their respective 2025 campaigns, their involvement at the Millbrook Resort is a crucial component in the New Zealand Open’s perception among the New Zealand sporting public.

As the event looks for just its second homegrown winner in 23 years, the chances of that happening increase with the presence of the above-named well-performed players in the 105th staging of one of the world’s oldest national opens.

New Zealanders won six of seven New Zealand Opens between 1996 and 2003, the last of which was when Mahal Pearce was successful in Auckland, but it would be another 14 years until Mike Hendry won in 2017. There has been no success since.

Admittedly, the country’s number one ranked player, Ryan Fox, has not at this stage committed to the event, but given his involvement in two US$20 million Signature events on the PGA Tour either side of the New Zealand Open and a regular season event in Florida during New Zealand Open week, it is not hard to understand the two time PGA Tour winner in 2025 missing his national open as he further consolidates his position in the USA.

Alker, of course, comes off the back of another tremendously successful season on the PGA Tour Champions, winning twice, finishing inside the top three on eight other occasions and ending the season in second place in the Schwab Cup standings. He finished runner-up to Stewart Cink in his last start at the Schwab Cup Championship.

Alker has played the New Zealand Open in each of the last two years and on both occasions he has struggled to produce the sort of form he has shown on the PGA Tour Champions. But, if he can reproduce that sort of form, there is no reason why he can’t contend and possibly win his own national open, which, I imagine, along with his love of the region where he spent much time in his early years as a professional, is his motivation for supporting the event in recent years.

Alker’s profile in New Zealand, as a result of his regular exposure each week on the PGA Tour Champions, ensures he will be a key attraction in February.

Hillier continues to build his standing in professional golf, his efforts on the DP World Tour in 2025, leaving him in 18th position in the Race to Dubai rankings, earning close to NZ$3.6 million.

Hillier just missed out on gaining one of the PGA Tour cards handed out to the leading ten players in the Race to Dubai standings and not otherwise exempt for the US Tour, but, while disappointing for Hillier, that might prove to be a blessing for the New Zealand Open as he might otherwise have been obliged to play in Florida that week in an attempt to establish himself in the US.

Hillier is twice a New Zealand Amateur Champion and once an Australian Junior Amateur Champion. A New Zealand Open title appears likely to come his way in the near future, and as New Zealand’s second-highest-ranked male golfer, his presence in Queenstown is a boost for the tournament.

Kobori has just completed his rookie season on the DP World Tour and did well to make it all the way to the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, finishing 44th in the standings.

The winner of the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit in 2024 is a proven winner on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and with a year’s experience at a much higher level now behind him, he could well contend for the title.

In his last year as an amateur in 2023, Kobori finished 6th at Millbrook but missed the event in 2025 as he looked to consolidate his position in Europe.

Campbell seems to grow another leg when competing in the NZ Open, having finished runner-up on two occasions, including a playoff loss to Mike Hendry in 2017.

Campbell is a proven winner, having won two significant events on the Asian Tour and the New Zealand PGA Championship, but although his first season in LIV Golf in 2025 has no doubt increased his bank balance significantly, he did record just one top ten in 12 appearances.

Perhaps it is that Campbell now resides in the Queenstown region and has many friends here who are a great support during the event, but Campbell appears to love the event and it might just be that playing against and with some of the game’s greats in 2025 could result in his most important win personally.

These are perhaps the New Zealanders that will create the most interest in 2026, but Mike Hendry cannot be overlooked and is another who will again command interest given his historic win in 2017 and his liking for the region with two NZPGA wins at the nearby Hills Golf Club.

 

 

 

 

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Five Australasians make LPGA Tour’s season finale


Lydia Ko with one of her two CME Group Tour Championship trophies – can she make it three? Image Getty / LPGA

This week’s CME Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, brings to a close the 2025 LPGA Tour season, the leading 60 in the Race to the CME Globe year-long standings being eligible to compete for the US$11 million up for grabs.

Amongst those 60 competitors are five Australasians. Minjee Lee, Lydia Ko, Grace Kim, Hannah Green and Stephanie Kyricaou, have all recorded a good season but now have the possibility of finishing it in style with a strong week.

Lydia Ko is, by some way, the best performed of the group in this particular event, having won twice and finished inside the top five on three other occasions, including when 3rd last year.

Ko won early in 2025, but her form during much of the year has been below that we have come to know from her, and she currently stands 26th in the Race to the CME Globe standings.

Minjee Lee has had yet another fine year on the LPGA Tour, but this event is not one she has had a lot of success in, with just three top tens in ten starts to date and a best of 5th in 2021. Lee is, however, in outstanding form this season with a win in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and three other top 3 finishes, leaving her in 3rd place in the Race to the CME standings.

