Weekly Wrap - Week 39

THE PRESIDENTS CUP

Some things in life are inevitable and American teams dominating singles in team events is just one of those things. The USA were trailing 7 ½ - 10 ½ heading into the Sunday singles but went on to win 9 ½ - 2 ½ in the singles matches to take The Presidents Cup for 11th consecutive time and 14th time overall.

One of the other inevitable things in golf is the lack of class of American golf fans. We witnessed this when one of them decided it was cool to yell out in the middle of Nacho Elvira’s backswing, resulting in a mishit. Elvira’s opponent, Scottie Scheffler, was however, all class as he conceded a 30+ par putt to on the same hole to counter the boorishness of his countrymen.

The final score was 17-13 to team USA but that final score does not reflect the tightness of the event. On the final day the Americans sank putts from everywhere, typified by a 40+ foot snake from Patrick Cantley to drive a stake thru the heart of Adam Scott on the par 3 sixteenth hole.

The American young guns Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman stood up and showed the world that they will be serious title contenders in the years to come. Coming up the last Koivun channelled his inner Tiger Woods with a club twirl for the ages. Maybe just a little too cocky for this writer but there is no doubting his golfing ability.

So finally the USA win a team golf event and the world looks forward to the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next year.

Final Results for the Ozzies:

Min Woo Lee 2-2-1

Adam Scott 1-2-0

Ryan Fox 2-2-0

LPGA

Tournament: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G

Dates: 25-27 September

Course: Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, AR

Purse: USD $3.0M

Ozzies in the field: Steph Kyriacou, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Gabbi Ruffels, Hira Naveed

Yuna Nishimura was a comfortable winner in the end, coming in five shots clear of In Gee Chun. Lauren Coughlan mounted a day two charge but couldn’t sustain that form over the final round.

Best of the Ozzies was Robyn Choi at T51. Sadly another missed cut for Steph Kyriacou, Hira Naveed and Gabbi Ruffels.

This tournament reflects the state of the LPGA. Nishimura from Japan becomes the 11th non-American to win this year on the LPGA. Of the twenty regular (non-team) events completed thus far the only American winners have been Nelly Korda (2) and Lauren Coughlan. The view doesn’t get any better if you add in the Majors with Korda winning two and the other three won by Haeran Reu (2) from South Korea and Shiho Kuwaki from Japan making it five American wins from twenty five tournaments.

This doesn’t mean that Americans have to win to make the LPGA successful. It means the LPGA must work harder at marketing their product. The Solheim Cup showed that there are plenty of stories out there – it is just a matter of getting those stories told.

1st Yuna Nishimura – USD $450,000

T51 Robyn Choi - $9,781

T64 Cassie Porter - $6,887

MC Gabbi Ruffels, Steph Kyriacou, Hira Naveed

LET

Tournament: Buccellati Ladies Italian Open

Dates: 25-27 September

Course: Golf club Milano

Purse:€350,000

Ozzies in the field: Kelsey Bennett, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Sarah Kemp, Whitney Hillier, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Momoka Kobori (NZ),

Cass Alexander stamped her authority on the Order of Merit with her second win of the season. Alexander also has 5 second places and another 3 top tens this year to put her in a commanding position at the top of the OOM.

Best of the Ozzies/Kiwis was Momoka Kobori at T14 followed by Justice Bosio at T36. Whitney Hillier missed the cut but stays inside the top 70 on the OOM at no. 68. Kelsey Bennett hangs onto third place but has two players breathing down her neck only fifty points away.

Alexander is a player who is good enough and deserves her shot at the LPGA but without any automatic promotion pathway she will have to join final stage of Q-Series with all the other hopefuls. Last year Alexander finished 4th in the OOM but had a bad week at Q-Series and finished 45th to miss out on her LPGA card. Hopefully the LET and LPGA are working on their partnership and some way can be found for an automatic pathway for the top finishers on the LET Order of Merit.

