Karrie Webb in action this week – image USGA
Australian golfing legend Karrie Webb played this week’s US Senior Women’s Open in San Diego and although she is likely to finish well off the pace, the seven-time major winner enjoyed the experience of being back playing competitive golf.
“So far it’s been fun catching up with people I haven’t seen very often over the last probably 10 years, I guess, so that’s been good,” said Webb prior to the event getting underway on Thursday.
“Getting back into the grind of a tournament, especially a U.S. Open, has its challenges, especially when you haven’t been playing competitively a lot. It’s a bit of a lottery each day to see where your game is at.
“I think the longer you’re away from the game, you don’t realize the stress level that you lived with being at for an extended period of years, and so when you get that adrenaline rush now, it’s so unusual for your body to handle.
“It’s a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. It can be really impressive some days, and some days it looks like I haven’t played for a year.
“It’s a U.S. Open; it’s not easy. I think it’s made a little bit harder because none of us are competing a lot. But I’m looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully some of the old feelings come back and I can control those emotions as best I can.”
When asked what being a member of the LPGA has meant to her, Webb was quick to respond.
“It’s one of the proudest things that’s ever happened in my life is to be a member of the LPGA. To say that I’m a Hall of Famer of the LPGA is very special.
“The LPGA has given me the life I have today, so I’m very grateful.”
Webb played with another multiple major winner in the opening two rounds, Juli Inkster, and after her opening round reflected on what had been a demanding start to the event.
“All the nerves and anxiousness were definitely there, and it’s sort of a course where I don’t know if you ever really feel comfortable on. You’ve got to really think your way around it as much as possible to make sure you have putts below the hole and hitting fairways is really a premium to getting anywhere near any of these pins.
“I think all three of us were glad to finish out on 18. Juli said to me on our 17th hole, aren’t you glad we don’t do this for a living anymore.
“Yeah, it was definitely a test out there.”
Webb followed up her opening round of even par 73 with rounds of 76 and 77 to be well back in 20th place and eleven shots from the lead heading into tomorrow’s final round but, irrespective of her performance this week, Webb’s legacy as one of Australia’s greatest golfers of all time, and arguably the greatest, is there for all to see.
LEADERBOARD
Andrew Martin wins cliffhanger in Darwin
Andrew Martin – image Australian Golf Media
Former Australian Amateur Champion, Andrew Martin, has held off a spirited challenge from New South Wales golfer, Nathan Barbieri, to win the second event of the 2025/2026 PGA Tour of Australasia season’s schedule, the Northern Territory PGA Championship at the Palmerston Golf Club near Darwin.
41-year-old Martin began the final day with a two-shot lead over James Conran and a three-shot lead over Barbiera and American Nathan Jordi. However, an outward nine of 34 by Barbiera had him within one. When Martin bogeyed the 10th, the pair was tied at 11 under.
Through 13 holes Martin was one ahead before both players dropped shots at the next two holes and he held off the challenge of his younger rival with a birdie at the 17th to match his rival and managed to par the last to win by one with Queensland’s Jake McLeod in third place on his own, two behind Barbiera.
For Martin, it was his fourth PGA Tour of Australasia title to go with his win at the 2021 TPS Sydney, the 2022 Victorian PGA Championship and the 2023 TPS Murray river Championship.
Martin moves into second place on the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Order of Merit behind last week’s winner in Papua New Guinea, Cory Crawford after just two events, with Jake McLeod in third place.
Leaderboard
Hannah Green finds form in Massachusetts
Hannah Green – file photo
Off the back of four consecutive missed cuts and a best of 12th in her last nine LPGA Tour starts, Australia’s Hannah Green is contending at the halfway stage of the FM Championship in Norton in Massachusetts.
Weather, then darkness, caused play to be called at 7.15 pm with many of the field still to complete their second rounds.
Green added a second consecutive round of 68 to be tied for 3rd and three shots from the lead held by China’s Miranda Wang.
Currently in a surprising 52nd position in the Race to the Globe rankings, Green has struggled for most of the second half of the season but appears to have things back on track and heads into the weekend with a chance to add a 7th LPGA Tour title.
“My ball striking has not been that good the last couple months, so I feel like I’ve had to rely heavily on my short game,” said Green. “It’s nice that I actually feel like where I want the ball to go is where it’s actually going.
“So, yeah, I definitely feel confident around the greens. It’s nice that I have been hitting more greens and actually have some opportunities to make birdies.
“I’ve been working with my coach for many years now, and I just fall into some certain tendencies with my swing.
“So I actually had a lesson with him on Tuesday. Well, it was supposed to be FaceTime, but as some people may not know, the reception here is not very good, so trying to call him when he’s back in Australia with a time change wasn’t easy. We sent videos back and forth and he was helping me with certain things.
