David Micheluzzi – in action in today’s opening round of 63 – photo Golf Australia
Day one of the historical combined gender Australian Opens is complete and two young Australians lead their respective fields at the Victorian and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs in Melbourne’s golfing mecca, the Sandbelt.
Local golfer, David Micheluzzi, who last week finished 6th at the Australian PGA Championship following a breakthrough victory in the WAPGA Championship a few weeks earlier, leads the men while new LPGA Tour recruit, Grace Kim, leads the women’s field.
Micheluzzi, who four years ago led the Australian Open at the Lakes Golf Club before finishing in 5th place behind Abraham Ancer as an amateur, has been a fine form of late, finishing inside the top ten in four of his last five starts on the PGA Tour of Australasia following a midfield finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Today, playing the Victoria Golf Club in the morning field and in the better conditions than those of the afternoon field, Micheluzzi actually began his round with a bogey at the 10th hole but soon settled into a birdie fest. Eight birdies in the next seventeen holes had him at 7 under 63 as he left the course close to midday.
He would hold that lead throughout the opening round and when play finished for the day he led by three over New Zealand’s Josh Geary and local golfer Matthew Griffin, Micheluzzi and Griffin playing the Victoria Golf Club and Geary playing the alternate layout, Kingston Heath.
Micheluzzi explained the background behind his fine start to the event and his recent good run.
“I’ve just gotten better at everything. I feel like my course management’s really good all the time. I know how to think around a golf course. Just hitting it better, just comfortable with playing these events now. I think this is what, our seventh event in the space of nine weeks, so yeah, just being comfortable in the situation. I think everything today just felt good. I actually wanted to keep playing, so I reckon I could have made a whole lot more birdies.”
“Yeah, I think when I turned pro it was scary. It was the first time I’ve actually been scared on a golf course, scared of where I’m going to hit it and if I’m going to hit it in the trees or in the bunker.
“I was worried about what everyone else thought rather than just playing golf. I think the more experience, the better. I think I’ve played enough pro events now that it’s just another round of golf. If I shoot 75, 76 I still go home, Mum tells me to unload the dishwasher, all that kind of stuff. It just feels like a normal round of golf now, which is great.
“But three years ago, when I turned pro, I was so uncomfortable and it showed – the golf was horrendous.”
Grace Kim finished 5th on the feeder tour for the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, and as a result earned her playing rights for the LPGA Tour in season 2023.
Today she too took advantage of the gentler morning conditions and with birdies at her first five holes she had the lead despite a bogey at the 6th. She added three more birdies on the way home and her round of 66 has her two ahead of Hannah Green, Japan’s brilliant Jiyai Shin and New Zealand amateur Fiona Xu.
Kim was asked about her fast start and suggested due diligence on the course earlier in the week made her aware of what might be possible.
“When I played on Monday, I played a match with my fiancé and I think I probably had the same amount of birdies on the nine, so I knew it was out there. I felt like a lot of the holes on the front nine, they were short but you could still be penalised, even for hitting a good shot. I just wanted to make sure I was holding on. But yeah, hit a couple of sloppy shots in there, I’m not going to lie, but still really happy with the start.
“I think I got more nervous as the holes went on. I was just like, Where are these birdies coming from? You know those times where it just goes in. I had one of those moments. I was a bit shocked, but yeah, I definitely take it all in. I’m glad I got a good round out of the way, so it’s a good start.
Kim also reflected on the quality of game needed to do well on the Sandbelt courses.
“I think the Sandbelt really shows the good players through. If you hit a bad putt, you’re going to miss it bad and if you hit a good putt, it deserves to go in. Things like that. Playing fairways, greens, making sure you just two-putt, placing yourself right is just so crucial at Sandbelt courses. Missing bunkers. Basically just don’t miss the green. You’ve got to get those contacts right, so you’ve got to be really precise around these and I think that really shows the top end of the field, for sure.”
The event’s leading world ranked female player, Minjee Lee, stayed in touch with a round of 70 to be four from the lead and tied for 9th but given she played in the more demanding afternoon conditions and will likely get better weather in the morning she remains the player to watch.
The leading ranked male player and pre-tournament favourite, Cameron Smith, finished the day tied for 64th at 1 over and summed up his day in a very ‘to the point’ fashion.
“Yeah, that was as bad as I’ve played in a long time, said Smith It was pretty shitty. Obviously I think the course is pretty difficult, the conditions are pretty difficult, but still I need to be better than that.”
