Weekly Wrap - Week 12

WEEK 12 – Weekly Wrap

LET & WPGA

Tournament: Australian WPGA Championship

Dates: 19-22 March

Course: Sanctuary Cove Palms Course

Purse: AUD $600,000

Ozzies in the field: Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou, Kelsey Bennett, Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Steph Bunque and many more.

As we predicted, Ozzie Hannah Green converts her short priced favourite status and wins the WPGA Australian Championship. Green was simply a class above the rest of the field.

Having followed Green for most of her 72 holes the consistency and pure ball striking was brilliant. Yes, there were a few stumbles, but that’s golf. On nearly every occasion that Green made an error she immediately bounced back.

The most distinguishing aspect of her game was the calmness with which she approached every shot. No matter the situation or the outcome of her previous strike Green’s composure rarely changed. Her iron play was remarkable, consistently hitting to pin-high positions and more than often converting those chances with an assured putting display.

Australia golf legend Karrie Webb was at Sanctuary Cove for most of the week and presented the trophy with her name to Green. It was fantastic to see Webb, who is by most metrics Australia’s most decorated golfer, out on the course supporting our Ozzie women.

Green has now won the Australian Open and the WPGA Championship. Add those titles to her HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore and that makes three wins from her last 3 starts.

Australian golf is truly blessed to have stars like Hannah Green. She missed two tournaments and big prize money on the LPGA to come to Australia and play the Oz Open and the WPGA event on the Gold Coast. Kudos also to the other LPGA players Minjee Lee, Cassie Porter and Karis Davidson who also come back to play the Oz Open. Extra special kudos to Steph Kyriacou who, along with Green played both the Oz Open and WPGA event on the Gold Coast. Kyriacou is out of form and could have been on the LPGA grinding out some form and eking out some OOM points but played these two events in OZ. Well played Steph K.

Hannah Green 1st – AUD $90,000

Cass Alexander 2nd - $45,000

Alexandra Forsterling - $45,000

LPGA

Tournament: Fortinet Founders Cup

Dates: 19-22 March

Course: Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club

Purse: USD $3.0M

Ozzies in the field: Minjee Lee, Grace Kim, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson, Hira Naveed, Lydia Ko (NZ)

The US players finally restarted their mainland season and, apart from Nelly Korda, made little impact. There were four American finishers in the top thirty five. A sign that the Asian, Ozzie and European players may well dominate the LPGA this season. Add to that our most in form player, Hannah Green wasn’t in the field.

Nelly Korda, winner of the season opener Champions Trophy, pushed eventual winner Hyo Joo Kim to the end but the Korean was too good and hung onto her overnight lead to take the title. Next week she defends at the Ford Championship.

Two Ozzies finished in a tie for fifth place. Cassie Porter replicated her Oz Open form with a closing round of 66 and Minjee Lee also had a solid week. Robyn Choi had her best finish for a long time and were it not for a run of three bogeys on the back nine on Sunday she too would have been in the top five. As it was, she finished T12.

Hyo Joo Kim 1st – USD $450,000

Cassie Porter T5 -$83,772

Minjee Lee T5 - $83,772

Robyn Choi T12 - $52,519

Karis Davidson T45 - $

Grace Kim T45 - $

Lydia Ko (NZ) T56 - $

Hira Naveed MC

EPSON TOUR

Tournament: Orlando Health Championship

Dates: 20-22 March

Course: Grasslands Golf & Country Club

Purse: USD $

Ozzies in the field: Jennifer Elliot,

Fiona Xu (NZ), Caitlin Peirce,

Another cut made for Jennifer Elliot but unfortunately Caitlin Peirce and Fiona Xu missed the cut.

American Maddie McCray recorded her first win on the Epson Tour by going bogey free for the entire tournament. She still needed to birdie the final hole to get the job done over compatriot Mariel Galdiano.

Maddie McCray 1st – USD $37,500

Jennifer Elliot T23 - $2,703

Caitlin Peirce MC

Fiona Xu (NZ) MC

PGA Tour

Tournament: Valspar Championship

Dates: 19-22 March

Course: Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club - Copperhead

Purse: USD $9.1M

Ozzies in the field: Cam Davis, Karl Vilips

Having finished second last week at The Players, Matt Fitzpatrick did not repeat the final hole bogey from TPC Sawgrass and instead rolled in a 12 footer for birdie to take the win over American Brian Lipsky.