“I almost feel like because I’ve been playing quite poorly I’ve been really technical trying to find what’s going on and not really just going and playing golf. I feel like I changed that mindset of worrying about technique and just working with what I have on this day.
“So that was really helpful. I put a new driver in the bag earlier in the week as well. It’s nice to feel confident with that club. Once you can hit fairways, you feel a lot freer on the course, so that’s been helpful.”
The 28-year-old Green has typically been one of the leading Australians, along with Minjee Lee, in each of her LPGA Tour seasons since first joining in 2018, and with three wins in 2014, her year to date has been a surprise, but with ten more events this season, there is plenty of time to turn things around.
Minjee Lee is the next best of the Australasians in the field, the West Australian in a share of 34th place at 3 under and five behind Green, but Lee still has 14 holes to play of her second round.
Leaderboard
The Omega European Masters – then and now
The great Sir Bob Charles and yours truly during his 1974 Swiss Open victory
51 years ago, I arrived in Crans-sur-Sierre above the Rhone Valley of Switzerland for the 1974 Swiss Open around 9.00pm, having sailed on the hovercraft across the English Channel to Bolougne and then driven across France and Switzerland to this most beautiful of mountain resorts.
Having been raised in the magnificence of the South Island of New Zealand, I couldn’t imagine there would be anything to beat the grandeur of the spectacular scenery of Central Otago or some of the other many areas of my homeland. Still, my first visit to Crans Sur Sierre would go a long way to proving me wrong.
Waking up in the morning following our drive down to Dover from London, then across the Channel and through France and Switzerland passing cities such as Lausanne and Montreaux on Lake Geneva, I opened my balcony door at our boutique hotel, The Teleferique, in the morning of Tuesday of tournament week to a breathtaking view.
The village of Crans Sur Sierre and its adjacent town of Crans Montana are ski resorts in the winter, but in the summer, the Crans Sur Sierre Golf Club emerges from its role as learners slopes for a high-end ski resort to expose a golf course capable of hosting the then Swiss Open, but now of course the Omega European Masters.
This Thursday, the Omega European Masters, or its former equivalent, first held in 1923, is played as an integral part of the DP World Tour, with the winner to receive €475,000, an increase of nearly 80 times from that won by the winner in 1974.
Such a purse makes it a just above average event on the DP World Tour in that regard, but in 1974, when I caddied for the winner of the event, (Sir) Bob Charles, the total purse the winner received was the equivalent of €5,900.
Charles won the event by a shot over Tony Jacklin, and while I would not have swapped the experience of caddying for one of my golfing idols back then, and even now, for anything, it would have been nice to be on the receiving end of a caddie bonus from the €475,000.
The win had come at a crucial time for me, however, and given that the very next week I caddied for Simon Owen when he won the German Open in Krefeld (for an even lesser purse), I was back on my feet and the outlook for the remainder of the year financially was a little more certain.
1974 Swiss Open Results
Minjee Lee runner-up to local favourite Brooke Henderson in Canada
Minjee Lee file photo – image Australian Golf Media
Minjee Lee continued yet another fine season on the LPGA Tour with a runner-up finish behind Canada’s favourite golfing daughter and one of its finest sporting stars, Brook Henderson, at the CPKC Women’s Open (Canadian Open) at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club outside of Toronto.
Lee began the final round sharing the 54-hole lead with Henderson and there was never more than one shot between the pair throughout the day, the difference coming when Henderson birdied the 13th, 14th and 17th to edge clear of Lee.
For Lee, however, it was her second runner-up finish of the year to go with her victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and two other top-five finishes, moving her earnings to US$3.5 million and nearly US$1 million clear of her nearest rival on the season’s money list, Maja Stark.
Understandably, Lee faced a partisan crowd for whom Henderson was their favourite, but she fought well, often responding to Henderson’s birdies with one of her own but her bogeys at the 4th and 11th holes were the difference in what was a tense final day.
For Henderson, it was her 14th LPGA Tour title, one of which was the 2017 New Zealand Women’s Open, but her first in two years, and despite her at times painfully slow approach to the game, she is a delightful character.
That she has won this title on two occasions in front of a hugely supportive Canadian crowd, tells the story of a young lady who is able to put the distraction of expectation aside and focus on the task at hand.
Results
Huge week for Kazuma Kobori at British Masters
Kazuma Kobori – file photo – image Australian Golf Media
23-year-old Kazuma Kobori has recorded the best finish of his rookie DP World Tour season with a share of the runner-up place at the British Masters at the Belfry.
