Weekly Wrap - Week 10

Kelsey Bennett winner of the Australian Women's Classic

LET and WPGA

Tournament: WPGA Australian Women’s Classic

Dates: 5-8 March

Course: Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club

Purse: AUD $600,000

Ozzies in the field: Kelsey Bennett, Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Steph Bunque and lots more

OZZIE WINNER ALERT – In our preview of the tournament we said Kelsey Bennett might threaten again this week. She did that and more, leading for most of the tournament and winning by four shots. Bennett and the field had to contend with cyclonic weather on the final day and only three players registered sub-par rounds of one under, Bennett being one of them. On the Saturday Bennett could have been a further four of five shots ahead if the putter had ben vaguely working. As it was, she took a one shot lead into the final day and her immaculate tee to green play ensured a great victory.

The next best Ozzies were Sarah Kemp and Maddison Hinson-Tolchard at T18 then Belinda Ji, Claire Shin and Steph Bunque at T42.

The other story of the first two weeks of the co-sanctioned LET/WPGA swing is the resurgence of Meg MacLaren. The Englishwoman’s struggles with the game are well documented, primarily by MacLaren herself, and it is wonderful to see the three time LET winner back in the groove.

Kelsey Bennett 1st – AUD $52,500

Caley McGinty T2 - $26,250

Meg MacLaren T2 - $26,250

LPGA

Tournament: Blue Bay

Dates: 5-8 March

Course: Jian Lake Blue Bay Course, Hainan Island, China

Purse: USD $2.6M

Ozzies in the field: Robyn Choi

Despite two double bogeys on her front nine Korean Mi Hyang Lee hung on for a one shot victory in China. Leading by three at the start of the day her one over Sunday total was good enough to hold off the challengers.

Ozzie Robyn Choi had a disappointing final round 76 to finish T24.

My Hyang Lee 1st - USD $390,000

Robyn Choi T24 - $25,540

EPSON TOUR

Tournament: Atlantic Beach Classic

Dates: 5-7 March

Course: Atlantic Beach Country Club

Purse: USD $250,000

Ozzies in the field: Jennifer Elliot, Hira Naveed, Caitlin Peirce, Fiona Xu, Jennifer Whitting

Isobella Fierro started the final round one shot behind the leader but her four under 67 was good enough to finish at -13 and win by three shots. Ozzie Caitlin Peirce fired the low round of the day on Sunday to climb from 27th to finish T7.

Isabella Fierro 1st – USD $37,500

Caitlin Peirce T7 - $7,054

Hira Naveed * - $804

Fiona Zu MC

Jess Whitting MC

Jennifer Elliott MC

PGA Tour of Australasia & Japan Tour

Tournament: ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship

Dates: 5-8 March 2026

Course: Royal Auckland 7 Grange GC

Purse: AUD $1.2M

Ozzies in the field: Lots

An epic playoff between Travis Smyth and Jack Thompson saw Smyth prevail on the sixth sudden death hole. Thompson started the final day six shots adrift of the leaders but a remarkable finish of 6 under through his last seven holes saw him close with an equal course record eight under 64. Thompson then had to wait two hours for the field to finish and see Smyth birdie the 17th and 18th and equal his score of fifteen under.

The pair then embarked on a marathon playoff which saw them play the 18th four times before a change to the third hole where Smyth made birdie the second time down the short par four.

The win gives Smyth a two year exemption of the Australasian and Japan Tours and takes him to the top of the OOM with just a couple of events left on the schedule. Smyth is 204 points ahead of nearest rival Cam John and there are 190 points for the winner of each of the final two events. The prize for winning the OOM is status on the DP World Tour and a pathway to playing more top level golf around the world. Second and third places obtain status on the secondary HotelPlanner Tour.

Travis Smyth 1st – AUD$

Jack Thompson 2nd $

PGA Tour

Tournament: The Arnold Palmer Invitational

Dates: 5-8 March

Course: Bay Hill

Purse: USD $20M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Ryan Fox (NZ)

A third playoff win for Akshay Bhatia. All three of his PGA Tour wins have been courtesy of a playoff and on Sunday he only needed one extra hole to beat Daniel Berger who on both the 72nd hole and playoff could not find the fairway. In the playoff this resulted in a bogey and let Bhatia make a simple two putt par for the win.