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Grace Kim – en route to her opening round lead – photo Golf Australia
Cam Smith finally hangs up clubs after a sensational 12 months.
Cameron Smith today – photo Australian Golf Media
Cameron Smith might not have had the dream finish to the year he had planned at the start of this week’s Australian Open but as he left the Victoria Golf Club today having missed the 54-hole cut by what appears will be one or two shots, he can take solace from the fact that part of the success of this week’s event has been his doing.
Even today, when off in one of the first few groups at 7.05, crowds lined the fairways to see if they could witness the 29-year-old staging a rally on day three to get himself back into the tournament but as hard as he tried, things would not fall his way.
He had waited all afternoon yesterday to discover he had just sneaked on the ever-increasing 36 hole cutline of 2 over and thinking he had been unlikely to make it, he headed to the pub for a few beers with mates.
“I wasn’t really expecting it to be honest,” said Smith. “I was pretty quick to the pub and yeah and was probably a few too many beers deep and then I realised we had an early tee time, so I got back on the waters and was a good boy the rest of the night.
“I thought I had it in me today and hit lots of good golf shots, and yeah, just couldn’t really capitalise,” said Smith. I kept kind of hitting good putts to it and just weren’t going in. Yeah, just not my week. But, you know, it is what it is.
“I kind of thought it would take 3 or 4-under, so the strategy I don’t think changed at all, it was just go out there and play some really solid golf. Like I said, I thought I played solid enough, just not enough putts went in.”
Smith is looking forward to a well-deserved break following a year which has netted five victories including his LIV Tour success but events such as The Open Championship, The Players Championship and the Tournament of Champions and the Australian PGA Championship make it a simply phenomenal 12 months.
“I might play with the old boy in a Saturday comp or something like that at Wantima but it definitely won’t be serious. It will just be on the cart, having a good time. Yeah, I’ll probably put the clubs away now for a solid two or three weeks and then get back into it, kind of the new year. Looking forward to next year, I think it will be exciting.”
Smith’s first competitive outing in 2023 is likely to be the Asian Tour’s Saudi International in Saudi Arabia in late January.
Scott and Micheluzzi share Australian Open lead
David Micheluzzi – photo Australian Golf Media
Two late bogeys by first round leader David Micheluzzi in today’s second round of the Australian Open at The Victoria and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs has dropped him back into a share of the lead with non-other than Adam Scott whose second round of 63 at the Victoria Golf Club swept him to the edge of the lead before Micheluzzi’s late hiccups.
Scott’s monster eagle putt at the last took him to 8 under par just before Micheluzzi holed a birdie out of his own over at Kingston Heath to move two ahead but the young Victorian would drop shots at the 16th and 18th to take a share of the lead into the weekend.
The championship now focuses on The Victoria Golf Club after the opening two rounds were played at both courses.
The leading pair is tied at 8 under par and three ahead of American Gunner Wiebe, New Zealand’s Josh Geary and Australian Haydn Barron with a host of further rather unfamiliar names following.
Scott talked after his round about the very strategic approach he adopted around the Victoria Golf Club layout.
“I kind of tempered my expectations on everything, my own ability today and what I can do to the golf course. I really felt like I had to come out here, really not take any chances, not push anything. If it was tricky at all, to play safe. I executed most of the day, so even when I laid back, I managed to put it in a good spot still and take the trouble out and not make any errors.”
Scott also discussed the frustration of yesterday verses the elation of a day out today.
“It’s not the first time I’ve played terrible obviously (yesterday) but it is frustrating because I’m out playing in a tournament, the Australian Open and I want to play well. Yes, it’s frustrating but using the experience, I’ve had plenty of bad rounds in my career and had to come out the next day.
“I also pride myself on kind of not throwing in the towel. I don’t rack up big numbers too often and I also don’t withdraw playing bad, so I’m here to win the tournament this week and it can turn around quick. I have that experience as well and it did today.”
Michezluzzi led the Australian Open at the halfway mark four years ago before finishing 5th and so this experience is not entirely new to him but was asked after his round if he was ready for what promises to be a big occasion tomorrow.
“Yes. Maybe. Maybe not, I don’t know. I’m just going to go out and play some golf. If it’s good enough it’s good enough, if not, won’t stress.
“I know I’m playing good golf going into next year or going into the next couple of events after this. I’ll just keep plugging away at it and if it happens it happens. If not, then so be it, go on to the next one.
