Daniel Hillier every reason to smile – image NZ Open
On a cold and windy day near Arrowtown, 27-year-old Daniel Hillier became just the fourth New Zealander in the last 26 years to claim their own national open golf championship with a two-shot win over Australian Lucas Herbert at the Millbrook Resort.
Beginning the final day one shot ahead of New Zealand’s Kerry Mountcastle and Australian Curtis Luck, Hillier was joined in the lead by Mountcastle when he birdied the 3rd hole, but by the turn, Hillier had re-established control with an outward nine of 34 to lead by three over Lucas Herbert and by four over Mountcastle.
Even a 3-putt bogey at the short par 3 10th was not enough to stop Hillier’s march to a victory in his own national open, especially when consecutive birdies at the 11th and 12th holes established a three-shot lead over Herbert who was beginning to emerge as Hillier’s greatest threat.
A birdie by Herbert at the 17th reduced the margin to just two, but when Hillier’s drive at the 17th was close to 350 metres, leaving just a 9 iron for his second, the resultant two-putt birdie had him ahead by two playing the last.
He found the green at the short but dangerous par 3 amidst thousands of people and safely two-putted for par and the two-shot win, with Herbert alone in second place three ahead of Mountcastle and the leading Japanese player this week, Tomoyo Ikemura, whose three late birdies swept him into a share of 3rd place with Mountcastle.
The title of New Zealand Open Champion was Hillier’s but Herbert achieved much of what he came to Queenstown for by snaring a start at this year’s Open Championship by being the leading player not otherwise exempt for Royal Birkdale.
Attendance at this year’s New Zealand Open was as good as this writer has seen in many years, especially on Saturday, where fine weather and warm temperatures attracted record crowds to this outstanding golf resort.
Today’s weather was damp and cold early in the day, but by early afternoon the rain had cleared and although the gusty winds and cool temperatures remained, conditions were good enough for the crowds to stay and witness the win by one of golf’s emerging stars, Daniel Hillier.
“It’s the second-best day of my life behind my wedding last week,” Hillier said after calmly making a par on the last in front of a passionate home crowd that ringed the par-3.
“I think this is going to be one of the best days of my life forever.
“I don’t know what number New Zealand Open this is for me, but ever since I started playing it, it was the one I wanted to get. I’m so stoked I managed to do it today.
“Everything that came out afterwards was just pure emotion.”
Herbert, who is now experiencing so much success on the LIV Golf Tour, was delighted to be on his way to the Open Championship, given his current involvement in Liv Golf would make it hard to otherwise get to play the major championship, and he was happy for the man who cost him the title.
“I thought it was a nice thing to look out there and see Dan a week into marriage winning his national open,” he said.
“I don’t know life gets much better than that for him at the minute. Yeah, there’s a part of it that smiles at that.”
Herbert’s reward for second includes a start at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale as the leading player not already exempt for the year’s final major.
“There’s a lot of positives to take out of today,” the Victorian said. “I was 3-over through three on Thursday, and I only made two bogeys for the rest of the week. I’m pretty proud of that and the way I was able to fight back and get myself a ticket to Birkdale.”
The 2026 New Zealand Open experienced a mixture of weather throughout the week but the final outcome warmed the hearts of New Zealand golf fans, now fully recognising that Wellingtonian Hillier is emerging as a world-class player capable of winning even more significant events than his own national open, despite the importance to his career of claiming such a prestigious and historic title.
Hillier will move close to the top 80 in the world after beginning the year outside the top 140.
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Hannh Green makes her presence felt in Adelaide
Hannah Green and husband Jarrod Felton sharing a lighter moment today – image WAPGA
The Women’s Australian Open is at the halfway stage at the Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide, and while Frenchwoman Celine Herbin leads the field at 6 under, the weekend shapes as a likely shootout between two of Australia’s finest golfers in the history of women’s golf in this country, Hannah Green and Minjee Lee.
Green is just one behind after her second round of 69, and while Lee is another four shots further back, there is every reason to believe the cream will rise to the top over the final 36 holes, allowing a promoter’s dream for Sunday’s final round.
Herbin is a 43-year-old who has only one win to her name at this level, winning a Ladies European Tour event in 2019, and ranked 343rd in the world, she faces a huge task over the weekend if she is to hold off not only Green and Lee but several other players who boast greater credentials at this level.