A stunning closing stretch of 6 under over his last six holes, including two consecutive putts of close to 60 feet on holes 17 and 18, saw Kobori storm into contention to actually win the title before a strong finishing burst by the eventual winner, Alex Noren, resulted in a share of the runner-up place and the biggest cheque of his career.
The lengthy birdie putt at the 18th had Kobori in a share of the lead with Denmark’s Nicolai Hoggard, but Noren, who was playing in the final group and some one hour behind Kobori, birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th and despite a bogey at the last ran out the winner by one.
Kobori secures a cheque for €261,000, however, and makes a massive jump to 23rd in the Race to Dubai rankings.
Not only does it boost his immediate bank balance, but Kobori now stands a great chance of making it to the Tour Championship and has access to the big money events coming up over the next three months.
“Yeah, I don’t know what happened to be honest,” said Kobori when trying to describe his powerful finish.
“I was just hitting shot-by-shot and then I made a nice birdie putt on, what’s that par 5, 15, and then followed it up with a mid-range putt on 16. And then I was like, oh, yeah, playing pretty good.
“I think at the start of the day, the goal was to get to three and that got me to four. I was like, yeah, this is going quite nicely. Very happy right now.”
“Pretty taxing to be honest,” added Kobori when asked to describe the experience. “I guess you can’t really see it from the lens of a camera or on TV but I am pretty nervous out there. Even when I was like making those birdies, I was still nervous.
“But I held my composure pretty well I think for the most part, and yeah, pretty happy with how I handled it.”
Perth’s Jason Scrivener was the next best of the Australasians when he finished 24th, while Elvis Smylie, who was in contention through 36 holes, faded to finish 33rd.
Results
Karrie Webb back competing at US Senior Women’s Open
Karrie Webb in action this week – image USGA
Australian golfing legend Karrie Webb played this week’s US Senior Women’s Open in San Diego and although she is likely to finish well off the pace, the seven-time major winner enjoyed the experience of being back playing competitive golf.
“So far it’s been fun catching up with people I haven’t seen very often over the last probably 10 years, I guess, so that’s been good,” said Webb prior to the event getting underway on Thursday.
“Getting back into the grind of a tournament, especially a U.S. Open, has its challenges, especially when you haven’t been playing competitively a lot. It’s a bit of a lottery each day to see where your game is at.
“I think the longer you’re away from the game, you don’t realize the stress level that you lived with being at for an extended period of years, and so when you get that adrenaline rush now, it’s so unusual for your body to handle.
“It’s a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. It can be really impressive some days, and some days it looks like I haven’t played for a year.
“It’s a U.S. Open; it’s not easy. I think it’s made a little bit harder because none of us are competing a lot. But I’m looking forward to the challenge. Hopefully some of the old feelings come back and I can control those emotions as best I can.”
When asked what being a member of the LPGA has meant to her, Webb was quick to respond.
“It’s one of the proudest things that’s ever happened in my life is to be a member of the LPGA. To say that I’m a Hall of Famer of the LPGA is very special.
“The LPGA has given me the life I have today, so I’m very grateful.”
Webb played with another multiple major winner in the opening two rounds, Juli Inkster, and after her opening round reflected on what had been a demanding start to the event.
“All the nerves and anxiousness were definitely there, and it’s sort of a course where I don’t know if you ever really feel comfortable on. You’ve got to really think your way around it as much as possible to make sure you have putts below the hole and hitting fairways is really a premium to getting anywhere near any of these pins.
“I think all three of us were glad to finish out on 18. Juli said to me on our 17th hole, aren’t you glad we don’t do this for a living anymore.
“Yeah, it was definitely a test out there.”
Webb followed up her opening round of even par 73 with rounds of 76 and 77 to be well back in 20th place and eleven shots from the lead heading into tomorrow’s final round but, irrespective of her performance this week, Webb’s legacy as one of Australia’s greatest golfers of all time, and arguably the greatest, is there for all to see.
LEADERBOARD
Kobori and Smylie in contention at the Belfry
Kazuma Kobori in contention after three missed cuts in a row – image Australian Golf Media
The winners of the PGA Tour of Australsia’s Order of Merit in each of the last two years, Kazuma Kobori and Elvis Smylie, are nicely placed at the halfway mark of the British Masters at The Belfry.
23-year-old Kobori is two shots from the leader, Marcel Siem and in a share of 3rd place while his fellow 23-year-old, Smylie, is another shot back in a share of 6th place after a second round of 67.
Both players are in their first full season on the DP World Tour, Smylie currently in 22nd place in the Race to Dubai Rankings and Kobori is 58th with another nine events remaining on the DP World schedule ahead of the DP Tour Championship in mid-November.