“It’s pretty cool. It’s one of the things I’ve dreamed of. Australian Open with Scotty, yeah, yeah, it will be insane. The amount of people that will be there and all that will be pretty cool. I’m just looking forward to it.”
Cameron Smith just made the cut after being in 77th position when he finished his morning round he advanced as a result of the increasing winds throughout the afternoon to finish the opening two rounds in 59th place and ten shots from the leading pair.
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Hannah Green leads a line-up of major champions at Australian Open
Hannah Green today – photo Australian Golf Media
Australian, Hannah Green, leads the Australian Women’s Open, putting together a second round of 66 at the Victoria Golf Club to be at 11 under par to lead the event by two over one of women golf’s most prolific winner of titles including this one, Jiyai Shin of Korea.
Green leads a stellar line-up of high class women golfers, with two time major winner, So Yeon Ryu, in a share of third place two behind Shin along with this year’s AIG Women’s Open Champion, Ashleigh Buhai, and Australia’s newest LPGA Tour player, Grace Kim.
US Women’s Open Champion, Minjee Lee, is another two shots back and alone in third position.
With four top tens in her last six starts on the LPGA Tour, Green brought some good form to the event and as a winner of a major on the LPGA Tour and a two time winner in Australia earlier this year she began the week as one to watch.
Shin won this event at Royal Canberra in 2013 and she has been twice a winner of the Australian Ladies Masters so she is no stranger to Australian golf fans or courses. That she has won two AIG Open Championships, one of them at St Andrews tells the story of a remarkably accomplished golfer who arrived in Australia with little fanfare.
The Korean has played most of her golf in Japan and Korea in recent years after making the decision to focus her attention in that region following several years on the LPGA Tour. Make no mistake, however, she is a golfer of the highest class.
Shin could well be the holder of the Australian Open Championship for the third time this Sunday.
Green was delighted with the manner in which she finished off her round, playing her final four holes in 4 under par to open up a gap on the field but is aware that the weekend’s changing weather conditions where hot winds are expected to sweep across the Victoria Golf Club are going to provide a strong test.
“Yeah, it’s going to be difficult, because again, the conditions are going to change,” she said. “It’s going to get warm, the wind direction will change and I’m not really sure if anyone’s played it in that direction. I’ve never played it like that. So yeah, I feel like I’ve just got to stay patient and probably not get too worried about what everyone else is doing.
Green also acknowledged the strength in the leaderboard and that the quality of the courses were always going to play a big role in that outcome.
“Yeah, it’s great. I kind of expected it, all of the good players to come out on top, especially playing here at Victoria. Even though I shot a lower score than Kingston, I thought this was a difficult golf course. So yeah, we’ll just see how the conditions pan out come the weekend.”
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Brad Kennedy leads season ending Japan Tour event
Brad Kennedy today – photo and article Japan Tour
Australian veteran Brad Kennedy showed little signs of discomfort from the pain in his knee as he took a share of the halfway stage lead of the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup after firing a second successive four-under-par 66 on Friday.
The 48-year-old reached the 36-hole mark at eight-under-par 132 in the season-ending ¥130 million event, and was matched by Satoshi Kodaira who also returned a 66.
Defending champion Hideto Tanihara (67) and Aguri Iwasaki (68) were a further shot back where they are tied for the third spot.
American Chan Kim, who was joint-leader at the start of the day, slipped to tied 12th after battling to a 72 while Australia’s Anthony Quayle and American Todd Baek’s challenge seemed to be fast fading.
Quayle posted a 72 for tied 26th while Baek, who is nursing a shoulder injury, shot an improved 70 but still languish at lowly 29th in the 30-man standings.
Kennedy, who finished runner-up in the 2019 edition, gained five shots thanks to an eagle on the par-five sixth and three birdies. His only blemish was on the par-three eighth.
“It was a good solid day, I was more focused on taking care of my knee that I’m actually playing golf,” said Kennedy.
“Getting around the course at the moment is pretty tough, pretty slow walking up and down the fairways pretty slowly. I got some acupuncture treatment, I don’t think there’s any major damage.
“Nevertheless. I’m really happy to be where I am.
“I really enjoyed playing on this golf course, it gives you a lot of opportunities but you also have to be very careful at the same time.
“Course management is very important here.”
