Min Woo Lee and trophy – photo Paul Lakatos / Asian Tour
Macau, October 15: Australia’s Min Woo Lee recorded an exceptional two-shot wire-to-wire victory in the US$1 million SJM Macao Open today, for his first title in two years.
The tournament’s marquee player, ranked 46 in the world, hit crushing drives and holed putt after putt to card an eight-under-par 63 for an astonishing four-round aggregate of 30-under – a new tournament record and two short of the Asian Tour record, although preferred lies were played on the first two days.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin also fired a 63, like Lee bogey-free, and finished second after a fascinating final day dual between the big-hitting Australian and the tenacious little Thai golfer, hoping to replicate one of his giant-killing acts of the past.
Lee started the day with a two-shot lead over Poom and the margin was the same at the turn after both players pulled away from the field playing brilliant golf with four birdies apiece.
The turning point proved to be the par-five 13th, where Lee opened up a four-stroke cushion after he made an eagle, for the second day in row, against Poom’s par.
A wild drive a long way left on the short par-four 15th by Lee gave Poom a glimmer of hope, but his ball stayed away from trouble. He had a clear shot to the green and was able to avert disaster and make a comfortable par.
Predictably Poom refused to submit and made birdies on the next two holes to close the gap the to two before they both made four on the par-five 18th.
“I love it,” said 25-year-old Lee, who opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 65.
“As soon as the week started I had a couple of days rest because of the typhoon, and the course was looking amazing from the beginning. Obviously, it was pretty bad for a couple of days there, so it was props to the green keepers for keeping the course in such good condition.
“And yeah, I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes, there was only a few holes that I could really look back on. But yeah, I’m really proud of the way I handled myself.”
Lee’s score smashed the event’s previous lowest winning total of 20 under, set by Australian Scott Hend in 2015 and was just two short of the Asian Tour record, which Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat set at the SAIL Open in 2009, at the Classic Golf and Country Club in India, when he finished 32-under-par.
Said Lee, who only had two bogeys all week and earned a cheque for US$180,000: “Poom played unbelievable today, he’s a bad mofo! He never left, he just stayed around. I tried my best and ended up on top, but he was giving it to me for the whole time.”
It is his first victory since claiming the Scottish Open in July of 2021 and while he was winning in Macau, his sister and two-time Major winner Minjee Lee tied for 12th in the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
For Poom it was yet another fine performance coming off the back of his success in the Yeangder TPC last month and a joint third placing in last week’s International Series Singapore.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to putt like this again,” said Poom, whose win at the Yeangder TPC was his first in five years and fourth Asian Tour title.
“I would say that I played very well today but needed a miracle to win. Like I said yesterday I would have to hit at least 10-under to win today. Lee is a very good player. He hits it very far and had a very good game plan. His chipping and putting are awesome. He should have been better than 30-under-par.”
Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai closed with a 64 to finish in sole possession of third while Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po, in with a 63, and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, who shot a 65, tied for fourth.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell also had a good week when he finished in a share of 9th place two weeks after an 8th place finish at the recent Mecurie Taiwan Masters. Campbell is now 37th on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
The Asian Tour has a two-week break now before three successive weeks of high-profile events: the Volvo China Open, the Hong Kong Open, and the BNI Indonesian Masters.
SCORES
Minjee Lee takes lead at the BMW Ladies Championship
Minjee Lee acknowledges the crowd at the 16th today – photo Getty Images / LPGA
Minjee Lee added a second round of 69 to her opening 64 at the BMW Ladies Championship at the Seowon Valley Country Club in Korea and has opened up a two-shot lead at the halfway mark of the LPGA Tour event.
Lee leads over American Alison Lee and first-round leader Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Jeonguen Lee 6 another shot back in a share of 4th place.
“I played really solid,” said Lee. “It was really hard conditions out there. A lot of wind swirling around the valley. So sometimes we had really strong gusts, and I had to back off. But overall I had a really good finish.”
Lee is chasing a first win in the country of her parents and is keen to do well here. “I mean, my parents are Korean, and I have a really deep heritage here. So I always love coming back and playing. And being at the top of the leaderboard is always nice, and being in contention is always my goal. So hopefully I can have a great weekend.”
