17 Apr 2024 | Professional golf |
Aussies on Tour: Record representation at The Chevron Championship
by Tony Webeck
Australia will have its strongest representation in tournament history with nine Aussies to tee it up at The Chevron Championship starting Thursday night in Texas.
Led by major champions Minjee Lee and Hannah Green, the nine Aussies in the field betters the previous mark by two, achieved in 2003, 2004 and 2019.
Six Aussies played at The Club at Carlton Woods 12 months ago, those numbers bolstered by Gabi Ruffels and Hira Naveed graduating to the LPGA Tour in 2024 and Queenslander Robyn Choi returning after a single season back in 2019.
A two-time major winner, Lee has been paired with defending champion Lilia Vu and current world No.1 Nelly Korda for the first two rounds in what is the marquee group of the opening two days.
Pictured with Stephanie Kyriacou, Grace Kim and Sarah Kemp after her win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship last month, Green tees off at the same time as her fellow West Australian at 4.10am AEST alongside Pajaree Anannarukarn and Hye-Jin Choi.
Ruffels first played The Chevron – known then as the ANA Inspiration – back in 2020 as an amateur, where she was tied for 15th on debut.
Still just 23 years of age, Ruffels has finished top-25 in her two starts in the event since turning professional, her last appearance a tie for 25th in 2022.
Fellow LPGA Tour rookie Hira Naveed makes her major championship debut on the back of her runner-up finish at the Ford Championship two weeks ago, a result that saw her climb 542 spots to 106th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
As the Aussie women count down to their first major of the year, there is an enormous Australian contingent this week also on the Asian Tour.
A total of 18 Aussies are in action at the Saudi Open in Saudi Arabia which began on Wednesday afternoon AEST.
Wade Ormsby birdied each of his opening two holes to lead the way early in Round 1 with Harrison Crowe, Jordan Zunic and Maverick Antcliff out in the early groups.
Off the back of their week at Augusta National, Jason Day and Cam Davis will fly the Aussie flag at the $US20 milllion RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links, the West Australian trio of Haydn Barron, Connor McKinney and Hayden Hopewell are joined by Victorian Tom Power Horan at the Abu Dhabi Challenge on the Challenge Tour and defending champion Mark Hensby is among the 10 Aussies in the field for the Invited Celebrity Classic on the PGA TOUR Champions.
Round 1 tee times AEST
LPGA Tour The Chevron Championship The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas 11:10pm Grace Kim, Leona Maguire, Anna Nordqvist 11:32pm Robyn Choi, Jin Hee Im, Hinako Shibuno 11:43pm* Maria Fassi, Hira Naveed, Megan Schofill (a) 4:10am Pajaree Anannarukarn, Hye-Jin Choi, Hannah Green 4:10am* Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Lilia Vu 4:32am Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Stephanie Kyriacou, Polly Mack 4:32am* Gabriela Ruffels, Madelene Sagstrom, Lottie Woad (a) 4:43am Perrine Delacour, Sarah Kemp, Miyu Yamashita 4:54am Aditi Ashok, Karis Davidson, Danielle Kang
Round 2
11:10pm Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Lilia Vu 11:10pm* Pajaree Anannarukarn, Hye-Jin Choi, Hannah Green 11:32pm Gabriela Ruffels, Madelene Sagstrom, Lottie Woad (a) 11:32pm* Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Stephanie Kyriacou, Polly Mack 11:43pm* Perrine Delacour, Sarah Kemp, Miyu Yamashita 11:54pm* Aditi Ashok, Karis Davidson, Danielle Kang 4:10am* Grace Kim, Leona Maguire, Anna Nordqvist 4:32am* Robyn Choi, Jin Hee Im, Hinako Shibuno 4:43am Maria Fassi, Hira Naveed, Megan Schofill (a)
