Weekly Wrap - Week 9

Image courtesy LPGA

WEEK 9 – WEEKLY WRAP

LPGA

Tournament: HSBC Women’s World Championship

Dates: 26 Feb – 1 March

Course: Sentosa Golf Club

Purse: USD $3.0M

Ozzies in the field: Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson

Yes, Yes, Yes. An Ozzie in on the LPGA as Hannah Green repeats her win from 2024. On that occasion she needed a birdie on the last to grab victory but this week she could afford a bogey finish to clinch the title. This is Green’s seventh victory on the LPGA and after going without a win last season she is in great form and will no doubt be looking to add to her Major tally this season.

Minjee Lee started the day as joint leader but could not get anything going and finished with an even par 72 and tied third, with American Auston Kim separating the two Ozzies at second place. Next best Ozzie was Cassie Porter who finished T18.

HANNAH GREEN 1st – USD $450,000

Minjee Lee T3 - $161,475

Cassie Porter T18 - $36,475

Lydia Ko (NZ) T27 - $25,484

Grace Kim T41 - $14,391

Karis Davidson T47 - $11,614

Robyn Choi T60 - $7,604

Steph Kyriakou 71 - $6,366

LET & WPGA

Tournament: Ford Women’s NSW Open

Dates: 26 Feb – 1 March

Course: Wollongong GC

Purse: AUD $600,000

Ozzies in the field: Lots of Ozzies including Kelsey Bennett, Kirsten Rudgeley, Madison Hinson-Tolchard, Justice Bosio, Steph Bunque, Sarah Kemp and Kiwis Amelia Garvey and Momoka Kobori.

No Ozzie winner unfortunately but a well deserved win for Frenchwomen Agathe Laisne (and apologies to her for mispronouncing her name for most of the day). Laisne played with Ozzies Kelsey Bennett and overnight leader Hannah Reeve and produced a six under 66 to prevail by one shot over April Angurasaranee and Korean amateur Soomin Oh. The Korean held the lead for most of the afternoon but bogies on 16 and 18 were her downfall. Playing behind Oh, Laisne made a clutch birdie on the par three 17th and then only needed a regulation par on the last to seal the win.

Bennett started with a three putt bogey on the 1st and an untidy bogey on the 2nd and never really recovered finishing with an even par 71 and T8. Overnight leader Reeve made a bomb for birdie on the 1st but after that her putter went stone cold and she finished with a one over 72 to also finish T8.

A good finish for At T20 for Steph Bunque in her first full LET tournament. She earns valuable OOM points which she really must accumulate in these four co-sanctioned events in Australia. Starts after this Ozzie swing will be harder to come by for Bunque due to her category 16 status so good results in these four tournaments is essential.

The Ozzie story of the tournament was the result for evergreen Sarah Kemp. Having her first start since yet another surgery on her injured leg in December, Kemp was forced to play 36 holes in one day on the bung leg and on the last day was obviously limping slightly. Kemp finished at -12 and the top Ozzie on the scoreboard.

Agathe Laisne 1st – AUD $90,000

Sarah Kemp T5 - $22,400

Amelia Harris (a)

Kelsey Bennett T8 - $13,971

Hannah Reeves T8 - $13,971

PGA Tour of Australasia & Asian Tour

Tournament: NZ Open

Dates: 26 Feb – 1 March

Course: Millbrook Resort

Purse: NZD $2.0M

Ozzies in the field: Lots

Kiwi Dan Hillier was an extremely popular winner at Millbrook Resort for the first New Zealand winner of this tournament since Michael Hendy back in 2017. Hillier has been in great form on the DP World tour and his decision to miss the South African Open to play his own home open has paid off in spades. Winning in the week following his wedding Hiller said it was the best week of his life.

Best of the Ozzies was Lucas Herbert whose second place also saw him pick up a start in The Open as Hillier is already exempt.

Dan Hillier 1st – AUD $195,789

PGA Tour

Tournament: Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches

Dates: 26 Feb – 1 March

Course: PGA National – Champion Course

Purse: USD $9.6M

Ozzies in the field: Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Karl Vilips

It’s hard to win golf tournaments, version two from Shane Lowry. After his last hole meltdown at The Dubai Invitational the man who could sink a ten footer to win the Ryder Cup could not keep it on the planet on 16 and 17 and blew a three shot lead to let Columbian Nico Echavarria in to win his third PGA title.

A tournament to forget for the Ozzies with no one surviving the cut. Cam Davis will need to find some form soon to maintain any hope of playing on the PGA Tour next year, currently sitting at 161on the FedexCup standings. His two year exemption from winning the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic runs out at the end of this season.

Nico Echavarria 1st – USD $1,728,000

Karl Vilips MC

Cam Davis MC

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: 119 Visa Argentina Open

Dates: 26 Feb – 1 March

Course: Jockey Club, Buenos Aires

Purse: USD $1.0M

Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson, Harry Hiller (NZ)

A final hole birdie was needed by Alistair Docherty to earn the win this week. Along with the winner’s cheque Docherty earns a spot at the 2026 Open via the Open Qualifying Series.

Alistair Docherty 1st – USD $180,000

Rhein Gibson T19 - $14,000

Harry Hillier (NZ) MC

DP World Tour

Tournament: Investec South African Open Championship

Dates: 27 Feb – 1 March

Course: Stellenbosch GC Stellenbosch

Purse: USD $1.5M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener

Another two time winner on the DP World this season following Jayden Schaper and Patrick Reed, Casey Jarvis goes back to back to win the SA Open. Jarvis also picked up a ticket to the Masters and The Open with the victory.

For followers of the popular podcase ‘The Chipping Forecast’ co-hosted by Eddie Pepperell it was a good week with the Englishman recording a top five finish and earning a spot in next week’s Joburg Open.

Casey Jarvis 1st - €216,006

Jason scrivener T24 - €12,833