Kodaira, meanwhile, overcame a slow start on his front-nine, to storm home with three birdies in his last five holes to keep himself in contention for his eighth win on the JGTO this week,
“I felt I played poorly in the front-nine with just one birdie on six. But in the back-nine, I managed to adjust the way I address the ball and was able to place my shots close to the pin. There was less pressure to make putts there and that helped. If I had started better, I believe my score today will be even lower,” said the Japanese.
When asked about his weekend goals, Kodaira said: “It’s still early and tight at the top. I don’t want to focus too much on the leaderboard. Instead, just play my own game.”
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Cameron Smith runs out of steam at Australian Open
Smith in action this morning – photo Australian Golf Media
The hopes Cameron Smith held of winning a first Australian Open have appear on the brink after a second round of 73 to go with his opening 71 has him at 2 over par to sit one outside the cutline in a share of 77th place as the afternoon field gets into its round on day two at both Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Clubs.
With breezes slightly stronger for the afternoon field, scores are expected to be higher but probably not enough for him to come back from where stands now to inside the top 60 who will make it to the weekend.
Smith, who played in the near perfect morning conditions at the Kingston Heath Golf Club, was not about to blame anyone or anything but himself for his poor showing, but there is little doubt that the impact of what was a huge week for him in Brisbane last week, where he wanted to so much to please family and friends and respond to the many requests for his time, has taken its toll.
He conquered that hurdle but it looks as if the impact of his brilliant third PGA Championship win has cost him a chance of that Australian Open which now seems to be the title he wants most, perhaps aside from the Masters.
“All day, kind of similar to yesterday,” said Smith referring to his play. “Just couldn’t quite hit the ball out of the middle of the club face for some reason or another. I think the mind was a little bit foggy, obviously a little bit tired as well, last week being such a big week. Yeah, it’s still there mate, but yeah, just pretty disappointing.
“I think I had a lot of adrenaline going last week, especially out on the golf course. I think the crowds were awesome out there. I obviously had friends and family there, so I wanted to play well for them. I think it’s just kind of all hit me at once and just got a little bit tired. I need to play better than that even when I am tired. That was pretty rubbish out there today. It’s probably the easiest this place is going to get.”
Despite his decision to switch to LIV Golf where the reduced schedule should mean less golf, Smith has played a lot more golf than he imagined this year.
“I can’t wait for a sleep. I’ve played a lot more golf than I thought I would have at the start of the year, so I’m looking forward to four or five weeks off here and just kind of mentally reset I think. The brain’s been going pretty hard the last few months, so yeah, it would be a good time to sit down on a beach somewhere and have a few margaritas.
“Yes, fishing (too). I’m sure I’ll spend a fair bit of time in the gym and stuff looking after my body.”
Smith knows his chances of creeping back into the weekend field are now very minimal.
“Yeah, I’m crossing my fingers. If it stays like this, I don’t think I’m going to be playing on the weekend. Is it at even or 1-over or something? Yeah, even. I don’t think it’s going to go two shots, unless this wind really blows up, but we’ll just wait and see.”
Irrespective of what the next few hours hold for the 29 year old, 2022 has been a breakthrough year for Smith in so many ways.
The Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, The Open Championship and the Australian PGA Championship along with a victory on the LIV Golf Tour has left Smith with arguably the best record of any golfer in 2022 and although not officially the world number two at least, many think he is that at least.
He now has the chance and time to reflect on what has been an amazing year, from a golfing perspective, a personal angle and of course from a financial standpoint.
Whether the golfing world allows him to play all majors in 2023 remains to be seen, but it might just be that he can continue to plunder the riches of professional golf anyway.
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Micheluzzi and Kim lead their respective Australian Opens
David Micheluzzi – in action in today’s opening round of 63 – photo Golf Australia
Day one of the historical combined gender Australian Opens is complete and two young Australians lead their respective fields at the Victorian and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs in Melbourne’s golfing mecca, the Sandbelt.
Local golfer, David Micheluzzi, who last week finished 6th at the Australian PGA Championship following a breakthrough victory in the WAPGA Championship a few weeks earlier, leads the men while new LPGA Tour recruit, Grace Kim, leads the women’s field.
Micheluzzi, who four years ago led the Australian Open at the Lakes Golf Club before finishing in 5th place behind Abraham Ancer as an amateur, has been a fine form of late, finishing inside the top ten in four of his last five starts on the PGA Tour of Australasia following a midfield finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Today, playing the Victoria Golf Club in the morning field and in the better conditions than those of the afternoon field, Micheluzzi actually began his round with a bogey at the 10th hole but soon settled into a birdie fest. Eight birdies in the next seventeen holes had him at 7 under 63 as he left the course close to midday.
