Lydia Ko – wins 20th LPGA Tour title – image Getty Images
Lydia Ko has completed a unique trifecta for New Zealand golfers this weekend by closing out the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona in Orlando Florida, winning the opening event of the LPGA Tour season by two shots over Alexa Pano.
The victory comes on top of Steve Alker’s eighth PGA Tour Champions win in Hawaii yesterday and the victory by Kazuma Kobori in a PGA Tour of Australasia event also over the weekend.
Ko, who led into the final round by two, opened up a five-shot lead midway through the final nine but a strong finish by Pano closed the gap to just two.
For Ko, who resides at the Lake Nona estate, it is her 20th LPGA Tour victory since, and including, her win at the Canadian Women’s Open as an amateur in 2012 and takes her earnings on the LPGA Tour beyond US$17 million.
Ko, who also won her opening event of 2023 when successful in Saudi Arabia before her form deserted her for much of the year, appears back close to her best following a lot of work with her new Korean coach and a confidence-boosting win when pairing with Jason Day at the Grant Thorn Invitation in December.
Ko was asked her thoughts on her form turnaround after such a disappointing season for much of 2023
“I think the finish that I had last year, not only winning Grant Thornton but I played really well in Korea and in Malaysia,” said the 26 year old. “Maybe if I had found the keys that I found then a little earlier, maybe I could have had a better season.
“I think if you keep going down a spiral of thinking like what if, it’s endless. I worked hard in the two weeks leading up to this event. To win at home has been nice.
There were definitely nerves, but a little less just because it is my home course. To see so many of the members come out and clap and cheer me on, I think that was the best part of this week.
“I won last year my first event and kind of went sideways very quickly, so to not get too cocky. I’m playing next week in Bradenton and that’s a new golf course for me. I’m excited to go out there.
“It’s a short turnover, but maybe I can take all the goods from this week and take it to next week. Florida has been great to me so hopefully another good week next week.”
Grace Kim was the only Australian in the field and finished 29th in the 35-player field.
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Interesting Australasian mix at Torrey Pines
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox makes PGA Tour debut as cardholder
Four Australians and one New Zealander play this week’s Farmers Insurance Open over both the North and South Courses at the famed Torrey Pines near San Diego, one of whom has an outstanding record at the venue.
In his last eleven starts in this event, Jason Day has recorded two victories, a runner-up finish and four other top tens and given his return to some of the form that has seen him as one of the game’s leading players over the last ten years then there is no reason why he can’t parlay that into another good finish at Torrey Pines.
Day finished only midfield last week at the American Express but he was 10th at the opening event of the season on Maui and did win a teams event with Lydia Ko late last year. It will be interesting to see if Day can use his great memories over this layout to continue his return to the elite of the game.
Joining Day in the field is Min Woo Lee who gets to play his second PGA Tour event as a cardholder after an impressive debut when 21st last week at the American Express. He plays Torrey Pines for the first time but his length, especially over the South Course of the two layouts used early in the week should assist.
Aaron Baddeley has missed five of his last seven cuts at Torrey Pines and another missed cut last week does not help his cause here.
Harrison Endycott missed the cut on debut here last year but now has his full PGA Tour status back and after a solid finish at the American Express last week and a year to get acclimatised to the PGA Tour he should be the better for it.
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox gets his first start as a cardholder on the PGA Tour after being one of the ten DP World Tour players to gain such status as a result of his efforts on the European Tour last year.
Fox will debut in this event and has made a quick turnaround from his Sunday finish in Dubai to this now Wednesday start.
Leaderboard
Lydia Ko completes New Zealand trifecta in Orlando
Lydia Ko – wins 20th LPGA Tour title – image Getty Images
Lydia Ko has completed a unique trifecta for New Zealand golfers this weekend by closing out the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona in Orlando Florida, winning the opening event of the LPGA Tour season by two shots over Alexa Pano.
The victory comes on top of Steve Alker’s eighth PGA Tour Champions win in Hawaii yesterday and the victory by Kazuma Kobori in a PGA Tour of Australasia event also over the weekend.
Ko, who led into the final round by two, opened up a five-shot lead midway through the final nine but a strong finish by Pano closed the gap to just two.