After an opening nine of even par 35, Herbin unleashed with a run of five birdies in her closing nine, and even a double bogey at her 17th hole could not stop her from taking the outright lead with a birdie at the last.
Green, who arrived in Adelaide off the back of a win in an LPGA Tour event in Singapore two weeks ago, stumbled with a double bogey at her 7th hole today, but birdied five of her last ten holes for a round of 69 to be just one off the pace and looks very threatening.
Lee took a while to get her round moving in the right direction, but two late birdies were just the finish she needed to put herself into the picture for the weekend, and the world number four might well move into contention before Sunday’s final round.
The cut fell at 5 over par, with 67 golfers making it through to the weekend.
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Lee and Green standout favourites at Women’s Australian Open
Hannah Green – fresh off a win in Singapore last week – image WPGA
Australian golf switches its attention to the Australian Women’s Australian Open at the Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide for this week’s A$1.7 million event, where the outstanding favourites are Minjee Lee and Hannah Green.
Both Lee and Green arrive in Adelaide in fine form having finished 1st (Green) and 3rd (Lee) in an LPGA Tour event in Singapore last week, both looking for a breakthrough win in their own national open.
Lee at number 4 in the Rolex World Rankings and Green at number 9 provide strength to an event in which six of Australia’s LPGA Tour players will compete, Grace Kim, Stephanie Kyriacou Karis Davidson and Cassie Porter, adding to the possibility of an Australian victory for the first time since Karrie Webb’s win in 2014.
Lee is looking forward to playing in front of home crowds, but is not totally convinced it provides the benefit that many might think.
“I’m not sure if it’s an advantage. I definitely think we put a little bit of extra pressure on ourselves when we are playing, especially in front of a home crowd and just wanting to perform the best that I can and also produce a result.
“So I think it is obviously really lovely to be able to have the home crowd supporting us and we don’t get too many opportunities to play in Australia. So it’s just nice to be able to do that and give back to a little bit of our community.
“I’ve had really great weeks in Adelaide, South Australia. Always love coming back here. I think it’s just, we always get really great crowds anywhere in Australia, but I think especially in Adelaide, it’s just a much more tight knit community and it reminds me a bit more of Perth.
“So I always like coming back and the beach is right there and I’m a beach girl, so yeah.”
Green’s win in Singapore last week has her at the peak of her game and she too is looking forward to the opportunity for a win in an event which means so much to her.
“Singapore’s a place that I’ve had multiple good results. Yes, I’ve won there, but I’ve also had a runner up finish. So that was really nice to have a win in the season so early, but I feel like this is going to be a tough week.
“All of us Aussies probably want our name on that trophy really badly, but also coming in with some form probably put some more pressure on myself for the actual tournament. So I really enjoy playing here. It’s a really good vibe here in Adelaide and especially the fans. So hopefully I can use that to be successful.”
Yeah. It’s been, I guess, over a year since I won my previous tournament. So I felt like I put probably more pressure on myself in 2025 to back up a really good 2024. And every time I start the season, I have some good results. I think it’s because I’ve had the mental reset of being back at home.
“But throughout the US summer, I had some tough times, probably one of the lower points in my career. But I think coming back to Australia, kind of resetting, seeing all my teams and my friends back here really helped me. So I’m hoping that with how I’ve put my schedule this year, I can kind of have those moments throughout the season.
“We’ve got a lot of really good venues this year for our major championships. So they’re the events that all of us are obviously trying to strive for. So hopefully I’ve timed that correctly and can have a bit more of a consistent year.”
Like its male counterpart, the event will benefit from the decision by Golf Australia to return the Women’s Australian Open to a stand alone event rather than be played in conjunction with the men’s version, providing focus for an event deserving of a place on its own.
Tee Times Day One
Six Australasians tackle Players Championship
Min Woo Lee – perhaps Australasia’s best chance
This week’s Players Championship at the famed TPC Sawgrass at Ponte Vedra Beach in north west Florida will see five Australians and one New Zealander facing the starter on Thursday morning US time.
The long-held discussion point of whether the event, long touted as a potential 5th major should be included in that category, raised its head again but many players feel it should stay where it is and perhaps a case of ‘if it aint broke don’t fix it’. There is little doubting the respect the event has by bothe players and golf fands generally.
The event typically brings together the strongest in the game, and much of the argument for its addition to golf’s current four majors continues but whether the argument has any legs is up for debate, and if it were to be, then the leading LIV Golf players should be included despite the event being the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
Either way, the six Australasians in this week’s event will compete for the first prize of US$4.5 million from a total purse of US$25 million, with a top ten finish earning US$681,000.