Akshay Bhatia 1st USD $4.0M

Min Woo Lee T6 - $702,000

Adam Scott T11 $493,000

Ryan Fox (NZ) T24 $157,000

Jason Day MC

PGA Tour

Tournament: Puerto Rico Open

Dates: 5-8 March

Course: Grand Reserve Golf Club

Purse: USD $4M

Ozzies in the field: NIL

Ricky Castillo might be happy he just missed qualifying for the Arnold Palmer Invitational (he was 11 FedexCup points off qualifying) and instead played the opposite field event, the Puerto Rico Open. Castillo prevailed by one shot over young gun Blades Brown (coolest name in golf) to record his first PGA Tour win. Along with the winner’s cheque Castillo gets entry to the PGA Championship.

John Dally II finished in a tie for 37th following a disappointing final round of two over 74.

Ricky Castillo 1st USD $720,000

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: Astara Chile Classic

Dates:5-8 March

Course: Prince of Wales Country Club

Purse: USD $1M

Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson

Doc Redman claimed his first Korn Ferry Tour win in Chile. Redman finished with a four under 67 to hold on to his second and third round lead to win by five shots from Cooper Dossey and Michael Johnson.

Doc Redman 1st – USD $180,000

Rhein Gibson T52 - $4,233

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: James Hardie Pro Football of Fame Invitational

Dates: 6-8 March

Course: The Old Course at Broken Sound Club

Purse: USD $2.2M

Ozzies in the field: Michael Wright, Mark Hensby, Stuart Appleby, Greg Chalmers, Steve Allan, David Bransdon

Two time major champion Zach Johnson proves there is fight in the old dog by winning at his first start on the PGA Champions Tour. Johnson proved that his golf is better than his captaincy skills by beating consistent Champions Tour winner Stewart Cink by four shots. It was Johnson’s first win since his 2015 Open Championship victory at St Andrews.

Best of the Ozzies was Steve Allen. Mark Hensby was DQ’d for signing an incorrect score card.

Zach Johnson 1st – USD $330,000

Steve Allen T4 - $95,040

Greg Chalmers T14 - $35,294

Michael Wright T35 - $11,693

Stuart Appleby T53 - $4,950

David Btansdon T59 - $3,850

Mark Hensby DQ – signed an incorrect score card.

DP World Tour & Sunshine Tour

Tournament: Joburg Open

Dates: 5-8 March

Course: Houghton GC, Johannesburg

Purse: ZAR 20,500,000

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, Austin Batista

Casey Jarvis just missed his threepeat as Englishman Dan Bradbury claimed his second Joburg open title. Jarvis and Brandon Robinson Thompson finished one shot behind Bradbury’s winning total of seventeen under.

For all the ‘Chippers’ Eddie Pepperell finished T28 and earned 25.87 points to rise to 55th in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Dan Bradbury 1st - €181,104

Jason Scrivener T18 - €12,114

Austin Batista MC

JLPGA

The JLPGA started this week with the Dailin Orchid Ladies Tournament. There are no Ozzies playing regularly on this tour so it will not be part of our weekly list of tournaments. Claire Shin has status and we will report if she plays any tournaments.

LIV Golf

Tournament: LIV Golf Hong Kong

Dates: 5-8 March

Course: Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling

Purse: USD $30M

Ozzies in the field: Ripper Gc with Cam Smith, Marc Leishmann, Lucas Herbert and Elvis Smylie. Wade Ormsby for High Flyers replacing Phil Mickelson

John Rahm claims his first individual title since a long time ago (539 days to be exact). Rahm finished at 23 under par, three shots ahead of Thomas Detry with Tomas Pieters a further shot back. This gives Rahm a season record of 2, 2, 1. He also finished last season with a pair of runner up results.

In the team event it was Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC who cleaned up giving the American team their first win in forever (974 days). Ripper Gc could not keep the winning streak going and finished 7th with Elvis Smylie and Lucas Herbert being the best individuals finishing at T8.

John Rahm 1st – USD $4.0M

Elvis Smylie T8 - $411,667

Lucas Herbert T8 - $411,667

Wayde Ormsby T41 $129,875

Cam Smith T48 - $50,000