“I mean, I played last week, and I had two weeks off prior to that. So, you know, I always love coming to Korea. I have a lot of family here. And a lot of my heritage is here. So love the food and I think just good vibes when I come here. So, yeah, I love coming back.”
Ko has put together a few better rounds of late after what has been a disappointing season thus far. Six birdies in he round of 69 suggests she is regaining some of the form we know she is capable of.
Hannah Green is the next best of the Australasians in a share of 12th place although six shots from her fellow West Australian’s lead.
SCORES
Australia well placed at Eisenhower Trophy
Jeffrey Guan – in action during round two – image IGF
The World Amateur Teams Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy has reached the halfway stage at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates and the Australian team finds itself just two shots off the pace set at present by the United States who lead by one over The People Republic of China and France.
Two of the three scores from each team are counted each day and on day two it would be Karl Vilips (68) and Jeffrey Guan (69) who would again contribute after they had reversed those same scores on Wednesday.
The third member of the Australian team, Jack Buchanan has struggled on the opening two days but he could well play a part over the final 36.
Vilips and Guan are tied for 7th place in the individual contest, just two shots behind the leader, Hugo le Golf of France.
New Zealand is in a share of 11th place in the teams’ event, four shots behind the Australians with their current Australian Amateur Champion, Kazuma Kobori, leading their team in the individual in a share of 23rd place.
TEAM SCORES
INDIVIDUAL
World Amateur Teams Championship begins in Abu Dhabi
The 2016 winning Australian side – can Australia win for a fifth time? – photo WATC
Australia and New Zealand are amongst the 36 teams contesting this week’s World Amateur Team Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates, the Australians chasing a fifth win in the event and New Zealand a second.
Australia last won in 2016 when Curtis Luck, Harrison Endicott and Cam Davis won in Mexico, Luck having also won the US Amateur title that year. Davis would also be the individual champion in Mexico.
New Zealand’s one and only win came in Canada in 1992 when Phil Tataurangi. Michael Campbell, Grant Moorhead and Stephen Scahill defeated the USA in Vancouver.
The Australian team consists of former Perth golfer and now Stanford University attendee, Karl Vilips, Sydney’s Jeffrey Guan and South Australian Jack Buchanan.
Vilips is a former Southern Amateur Champion in the US, a golf medallist at the 2018 Youth Olympics and played this year’s US Open in Los Angeles after successfully negotiating the qualifying process.
The New Zealand team is current Australian Amateur and Western Amateur (US) Champion Kazuma Kobori from Rangiora in Canterbury, Sam Jones from Mania in Taranaki and Jayden Ford from the Judgeford Golf Club in Wellington.
The event consists of 72 holes of strokeplay with the leading two of three scores each day to determine the team total.
This week’s event will be followed next week by the Espirito Santo Cup for women.
Kazuma Kobori heads New Zealand side – photo Australian Golf Media
SCORES
Rod Pampling wins second PGA Tour Champions title
Rod Pampling – file photo USGA
It was an Australasian quinella in this week’s PGA Tour Champions event in Cary, North Carolina, with Australian Rod Pampling winning his second PGA Tour Champions title with a two-shot win over New Zealand’s Steve Alker at the SAS Championship.
Pampling secured a cheque for US$315,000, taking his career earnings on the PGA Tour Champions to US$3.7 million since first joining in 2020 and he moves to 17th on this year’s Schwab Cup with US$1.o8 million.
Pampling led from his opening round of 66 and took a one-shot lead over Alker into today’s final round and although the final margin was two, his final hole bogey perhaps flattered his chasers in what was a dominant performance.
Pampling made reference to the fact that it was on this same week that he won one of his PGA Tour titles when winning the Shriners event in Las Vegas wire to wire. “Maybe this is my lucky week,” said the Queenslander.
“Sometimes it takes a little longer than others but I am just so happy to get back into the winner’s circle again,” he added when asked why it had taken him so long to win again after his first win at the Beoeing Classic in
Pampling was forced to play 33 holes today after bad weather had caused Saturday’s play to be suspended.