In terms of world ranking, Min Woo Lee heads that list, the West Australian playing the event for the 4th occasion. Lee’s finished 6th on debut in 2023 and has been 54th and 20th in his two appearances since.
Lee has played very well in recent starts, including a runner-up finish at Pebble Beach and a 6th place finish at Bay Hill last week suggesting he is a genuine contender for a high finish this week.
Jason Day is the next highest-ranked Australian in this week’s field, and as a former winner, he deserves respect, but his most recent form, including consecutive missed cuts in his last two starts, is somewhat of a concern.
In 16 starts in this event, Day has the win in 2016 when playing some of the best golf of his career and three other top tens so his record at The TPC Sawgrass is mixed to say the least.
Ryan Fox will play his 4th Players Championship with a best of 20th last year. Fox’s form in his now third season on the PGA Tour in 2026 is trending in the right direction with four solid finishes to date this season and a top ten or better is not beyond the 37 year old.
Adam Scott won this event 22 years ago, but with just three other top-ten finishes in a total of 23 starts, his record has not been that stunning.
The 45-year-old is, however, playing some fine golf in 2026, including a 4th place at Riviera and an 11th place at the Arnold Palmer Championship last week.
Karl Vilips will play his second Players Championship, the US-based West Australian missing the cut on debut last year and coming off the back of two consecutive cuts in 2026, his chances of a good week appear slim.
Cam Davis has slumped in world ranking from a best of 38th 18 months or so ago to a current 179th, with not one top ten in his last twelve months.
Davis will play this event for the 6th occasion, but with four missed cuts in those five previous starts, there is not a lot to get excited about for the Seattle based Sydney golfer.
It is hard to go past Lee as the leading Australasian but the ever-improving Ryan Fox might just spring a surprise.
Tee Times
New Zealand Open caddy clinic again proves popular
Matt Griffin, Steve Williams, and this writer are talking to around 90 caddies who took advantage of another tournament function
Each Tuesday of New Zealand Open week, a function officially known as the Steve Williams Caddy Clinic is held ahead of New Zealand’s national open to bring together a large group of the nearly 300 caddies involved in the event.
With 150 professionals and 150 amateurs, there is a great need for more caddies than is the norm in a professional event, many who would caddy for the first time, and, for others, the gathering of 80 or 90 of them for a BBQ and Drinks allows stories and perhaps a bit of advice ahead of Thursday’s start.
This year, Williams was joined by former New Zealand Open Champion Matt Griffin and myself who was MC for the event as I have been for the past few years, my own background in caddying for the winners of seventeen events worldwide, supporting the incredible background and knowledge Williams has gained in nearly 50 years of caddying for the winners of 151 events including 14 major titles.
In 2025, we invited Australian Anthony Quayle to be the ‘player’ representative, and, as a result, he and Williams became good friends, with Williams caddying for Quayle in several events in Australia and New Zealand in recent months, including when Quayle led the Australian PGA Championship through 54 holes in November.
The function is unique in tournament golf and is yet another innovative idea in an event that has become renowned for them, the unique nature of the New Zealand Open ensuring many caddies are getting their first start at caddying at this level.
This year, Griffin proved to be another popular member of the panel, discussing his views on how to establish the boundaries of a new player-caddy relationship, his great come-from-behind win over Japan’s Hideto Tanihara to win the event in 2016, and his career generally.
Williams was, of course, his entertaining and articulate self, relating several stories from his outstanding career and passing on a few tips on the ‘art’ of caddying.
For those who missed out on a professional bag, I emphasised the need to get to know and connect with their amateur bosses for the week, an amateur playing in the pro-am is typically a very successful businessperson or a celebrity of some sort, and the chance to form a friendship could lead anywhere.
But there were many other ideas exchanged, with several questions from the group responded to by the panel, the hour-long function, which included beers, wine, and a sausage sizzle, once again proving to be quite a success.
Travis Smyth survives epic playoff to win in Auckland
Travis Smyth – survives a six-hole playoff for third professional win – image PGA of Australia
31-year-old Travis Smyth, a professional for nine years, has only won twice in that time until, that is, a 6th hole playoff victory over South Australian Jack Thompson at this week’s ISPS Handa Australasia Championship at Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club will take his standing in the game to a highest ever level.
