Weekly Wrap - Week 22

LPGA

Tournament: ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern

Dates: 29-31 May

Course: Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, Galloway, NJ

Purse: USD $2,0M

Ozzies in the field: Steph Kyriacou, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson, Gabbi Ruffels, Hira Naveed, Su Oh, Sarah Kemp

Only one American featured in the top ten finishers which was headed by Celine Boutier. The Frenchwoman claimed her seventh victory on the LPGA and her first since 2023. This victory was made a little bit easier by the one shot penalty handed out to the second placed Arpichaya Yubol. Boutier ended up winning by one shot from Yubol with that one shot penalty making the difference between a win and a playoff. People who have watched Boutier play may see some irony in that.

A good week for Ozzie Cassie Porter with a T9 finish and she moves seven spots up the OOM to 33rd. It was also great to see Steph Kyriacou make the cut and hopefully start her climb back into form.

1st Celine Boutier – USD $300,000

T9 Cassie Porter - $38,302

T51 Robyn Choi - $6,239

T58 Steph Kyriacou - $5,032

T68 Gabbi Ruffels - $4,089

MC Su Oh

MC Sarah Kemp

MC Hira Naveed

LET

Tournament: Jabra Ladies Open de France

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: Evian Resort Golf Club

Purse:€

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

Helen Briem showed the form she had winning the LPGA Q school and why she is good enough for the LPGA. Briem cruised to a seven shot victory over three players, including Sarah Byrne. This was Byrne's third start back from breaking her elbow at the beginning of the season. The former Curtis cupper showed she has still got what it takes. If you have not watched the final nine holes of the 2024 Curtis cup it is worth a look. Byrne was just a powerhouse and driving force in that team.

Steph Bunque was in a tie for second place late into the final round but bogeys on her final two holes saw her slip back to T9. However, sometimes not winning is still winning and Bunque has done enough to get her OOM position back in the top seventy. The impact of that finish is explained in this article about the all important re-rank which takes place now.

Bunque’s finish elevated her to 52nd on the OOM which puts her into the top 70 before the first re-rank of the season. This means she will be guaranteed starts in all the regular season tournaments and perhaps even some of the big money Aramco events.

Kelsey Bennett had another strong tournament finishing T18. That finish gave her enough points to rise to third place on the Order of Merit.

1st Helen Briem - €67,500

T9 Steph Bunque - €9,900

T18 Kelsey Bennett - €7,425

T59 Kirsten Rudgeley - €1,440

MC Madison Hinson-Tolchard

MC Justice Bosio

MC Momoka Kobori

MC Whitney Hillier

PGA Tour

Tournament: Charles Schwab Challenge

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth TX

Purse: USD $9.0M

Ozzies in the field: Cam Davis, Karl Vilips,

Russel Henley stormed home with birdies on his last three holes to draw level with Eric Cole who had led for all of the final day. Henley then birdied the first playoff hole to take the victory. It was Henley’s sixth PGA Tour title and his first since taking out the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year.

Both Ozzies in the field missed the cut.

1st Russell Henley – USD $1,782,000

MC Cam Davis

MC Karl Vilips

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: UNC Health Championship

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: Raleigh Country Club, Raleigh, NC

Purse: USD $1.0M

Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson, Aaron Baddeley

Alvaro Ortiz from Mexico recorded his first win on the Korn Ferry Tour. After regulation play Ortiz and Ross Steelman were level at ten under par. Ortiz started the day with a two shot lead and could only manage a two over round which included birdies on 17 and 18. However he went on to birdie the first playoff hole to take the title.

Aaron Baddeley and Rhein Gibson both missed the cut.

Alvaro Ortiz – USD $180,000

MC Aaron Baddeley

MC Rhein Gibson

DP World Tour

Tournament: Austrian Alpine Open presented Kitzbühel Tirol

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: Golfclub Kitzbühel-Schwarzsee-Reith, Kitzbühel, Austria

Purse: USD $2.75M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzie, Ryan Peake, Anthony Quayle, Connor McKinney, Jack Buchanan, Kazuma Kobori (NZ), Austin Batista

Japanese star Kota Kaneko went one better than his second place last week and took the title in Austria. An eventful last few holes where Kaneko bogeyed the 15th, chipped in for birdie on 16 and then on the par three 18th hit his tee shot into the hoarding at the back of the green and his ball ricochet all the way across the green headed towards the water only to be saved by the long rough. Kaneko went on the make his par and secure a two shot win over American Bryant Davis and Ricardo Gouveia of Portugal. Kaneko is no stranger to winning having topped the Japan Order of Merit last year including two wins.

Kaneko goes to the top of the rankings for the European swing.

Best of the Ozzies was Anthony Quayle who was the only one of our guys to make the cut. Ryan Peake, Connor McKinney, and David Micheluzzie really need to start turning things around asap to start making cuts and earning OOM points.

1st Kota Kaneko - €401,544

T7 Daniel Hiller - €57,516

T59 Anthony Quayle - €6,731

MC Ryan Peake

MC Jason Scrivener

MC Austin Batista

MC Kazuma Kobori

MC David Micheluzzi

MC Jack Buchanan

MC Connor McKinney

Hotel Planner Tour

Tournament: Challenge de Espana

Dates: 28-32 May

Course: Isla Canela Links, Huelva, Spain

Purse: €350,000

Ozzies in the field: Sam Jones (NZ), Haydn Barron, Daniel Gale, Quinnton Croker.

Another South African winner on a world tour, this time it is Ryan van Velzen. He overcame a shaky start where he bogeyed three of the first five holes but he rallied on the back nine to eventually win by two shots from Dutchman Wil Besseling and American Dan Erickson. It was van Velzen’s first HotelPlanner Tour victory.

Best of the Ozzies was Haydn Barron who finished tied for twenty first.

1st Ryan van Velzen - €48,000

T21 Haydn Barron - €2,910

T65 Quinnton - €765

MC Daniel Gale

MC Sam Jones (NZ)

Japanese Tour

Tournament: Gateway to The Open Mizuno Open

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: JFE Setonaikai Golf Club

Purse: Y100,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Michael Hendry (NZ)

South African’s are winning golf tournaments everywhere and in Japan it was the turn of Shaun Norris who not only picked up the first prize cheque but also a ticket to The Open at Royal Birkdale.

1st Shaun Norris – Y20,000,000

60th Michael Hendry (NZ) – Y229,000

JLPGA

Tournament: resorttrustladies

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: Grandee Nasushirakawa Golf Club

Purse: Y140,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Lion Higo

Lion Higo made the cut and the tournament was won by Yui Kawamoto.

1st Yui Kawamoto – Y25,200.000

56th Lion Higo – Y476,000

KLPGA

Tournament: Suhyup Bank MBN Ladies Open

Dates: 29-31 May

Course: The Star Hue

Purse: ₩1,000,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Claire Shin

Minji Park shot a final round eight under 64 to come from five shots back to win. Ozzie Claire Shin missed the cut.

Minji Park KRW 180,000,000

LIV Golf

Tournament: Liv Golf Korea

Dates: 28-31 May

Course: Asia Country Club

Purse: $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Ozzies in the field: Ripper GC: Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Elvis Smylie

An Ozzie victory as fill-in Crusher, Travis Smyth is part of the winning team. Not a bad week for Smyth as he picks up a share of the USD $3.0M team prize. Smyth will also pick up a bunch of cash for his T8 finish in the individual tournament.

Joaquin Niemann won the individual contest in a playoff over Taylor Gooch**. Niemann won on the first play-off hole. This was Niemann’s sixth win on Liv Golf.