The 54-year-old gains access to next season’s opening event in Hawaii for winners the previous season.
Alker’s runner-up finish takes him to second place on the money list behind Steve Stricker, moving past Bernhard Langer with his finish this week.
SCORES
Min Woo Lee wins first Asian Tour title in Macao
Min Woo Lee and trophy – photo Paul Lakatos / Asian Tour
Macau, October 15: Australia’s Min Woo Lee recorded an exceptional two-shot wire-to-wire victory in the US$1 million SJM Macao Open today, for his first title in two years.
The tournament’s marquee player, ranked 46 in the world, hit crushing drives and holed putt after putt to card an eight-under-par 63 for an astonishing four-round aggregate of 30-under – a new tournament record and two short of the Asian Tour record, although preferred lies were played on the first two days.
Thailand’s Poom Saksansin also fired a 63, like Lee bogey-free, and finished second after a fascinating final day dual between the big-hitting Australian and the tenacious little Thai golfer, hoping to replicate one of his giant-killing acts of the past.
Lee started the day with a two-shot lead over Poom and the margin was the same at the turn after both players pulled away from the field playing brilliant golf with four birdies apiece.
The turning point proved to be the par-five 13th, where Lee opened up a four-stroke cushion after he made an eagle, for the second day in row, against Poom’s par.
A wild drive a long way left on the short par-four 15th by Lee gave Poom a glimmer of hope, but his ball stayed away from trouble. He had a clear shot to the green and was able to avert disaster and make a comfortable par.
Predictably Poom refused to submit and made birdies on the next two holes to close the gap the to two before they both made four on the par-five 18th.
“I love it,” said 25-year-old Lee, who opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 65.
“As soon as the week started I had a couple of days rest because of the typhoon, and the course was looking amazing from the beginning. Obviously, it was pretty bad for a couple of days there, so it was props to the green keepers for keeping the course in such good condition.
“And yeah, I played wonderful, really flawless golf for a lot of the holes, there was only a few holes that I could really look back on. But yeah, I’m really proud of the way I handled myself.”
Lee’s score smashed the event’s previous lowest winning total of 20 under, set by Australian Scott Hend in 2015 and was just two short of the Asian Tour record, which Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat set at the SAIL Open in 2009, at the Classic Golf and Country Club in India, when he finished 32-under-par.
Said Lee, who only had two bogeys all week and earned a cheque for US$180,000: “Poom played unbelievable today, he’s a bad mofo! He never left, he just stayed around. I tried my best and ended up on top, but he was giving it to me for the whole time.”
It is his first victory since claiming the Scottish Open in July of 2021 and while he was winning in Macau, his sister and two-time Major winner Minjee Lee tied for 12th in the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
For Poom it was yet another fine performance coming off the back of his success in the Yeangder TPC last month and a joint third placing in last week’s International Series Singapore.
“I don’t know when I’ll be able to putt like this again,” said Poom, whose win at the Yeangder TPC was his first in five years and fourth Asian Tour title.
“I would say that I played very well today but needed a miracle to win. Like I said yesterday I would have to hit at least 10-under to win today. Lee is a very good player. He hits it very far and had a very good game plan. His chipping and putting are awesome. He should have been better than 30-under-par.”
Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai closed with a 64 to finish in sole possession of third while Chinese-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po, in with a 63, and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, who shot a 65, tied for fourth.
New Zealand’s Ben Campbell also had a good week when he finished in a share of 9th place two weeks after an 8th place finish at the recent Mecurie Taiwan Masters. Campbell is now 37th on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
The Asian Tour has a two-week break now before three successive weeks of high-profile events: the Volvo China Open, the Hong Kong Open, and the BNI Indonesian Masters.
SCORES
Important finish for Brad Kennedy at the Japan Open
Brad Kennedy – file photo Japan Golf Tour
Gold Coast golfer, Brad Kennedy, has struggled for much of the 2023 Japan Golf Tour season but at this week’s Japan Open Championship, he found form at a time that was so crucial in his quest to retain the right to play the tour next year.