Not only does the win improve his world ranking to a personal best just outside the top 200, but it earns him full status on the Japan Tour in addition to his already assured PGA Tour of Australasia standing, and now atop the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit for this season, he is likely to secure DP World Tour status for next season courtesy of his standing on the Australasian Tour.
It was, therefore, a great reward for a golfer who has been a regular money earner in Asia and Australasia throughout his career, his recent performances in events such as the New Zealand PGA Championship and the New Zealand Open, where he recorded top five finishes in both, suggesting that a win was close at hand.
To achieve that breakthrough, however, he was forced to survive a final round battle in which as many as ten players could have won the event in the last nine holes.
After beginning the final round three behind the lead of Ryan Peake and in a share of 4th place, Smyth took a while to warm up, but when he did, the birdies flowed, including, very importantly, birdies at the final two holes to draw level with Thomson, who had set the mark with a final round of 64.
The playoff pair finished one ahead of surprise packet, Justin De Los Santos, whose only win as a professional came in a secondary event in Japan seven years ago, but an outward nine of 31 saw him take the lead into the back nine.
But with so many golfers in the hunt, it was likely that he would be passed, and when Thompson finished his round of 64 over an hour before the final group there were still many with a chance.
Smyth’s birdies at the final two holes saw him force the playoff with Thompson, and the pair headed for the first of what would be six playoff holes to decide the champion.
After three times playing the par 5 18th, the hole was repositioned to provide a point of difference, but still the pair could not be separated, and so they headed to the reachable par 4 3rd hole, which also finished close to the clubhouse.
Smyth eventually sealed the deal with a two-putt birdie from 70 feet or so after driving the green, and when Thompson was unable to hole a 12-foot putt, it was all over.
Smyth now has an embarrassment of choices for his playing future, likely DP World Tour status, Japan Tour status, and his current Australasian and Asian Tour standing, a problem he is no doubt delighted to have.
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Honours shared through 36 holes at ISPS Handa event in Auckland
Kohei Okada – shares haflway lead at the inaugural event – image PGA of Australia
The halfway stage of the inaugural ISPS Japan / Australasia Championship at the Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club in New Zealand sees one of the Japanese golfers in the event, jointly sanctioned between the Japan and Australasian Tours, Kohei Okada, and 37-year-old NSW golfer, Jay Mackenzie, sharing the lead at 9 under.
The pair lead by one over former New Zealand Open winner, Ryan Peake, New Zealand’s Nick Voke, and another Japanese golfer, Taichi Nabetani.
Okada has yet to win on the Japan Golf Tour, but he has produced several top ten finishes in flagship events on that tour, including when 5th at last November’s Dunlop Phoenix and a 4th place at the 2025 Crowns tournament, both events considered amongst the most prestigious in Japanese men’s golf.
Mackenzie won the WA PGA in 2022 and finished runner-up in that same event, three months ago, and a 10th place finish in a much stronger field in Queenstown last week suggested his game was in reasonable shape.
The round of the day came from West Australian, Curtis Luck, who followed his disastrous opening round of 77 with a course record 64 to finish one inside the cutline and get his chance over the weekend.
The cut fell at 2 under par with 64 golfers making it through to the weekend in the A1.2 million dollar event with crucial Order of Merit points up for grabs as the 2025/2026 PGA Tour of Australasia season draws to a close.
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The rise and rise of Daniel Hillier
Daniel Hillier every reason to smile – image NZ Open
On a cold and windy day near Arrowtown, 27-year-old Daniel Hillier became just the fourth New Zealander in the last 26 years to claim their own national open golf championship with a two-shot win over Australian Lucas Herbert at the Millbrook Resort.
Beginning the final day one shot ahead of New Zealand’s Kerry Mountcastle and Australian Curtis Luck, Hillier was joined in the lead by Mountcastle when he birdied the 3rd hole, but by the turn, Hillier had re-established control with an outward nine of 34 to lead by three over Lucas Herbert and by four over Mountcastle.
Even a 3-putt bogey at the short par 3 10th was not enough to stop Hillier’s march to a victory in his own national open, especially when consecutive birdies at the 11th and 12th holes established a three-shot lead over Herbert who was beginning to emerge as Hillier’s greatest threat.
A birdie by Herbert at the 17th reduced the margin to just two, but when Hillier’s drive at the 17th was close to 350 metres, leaving just a 9 iron for his second, the resultant two-putt birdie had him ahead by two playing the last.
