21 Mar 2024 | Professional golf |
Aussies on Tour: Green's all-star pairing at Seri Pak Championship
by Tony Webeck
Australian Hannah Green is part of an all-star group of major champions for the opening round of the LPGA Tour Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in California starting Friday morning AEDT.
Making her first start since her stunning victory at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore that propelled her back inside the top 20 of the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking, Green features prominently among the marquee groups.
The 2019 KPMG Women's PGA champion has been drawn to play with 2021 Women's PGA champion Nelly Korda and two-time major winner Brooke Henderson of Canada.
Looking to lock down a second straight Olympic representation in Paris in August, Green headlines a strong Aussie contingent.
World No.5 Minjee Lee is the only full-time Aussie LPGA Tour player not in the field this week, West Australian Hira Naveed to make her debut as a member of the tour after obtaining her card at LPGA Q-Series late last year.
A four-time All-WCC first team pick (the 12th in program history) and a 2019 All-American at Pepperdine University, Naveed had four top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour in 2023 and shot 65 in the final round at Q Series to finish 15th.
Elsewhere this week, the top six finishers from last year’s Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit have the chance to become more permanent members of the DP World Tour at the Porsche Singapore Classic.
With 2022/2023 Order of Merit winner David Micheluzzi exempt through a separate category, the top five Order of Merit finishers not otherwise exempt were eligible to enter. Tom Power Horan, Andrew Martin, John Lyras, Michael Hendry and Deyen Lawson have all taken up the opportunity just a week after the 2023/2024 season drew to a close at The National Tournament.
West Australian Jason Scrivener is the only other Australian in the field at Laguna National Golf Resort Club in Singapore, Haydn Barron currently fourth emergency.
Starting with the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Micheluzzi has made five starts on the 2024 DP World Tour season to date, his best result a tie for 16th at the Bahrain Championship.
As the Order of Merit champion, Micheluzzi can plot a relatively full schedule in 2024.
That is not necessarily the case for the likes of Power Horan, Martin, Lyras, Hendry and Lawson.
By finishing in the top three, Power Horan and Martin both have status for the 2024 season but Lyras, Hendry and Lawson will have only individual exemptions for particular tournaments.
Martin will be the first of the Aussies out on course on Thursday at a course with a par-3 17th modelled on the 17th at TPC Sawgrass that was the site of so much drama last week at THE PLAYERS Championship.
Of those who played TPC Sawgrass last week, Aussies Min Woo Lee and Aaron Baddeley and Kiwi Ryan Fox will be joined by Harrison Endycott at the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship in Florida.
A week after perhaps the most exacting test on the PGA TOUR each year, players must come to terms with the ‘Snake Pit’ at Innisbrook, a three-hole closing stretch as demanding as any on tour.
The only place to watch our Aussies in action around the world is on Fox Sports, through Foxtel and Kayo.
Round 1 tee times AEDT
LPGA Tour Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, California 1am* Robyn Choi, Gina Kim, Polly Mack 1:22am Olivia Cowan, Karis Davidson, Arpichaya Yubol 1:55am* Hannah Green, Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda 2:06am Carlota Ciganda, Nasa Hataoka, Grace Kim 2:28am Stephanie Kyriacou, Mary Liu, Hee Young Park 6:33am Hannah Darling (a), Maria Fassi, Sarah Kemp 7:39am Gemma Dryburgh, Ryann O'Toole, Gabriela Ruffels 8:01am Nataliya Guseva, Lauren Hartlage, Hira Naveed
Defending champion: Ruoning Yin Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US2 million TV times: Live 9am-12pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 6am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Valspar Championship Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Cse), Palm Harbor, Florida 12:03am Kevin Tway, Aaron Baddeley, Hayden Buckley 3:50am Aaron Rai, Thomas Detry, Ryan Fox (NZ) 4:12am Peter Malnati, Doug Ghim, Min Woo Lee 5:51am Harrison Endycott, Alejandro Tosti, Joe Highsmith
Defending champion: Taylor Moore Past Aussie winners: John Senden (2014) Prize money: $US8.4 million TV times: Live 11:15pm-9am Thursday; Live 2am-9am Saturday; Live 1am-9am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
DP World Tour Porsche Singapore Classic Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Singapore 10:30am Marco Penge, Andrew Martin, Lorenzo Scalise 10:50am Irvyn Tan, Alejandro Del Rey, John Lyras 11:20am Michael Hendry (NZ), Joshua Berry, Tom Power Horan 11:30am Deyen Lawson, Paul Waring, Niklas Norgaard 12pm Jens Dantorp, Matthew Jordan, Jason Scrivener 4:20pm Daniel Hillier (NZ), Adrian Otaegui, Joost Luiten 4:45pm* Freddy Schott, Filippo Celli, David Micheluzzi
Defending champion: Ockie Strydom Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €2 million TV times: Live 4pm-9pm Thursday, Friday; Live 2:30pm-6pm Saturday, Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Americas Bupa Championship at Tulum PGA Riviera Maya, Tulum, Mexico 11:23pm Matthew Anderson, Harry Hillier (NZ), Sam Jean 5:12am Jason Hong, Taylor Funk, Tyler Strafaci 5:23am* Michael Sweeney, Johnny Travale, Charlie Hillier (NZ)
Defending champion: Inaugural event Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US225,000
Challenge Tour Kolkata Challenge Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Kolkata, India 12:25pm* Subash Tamang, Daniel Young, Hayden Hopewell 5pm Jiri Zuska, Connor McKinney, Kiet Van Der Weele
Defending champion: Inaugural event Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US300,000
Epson Tour Atlantic Beach Classic Atlantic Beach Country Club, Atlantic Beach, Florida 11:22pm Jennifer Chang, Rina Jung, Fiona Xu (NZ) 11:33pm* Haylee Harford, Cassie Porter, Teresa Toscano 11:44pm* Jenny Bae, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Sarah White 4:02pm Su Oh, Alisa Rodriguez, Mariah Stackhouse
Defending champion: Inaugural event Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $300,000
Champions Tour Hoag Classic Newport Beach CC, Newport Beach, California Australasians in the field: Steven Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Michael Wright
Defending champion: Ernie Els Past Aussie winners: Rodger Davis (2003) Prize money: $US2 million TV times: 12pm-1pm Saturday; 12pm-1pm Sunday; Live 9am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
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