Kobori has missed five of his last seven cuts in DP World Tour events, but has found form, although he has no expectations for what lies ahead this weekend.
“To be honest, I’ve got minimal expectations, like it’s the first time this season that I’ve teed off so late on the weekend,” said the New Zealander Kobori.
“So I don’t know what it’s going to feel like. It’s probably going to feel a lot different than when I shot 9-under in the final round at BMW, just chasing everyone down.
“So I don’t know what it’s going to be like, but I’m excited for what’s ahead.”
Smylie produced a much improved performance when 6th last week in Denmark and mentioned that improved putting has been the key.
“I feel like off the tee I was really good today,” said the Gold Coaster. “And then I’ve been putting really well. That was an opportunity for me to put in a new putter this week, but I was stuck to the old trusty. So I’m really happy with that.
“And I got on FaceTime with my coach back in Australia yesterday afternoon, Ritchie Smith, and we worked on some stuff. And, yeah, really happy with today, and looking forward to the weekend.”
Jason Scrivener also made the cut at even par which was the cut off score.
Leaderboard
No Australian at Tour Championship for first time since 1998
Jason Day finished best of the Australasians in the FedEx Cup standings but missed out on Atlanta – image courtesy of USGA
Australia is without a representative in the Tour Championship for the first time since 1998, when the event gets underway at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta this Thursday.
Jason Day was the only Australian with a chance to make the field when he began this past week’s BMW Championship in Maryland in 44th position in the FedEx Cup standings. But, needing perhaps a top 5 finish this week to force his way into the top thirty who would make their way to Atlanta for the season ending event, Day could only finish 23rd this week and finished 41st in the standings.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox has had a fine second season on the PGA Tour, with two victories, and arrived at the BMW Championship in 34th place. However, by finishing 43rd this week, when perhaps needing a top 20 or better, he has ultimately finished 43rd in the standings.
Despite the disappointment of not making it to the riches of the Tour Championship, it has been a breakthrough season for Fox in so many respects and augurs well for his future on the PGA Tour.
Surprise, surprise, this week’s winner was Scottie Scheffler, who came from four shots behind Robert McIntyre in today’s final round to win by 2 over McIntyre with Maverick McNealy 3rd on his own and Tommy Fleetwood and Sam Burns in a share of 4th.
Despite being 4 over through 13 holes, a birdie at the 16th by McIntyre kept the door open for a possible late round comeback, the difference at that stage just one, but Scheffler produced the most stunning of chip-ins from off the green at the dangerous par 3 17th to establish a break that became a bridge too far for McIntyre.
So Scheffler would win his 18th PGA Tour title since his breakthrough victory in Phoenix 3.5 years ago, extend his already substantial lead in the FedEx Cup standings, and he heads to Atlanta in pursuit of a repeat of his 2024 victory.
Scheffler takes his career earnings on the PGA Tour beyond US$95 million.
BMW Leaderboard
FedEx Cup standings
Cory Crawford wins opening event of Australasian Tour season
Crawford holds a second PNG Open trophy – image Australian Golf Media
Gold Coast-based Cory Crawford has won the opening event of the 2025/2026 PGA Tour of Australasia season with a one-shot victory at the Kumul Minerals PNG Open at the Port Moresby Golf Club.
32-year-old Crawford won the event for the second occasion, having also won in 2017 and completed a third PGA Tour of Australasia victory to go with his victory at the Vic PGA Championship last year.
Beginning the final round five shots behind New South Wales golfer Lincoln Tighe, Crawford raced to the turn in 5 under 32. He added two further birdies to eventually finish with a round of 65 and four shots clear of a group of five players.
Queensland’s Zach Ion, Will Florimo and Jake McLeod, Victorian Ben Henkel and Tighe all shared second place.
Results
Elvis Smylie records best finish of 2025 in Copenhagen
Smylie a better finish in Copenhagen – image Australian Golf Media
Australian Elvis Smylie recorded just his second top ten in 2025 when finishing in a share of 6th place at the Danish Golf Championship in Copenhagen this weekend.
In 14 starts in 2025, Smylie had been inside the top ten on only one other occasion, that coming when 8th at the New Zealand Open in March, but consecutive weekend rounds of 68 at the Fureso Golf Club saw the 23-year-old Gold Coaster recorded his best finish of 2025 in what is his rookie season on the DP World Tour.
Smylie gained access to full status on the DP World Tour courtesy of his win at the Australian PGA Championship in November of last year and would go on to win the PGA Tour of Australasia Tour’s Order of Merit, secured through an outstanding run of form late in 2024.
Smylie’s finish earns a cheque for €77,000 and moves him up three places to 22nd in the Race to Dubai Rankings headed by Rory McIlroy.
Danish Championsip Results