He found the green at the short but dangerous par 3 amidst thousands of people and safely two-putted for par and the two-shot win, with Herbert alone in second place three ahead of Mountcastle and the leading Japanese player this week, Tomoyo Ikemura, whose three late birdies swept him into a share of 3rd place with Mountcastle.
The title of New Zealand Open Champion was Hillier’s but Herbert achieved much of what he came to Queenstown for by snaring a start at this year’s Open Championship by being the leading player not otherwise exempt for Royal Birkdale.
Attendance at this year’s New Zealand Open was as good as this writer has seen in many years, especially on Saturday, where fine weather and warm temperatures attracted record crowds to this outstanding golf resort.
Today’s weather was damp and cold early in the day, but by early afternoon the rain had cleared and although the gusty winds and cool temperatures remained, conditions were good enough for the crowds to stay and witness the win by one of golf’s emerging stars, Daniel Hillier.
“It’s the second-best day of my life behind my wedding last week,” Hillier said after calmly making a par on the last in front of a passionate home crowd that ringed the par-3.
“I think this is going to be one of the best days of my life forever.
“I don’t know what number New Zealand Open this is for me, but ever since I started playing it, it was the one I wanted to get. I’m so stoked I managed to do it today.
“Everything that came out afterwards was just pure emotion.”
Herbert, who is now experiencing so much success on the LIV Golf Tour, was delighted to be on his way to the Open Championship, given his current involvement in Liv Golf would make it hard to otherwise get to play the major championship, and he was happy for the man who cost him the title.
“I thought it was a nice thing to look out there and see Dan a week into marriage winning his national open,” he said.
“I don’t know life gets much better than that for him at the minute. Yeah, there’s a part of it that smiles at that.”
Herbert’s reward for second includes a start at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale as the leading player not already exempt for the year’s final major.
“There’s a lot of positives to take out of today,” the Victorian said. “I was 3-over through three on Thursday, and I only made two bogeys for the rest of the week. I’m pretty proud of that and the way I was able to fight back and get myself a ticket to Birkdale.”
The 2026 New Zealand Open experienced a mixture of weather throughout the week but the final outcome warmed the hearts of New Zealand golf fans, now fully recognising that Wellingtonian Hillier is emerging as a world-class player capable of winning even more significant events than his own national open, despite the importance to his career of claiming such a prestigious and historic title.
Hillier will move close to the top 80 in the world after beginning the year outside the top 140.
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New Zealand Open continues its innovative ways
The Landing – sure to be a popular spot throughout the week
Continually pursuing a point of difference for its highly popular PGA Tour of Australasia event, the New Zealand Open has further enhanced its innovative approach by improving, even further, spectator viewing at the Millbrook Resort near Arrowtown.
Introduced for this year’s event, The Landing surrounds much of tee at the par 3 18th, providing up close and personal views of play over not only the tournament’s demanding finishing hole, but over two other holes in close proximity (the 8th and 17th) and is likely to prove a very popular viewing and watering platform, not only for this year’s event, but for the years ahead.
Standing or sitting in the roomy spaces of the purpose-built facility, there is a feeling of being very much on top of the action, almost looking straight down on play at the relatively short but potentially dangerous tee shot at the 18th.
Catering is also part of the package for those prepared to pay the $350 for admission to The Landing, but considering that beverages and food are provided, along with stunning visual access to competitive golf, there are already many keen to take advantage in its very first year of operation.
The view of the 18th from the Landing
The green surrounds at the par 5 17th from The Landing
New Zealand Open Guide
Austen Truslow holds off teenager Cooper Moore to claim NZPGA Championship
Austen Truslow (right) and Cooper Moore (runner-up and leading amateur) image PGA of Australia
Today’s win at the Quinovic New Zealand PGA Championship by the 30-year-old American Austen Truslow highlights an often-held misconception about the success or otherwise of Americans on links layouts and in windy conditions.
Not sure how many times I have heard it said that Americans struggle in windy conditions and on links layouts, but I wouldn’t mind a dollar for every time I have heard the comment.
One look at the number of Americans who have won the Open Championship over the last 65 years, however, tells the story of their ability to handle such conditions more than they are given credit for, and today’s success by a Floridian further confirms my thoughts.