For Ko, who resides at the Lake Nona estate, it is her 20th LPGA Tour victory since, and including, her win at the Canadian Women’s Open as an amateur in 2012 and takes her earnings on the LPGA Tour beyond US$17 million.
Ko, who also won her opening event of 2023 when successful in Saudi Arabia before her form deserted her for much of the year, appears back close to her best following a lot of work with her new Korean coach and a confidence-boosting win when pairing with Jason Day at the Grant Thorn Invitation in December.
Ko was asked her thoughts on her form turnaround after such a disappointing season for much of 2023
“I think the finish that I had last year, not only winning Grant Thornton but I played really well in Korea and in Malaysia,” said the 26 year old. “Maybe if I had found the keys that I found then a little earlier, maybe I could have had a better season.
“I think if you keep going down a spiral of thinking like what if, it’s endless. I worked hard in the two weeks leading up to this event. To win at home has been nice.
There were definitely nerves, but a little less just because it is my home course. To see so many of the members come out and clap and cheer me on, I think that was the best part of this week.
“I won last year my first event and kind of went sideways very quickly, so to not get too cocky. I’m playing next week in Bradenton and that’s a new golf course for me. I’m excited to go out there.
“It’s a short turnover, but maybe I can take all the goods from this week and take it to next week. Florida has been great to me so hopefully another good week next week.”
Grace Kim was the only Australian in the field and finished 29th in the 35-player field.
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Kobori adds to New Zealand success with first win as professional
Kazuma Kobori – image Australian Golf Media
Kazuma Kobori’s amazing twelve months of golf continued today when he claimed his first title as a professional with a two-shot victory at the Webex Player Series event at Cobram Barooga on the Murray River.
Just a few hours after fellow New Zealander Steve Alker claimed the opening event of the 2024 PGA Tour Champions season in Hawaii and perhaps twelve hours ahead of the possibility of another victory by New Zealander when Lydia Ko leads into the final round of the LPGA tour event in Florda, Kobori won his second professional event but his first in the paid ranks.
That first win came of course at the New Zealand PGA Championship as an amateur in 2017 in Christchurch but, in 2023, Kobori’s career came alive with wins at the Australian Amateur Championship, the Western Open in Illinois, the Individual title at the Eisenhower Trophy and on top of this he led the qualifiers in April for the PGA Tour of Australasia on which he is now competing.
Kobori led by three into today’s final round and although challenged on occasions by several players including his sister Momoka he was never caught or headed and eventually led by two playing the last before a 12 foot par saving putt there saw him win by two over female Shannon Tan in this mixed gender event, Tan’s final round of 65 setting the mark in the clubhouse 20 minutes ahead of Kobori.
Kobori earns $45,000 and will jump inside the top ten on the current PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.
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Steve Alker begins potentially great day for New Zealand golf
New Zealand’s Steve Alker has picked up where he left off in 2023 with a resounding win at the opening event of the 2024 PGA Tour Champions season in Hawaii.
Just over two months after winning the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November, Alker today won the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii by four over Harrison Frazar with another shot back to the 2023 Charles Schwab Cup winner Steve Stricker.
“I mean, obviously today, you know, I got it done on the putting green for sure,” said Alker. “I made some nice putts. I knew Stricker and Harrison were going to come at me, so just kept the pedal to the metal.
“I knew I had to be aggressive, stayed aggressive and just that mindset, just keep committing
to my shots.”
When asked about his phenomenal run since turning 50 Alker responded; “You know, I think it’s just all about giving yourself chances to win. I think that’s what Langer does so well and Stricker does so well, they’re just in the hunt so often and giving themselves chances.
“Eventually you play well enough and get in the groove and you make a few putts and you’re going to get some victories. Yeah, that’s been key, just give yourself a chance. No. 8 starting the year, it’s a good feeling to win it here at Hualalai.”
The victory sets up a potentially red letter day for New Zealand golf with Kazuma Kobori, his sister Momoka and Mike Hendry contending in the combined gender Webex Series event at Murray River and Lydia Ko two ahead heading into the final round of the opening event of the LPGA Tour season in Florida.
Alker’s 54-hole total of 191 equals the lowest score in the history of this event, Loren Roberts producing a similar effort in 2006.
