The return of tournament golf to one of New Zealand’s finest golfing layouts is the feature of this week’s New Zealand PGA Championship at Paraparaumu Links in the Kapiti region, just north of Wellington.

The New Zealand PGA Championship is being staged at the venue for just the second occasion after being first played there in 1959.

Designed by a former Australian Open Champion and a one-time design partner of Alistair McKenzie, Alex Russell, the course received the plaudits of one of the greatest links specialists, Peter Thomson, who won one of his nine New Zealand Opens there in 1959 and had this to say.

“I loved it instantly. We had nothing like it in Australia, which must have struck Alex Russell, who did the layout. Course designing approaches an art form, especially done in a perfect modelling form like volcanic sand. Russell must have been ecstatic. What was left after his departure was a gem of enjoyment, a monument to the game and a gift to the future.”

Since its creation in 1949, Paraparaumu Beach was, for many years, considered New Zealand’s only truly international class facility and even now, after the arrival of courses such as Wairakei International, Millbrook Resort, Jack’s Point, Cape Kidnappers, Tara Iti, Ti Arai and others, Paraparaumu is still considered an outstanding example of links golf and one of New Zealand’s best.

The venue staged numerous New Zealand Opens between 1959 and 2002, with some of the game’s greatest names successful, including Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Sir Bob Charles and Corey Pavin.

Michael Campbell won his only New Zealand Open at Paraparaumu Beach in 2000, five years before his sensational US Open victory at Pinehurst # 2, and in 2002, Tiger Woods competed there.

The New Zealand PGA Championship, is a lesser event in terms of prizemoney on the PGA Tour of Australasia, but it comes with a great heritage. Coming a week before the New Zealand Open at Millbrook, many of the field this week will get to play this iconic feature of New Zealand golf for the first occasion and most will leave with a love for one of the southern hemisphere’s finest examples of links golf.

Min Woo Lee – file image courtesy of USGA

Min Woo Lee’s impressive share of 2^nd place in this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am will see the West Australian improve from 52^nd to 31^st in the revised world ranking, and while still short of his previous best of 22^nd, he moves ahead of Jason Day (now 34^th)as the leading Australasian in the rankings.

Lee’s final round of 65 on a windswept Pebble Beach Links course saw him move into a share of the lead with the eventual winner, Collin Morikawa, when he had finished his round after his two-putt birdie at the last completed his 9-under-par effort on day four.

Lee was forced to wait 45 minutes or so for Morikawa to birdie the last and finish one ahead, but Lee’s effort in the lucrative event secures a cheque for US$1,760 for his share of second place, and an improvement to 10^th on the FedEx Cup points table.

“Yeah, great week,” said a happy Lee. “Obviously, just shy of making the playoff but I gave it my all. I think I’m very proud of the way I handled myself today. Played a lot of good golf, which is nice, and have been trending. So it’s been good, and hopefully we can keep the form going.

“I don’t know what that result gets me in, but hopefully I can make it into other Signature Events. Fell short just by a little bit last year, not making the top-50. But when we get these opportunities, we try to play our best, and I’m glad I did.”

When asked the key to staying in the hunt in today’s final round, Lee responded;

“Just not getting ahead of myself. It’s so cliché, but I think my abilities got me past that little hump. There are times when you think a little bit too ahead and are a little result-oriented. Don’t focus on the process. I think I did a good job of that today. Just executed, which is great. There’s a couple of shots there that were very tricky, and I did my best. Very happy.”

Lee shared second place with Sepp Straka, who eagled the last to steal US$400,000 from Lee’s prizemoney return, but it was clear that Lee felt no regrets about running second in the first Signature event of the season.

In winning the event Morikawa posted his first PGA Tour victory in 28 months and jumps from 19^th to 5^th in the world ranking after a drought of sorts.

“I think it was more just believing and knowing why I’m here,” said the winner.

“I think I’ve been trying to make golf so perfect, trying to hit these shots and trying to make these putts in a certain way that maybe others are doing it that you forget how to play the game of golf.

“And I’ve gone so far away from that, that creativity that I think the last two days I went to go play golf. I caught myself today, even after the bogey on 5, I was like, man, I love being in this position. Like I hadn’t felt that in such a long time. And you feel that in the team events, you feel that here and there, but I just told myself like, man, like it just felt so good to be in that position.”

Jason Day and Ryan Fox, the only other Australasians in the field, tied for 24^th at 14 under par and 8 shots from Morikawa.

