By Tony Webeck

It’s not the first time she has teed it up against the boys but Hannah Green is hoping to ride the wave of winning momentum and create a slice of history at the TPS Murray River tournament starting Thursday.

Green will make her Webex Players Series debut at 7.45am on Thursday morning, paired with fellow Vic Open champion Dimi Papadatos and Fortinet Australian PGA champion Jed Morgan.

In the three Webex Players Series events to date the best result amongst the women is Su Oh’s tie for third at the inaugural TPS Victoria tournament last January but Green’s winning form and major credentials make her a genuine contender at Cobram-Barooga Golf Club’s Old Course.

Three times Green has contested the men’s WA Open in her home state, the last time coming in 2017 where she missed the cut towards the end of a year in which she had won three times on the secondary Symetra Tour in the US.

The format of the Webex Players Series where the women play off scaled tees and go head-to-head with the men for a share of the one prize pool brings the world No.30 well and truly into the frame.

Admitting that she is still coming down off the high of winning her first major title on Australian soil at 13th Beach Golf Links on Sunday, Green said she was only made aware of the chance to make history as the first female winner upon arrival at Cobram.

“I didn’t really think about that until a member here just brought it up to me this morning,” said Green.

“Hopefully I can get my name on the trophy and get a good start to 2022.

“Hopefully it is the first time a female wins a TPS event but these boys are hard to beat. It’s a good golf course here at Cobram so it’ll be tough.

“I’m still coming down from my high – who knows when that will actually happen fully.

“(The Vic Open) was my first ever professional tournament as an amateur so very fond memories.

“I’ve been playing that tournament for nine years now so it’s nice to have my name on that trophy.”

Adding to the intrigue of Green’s Webex Players Series debut is the presence of boyfriend Jarryd Felton.

A three-time winner on the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia, Felton earned bragging rights with a tie for 27th at Royal Perth Golf Club five years ago but LPGA Tour-bound Green it is simply another opportunity to spend time together.

“We have played the WA Open a couple of times in the same field but obviously a little bit harder playing from the men’s tees,” Green conceded.

“With the TPS being scaled tees it will be quite interesting this week. We’re both looking forward to it.

“It’s always nice playing at home and being in the same place at the same time.”

With regular caddie Nate Blasko in Canada and unable to travel to Australia, Green had Monica Marchesani on the bag for her victory last week, a pairing she is hoping to extend for one more week on the Murray.

Another aspect of Green’s preparation that she solved in the lead-up to her 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship triumph will also be in place again this week.

“I’ve always been into jigsaw puzzles,” Green revealed.

“A few weeks before KPMG in 2019 I decided to do some more and just got really into it. It was a great way to get off my phone and distract myself from what was going on in all the media stuff because I’d never had that much attention before.

“I’ve kept doing it ever since.

“I did one last week and I’ll probably do one this week as well.”

TPS Murray River in honour of Jarrod Lyle commences at 7.15am AEDT Thursday morning with Green headlining one of the feature groups alongside Papadatos and Morgan.

Other feature groups include that of Anthony Quayle, Brett Rumford and Grace Kim (7.35am), Jarryd Felton, Elvis Smylie and Stephanie Bunque (8.15am) and in the afternoon the groups of Bryden Macpherson, Jack Thompson and Kirsten Rudgeley (12.10pm), Matthew Griffin, Zach Murray and Whitney Hillier (12.20pm) and Andrew Martin, Louis Dobbelaar and Cassie Porter (12.30pm) are sure to draw large galleries.

The final two rounds of the TPS Murray River will be broadcast across Saturday (from 2.30pm AEDT) and Sunday (from 12.30pm AEDT) on Foxtel and Kayo in Australia.

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