That Truslow’s fellow American, M.J. McGuire, played his last eight holes in 5 under on a golf course where only two people broke par over 72 holes to grab 3rd place outright adds further to this thought
Admittedly, Truslow was facing a field perhaps below the strength of a typical PGA Tour of Australasia event, but the manner in which he handled the demanding Paraparaumu Beach layout in contrasting conditions each day tells the story of perhaps a much better golfer than his career to date would suggest.
A very well credentialed junior, Truslow has battled on mini tours, secondary tours in the US and on the Asian Tour without any real success as such, but the calm manner and quality shot making, especially after coming under early pressure from 17-year-old New Zealander Cooper Moore in today’s final round, suggests there could be a lot more to come.
Truslow would eventually win by 3, but it hardly reflects the battle he faced early in his round when he appeared to lose his way over the first few holes, relinquishing his three-shot overnight lead to Moore before taking a one-shot lead at the turn and then extending to lead by four with one hole to play.
Moore would birdie the final two holes to post a very impressive performance and further enhance his reputation as New Zealand’s brightest prospect, the current Australian Junior Champion and former New Zealand Amateur Champion, displaying golfing skills well beyond his teenage years.
Moore burst out of the blocks early today with birdies at the 3rd and 4th to take the lead, and although he would eventually finish 3 shots from the winner, he gave clear evidence that the regard in which he is held is totally justified.
The tournament rekindled the appeal of one of New Zealand’s finest golfing layouts, Paraparaumu Beach and reminded us all of what a great treasure it is in New Zealand golf and one that has avoided the limelight in more recent times. Now that it has been exposed in the manner it has this week, then it may well open opportunities for it to return to its heyday when host of so many of New Zealand’s leading tournaments.
The PGA Tour of Australasia now heads south to the New Zealand Open, an event jointly sanctioned between the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Asian Tour, with a further relationship of sorts with the Japan Tour.
Austen Truslow will face a significantly stronger field at Millbrook Resort than was the case this week, but the confidence he will have gained by winning, and winning in the manner he did, augurs well for another good week in one of the world’s oldest national opens.
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Adam Scott continues love affair with Riviera Country Club
Scott, who has a self-confessed love affair with the park-like layout in suburban Los Angeles, began his round with an eagle at the par five 1st after his second from 190 yards finished less than two feet from the hole. The roll continued, and by the time he reached the 14th tee, he was 9 under for the day, and the course record of 62 appeared very much in jeopardy.
Scott kept the momentum going with fine par saves at the 15th and 16th holes but poor drives at the 17th and 18th would eventually cost him a shot, and at 9 unde,r he sits in a share of 4th place and three shots from the lead held by PGA Tour rookie, Marco Penge, and Jacob Bridgeman.
Scott has won at Riviera Country Club on two previous occasions, though one of those victories was over just 36 holes at his first appearance in 2005. He has been runner-up twice, so the comfort zone with the historic layout is clear.
“I have a slight sour taste after coming off the last there, but it’s probably my best,” said Scott when asked if this was his best round at Riviera. “I mean, I actually couldn’t really believe it through 13, I think I was 9. I don’t even imagine that going out there.
“I’m lucky to be here this week on an invite, obviously. It’s my favourite stop on Tour of the year, so I want to make the most of it. I’ve been feeling like I’ve had a lot of good golf since last summer and got absolutely no results, thanks to, like, average putting, I would say.
“The standard’s incredibly high out here week in and week out, and average putting just isn’t going to get it done. So nice to see myself kind of up on the first page of a leaderboard, and hopefully I can play a couple more good rounds and be in the hunt here. It would be pretty awesome to get a victory here again.”
Min Woo Lee added to Australian interests for the weekend when he produced a round of 65 to be at 8 under, one behind Scott and four off the lead. He too would bogey the last but it continues some good early season for the West Australian.
“I guess stressless golf,” said Lee. “Been pretty confident with my game and yeah, everything’s working quite nicely. There are some tough holes out there but I managed to play them really good. Yeah, got off to a hot start this morning when I came back from the restart. Yeah, I mean, everything’s just clicking, which is really nice. The game was always kind of trending, but yeah, it’s nice to see an end result.”
Ryan Fox is two shots behind Lee in a share of 12th, his highlight coming when holing a bunker shot for eagle at the driveable 10th.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was forced to make a ten-foot par-saving putt at the last to make it to the final 36 holes, recovering from a slow start on Thursday with a round of 68 to keep his great streak of cuts made alive.
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