Alker adds another US$340,000 to his already US$7,297,000 already earned in his 2½ year PGA Tour Champions career and has him again on track for Charles Schwab honours later in the year.
Alker’s win follows two runner-up finishes in the event and is his 8th victory on the PGA Tour Champions since first joining in August of 2021.
New Zealand golf fans will get the chance to see Alker play the New Zealand Open in five weeks.
Mark Hensby was 12th and Rod Pampling 30th in the 42-man field
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Six Australians earn Asian Tour cards for 2024
Justin Warren – file photo Bruce Young
Six Australians have earned playing rights for the increasingly lucrative 2024 Asian Tour following the completion of 90 holes of Final Stage Qualifying in Thailand today.
Justin Warren 3rd, Sam Brazel 16th, Maverick Antcliff 17th, Jordan Zunic 23rd, Harrison Crowe 27th and Lachlan Barker 30th, all finished inside the top 35 and have earned their Asian Tour cards for the first event in Malaysia in mid-February.
Warren, from Picton in NSW, produced an excellent final three rounds in the 90-hole event after a remarkably slow start to the week where he was in a share of 61st position after 36 holes. His 3rd round of 62 however moved to 14th and two solid final rounds earned him the 3rd placed card.
Brazel returns to the Asian Tour having been a regular there in recent years, a win at the Hong Kong Open in 2016 the highlight of the Lismore golfer’s career to date.
Antcliff played collegiate golf in the US after spending time at the Hills International School in Jimboomba in Queensland before then winning several events in China and making it to the European Tour in 2020. He lost his status there late in 2022 and has played mainly on the Australasian Tour since.
Jordan Zunic is a former New Zealand Open winner, Harrison Crowe, a winner of both the NSW Open and the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and Barker won the PNG Open on the Australasian Tour last year.
New Zealander, Nick Voke, agonisingly missed out after a four-way playoff for the one final spot
The first event the successful players are likely eligible for is the Malaysian Open in mid-February followed by the New Zealand Open in early March, an event jointly sanctioned with the Asian Tour.
One or two may also get a start in the International Series event in Oman in late February.
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Martin and Kelly lead at Murray River
Andrew Kelly – image Australian Golf Media
The first event in the Webex Player Series for 2024 has reached its halfway point, the Webex Murray River event tied at the top with Victorians Andrew Kelly and Andrew Martin ahead by one over New Zealanders Kazuma Kobori and Mike Hendry and Japan’s Kotona Fukaya.
Another shot back are Austin Bautista, the seemingly now ever-present Jak Carter and the aforementioned Kobori’s sister Momoka in the event where women and men are matched against each other.
Victoria’s Kelly has come off two consecutive missed cuts and has yet to win on the PGA Tour of Australasia but his second round of 63 was the equal best of the week to date, while former Australian Amateur Champion Martin’s form has not been a lot better of late.
The pair have however a chance to boost their ranking on the Australasian Tour with a big weekend but they have a congested leaderboard behind them in the $250,000 event.
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Croker and Shinchi Australian Amateur Champions
Queensland’s Quinnton Croker and Japan’s Mamika Shinchi are the Australian Amateur Champions following the completion of their respective championships at the Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne today.
Croker, from the Royal Queensland Golf Club, has been in outstanding form in a series of professional events over the past six months or so, including when runner-up to Matt Griffin at last week’s Heritage Classic. This week he overcame a slow start to the 72-hole strokeplay event on Tuesday and would eventually win by five over last week’s Australian Master of the Amateurs Champion and recent Queensland PGA Champion, Phoenix Campbell.
Another shot back in 3rd place was local golfer Abel Eduard.
In the Women’s event, Shinchi began the final round six shots behind the 54-hole leader and local golfer Amelia Harris but a brilliant stretch of eight birdies in her final 11 holes for a best-of-the-week 66 was enough to get her home by two over Harris.
Shinchi had made up all but one of the six shot deficit through 9 holes and although the 15 year old Harris birdied her final three holes it was a case of too little too late after what had been an outstanding tournament for Yarra Yarra golfer Harris to that point.