He would hold that lead throughout the opening round and when play finished for the day he led by three over New Zealand’s Josh Geary and local golfer Matthew Griffin, Micheluzzi and Griffin playing the Victoria Golf Club and Geary playing the alternate layout, Kingston Heath.
Micheluzzi explained the background behind his fine start to the event and his recent good run.
“I’ve just gotten better at everything. I feel like my course management’s really good all the time. I know how to think around a golf course. Just hitting it better, just comfortable with playing these events now. I think this is what, our seventh event in the space of nine weeks, so yeah, just being comfortable in the situation. I think everything today just felt good. I actually wanted to keep playing, so I reckon I could have made a whole lot more birdies.”
“Yeah, I think when I turned pro it was scary. It was the first time I’ve actually been scared on a golf course, scared of where I’m going to hit it and if I’m going to hit it in the trees or in the bunker.
“I was worried about what everyone else thought rather than just playing golf. I think the more experience, the better. I think I’ve played enough pro events now that it’s just another round of golf. If I shoot 75, 76 I still go home, Mum tells me to unload the dishwasher, all that kind of stuff. It just feels like a normal round of golf now, which is great.
“But three years ago, when I turned pro, I was so uncomfortable and it showed – the golf was horrendous.”
Grace Kim finished 5th on the feeder tour for the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour, and as a result earned her playing rights for the LPGA Tour in season 2023.
Today she too took advantage of the gentler morning conditions and with birdies at her first five holes she had the lead despite a bogey at the 6th. She added three more birdies on the way home and her round of 66 has her two ahead of Hannah Green, Japan’s brilliant Jiyai Shin and New Zealand amateur Fiona Xu.
Kim was asked about her fast start and suggested due diligence on the course earlier in the week made her aware of what might be possible.
“When I played on Monday, I played a match with my fiancé and I think I probably had the same amount of birdies on the nine, so I knew it was out there. I felt like a lot of the holes on the front nine, they were short but you could still be penalised, even for hitting a good shot. I just wanted to make sure I was holding on. But yeah, hit a couple of sloppy shots in there, I’m not going to lie, but still really happy with the start.
“I think I got more nervous as the holes went on. I was just like, Where are these birdies coming from? You know those times where it just goes in. I had one of those moments. I was a bit shocked, but yeah, I definitely take it all in. I’m glad I got a good round out of the way, so it’s a good start.
Kim also reflected on the quality of game needed to do well on the Sandbelt courses.
“I think the Sandbelt really shows the good players through. If you hit a bad putt, you’re going to miss it bad and if you hit a good putt, it deserves to go in. Things like that. Playing fairways, greens, making sure you just two-putt, placing yourself right is just so crucial at Sandbelt courses. Missing bunkers. Basically just don’t miss the green. You’ve got to get those contacts right, so you’ve got to be really precise around these and I think that really shows the top end of the field, for sure.”
The event’s leading world ranked female player, Minjee Lee, stayed in touch with a round of 70 to be four from the lead and tied for 9th but given she played in the more demanding afternoon conditions and will likely get better weather in the morning she remains the player to watch.
The leading ranked male player and pre-tournament favourite, Cameron Smith, finished the day tied for 64th at 1 over and summed up his day in a very ‘to the point’ fashion.
“Yeah, that was as bad as I’ve played in a long time, said Smith It was pretty shitty. Obviously I think the course is pretty difficult, the conditions are pretty difficult, but still I need to be better than that.”
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Grace Kim – en route to her opening round lead – photo Golf Australia
Four Australasians tackle LPGA Tour Final Stage
Su Oh – file photo – Bruce Young
Final Stage Qualifying for the 2023 LPGA Tour begins today in Mobile in Alabama where 100 players will chase one of 45 cards and earn the right to ply their trade on the LPGA Tour next season.
Playing alongside the top 50 players that battled each other – and the elements – in Stage II just over a week ago are two additional groups: LPGA Tour pros ranked 101-150 in the Race to the CME Globe and Epson Tour players ranked 11-35 in the Ascensus Race for the Card. A few players who earned the LET Order of Merit and those in the Rolex Top 75 have also entered the field.
Amongst that list are three Australians and one New Zealander.
Australians Su Oh, Robyn Choi and Karis Davidson will be chasing a return to the LPGA Tour while New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey is hoping for the right to play the LPGA Tour for the very first time.