Defending champion: Lilia Vu Past Aussie winners: Karrie Webb (2000, 2006) Prize money: $US7.9 million TV times: Live 12:30am-4am Friday, Saturday; Live 4am-8am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Asian Tour Saudi Open presented by PIF Riyadh Golf Club, Saudia Arabia 1:20pm Ayoub Lguirati, Douglas Klein, Prince Khalid Saud Al-Faisal (a) 1:30pm Stefano Mazzoli, Lion Park, Lachlan Barker 1:40pm Ye Wocheng, Jordan Zunic, Manav Shah 2pm Ervin Chang, Deyen Lawson, Jared Du Toit 2pm* Prom Meesawat, Jack Thompson, Saud Al Sharif 2:10pm* Harrison Crowe, Agustin Errazuriz, Jeunghun Wang 2:20pm* Lee Chieh-po, Sarit Suwannarut, Kevin Yuan 2:30pm Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Settee Prakongvech, Maverick Antcliff 2:30pm* Wade Ormsby, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Kiradech Aphibarnrat 2:50pm Charlie Lindh, Aaron Wilkin, Tomoyo Ikemura 2:50pm* Denwit Boriboonsub, John Catlin, Travis Smyth 6:10pm Austen Truslow, Issa Abouelela (a), Justin Warren 6:20pm* Angelo Que, Chapchai Nirat, Sam Brazel 6:50pm Steve Lewton, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Jed Morgan 7pm* Daniel Gale, Chang Wei-lun, Rattanon Wannasrichan 7:10pm Jaco Ahlers, Scott Hend, Ratchanon Chantananuwat (a) 7:20pm* SSP Chawrasia, Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Zach Murray 7:30pm* Jbe Kruger, Todd Sinnott, Siddikur Rahman
Defending champion: Denwit Booribonsub Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US1 million TV times: Live 8:30pm-12:30am Wednesday, Thursday, Friday; Live 9:15pm-12am Saturday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR RBC Heritage Harbour Town Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 11:35pm Jason Day, Eric Cole 11:50pm Cam Davis, Byeong Hun An
Defending champion: Matt Fitzpatrick Past Aussie winners: Graham Marsh (1977), Greg Norman (1988), Peter Lonard (2005), Aaron Baddeley (2006) Prize money: $US20 million TV times: Live 10:15pm-8am Thursday; Live 9:15pm-8am Friday; Live 11pm-8am Saturday; Live 8:45pm-8am Sunday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Corales Puntacana Championship Puntacana Resort & Club (Corales Cse), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 3:21am Harrison Endycott, Parker Coody, Herman Wibe Sekne
Defending champion: Matt Wallace Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US4 million TV times: Live 10pm-12am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 507; 9am-10:30am Sunday; 8:30am-10:30am Monday on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour Joburg Ladies Open Modderfontein Golf Club, South Africa 7:20pm* Emily Price, Jane Turner, Amy Walsh
Defending champion: Lily May Humphreys Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €300,000 TV times: Live 9:30pm-12am Saturday; Live 9pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 506 and Kayo.
Korn Ferry Tour LECOM Suncoast Classic Lakewood National Golf Club (Commander Cse), Lakewood Ranch, Florida 10:12pm* David Kocher, Rhein Gibson, Scott Harrington 10:56pm* John Lyras, Yi Cao, Dillon Board 2:25am* Dimi Papadatos, Tag Ridings, Morgan Hoffmann 3:20am* Trevor Cone, Brett Drewitt, Jamie Lovemark
Defending champion: Scott Gutschewski Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US1 million
Challenge Tour Abu Dhabi Challenge Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE 2:30pm Bailey Gill, Daniel Young, Haydn Barron 2:30pm* Jack McDonald, Albert Venter, Connor McKinney 5:40pm Žan Luka Stirn, Rashid Aljassmy, Hayden Hopewell 7pm* Tom Power Horan, Jamie Rutherford, Lee Slattery
Defending champion: Ricardo Gouveia Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: €300,000
PGA TOUR Champions Invited Celebrity Classic Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas Aussies in the field: Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, David Bransdon, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, David McKenzie, Rod Pampling, John Senden, Michael Wright.
Defending champion: Mark Hensby Past Aussie winners: Mark Hensby (2023) Prize money: $US2.2 million TV times: 11am-12:30pm Saturday; 10:30am-12pm Sunday on Fox Sports 503; Live 7am-9am Monday on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo.
PGA TOUR Americas 69th Brazil Open at Rio Olympic Golf Course Rio Olympic Golf Course, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 7:50pm Jason Hong, Devon Bling, José de Jesús Rodríguez
Defending champion: Inaugural event Past Aussie winners: Nil Prize money: $US225,000
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