The 49-year-old Kennedy couldn’t have chosen a better tournament to showcase his return to form with a share of 3rd place in the flagship event.
Kennedy birdied three of his last five holes, finishing as the top non-Japanese competitor this week.
This impressive performance earned him ¥9,828,000 — more than he accumulated from his previous 13 starts.
This proves crucial as he is now poised to retain his Tour card for the next season, having broken into the top-65 on the money list with this result. He currently ranks at No. 39 with earnings of ¥18,547,795.
This was Kennedy’s 14th start in Japan this season but after a reasonable start to the year, things have fallen away of late, and with not one top ten all season he had slipped outside the top 65. He now appears assured of retaining his long-standing on the Japan Golf Tour where he has won three times and earned close to ¥500 million ($A5 million).
Kennedy finished five shots from winner, Aguri Iwasaki, whose first Japan Tour win was his national open.
Anthony was the next best of the Australasians in a share of 36th place and the only other to make the weekend.
Adam Scott missed the cut by one and Sydney amateur, Jeffrey Guan, by two.
SCORES
Karis Davidson’s timely LPGA form
Karis Davidson – file photo LPGA/Getty Images
Gold Coast golfer Karis Davidson’s share of 8th place in today’s LPGA Tour event in Shanghai is perhaps a finish that comes with mixed emotions.
The Scottish born but now Gold Coast resident actually reached a share of the lead during various stages of the final round at the Qizhong Garden Golf Club but after a brilliant outward nine of 31 she was unable to capitalise on the momentum she had built and a dropped shot late in her round saw her finish two shots behind the playoff between Angel Yin and Lilian Vu
Yin would win her first LPGA Tour title in her 159th start and reverse the playoff result of the Chevron Championship in March which she lost to Vu in a playoff.
Davidson though needed a strong week over the final few events of the year to ensure she retained her full playing privileges for next season being 97th in the Race to the Globe standings heading into the week.
Her share of 8th place and the US$43,000 will go a long way to seeing the 25 year old inside the safety zone of the top 100 at the completion of the season which comes in another handful of starts.
Davidson played the Japan LPGA Tour for three seasons before heading to the LPGA Tour where in 2023 she has own close to US$200,000 and she appears to be finding her feet at the higher level.
It was Davidson’s best finish and the biggest cheque of the year and her LPGA Tour career.
Minjee Lee did next best of the Australians when she finished tied for 13th, playing her last ten holes in six under par.
SCORES
Ben Eccles claims first professional win at WAPGA
Ben Eccles – photo Australian Golf Media
Australian Ben Eccles has today claimed his second PGA Tour of Australasia title nearly eight years after his first when winning the WAPGA Championship at the Kalgoorlie Golf Course in Western Australia today.
This however would be Eccle’s first win as a professional, his win at the 2015 NSW Open coming just prior to a decision to turn professional.
The win this week comes on top of a missed cut at the WA Open at the Joondalup Country Club last week so for the 28-year-old English-born but Victorian golfer, who earlier this year took a lengthy break from the game after several seasons chasing success on the European Challenge and Asian Tours., the success is timely and welcome.
Eccles game had reached a point where it became necessary for him to return to the PGA Tour of Australasia’s Tour School where he regained playing privileges by finishing 17th there.
The win and the $45,000 comes at a time when Eccles needed a financial boost and the confidence and security the cheque and the title will bring may well see the former NSW Amateur Champion loosen the reins.
Not only did Eccles win but after leading by six shots into the last round he eventually won by five from West Australian Haydn Barron with New Zealand’s Kit Bittle and South Australian Lachlan Barker sharing third place another shot back.
Barron surprised many with a fine showing at the 2022 Australian Open where he tied for 4th and earned a start at this year’s Open Championship as a result.
The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia now heads east to South Australia for one of the Webex Series of events at the Willunga Golf Course.
SCORES
Matthew Fitzpatrick’s dream win at St Andrews – Ryan Fox joint runner-up
Fitzpatrick with his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship trophy – image Getty Images / DP World Tour
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship found a way to get a final result despite the event being hopelessly compromised by bad weather in the At Andrews region, Matthew Fitzpatrick emerging as the winner of both the individual title and pairing with his mother Susan to win the teams’ event.