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Min Woo Lee – file photo – in the firing line in the US$20 million event

Min Woo Lee has produced a second round of 65 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am, his second round of 7 under 65 at Pebble Beach Links improving him 14 positions from his opening round of 67 at Spyglass Hill to share 5^th place at 12 under and three from the halfway lead set by Akshay Bhatia and the ever-improving Ryo Hisatsune.

Lee’s round was highlighted by an eagle at his 11^th hole (the par 5 2^nd at Pebble Beach after a 6 iron second from 210 yards finished 5 feet from the hole.

Lee is playing the event for the third occasion, having a best of 17^th in 2025 as his best to date.

“New driver in the bag, new putter in the bag and they were all cooperating,” said Lee. “I putted really well, which is a big thing I needed to improve. Yeah, I think it was one of the best strokes gained putting rounds I’ve had in a long time. So that and driving it was really good.

“It’s getting closer. I feel like the last two tournaments I played really well but didn’t have the four rounds all together. So yes, it’s slowly getting better as the weeks go on and hopefully I can put four good rounds together.”

Ryan Fox played with Rory McIlroy over the first 36 holes and recorded a second round of 64 to be in a share of 26^th place and seven shots off the lead.

Fox was bogey-free in his round at Pebble Beach, outplaying the world number two by three shots in round two of his debut in this event.

Jason Day, who regularly performs well at Pebble Beach, is well off the pace at 6 under but gets his chance in an event that has no cut to make progress over the closing 36 holes.

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Elvis Smylie and Cam Smith enjoying their Tuesday Media appearance

LIV Golf returns to Australia this week with the 4^th staging of the LIV Golf Adelaide event at the Grange Golf Club, where the Australian Ripper GC team not only takes the role as the sentimental favourites but arguably the favourites to win the title.

Off the back of Elvis Smylie’s impressive debut win in Riyadh just five days ago, Smylie, Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert will look to ride the momentum of their team win in Riyadh, along with the local support, to challenge again for yet another team title, having won so convincingly just a few days ago.

To date, the Ripper side or any of their individuals have recorded only one podium finish in either competition in the three previous stagings of the event in Adelaide, but there is every indication that might improve this week. Cam Smith finished 3rd in the individual 2023, and the Ripper Team won in 2024.

The Rippers’ captain, Cam Smith, perhaps summed up the feelings of all when facing the press on Tuesday.

“Yeah, I mean, I think we all just can’t wait to get started. I think this is our biggest week of the year, particularly for us.

“It feels like it’s the league’s biggest event. Feels like everyone wants to play well here. Excited to get the week started.

“I think it’s our biggest week. It’s the team’s biggest week. We all have so many commitments this week.

“It’s draining, but it’s what we expect. We know that we have to deal with it. We’ve been here plenty of times before now. It is Elvis’s first time around, and I feel like the last couple of years, especially, we’ve done a better job of managing the commitments and the outside stuff, so we’re ready to play on Thursday.

“We’re all prepped for it. We’re playing great golf. We’re all playing confidently. It’s nice for Elvis to come out here and immediately shine like he did last week.”

Smylie appeared very much at home in his role as the team’s hottest player at present and is excited by what lies ahead in front of home fans, but, in his usual style, is keeping a lid on things.

“I think the important thing for me personally, and I think from the team’s perspective, is just not get too complacent with what we achieved last week, which was something significant.

“I think we now want to look forward and look for the next mountain to climb, and I think the next mountain is climbing Adelaide, and achieving the team win at home would be incredibly special. I think we’ve got a really good shot. We’re all in great form, and the course is in great condition, and we’re all feeling really confident.

“I think the one thing that I’ve appreciated that I continued to see throughout last week is that I feel like I’ve gained the respect of each player on the tour, which is something that means quite a lot to me. Going into a new environment, you don’t really know what to expect, so you want to feel like you’re well-respected by your competitors, and that’s something that meant a lot to me.”

With the introduction of world rankings or LIV Golf events last week for the first time, Smylie made a huge jump in world rankings last week from 134^th to now 77^th, and the prospect of another win moving him close to the top 50 in the world is clearly at the forefront of his thinking, especially given the benefit a place in the top 50 provides.

“Yeah, definitely top 50 in the world means that you get in all four majors, which I’m very close to achieving, so it’s great that we do get recognition, as Cam says. At the end of the day, good golf takes care of itself, and yeah, try and win a few more times.

“Ultimately, the Masters is something that’s on my mind now. That’s a conversation that I can start to have, and that is fuel to the fire for me. Let’s see what happens these next few weeks.”

The event begins on Thursday and, for the first time in Adelaide, will be played over 72 holes.

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