What's on This Week - Week 49

Image courtesy of Golf Australia

WEEK 49 – WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK

DP World Tour and AUS PGA Tour

Tournament: Crown Australian Open

Dates: 4 December – 7 December

Course: Royal Melbourne (composite)

Purse: AUD $2.0M

Ozzies in the field:

Well it’s finally arrived. This is certainly the best field for an Australian Open for many years. Whether it is the best tournament will be decided over the next week but it certainly has the potential to be an amazing week of golf.

The undisputed draw card is Rory McIlroy. His presence at a golf tournament cannot be underestimated. HE is no doubt the reason General Admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday are sold out. McIlroy’s presence adds another dimension to the golf tournament.

The Irishman is not the only star teeing it up at Royal Melbourne this week. He is joined by PGA Tour regulars Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cam Davis, Karl Vilips and Si Woo Kim – DP World Tour Rasmus Neergard-Petersen, Daniel Hillier and Alex Fitzpatrick to name but a few. Then there are the Ozzies looking to break through into the upper echelons of golf – Already one of Australia’s best, Elvis Smylie, Ryan Peake, Matias Sanchez and Harrison Crowe. And of course there are the LIV stars like Cam Smith, Marc Leishman, Lucas Herbert, Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Josele Ballester and many more.

The players will not be the only stars on show this week. The Championship returns to the Royal Melbourne composite course for the first time in nineteen years. The venue no doubt playing a critical role in the presence of McIlroy. This will be a feast for the eyes in both player and course visuals. The crowds will be huge and it feels like the resurgence of the once great Australian Open is on track.

Tips for the week are Sydneysider Cam Davis, Kiwi Kazuma Kobori who won’t be disadvantage by his lack of length off the tee and who can putt the lights out. There will be plenty of ‘chippers’ following The Chipping Forecast podcast star Eddie Pepperell. But the one star who would make the roof lift if he is near the lead on Sunday afternoon is Min Woo Lee. If the chef can get cookin’ then he could bring the house down. What a win that would be.

LPGA

Tournament: LPGA Final Qualifying Stage

Dates: 4 December – 8 December

Course: Magnolia Grove GC Alabama

Purse:

Ozzies in the field: Jennifer Elliot, Hira Naveed,

Five exhausting, anxious, and nerve wracking rounds of golf will determine the next 25 (and ties) players on the LPGA Tour. Ozzie Jennifer Elliot has already played 126 holes through Pre Qualifying Stage and Qualifying Stage to get to this week. It would be an amazing effort to finish in the top 25. Hira Naveed finds herself back at Q School following a disappointing season on the LPGA. Naveed finished 107th in the Race to CME Globe OOM which gets her direct entry to Final Stage Q School. After a breakout 2024 season she will be keen to rediscover that form and get a better status for 2026.

PGA Tour

Tournament: Hero World Challenge

Dates: 4 December – 7 December

Course: Albany GC

Purse:

Ozzies in the field: NIL

Less than a limited field at Tigers event at the end of the FedExCup fall season. It’s hard to get excited about this 20 man event. Thirteen Americans, two Englishman, and one each from Scotland, Canada, Austria, Sweden and Japan make up the field for this week’s tournament. Scottie Scheffler to win his third in a row.

DP World Tour and Sunshine Tour

Tournament: Nedbank Golf Challenge

Dates: 4 December - 7 December

Course: Gary Player Country Club

Purse: USD $6.0M

Ozzies in the field: NIL

Disappointing that this event is scheduled against the Australian Open. It has drawn a number of players that might otherwise have played at Royal Melbourne this week. Names like Viktor Hovland, Marco Penge, Adrien Saddier, Kristof Reitan and the young gun Martin Couvra have all chosen the $6.0M purse of this event over our national open.

Whilst is has its own rich history it would be great if a way could be found for these two tournaments to co-exist without cannibalising fields.

Legends Tour

Tournament: MCB Mauritius Legends

Dates: 5 December 7 December

Course: Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius

Purse:€

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

The final stop of the Legends Tour for 2025. Scott Hend has already won the OOM but at the other end of the scale plenty to play for to retain status for next season and avoid going back to Q School in January.

WPGA Tour

Tournament: NSW Open Regional Qualifier Narrabri

Dates: 1 & 2 December

Course: Narrabri GC

Purse: AUD $50,000

Ozzies in the field:

Another chance for three more players to qualify for the Ford NSW Women’s Open next year. Can emerging star Hannah Reeve make it four in a row.