Surprise of the week was the form of Brandt Snedeker who started the final day in second place and whilst he faded with final round of 76 the old dog showed plenty of his younger form.

Best Ozzie finisher was Karl Vilips and unfortunately another MC for Cam Davis.

Matt Fitzpatrick 1st - USD $1,738,000

Karl Vilips T64 - $19,474

Cam Davis MC

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: Cologuard Classic

Dates: 20-22 March

Course: La Paloma Country Club

Purse: USD $2.2M

Ozzies in the field: Michael Wright, Mark Hensby, Stuart Appleby, Brendan Jones, Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Steve Allan, Steve Alker (NZ)

Steve Alker is back in the winner's circle defending his title. Alker defeated Padraig Harrington in the first play-off hole with a birdie to Harrington’s par. Best of the Ozzies were Steve Allen and Richard Green both finishing at T10.

Stevie Alker (NZ) 1st – USD $330,000

Steve Allen T10 - $48,840

Richard Green T10 - $48,840

Cameron Percy T21 - $25,025

Michael Wright T25 - $20,515

Brendan Jones T32 - $14,190

Stuart Appleby T50 - $5,984

John Senden T63 - $3,080

Mark Hensby T67 - $2,310

Greg Chalmers WD

DP World Tour

Tournament: Hainan Classic

Dates: 19-22 March

Course: Mission Hills

Purse: USD $2.55M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzi, Ryan Peake, Anthony Quayle, Connor McKinney

Chipping in for eagle on the final hole of his final tournament last season moved Jordon Gumbert from position 127 to 110 on the OOM and secured his playing rights for 2026. He has now converted that amazing story into a win at the Hainan Classic.

Best of the Ozzies was Ryan Peake at T31 followed by Kazuma Kobori (NZ) and David Micheluzzi at T34. Connor McKinney missed another cut, and he needs to start taking advantage of the limited starts he will get to secure playing rights for next season. The talented West Australian has only made two cuts from his seven starts this season after getting his card the hard way starting at 1st stage of qualifying and playing the whole 252 holes right through to final stage.

The Chipping Forecasts Eddie Pepperell had a particularly good week finishing T9 and climbing to 40th on the Race to Dubai rankings.

Jordon Gumbert 1st – €375,015.65

Ryan Peake T31 – 18,309

Kazuma Kobori T34 – 14,399

David Micheluzzi T34 – 14,399

Jason Scrivener T55 – 7,059

Anthony Quayle MC

Connor’s McKinney MC

Hotel Planner Tour

Tournament: DP World PGTI Open

Dates: 19-22 March

Course: Classic Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, Harana

Purse: USD $300,000

Ozzies in the field:

South African MJ Daffue recorded his second win of the season. Daffue had to complete the last six holes of the third round before starting his final round on Sunday. He ran out a one shot winner over American Jared Hack and Saptak Talear from India. The win catapults Daffue to the top of the Race to Mallorca and almost guarantees him promotion to the DP World Tour at seasons end. The HotelPlanner tour takes a break now until May.

MJ Daffue 1st – €41,524

Sunshine Tour

Tournament: Theo Manyana Qualifying School Firs Stage

Dates: 17 – 29 March

Course: Two tournaments - Ruimsig Country Club & Krugersdorp Golf Club

Purse: 0

Ozzies in the field: David Padayachee (a)

Forty three players advanced from the two qualifying tournaments to join the 135 players who are already entered to play in the final stage of Q School. The final stage is held over five rounds with a cut to 65 and ties after 72 holes. Ozzie David Padayachee(a) withdrew after 2 rounds of qualifying and there are no Ozzies entered in final stage.

LIV Golf

Tournament: LIV South Africa

Dates: 19-22 March

Course:

Purse: USD $30M

Ozzies in the field: The Usual

Is this the best LIV Golf event ever – it is according to Bryson DeChambeau. Of course your appreciation of a tournament might be increased when you win in a playoff over your main rival on the tour, in this case, Jon Rahm.

For the record DeChambeau won on the first playoff hole over Jon Rahm. DeChambeau’s Crushers also took out the team total.

Bryson DeChambeau 1st – USD $4.0M