For Su Oh this will be her first time at the LPGA Tour School since 2015 having kept her card every season since 2016.
Davidson was unable to capitalise on her rookie LPGA Tour status this year, Choi has played the secondary tour (Epson) in recent years and actually had a solid season there this year without advancing and Garvey will be the better for her rookie season on the Epson Tour in 2022.
One hundred individuals will compete in a 144-hole stroke-play format, with scores being cumulative over the two weeks. Play will start at Magnolia Grove Golf Course in Mobile, Ala. and conclude at Highland Oaks Golf Course in Dothan, Ala. There will be a cut to the top 70 players and ties after week one.
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Home grown golfers hold favouritism at Australian Opens
Minjee Lee with her US Women’s Open trophy in Melbourne this week – photo Golf Australia
Australian golf creates history this week when both the men’s and women’s Australian Open Championship are played concurrently at the Victorian and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs in Melbourne’s famed sandbelt.
While the concept and format has been used successfully at the Vic Open in the past few years, this is the first time for the concept of both a men’s and women’s national open being played concurrently at the same venues being introduced and along with the attractions of Open Champion Cameron Smith and US Women’s Open winner Minjee Lee, the format itself will add further interest.
With both Smith and Lee in their respective fields, the events promise to brings the sort of crowds not seen at an Australian Open since the heady days of Greg Norman.
At last week’s Australian PGA Championship, Cameron Smith’s international success in 2022, that he is now one of the top three players in the game and that he was a local, made that event the most attended for many years and this week promises the same.
The host venue, The Victoria Golf Club, might not carry the same profile as the likes of nearby Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath but it is considered one of Australia’s best and will provide a fine test of golf along with its joint venue in the opening two rounds, Kingston Heath.
Cameron Smith perhaps summed it up best yesterday when he reminded all that the two courses demand everything of a golfer’s game.
“I think these courses down here demand everything of you, so you need to be spot on. So, no real time to waste over the next couple of days,” said Smith on Tuesday.
“I think these golf courses are a really good mix between that Links golf and almost like Augusta,” added Smith. “You get to play plenty of shots, you have to, to play good golf around here. I feel like I play my best golf when I’m creative and I’m just happy to be down here.
“I think as a kid growing up playing the amateur stuff down here and stuff like that, you take it for granted. You go everywhere else around the world and realise that this is the best that golf has got to offer. It’s just cool to be back down here.”
Smith is the highest world ranked player in the field followed by New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, Fox missing the cut last week in Brisbane although there were genuine excuses for the man who finished runner-up in the DP World Tour rankings in 2022.
Adam Scott was perhaps disappointing last week but he gets another chance to win his first tournament in Melbourne since his 2013 Talisker Masters victory.
Others considered genuine chances to challenge for the title include but are not limited to Lucas Herbert, Min Woo Lee and Cameron Davis.
Minjee Lee heads the women’s field as she chases a first Australian Women’s Open Championship. She will be joined by fellow Australian hopes, Hannah Green, Stephanie Kyriacou and Grace Kim and Major winners in 2022, the AIG Women’s Open Champion Ashleigh Buhai, and Chevron Championship Jennifer Kupcho.
Lee spoke to the media this morning and expressed her delight in being able to play such a unique format especially with her brother (Min Woo Lee) in the men’s field.
“Yeah, I mean it’s pretty cool to be able to play with the men and also the All Abilities tournament that’s going on all at the same time,” said the West Australian. “Obviously playing with Min Woo and being able to see him is really special to me. Just being back in Australia I think is really cool. I haven’t played in a couple of years back home, so I think it’s going to be a great turnout and I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans come out and maybe a lot of little kids here and there. I think it will be really fun.
“I think the Australian Open, your national championship is always really high on the list. For me, I always want to do well. The previous Aussie Opens that I have played, I think I haven’t quite shown that as much, so hopefully I can settle the nerves and just enjoy it and just play well for me and play well for the Australian crowd
“It may not be LPGA right now but I think it always has a special place in my heart and I always love coming back to Australia and playing. We don’t get too many opportunities to do that, so whenever I get the chance, I do like coming back.”
108 women and 156 men take their place in the field where the opening two rounds are flipflopped between the Victoria and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs before those making the cut focus their attention on the Victoria Golf Club for the final 36 holes.
Both events carry prizemoney of A$1.7 million.
