Weekly Wrap - Week 43

WEEK 43 – WEEKLY WRAP

Week 43 and what a week it was. The Ozzie women get it done in Korea with amazing grit and last-minute wins to take the crown at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown. On the LET the women saw more rain than golf with the tournament reduced from 72 to 54 and then 36 holes but it was a long-time favourite getting her first win in 5 years. On the DP World Tour we saw that sometimes winning does not always produce the best moments of the tournament. David Micheluzzi shows that Ozzie grit as well with a fantastic second nine in round two to make the cut and secure his playing rights for next season. Similarly Jordan Gumberg holed out for eagle on the last hole to move from 127th to 106th and secure his card for next season. On the Ozzie tour we got a first-time winner but no change at the top of the OOM. And the Ozzie boys make a late charge at the Asia Pacific Amateur.

LPGA

Tournament: Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown

Dates: 23-26 October

Course: New Korea Country Club

Purse: USD $2.00M

Ozzies in the field: Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Steph Kyriacou, Grace Kim

The Ozzie girls prevailed and are crowned Champions in this matchplay team format but only after some dramatic fightbacks in the round robin session and semi-final. In the last round robin match against the USA Minjee Lee and Steph Kyriacou were behind early and then we saw an even contest right up to the 18th. Steph Kyriacou holed a ten-footer on the last to tie the hole and the match and secure second place in the pool and advance to the semi-final.

In the semi-final Australia played /Thailand and things looked a bit grim all day.On the 18th Hole of regular play Grace Kim, playing foursomes with Steph Kyriacou, holed a putt on 18 to tie the match send it into extra holes and the Ozzies pulled off the win on the 20th hole.

The USA had dominated all their matches leading into the final but they lost their mojo on the last afternoon and ultimately the Ozzies got the job done relatively easily. Minjee led them off with a 2 and 1 victory against Angel Yin. Hannah Green was next out and never really looked challenge by Yealimi Noh and also won 2 and 1 sealing the overall victory. Steph Kyriacou and Grace Kim were 1 up coming down 17 but once Green secured the victory that match was conceded and so Australia won 3-0. Well done to our Ozzie champions.

This week the tour moves to Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia.

LET

Tournament: Wistron Ladies Open

Dates: 23-26 October (reduced to 54 holes – 24-26 October)

Course: Sunrise Golf and Country Club Taiwan

Purse:USD $1.0M

Ozzies in the field: Kelsey Bennet, Amelia Garvey (NZ), Momoka Kobori (NZ)

Rain, rain, more rain and throw in some fog for good measure. This was how the tournament unfolded (or didn’t). The first round took 3 days to complete and by then the tournament had been reduced to 36 holes.

It was local and former world no. 1, five-time major champion, Yani Tseng who returned to the winner’s circle after more than 10 years since her last win. Tseng who is the youngest player, male or female, to win 5 majors and spent over 100 weeks as world no 1 before the putting horrors derailed her career. This win gives her status on the LET for next season and hopefully a return to her former stellar play. Kiwi Amelia Garvey had a great second round to finish second and move up to 12th on the OOM. Fellow Kiwi Momoka Kobori finished T21 and Ozzie Kelsey Bennett finished T34.

It's a week off before heading to China for the final Aramco event of the year.

WPGA and AusPGA

Tournament: Webex Players Series SA hosted by Greg Blewett

Dates: 23-26 October

Course: Willunga Golf Course

Purse:AUD $200,000

The first of the Webex series kicked off in Adelaide. Kristalle Blum opened up with a blistering 65 to be 2nd after day one. Unfortunately that was the last highlight for the local. It was Victorian Matias Sanchez who led from day one who secured victory at Willunga GC. Sanchez won by two shots from lefty Adam Bland. Justice Bosio was the best women finishing at T24. Nathan Barbieri continued his good form finishing solo 8th and staying at the top of the OOM.

Next up for the men is the NSW Open at The Vintage in a couple of weeks. The women head to Dubbo this week for another regional qualifier for the Women’s NSW Open in March 2026.

PGA Tour

Tournament: Bank of Utah Championship

Dates: 23-26 October

Course: Black Desert Resort

Purse:USD $6.0M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Day,Harrison Enycott, Karl Vilips

Michael Brennan got the job done in just his third PGA Tour start. Brennan earned his way onto the Korn Ferry Tour courtesy of three wins on the PGA Tour Americas. He was playing this week on a sponsor invite.