1st Cass Alexander - €52,500

T14 Momoka Kobori (NZ) - €6,256

T36 Justice Bosio - €2,555

T48 Sarah Kemp - €1,598

T57 Maddison Hinson-Tolchard - €1,155

MC Kelsey Bennett, Belinda Ji, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Whitney Hiller

PGA Tour of Australasia

Tournament: World Sand Greens Championship

Dates: 26-27 September

Course: Binalong Community Club

Purse: AUD $125,000

Ozzies in the field: heaps

Scott Barr won in spectacular fashion holing his 3rd shot on the final hoe for a birdie to seal a two shot win. Barr had an amazing final round, chipping in three times and only needing 18 putts for the whole round which added up to 60 shots.

This was a non-order of merit tournament so there were no points awarded.

1st Scott Barr $22,500

T2 Nathan Barbieri, Matthew Stieger - $10,625

DP World Tour

Tournament: Fedex Open de France

Dates: 24-27 September

Course: Le Golf National, Saint-Quentin-de Yvelines

Purse: USD $3,75M

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

Matt Fitzpatrick continues his stellar year with his fourth win of 2026. Already with three wins on the PGA Tour this year it was the Englishman’s 11th overall DP World Tour win and his first as a dad.

Best of the Ozzies was Jason Scrivener in a tie for twentieth. A much needed return to some form for Scrivener who moves to 109 on the OOM. Despite a better week Anthony Quayle actually went backwards 1 spot on the OOM to 139 but hopefully the form he showed this week can continue for the rest of the season.

1st Matt Fitzpatrick - €560,429

T20 Jason Scrivener - €35,809

T50 Anthony Quayle - €12,582

MC David Micheluzzi, Elvis Smylie, Connor McKinney, Jack Buchanan, Ryan Peake, Kazuma Kobori (NZ), Cam Smith

Asian Tour

Tournament: Mercuries Taiwan Masters

Dates: 24-27 September

Course: Taiwan Golf and Country Club

Purse: USD $1.2M

Ozzies in the field: Kevin Yuan, Jed Morgan, Harrison Crowe, Wade Ormsby, Will Florimo, Jack Thompson, Travis Smyth, Brett Rankin, Maverick Antcliff, Denzel Ieremia

After a twenty year wait Hung Chien-yao drained a twenty foot birdie putt on the final hole to win his first Asian Tour tournament by a single shot. Hung beat Ozzie Wade Ormsby who fired the day’s best round but fell one short after the exciting finish from Hung.

Best of the remaining Ozzies was Jack Thompson in a share of twenty fourth.

1st Hung Chien-yao – USD $240,000

2nd Wade Ormsby - $144,000

24th Jack Thompson – 11,040

T31 Kevin Yuan, Jed Morgan - $9,154

T38 Denzel Ieremia - $8,112

MC Harrison Crowe, Travis Smyth, Brett Rankin, Will Florimo, Maverick Antcliff

Japan Tour

Tournament: Richard Mille Charity Tournament 2026

Dates: 24-27 September

Course: Tokinodai Country Club

Purse: Y100,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Michael Hendry (NZ)

1st Kaito Onishi – Y20,000,000

T15 Michael Hendry (NZ) – Y1,570,000

JLPGA Step Up Tour

Tournament: The Chugoki Shimbun Chupea Ladies Cup

Dates: 24-26 September

Course: Geinan CC, Hiroshima

Purse: Y20,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Lion Higo

Hikaru Yoshimoto was the winner but another good week for Ozzie Lion Higo who finished solo 8th and moves up to 18th on the StepUp Tour rankings.

1st Hikaru Yoshimoto – Y3,600,000

8th Lion Higo – Y600,000

Sunshine Tour

Tournament: Rwanda Open

Dates: 24-27 September

Course: Kigali Golf Resort

Purse: R500,000

Ozzies in the field: Austin Batista

1st Kyle De Beer

T9 Austin Baustista