This might be the year in which Lee records her best finish in the event, and with US$4 million to the winner, what a time to do so.

Grace Kim stands in 29th position in the Race to the Globe standings, but her season has been highlighted by her breakthrough major victory at the Evian Championship, although her form since has been well below that level. She did lead early in last week’s Annika event before finishing 9th, so perhaps she might be on the bounce back after such an historic win.

Kim has had two starts in the event with a best of 25th in 2024.

Hannah Green recorded a disappointing run of form through the middle of the season, at one stage missing four cuts in succession, but she has played well in recent weeks with two top-five finishes in Asia and a 15th-place finish in Florida last week.

Green gets to play this event for the 8th occasion, her best effort when runner-up in 2020.

Stephanie Kyriacou is currently in 45th place in the Race to the CME Globe standings and will play this event for the second occasion, having finished 57th in 2023 and not made the field last year.

Kyriacou has five top tens to her name this season, finishing 5th on two occasions.

While these five ladies have done well to make it to the lucrative season finale, another four Australasians have finished inside the top 100 in the Race to the CME Globe and will retain their playing privileges for next season.

Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Gabi Ruffels and Karis Davidson might not have the opportunity to play for the riches this week, but they will be back on the LPGA Tour next season, although Perth’s Hira Naveed finished outside the top 100 and will need to attend the Tour School’s final stage next month.

Race to the CME Globe standings ahead of the CME Tour Championship.

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Fitzpatrick outguns MCilroy in dramatic season finale in Dubai


Fitzpatrick wins the Tour Championship, but McIlroy the Race to Dubai Standings – image Getty Images 

Matt Fitzpatrick’s impressive return to the sort of game that saw him the US Open Champion in 2022 and twice a winner of this event previously, continued most dramatically in Dubai this weekend when he emerged from a playoff against the world’s number two golfer, Rory McIlroy, to win at the first extra hole of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeira Golf Estates.

As many as ten golfers were still a possibility of winning the event with just nine holes to play in the season-ending event, but with Fitzpatrick’s three birdies in his final five holes and a dramatic eagle from 18 feet at the last by McIlroy, who had earlier lost a two-shot lead, it boiled down to a fitting finish to the DP World Tour season.

McIlroy would be first to blink in the playoff, however, when he found the water from the tee at the first extra hole, failed to find the green at the par 5 with his third, and failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker to record a bogey.

Fitzpatrick was not entirely convincing himself, laying with his second and leaving a long third with which he failed to find the green, but a magnificent pitch left himself two feet to complete the job and the title and the nearly US$3 million first prize in addition to the US$750,000 he earns for finishing 3rd in the Race to Dubai standings.

McIlroy earned US1.2 million for his runner-up finish, but in winning the Race to Dubai standings, he earns another US$2 million to top off an outstanding season in which he has won on four occasions worldwide and, very importantly, becomes only the 6th player in the history of the game to complete the Grand Slam with his win at the Masters in April.

As far as the three Australasians in the field, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier did best in a share of 16th place with just over US$100,000.

Kazuma Kobori and Elvis Smylie finished well back in 42nd place, although for both it has been a tremendous rookie season on the DP World Tour.

Hillier was in line for one of the ten PGA Tour cards for next season, provided he finished well, perhaps inside the top ten, but he was unable to build on his efforts earlier in the week and finished 16th.

Hillier failed to earn one of the ten cards by two places, but he continues to build an impressive career in Europe.

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Chris Wood’s NSW Open victory may delay retirement plans


Chris Wood – every reason to smile – image credit Golf NSW

Brisbane golfer Chris Wood emerged from a four-hole playoff to win the Ford NSW Open at the Vintage Golf Club in the Hunter Valley, the 34-year-old claiming his second PGA Tour of Australasia title but, by some way, his most important.

Four years after his previous and only victory at this level, Wood holed a sliding 10-footer to edge out Victorian James Marchasani with Queensland’s Will Florimo, the first to be knocked out of the initial three-man playoff.

The playoff was played over the 18th at the Greg Norman-designed Vintage Golf Club, three times with the pin position of today’s final round, and for the fourth and final time, the pin position was changed, an innovation that makes a lot of sense in such circumstances. It changes the hole but not the amphitheater.

The win takes Wood to a significant early lead in the 2005/2006 PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit and the winner’s cheque for $A140,000, no doubt his largest in the game, must go some way to convincing Wood that potential plans for tournament golf retirement could be shelved.

“Not necessarily, Wood told Golf NSW when asked about his earlier intentions of playing out the year and perhaps giving up his 13-year career as a professional were now completely out the window.  “I still wanted to play out this year really strong.”

The PGA Tour of Australasia now heads north to the Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane for the Queensland PGA Championship, followed by the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland and the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.

RESULTS

 

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