Jason Day was the best finishing Ozzie at T20 followed by Harrison Endycott T37 and Karl Vilips 66th. Vilips stays at 92nd on the FedexCup rankings hovering dangerously close the the cutoff for the top 100.

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: Simmons Bank Championship

Dates: 24-26 October

Course: Pleasant Valley Country Club Little Rock Arkansas

Purse: USD $2.3M

Ozzies in the field: Cameron Percy, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Michael Wright, Greg Chalmers, Rod Pampling, Stuart Appleby, Steve Allen, Steve Alker (NZ)

Steve Alker does it again for his 10th win on the Champions Tour. It was a convincing 7 shot win for the Kiwi who walks away with a cool USD $365 for his weeks work and climbs back to his familiar position on top of the Schwab Cup points list.

Other Ozzies in the field Richad Green was 2nd behind Alker, Cam Percy T5, Greg Chalmers T13, Rod Pamplin T18, Michael Wright T30, Stuart Appleby T38, Mark Hensby 46th and Steve Allen 51st. Unfortunately for Pampling and Appleby they did not get enough points to climb into the top 36 to get into the field for the season ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship which starts in 2 weeks. The other six Ozzies get to tee it up in the final event of the season and by virtue of finishing in the top 36 also guarantee their card for next season. Pampling, Appleby, David Bransden, Brendan Jones and John Senden all have to work out what to do next year as opportunities on Cahmpions Tour become less and there is no longer a Q School.

DP World Tour

Tournament: Genesis Championship 2025

Dates: 24-26 October

Course: Woo Jeong Hills County Club Cheonan, South Korea

Purse:USD $4.0M

Ozzies in the field: Adam Scott, Elvis Smylie, Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzi, Daniel Hillier (NZ), Kazuma Kobori (NZ)

No shortage of drama this week and not all of it at the top of the leaderboard. Ozzie David Micheluzzi entered this tournament at 108 in the OOM – top 115 get a card next season – so a bad week could have seen him drop down and reduced playing opportunities next season. A good opening round of 4 under 67 had him in good position to make the cut. However the second round saw him 5 over through 10 holes and edging toward the cut line and uncertainty for next season. But a late rally of 3 birdies in the last 5 holes saw him comfortably inside the cut line and guaranteed to stay in the top 115. Check out David’s interviews on DP World Tour to see what it means to secure playing rights.

Other drama came from American Jordan Gumberg who started the tournament outside the top 115. Gumberg then holed out for eagle on his 72nd hole to move inside the top 115 and gets to play a full schedule next season.

The winner of the tournament was local Junghwan Lee from Korea who came home with a blistering 64 in the final round. Lee’s win saw him climb 244 places on the Race to Dubai (OOM) and get a spot in the playoffs in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in Dubai.

Other Ozzies in the field: Adam Scott was the best finisher of the Ozzies in T3. Scott also moved up enough spots to retain full status for next season. Jason Scrivener had a Sunday to forget (82) finishing at the back of the field and dropping places on the OOM to miss the playoffs. Anything near a decent last round would have seen him advance to play in Dubai. Elvis Smylie missed the cut and edged a bit further away from on of the ten PGA Tour cards but gets to try and climb the rankings in Dubai. Kiwi Dan Hillier finished T38 and still has hopes of one of those PGA Tour cards and fellow Kiwi Kazuma Kobori missed the cut.

Legends Tour

Tournament: Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open

Dates: 23-25 October

Course: San Domenico Golf, Puglia

Ozzies in the field: Scott Hend, Michael Long (NZ)

Ozzie Scott Hend remains at the top of the OOM after another good week on the Legends Tour. Hend finished T4 three shots behind the winner, Englishman Andrew Marshall. Kiwi Michael Campbell was T24 and his compatriot Michael Long was T47.

Amateur and College news/Tournaments

At the Asia Pacific Championship being played at Emirates Golf Club Thailand’s Fifa Laopakdee came from six shots adrift to force a playoff with Rintaro Nakano from Japan and then prevail on the third playoff hole. Ozzies Harry Takis and Billy Dowling played in the penultimate group and started the final round seven shots behind the leader. Takis shot a last round 70 to finish 4th and Dowling had a 71 for 5th. Interesting to note that Ozzie Declan O’Donovan turned pro after the event and will have his first pro start at the NSW Open starting 13 November.