Weekly Wrap - Week 6
An Ozzie win by the new recruit to Ripper GC. Another young gun wins in Sydney and repeat winners on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
Image courtesy of LIV Golf
WEEK 6 – WEEKLY WRAP
Week 6 – LIV Golf kicked off for 2026 and what a week it was for Ripper GC and debutant Elvis Smylie. Elsewhere Patrick Reed kept on his winning s ways and there was also a repeat winner on the PGA Tour. Down in Oz in was a young gun who took the win in Sydney.
LIV Golf
Tournament: LIV Golf Riyad
Dates: 4 – 7 February
Course: Riyadh Golf Club, Saudi Arabia
Purse: Total: USD $30M – Individual $20M, Team $10M
Ozzies in the field: Ripper GC – Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert & Elvis Smylie
What a start Elvis Smylie has made to his LIV Golf career. Winner, Winner, Winner. Smylie co-led after the third round and solidified that position with a closing round -8 to win by one shot from Jon Rahm. Smylie’s Ripper GC also took out the team event which led to the team celebrating with the shoey on the podium.
Smylie is the first LIV player to win when OWGR points are on the line. Interesting to see the strength of field ratings which means that Smylie will earn less than half the points of the winner of the WM Phoenix Open.
Elvis Smylie 1st - USD $4M
Jon Rahm 2nd - $2.25M
Peter Uihlein 3rd - $1.5M
Lucas Herbert T9 - $415,000
Cam Smith T13 - $311,250
Marc Leishman T22 - $203,000
Ripper GC 1st - $3M
Torque GC 2nd – $1.5M
4Aces GC 3rd - $900,000
Image courtesy of Golf Australia
WPGA & PGA Tour of Australasia
Tournament: Webex Player Series Sydney hosted by Peter O’Malley
Dates: 4 – 8 February
Course: Castle Hill Country Club, Sydney
Purse: AUD $250,000
Ozzies in the field: Lots
Rookie pro Declan O’Donovan had a convincing 5 shot victory over West Australian Brady Watt for his first professional victory in just his seventh start. Steph Kyriacou was third and the leading female competitor. Kyriacou made a charge on the front nine with six birdies to get within two shots of the lead. Two bogeys on the back nine finished her charge.
O’Donovan, who turned pro just three months ago played with the confidence of a seasoned pro and his golf over the closing nine holes was imperious. His last nine holes produced six birdies which made the walk up the last that much easier.
The Castle Hill layout was in immaculate condition – the best this writer has seen in many years. Huge congratulations to all those responsible for the presentation of the course.
Declan O’Donovan 1st – AUD $45,000
Brady Watt 2nd
Steph Kyriacou 3rd
PGA Tour
Tournament: WM Phoenix Open
Dates: 5 – 8 February
Course: TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course)
Purse: USD $9.6M
Ozzies in the field: Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Karl Vilips, Ryan Fox (NZ)
Chris Gotterup is having a fun time on the PGA Tour. He picks up his second win in 3 starts. Hideki Matsuyama looked to have the tournament in hand but a bogey on the last left him level with Gotterup and they went back down 18 for sudden death playoff. Gotterup went on to birdie the first playoff hole and Matsuyama could only manage a par leaving Gotterup with the win. Scottie Scheffler had a poor tournament by his standards and finished third. Best of the Ozzies was Min Woo Lee at T28
Chris Gotterup 1st – USD $1,728,000
Ryan Fox (NZ) T24 – $82,320
Min Woo Lee T28 $62,948
Cam Davis 73rd - $19,104
Karl Vilips MC
Korn Ferry Tour
Tournament: Astara Golf Championship
Dates: 5 – 8 February
Course: Fundadores Course, Bogota Colombia
Purse: USD $1.0M
Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson, Harry Hillier (NZ)
American James Nicholas claimed his first Korn Ferry win in Colombia with a two shot victory over Norman Xiong. Rhein Gibson did not play on the weekend.