TEE TIMES
Lucas Herbert fit for ‘home’ national open
Lucas Herbert generating media interest in Melbourne this morning – photo Golf Australia
Victorian golfer Lucas Herbert is Australia’s third highest world ranked golfer and after back issues forced him to withdraw at last week’s Australian PGA Championship he is keen to bounce back with good showing, if not better, at this week’s Australian Open at the Victoria Golf Club.
After securing his PGA Tour playing rights in October of 2021 via the Korn Ferry Tour finals, Herbert was quick to break through for his first win at that level and although his follow up events on season 2021 and 2022 saw only two further top tens, he has status in the US for another year at least and given the manner he has handled the step up more success appears in store for the powerful 26 year old.
At this morning’s media conference ahead of this week’s event, Herbert was asked how the back was recovering.
“A lot better than I was on Friday. I felt it just slip out on the range, my back, my lower back kind of just slipped and it wasn’t necessarily painful, but I lost a lot of power. I could tell it wasn’t right. I was like, it’s going to be one of those days, I’m just going to have to fight through it, make the best of it and get it worked on this afternoon.
“I had referral pain down my legs as well and they 9his team) were pretty insistent on me pulling out and I really didn’t want to. I didn’t want it to seem like I was just playing badly and wanted to get out of there or anything like that.
“I obviously wanted to be playing the Australian PGA Tour, so I pushed them away for a couple of holes before I was like, yeah, they’re probably right.
“I saw my chiropractor that afternoon and he was very thankful to me that I did pull out, because he said it was in a position that was very susceptible to doing a lot of damage.”
Herbert has been a professional for seven years now and has slowly but surely worked his way to being one of Australia’s leading players. He knows this week on familiar territory provides a great opportunity to claim his own national open and he is aware of what a win would mean on such hallowed ground as Melbourne’s sandbelt.
“It’s a little bit like the Open Championship, winning at St Andrews versus winning at any other venues. You’re not going to say no to winning it at another venue, but it’s definitely a lot more special to win in on the Sandbelt, for me anyway, given I grew up basically around this area and have played a tonne of golf at both these golf courses.
“To win one here, it would just be, like you said, a lot more special than anywhere else where you don’t have that same connection. So yeah, it would be very cool to be holding that trophy at the end of the week.”
One of the disappointments of 2022 was being overlooked for the Presidents Cup team when other captain’s picks were ranked lower than himself but after initial disappointment he is now philosophical about the missed opportunity.
“The selections were made based off stats for Quail Hollow. Had it been at a different golf course, I might have got a different look-in for the way it was, but if you look at the statistics, the weakest area of my game is my driving accuracy and it’s something that you need around Quail Hollow.
“I obviously said last week that I was really pissed off to not play and I think I have every right to be pissed off. You can make a very solid argument as to why the six guys that got selected at Captain’s picks got selected and they did a great job. They did a lot better job than everyone game them credit for in terms of we thought it was going to be a 30-nil whitewash at the start of the event, so for a minute and a half there on Sunday it looked like we were have a chance there to win, the Internationals.
“Those picks played really well and if you go off the numbers, they were the rights picks to make. If I want to make that team next time and not have to worry about the politics, I just play better and get in as an automatic qualifier, but it’s still disappointing to have the year I had and feel like I was there to offer what I had and not get picked.”
Playing essentially at home (he hails from country Victoria’s Bendigo) Herbert will have family and friends urging him on and this morning he talked about an illness his mother is suffering at present and the role his parents have played in him becoming the golfer he has.
“Yeah, it’s just happened over the last couple of months,” added Herbert referring to his mother’s illness. “It’s sad to watch your parents go through that kind of stuff but she’s more stubborn than me, so I know that she’ll get through everything and get there at some point.
“My Dad’s a great support for her. I know he’ll do more than she wants him to do at home, so that sort of takes a bit of the pressure away and makes me feel a little bit more at ease, obviously being out there on tour. We’ve had a lot of conversations about it the last couple of weeks and Mum more than anything wants me to go and play well and get my head on TV so that it gives her something to watch early in the mornings or late at night sitting at home, rather than being able to travel with me. So, if that’s what she wants me to do, I’m going to have to go and work on that for her.”
Like so many others he sees Cameron Smith again as the man to beat this weekend and was full of praise for the man who was a peer in his amateur days.
“I think if you ask anyone standing around here and the bloke cleaning that marquee over there, they’ll all tell you that Cam Smith is the bloke to beat this week. I don’t care whether he’s got a hangover or not, he’s probably the second best golfer in the world right now.