Reduced to 54 holes and carried over to Monday due to the weather on Saturday and Sunday, Fitzpatrick extended his one-shot 36-hole lead to eventually win by three over New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and England’s Marcus Armitage.
“It’s amazing,” said Fitzpatrick. “Winning is difficult. And for me, like I had a chance a few weeks ago in Switzerland and that one hurt a lot. Felt like I had been playing better than I had in the summer.
“And this week, funny, really. It was kind of a bit of a free-wheeling week and just playing with my mum and trying to enjoy it as best I can and see what happened. Then played really well at Carnoustie and just got on a hot run these last two rounds.
“Doesn’t get better than this. Winning at St Andrews, yeah, it’s just a very special place. We’ve been coming here for a long, long time as well, and yes, it doesn’t get better.
“It was amazing. We (he and his mother) obviously played last year and didn’t quite play so well, and this year, she’s played fantastic, and I playing really solid as well.
“I just think that, yeah, you just couldn’t ask for a better week.”
Fox did remarkably well in his attempt to defend the title he had won twelve months ago when producing a final round of 65 to finish in a share of second place after six birdies in his opening eleven holes opened to door to repeat the heroics of 2022.
Fox was unable to build on that great start but another fine tournament will see him move back inside the top 30 in the world ranking to 29th and, on top of his win three weeks ago at Wentworth and his earlier 3rd place at the Irish Open, continues a lucrative run for the 36-year-old.
Fox has won over €2 million in those three events alone in September and October.
“To be honest I played great today,” said Fox when asked before Fitzpatrick had finished his round. “I think I hit all 18 greens, which is always a nice thing to do around here and I was cold with the putter for the most part. I made a couple through the middle of the round and that was about it.
“I had a couple nice chances on 14, 15, and if they had gone in, things would have been a little more interesting but obviously to shoot 7-under on a Monday with a chance, you feel like you’ve done enough. Obviously, Fitz is playing great. I’m happy.”
The leader of the 2022/2023 PGA Tour of Australasian Order of Merit, David Micheluzzi was the next best of the Australians, earning a cheque for €60,000 (A$100,000) for his share of 14th place. It was the biggest cheque to date in the Victorian’s professional career.
RESULTS
FINAL ROUND HIGHLIGHTS
Sarah Kemp and Sarah Jane Smith do well in Texas
Kemp finished five shots from the leader Hyo Joo Kim, birdies at her final two holes making a significant difference in her pay cheque.
Kemp is having one of her best seasons on the LPGA Tour and is now well inside the top 50 and assured of ongoing status for 2024 and in position to secure a place in the top 60 who make it to the Tour Championship next month.
“Yeah, I’m definitely having one of my better years for sure,” said the 37 year old from the North Coast of NSW. I didn’t play well last week but I wasn’t too worried about it. Yeah, just been playing nice and solid this year. Nothing too crazy. I’ve been putting well.
“I looked at my stats and they were some of the better ones this year than previous years, so just keeping it together and having a better attitude than I have in the last few years. Sometimes I think I have been trying a little too hard and wanting it a bit too bad, which is not a bad thing, but I think it sort of turned around and hurt some of my game at one point.
“So just tried to let it happen versus trying too hard. I think I’ve been doing a good job of that this year.”
When asked her thoughts on the increasing possibility of making it to the Tour Championship and whether it was something on her mind, Kemp would say.
“All the time. It’s all I want to make. It’s my sponsor’s event, so I want to make it for Terry Duffy. They have been so good to me. I just want to make it so bad for them. Hoping with this finish this will get me in the right direction for that.”
Queensland’s Sarah Jane Smith also had one of he39-year-olds on the LPGA Tour for quite some time when she finished in 13th place, her best finish in five years on the LPGA Tour.
Smith has been playing without full status on the LPGA Tour but took advantage to record a confidence-boosting week for the 39-year-old raised on the Sunshine Coast.
SCORES