22 May 2023 | Professional golf |
Aussies on Tour: Min Woo Lee secures US future
by Tony Webeck
West Australian Min Woo Lee can play the PGA TOUR for the rest of the 2022/2023 season courtesy of his top-20 finish at the US PGA Championship in New York. Tied for 10th at the start of the final round at Oak Hill Country Club, Lee birdied the first and 18th holes in a round of 1-over 71 and a tie for 18th. He needed a finish of solo 27th or better to accrue the necessary FedEx Cup points that would grant him Special Temporary Membership of the PGA TOUR.
The 24-year-old can now continue to collect more FedEx Cup points that will all but ensure his full membership for the 2023/2024 season. A three-time winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia, Kiwi Ryan Fox also secured Special Temporary Membership with his tie for 23rd, his second-best finish in a major. Cam Davis was another to benefit from his strong showing at the PGA Championship. A final round 5-under 65 and tie for fourth not only earned Davis an invitation to play the 2024 Masters but will likely secure his spot in the field for next month’s US Open at LA Country Club. Even par for the tournament standing on the 14th tee, Davis produced one of the shots of the week to rocket up the leaderboard. He hit his tee shot 319 yards inside eight feet at the short par 4, converting his eagle opportunity before adding what would prove to be a crucial birdie at 17 for a 3-under total. “It was awesome. Any time you make an eagle in a major in front of a big crowd is a really awesome experience,” said Davis, who moved from 68th to 49th in the Official World Golf Ranking to also earn exemption into next month’s US OPen. “Really nice to do that towards the end of the final round where every birdie or eagle you make at that point scoots you pretty high up the leaderboard. “I was pretty pumped up, but at the same time you have to go to the next hole and calm yourself down and hit a finesse shot. “It’s a pretty unique up-and-down of emotions.” Davis and Cameron Smith both equalled the low score in a final round of a PGA Championship at Oak Hill – 5-under 65 – as Smith finished tied for ninth two months out from his Open Championship title defence. There were top 10 from Aussies also in Japan and Florida. Weekend rounds of 63-65 saw Dylan Perry finish tie for seventh at the Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour, Western Australian Kirsten Rudgeley tied for 10th at the Aramco Team Series Florida on the Ladies European Tour.
Results
Major golf US PGA Championship | Oak Hill Country Club, Rochester, New York
1 Brooks Koepka 72-66-66-67—271 $US3.15m
T4 Cam Davis 71-70-71-65—277 $720,000
T9 Cameron Smith 72-72-70-65—279 $465,000
T18 Min Woo Lee 73-67-71-71—282 $214,400
T23 Ryan Fox (NZ) 68-73-71-71—283 $165,000
T29 Adam Scott 68-74-74-69—285 $90,136
T40 Lucas Herbert 75-69-72-70—286 $46,900
MC Jason Day 76-72—148
MC David Micheluzzi 76-73—149
MC Steven Alker (NZ) 80-72—152
Challenge Tour B-NL Challenge Trophy | Twentsche GC, Deldenerbroek, Netherlands
1 Jesper Svensson 69-68-67-66—270 €40,000
T35 Maverick Antcliff 68-71-74-68—281 €1,775
T52 Jordan Zunic 72-69-72-72—285 €987.50
MC Connor McKinney 75-71—146
MC Jarryd Felton 74-73—147
Japan Golf Tour Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament | Toride Kokusai Golf Club, Ibaraki
1 Juvic Pagunsan 64-63-64-66—257 ¥12m
T7 Dylan Perry 66-69-63-65—263 ¥1,768,500
T14 Brad Kennedy 68-67-66-64—265 ¥944,000
T23 Andrew Evans 66-67-67-67—267 ¥532,000
T62 Adam Bland 69-68-68-69—274 ¥134,400
MC Brendan Jones 73-73—146
Epson Tour IOA Classic | Alaqua Country Club, Florida - Tournament reduced to 36 holes due to rain
1 Jenny Coleman 67-65—132 $US30,000
T17 Robyn Choi 69-70—139 $2,618
T23 Sarah Jane Smith 70-70—140 $1,889
T48 Gabriela Ruffels 69-73—142 $873
T57 Hira Naveed 69-74—143 $701
MC Cassie Porter 76-69—145
MC Amelia Garvey (NZ) 74-72—146
Korn Ferry Tour AdventHealth Championship | Blue Hills Country Club, Kansas City, Missouri
1 Grayson Murray 68-69-64-68—269 $US180,000
T47 Rhein Gibson 70-71-68-73—282 $4,377
MC Brett Drewitt 70-75—145
Ladies European Tour Aramco Team Series Florida | Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach
1 Carlota Ciganda 72-69-73—214 $US69,424.80
T3 Lydia Ko (NZ) 73-70-73—216 $24,298.68
T10 Kirsten Rudgeley 75-76-69—220 $9,719.47
T15 Stephanie Kyriacou 80-73-68—221 $7,752.44
T64 Whitney Hillier 79-74-82—235 $1,180.22
MC Momoka Kobori (NZ) 77-84—161
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