Weekly Wrap - Week 20

PGA Tour

Tournament: The PGA Championship

Dates: 14-17 May

Course: Aronimink GC, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania

Purse: USD $

Ozzies in the field: Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Elvis Smylie, Travis Smyth, Ryan Fox (NZ), Dan Hillier (NZ)

Aaron Rai won his first Major Championship and showed absolute class with his closing 65 which included birdies on the 16th and 17th on Championship Sunday. Rai becomes the first English winner of The PGA since Jim Barnes 1919.

Overnight leader Alex Smalley double bogeyed the sixth hole and never really got back in the game. Scottie Scheffler never rallied and finished the tournament at -2 after a one under par closing day.

Rai reeled off seven one putt greens and then holed a 70 foot birdie put on 17 to lock out his challengers. A regulation par on 18 saw Rai finish on nine under par. He then had to wait for the final two groups to finish before officially claiming victory.

The stories of Rai’s iron covers and two gloves have been told many times but they are worth telling. They exemplify many of the wonderful things golf can teach; humility, gratitude and swinging your swing.

Rory McIlroy said about Rai’s win that "You won't find one person on property who's not happy for him." Xander Schaufffele added his thoughts on Rai’s win. "I'm super happy for him. He's such a good dude," Schauffele went on to describe Rai’s work ethic - “He’s always in the gym, he’s always on the range…..I think that’s what it’s about to be a major champion, you put in the work when nobody’s looking.”

Best of the Ozzies was Cam Smith with a welcome return to Major form making his first cut after missing the previous six. Smith finished T4 with the next best Ozzie being Min Woo Lee at T18.

Aaron Rai 1st – USD $3.69M

Cam Smith T7 – $637,050

Min Woo Lee T18 – $229,128

Dan Hillier (NZ) T26 – $125,523

Ryan Fox (NZ) T3578,805

Jason Day T65 – 26,900

Elvis Smylie T75 – $24,192

Travis Smyth MC

Adam Scott MC

LPGA

Tournament: Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G

Dates: 14-17 May

Course: Maketewa Country Club, Cincinnati, OH

Purse: USD $2.0M

Ozzies in the field: Lydia Ko (NZ), Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Hira Naveed

Lottie Woad converted her three shot overnight lead into her second LOGA victory. Woad described this win as better than her first as that success came at the Scottish Open and was unexpected. This time she is more well know, more successful and the expectations are higher.

Best of the Ozzies was Robyn Choi who had her first top ten finish for the season with a share of eighth place. This moves Choi up to *** place in the OOM. Kiwi Lydia Ko also finished in a tie for eighth.

Lottie Woad 1st – USD $300,000

Robyn Choi T8 - $43,072

Lydia Ko T8 - $43,072

Cassie Porter T30 - $15,125

Hira Naveed MC

EPSON TOUR

Tournament: Copper Rock Championship

Dates: 14-16 May

Course: Copper Rock GC, Hurricane, UT

Purse: USD $250,000

Ozzies in the field: Caitlin Peirce, Fiona Xu (NZ)

What a great tournament for our Ozzie and Kiwi women. Caitlin Peirce led the field after the first round and was joint leader with Kiwi Fiona Xu after the second round. Peirce and Xu played in the last group in the final round and it was Xu who prevailed with a closing four under 68 to run out a three shot winner. Unfortunately Peirce did not have the last round she would have hoped for with a closing two over 74 and a T9 finish.

Xu must really love the Copper Rock venue having won this event in 2024. After the win she said “It feels really amazing, pretty surreal, and it hasn't sunk in yet, but to do it again here is pretty special,” This win vaults Xu from 131st to 12th on the Race for the Card and Pierce climbs four spots to 27th.

Fiona Xu (NZ) 1st – USD $37,000

Caitlin Peirce T9 - $4,992

LET

Tournament: Amundi German Masters

Dates: 14-17 May

Course: Green Eagle Golf Course, North Course, Hamburg

Purse:€

Ozzies in the field: Kelsey Bennett, Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Steph Bunque, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Momoka Kobori (NZ)

Thirteen years ago Leonie Harm was lying in a hospital bed with little chance of surviving following a horrific accident where she was hit by a car whilst she was out for a run. Two years ago she had nearly quit the game due to frustration at her lack of success.

Harm started the tournament breaking the course record and then on Sunday birdied the final two holes to win by one shot over Cass Alexander. This is Harm’s breakthrough win and moves her to fifth on the OOM. For Alexander this is her fifth runner up for the season and whilst she now sits on top of the OOM there must be some feeling of frustration at not being able to record a win.

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Best of the Ozzies was Madison Hinson-Tolchard with another top ten result finishing tied seventh. Unfortunately Steph Bunque missed the cut but she still has four more tournaments in this European swing.

Leonie Harm 1st - €52,500

Madison Hinson-Tolchard T7 - €8,983

Justice Bosio T14 - €6,066

Kelsey Bennett T20 - €5,019

Amelia Garvey (NZ) €2,892

Steph Bunque MC

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: Colonial Life Charity Classic

Dates: 14-17 May

Course: The Woodcreek Club, Elgin, SC

Purse: USD $1.0M

Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson

Col Sherwood converted his 54 hole lead to his first KFT win after posting a closing four under par 66. Ozzie Rhein Gibson missed the cut.

Col Sherwood 1st – USD $180,000

Rhein Gibson MC

Hotel Planner Tour

Tournament: Challenge de Catalunya

Dates: 14-17 May

Course: Fontanals GC, Girona

Purse: €300,000

Ozzies in the field: Sam Jones (NZ)

Chris Wood could not back up from last week and missed the cut in Spain. Pablo Ereno scored his first win after making birdie on the final hole to force a play-off with Hamish Brown. Ereno prevailed on the second play-off hole with a par to Brown’s bogey.

Pablo Ereno 1st - €48,000

Sam Jones T21 - €2,875

JLPGA

Tournament: Sky RKB Ladies Classic

Dates: 15-17 May

Course: Fukuokaraizan GC, Fukuoka

Purse: Y120,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Lion Higo

Shiho Kuwaki 1st Y21,600,000

Lion Higo MC