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Australian Amateur Championship reaches halfway point
The Australian Amateur Championship men’s and women’s trophies – image Australian Golf Media
Inclement weather and conditions delayed play for more than two hours on day two of the Australian Amateur Championships at the Yarra Yarra and Keysborough Golf Clubs in Melbourne but by day’s end things were back on schedule and a cut made to allow both the men’s and women’s fields to return to Yarra Yarra Golf Club for the final 36 holes.
Overnight leader in the men’s division Kai Komulainen of the Emerald Lakes Golf Club on the Gold Coast lost his lead to New Zealand’s Micthell Kale whose second consecutive round of 67 has him two ahead of Komulainen with another shot back to standout Queensland amateur Quinnton Croker and American Noah Kent.
Perhaps unfortunately now being played as yet another 72 hole strokeplay event, the tournament has lost some of the gloss of yesteryear when match play prevailed but, for the winner on Friday, the title of Australian Amateur Champions will still hold a tremendous significance.
Kale, who was actually born in Queensland but who moved to New Zealand at the age of 12, has not dropped a shot in either of his two rounds at both Yarra Yarra and Keysborough and the runner-up in the 2022 New Zealand Amateur Championship to recent Asia Pacific Amateur Champion Jasper Stubbs has staked his claim to being the second New Zealander in succession to win the event following the victory by Kazuma Kobori last year.
The women’s field is jointly led by 15-year-old Amelia Harris who will have the benefit of a home ground advantage of the final 36 holes at her Yarra Yarra Golf Club, sharing the lead with Japan’s Aina Fujimoto.
South Australia’s Amelia Whinney is one shot back and alone in 3rd place.
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Large number of Australasians chasing Asian Tour status
Harrison Crowe chasing important status in Asia – image Golf NSW
The Asian Tour stages the Final Stage of qualifying for its 2024 schedule at the Springfield Royal Country Club and Lake View Resort and Golf Club in Hua Him Thailand, the field facing 90 holes before the leading 35 players earn their way onto the increasingly lucrative tour.
After 36 holes, the field will be reduced to the top 140 from the original 200 or so, following which the leading 70 players after 72 holes will advance to the final 18.
Springfield Royal and Lake View will be used for the first four days while Springfield Royal will stage the all-important final round.
Such is the increasing popularity of the Asian Tour that a field of over 200 have made it to the Final Stage as they chase the right to play the 23 event schedule beginning in Saudi Arabia in early February.
Australian and New Zealand golfers are well represented in the field with 18 Australians and four New Zealanders about to tee it up.
Former NSW Open and Asia Pacific Amateur Champion, Harrison Crowe, former New Zealand Open winner Jordan Zunic and the 2016 Hong Kong Open champion, Sam Brazel, are amongst the leading Australians, while Nick Voke and Denzel Ieremia feature amongst the more highly rated New Zealanders.
TEE TIMES
Matt Griffin claims first title in eight years
Matt Griffin – image Australian Golf Media
40-year-old Melbournian Matt Griffin has won his first tournament in almost eight years with a wire-to-wire victory in the Heritage Classic at the Heritage Golf and Country Club in Victoria, recording a six-shot win over South Australian Jak Carter and Queensland amateur Quintonn Croker in the first PGA Tour of Australasia event of 2024.
Griffin, who has been a professional since 2008 after representing Australia in the Eisenhower Trophy, saw his five-shot overnight lead reduced to two through four holes, and in fact, when Carter made eagle at that same hole the margin was briefly just one.
Griffin however would birdie the next and by the time he added three more birdies by the 14th the already foregone conclusion became even more so.
Griffin, who is the father of two, has struggled to reach the heights of his early career (which saw him win several significant titles) in recent times was such a dominant performer this week, that it now appears some of that previous mojo is returning.
He is a former winner of the Vic and New Zealand Open titles, amongst others, the latter of those coming in 2016 when he birdied the last to overtake Japan star Hideto Tanihara to win his most significant event.
It was 30-year-old Carter’s 5th top ten on the Australasian Tour since gaining his playing rights at the 2023 PGA Tour of Australasian Q School and he is performing as if his breakthrough win is not far away.
Croker an amateur from the Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane produced his 4th top ten in a PGA Tour of Australasia event in his last five starts.
Sydney’s Kevin Yuan finished alone in 4th place, the former Liv Golf player, bouncing back from nine missed cuts in his last ten starts to record a finish more in keeping with his abilities.
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