James Nicholas 1st - USD $180,000
Harry Hillier T58 - $4,110
Rhein Gibson MC
DP World Tour
Tournament: Qatar Masters
Dates: 5 – 8 February
Course: Doha Golf Club
Purse: USD $2.75M
Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzie, Ryan Peake, Anthony Quayle, Connor McKinney, Dan Hillier (NZ), Kazuma Kobori (NZ), Andrew Ikstrums. Jack Buchanan (1st alternate)
Well I predicted Patrick Reed would continue his good form this week and guess what – Reed collects his second win on the DP World Tour and has already collected more Race to Dubai points than the 10th player needed last season to earn a PGA Tour card. This almost certainly locks up Reed’s return to the US Tour.
Callum Hill had a less eventful second place this week and Jacob Skov Olesen rounded out the podium. Best of the Ozzies was David Micheluzzi and Kiwi Kazuma Kobori both at T9.
Patrick Reed 1st - €396,271
David Micheluzzi T9 - €43,869
Kazuma Kobori (NZ) T9 - €43,869
Daniel Hiller (NZ) T20 - €26,748
Jason Scrivener T24 – €22,494
Ryan Peake T44 - €12,121
Anthony Quayle MC
Connor McKinney MC
Hotel Planner Tour & Sunshine Tour
Tournament: Circa Cape Town Open
Dates: 5 – 8 February
Course: Royal Cape Golf Club
Purse: USD $375,000
Ozzies in the field: Austin Batista, Sam Jones (NZ)
In another playoff this week Englishman Will Enefer beat South African Hennie Otto in the first playoff hole after they both finished regular play at * under par. Enefer started the day five shots adrift of the lead and after two early bogeys looked an unlikely winner. However a string of birdies in the middle of the round saw him soar back into contention. It is the Englishman’s first victory on the Hotelplanner Tour and vaults him into second place on the OOM.
Will Enefer 1st €50,381
Sam Jones (NZ) T22 - €3,579
Austin Batista T27 - €3,019
Asian Tour
Tournament: Philippine Golf Championship
Dates: 5 – 8 February
Course: Wack Wack Golf & CC, Manila
Purse: USD $500,000
Ozzies in the field: Tod Sinnott, Kevin Yuan, Jack Thompson, Maverick Antcliff, Scott Hend, Jed Morgan, Travis Smyth, Justin Warren, Will Florimo, Harrison Crowe, Denzel Ieremia (NZ)
It was not to be for Ozzie Travis Smyth who finished with a disappointing one over 73 to finish third behind Pavit Tangkamolprasert and winner Wooyoung Cho. Nevertheless, it is a good start to the season for Smyth and should give him confidence for the upcoming tournaments.
Wooyoung Cho 1st – USD $90,000
Travis Smuth 3rd - $31,500
Jack Thompson T18 - $5,625
Maverick Antcliff T29 - $3,914
Kevin Yuan T29 - $3,914
Todd Sinnott T44 - $2,475
Jed Morgan T55 - $1,800
Harrison Crowe T55 - $1,800
Will Florimo T68 - $1,150
Justin Warren – MC
Denzel Ieremia (NZ) – MC
Scott Hend – MC
Mena Tour
Tournament: Egypt Golf Series
Dates: 3 – 5 February
Course: Madinaty Golf Club, Cairo
Purse: USD $100,000
Ozzies in the field: Silvester Tan, Brody Harminson, Luke Kidd (NZ)
Spaniard Juan Salama took the $$ in Cairo with a three shot victory over Welshman Jack Davidson. Best Ozzie finisher was Silvester Tan in T39.
Englishman and former Ryder Cup player Chris Wood stays at the top of the OOM despite not teeing it up this week.
Juan Salama 1st – USD $18,000
Silvester Tan T39 - $610
Brody Harbinson T45 - $433
Luke Kidd (NZ) – MC
Image courtesy of Golf Australia
Amateur Tournaments
Jazzy Roberts and Billy Dowling are the new Australian Amateur Champions. Dowling fired a blistering 10 under 63 on the final day to take the title by 5 shots from Joshua Fuller. In the Women’s side Roberts also shot 10 under in the final round for an incredible total of -27 to win by 6 shots over Anna Iwanaga.