“I don’t know whether rankings are reflective of that, but he is. He’s had the season that would prove that. He’s the guy I’ve got to beat, for sure. He’s proven that on multiple different venues, different styles of golf courses, everything like that. So I don’t think it matters that we’re now down in Victoria, he’s got a hangover. He’s definitely the guy we’ve got to beat.”
A happy Lydia Ko returns to world number one
Lydia Ko – a year of rewards for effort – photo LPGA Getty Images
Lydia Ko’s return to the number one position in the female game following her win in the season ending LPGA Tour event, The CME Group Tour Championship, comes 5 years after her last time at the top of the Rolex Rankings.
Ko’s revival began after she had reached an all time low of 55th in August of 2020, a return to her former glory days beginning soon after when beginning a working relationship with new coach Sean Foley who had been known until that point as a one time coach of Tiger Woods.
It was Foley who changed her thinking from obsession on perfect technique in her swing to a more natural way of swinging the golf club and playing the game.
“He’s, I think, gotten me not to think too much about the lines of everything. I’ve tried to change my mindset of not trying to take a video of my swing every single time I’m on the driving range.” Ko told Golf Week at the time. “It doesn’t need to look like a perfect swing for me to just play golf.”
Just a few weeks ago when announcing a cordial split with Foley, Ko highlighted just what Foley had meant to her in the return to her best. “When I first met Sean, I was in a place where I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself and in my game. Over the past two years he has helped me evolve as a better player and person. Our time together was full of so much learning, laughter.”
Ko’s season in 2022 is the culmination of the sound base Foley established in both Ko’s technique and thinking as she slowly but surely crept her way back into the top twenty at the start of 2001 and from 9th at the beginning of this year to now the world number one once again.
“You know, a lot of things have happened since I was 17 in 2014. I don’t feel 25 right now. There’s been a lot of ups and downs both on and off the golf course, but all of those moments have made moments like today. I think, yes, maybe when I was younger, I played maybe a little bit more freely because I was a little clueless at the same time (laughing).
“But now, you know, I’ve gone through my share of ups and downs, and I think that’s helped me to realize that, hey, we’re going to have good days and we’re also going to have bad days. I think my prospective on how I treat the bad shots or the bad events is a lot better now than I did then.
“I hope that I’ve grown more as an individual since then, and I think golf is very relatable to life in general, and I think golf keeps you very humble as well. It’s a continuous learning journey, but I’m excited with where I am at in life and at the golf course.
“She is now working with former player Ted Oh who she had worked with previously before joining forces with Foley.
“I had a period of time where I was working with Sean and Ted kind of together this year as well, so I don’t think they’re on completely opposite sides of the spectrum. You know, having worked with Ted before a few years ago obviously makes it a little bit, like, easier transition where I’m not having — I don’t need to get used to the person and the style of coaching.
I think both Sean and Ted wanted me to, like, swing as most naturally to how I should be swinging, not to try and make a picture-perfect swing. I think those are probably some of the common things and differences.
Another key aspect of Ko’s improvement has been her engagement and pending marriage to Hyundai executive and son of Hyundai Vice President Ted Chung, Jun Chung.
“When I won in Korea, he wasn’t there,” said Ko at the CME Tour Championship. “And then he sent me a text while I was going up the 18th hole because I had enough of a lead that he thought I would win. I called him after my round, and I just started, like, bawling. I was in tears because I wish I could, like, celebrate that special moment with him.
“He is obviously a very special person in my life. I think having met Jun — was I meant to say his name (laughing)? Having met him, I think he motivates and inspires me to become a better person and a better player.
“I think when I first met him, it was just before — it was just before my win in Hawaii and then actually a few of the girls said, Hey, he is your lucky charm. I think Megan also said that too (laughing).
“I was, like, Yeah, I’ve got to keep him around.
“For a while when things weren’t going great in my career, I would — my identity felt so connected to golf. Having met him, I feel like he is introspective in life and in my golf.
“So, yeah, he is someone that I’m very thankful for, and I really wanted to win once in front of him.”
Clearly, Ko is in a very happy place and that it is reflecting on her on course performances is no real surprise.
“Yeah, this year has been an incredible year,” added Ko. “I really could never ask for more to win so early in the season and then to have won in Korea and then win the last event of the year. I couldn’t have drawn it up any better. There have been so many exciting things in my life that’s been going on.”