What's on This Week - Week 13

WEEK 13 – WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK

LPGA

Tournament: Ford Championship

Dates: 26 – 29 March

Course: Whirlwind Golf Club, Cattail Course, Phoenix Arizona

Purse: USD $

Ozzies in the field: Steph Kyriacou, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson, Gabbi Ruffels

The LPGA stays in the west this week as players get ready for the big Aramco tournament next week in Las Vegas. Minjee Lee and Hannah Green are sitting this one out but the rest of the top 30 from last seasons CME points are in Phoenix this week.

Of interest is the return to competitive golf for Jessica Korda. Whilst she did tee it up in the Grant Thornton Invitational late last year this is the first real hit out for the six time winner.

WPGA

Tournament: Wagga Wagga Pro-Am

Dates: 26 – 27 March

Course: Wagga Wagga Country Club

Purse: AUD $50,000

Ozzies in the field:

The penultimate tournament for the WPGA season. Lydia Hall must love Australia. The well credentialled Welsh player won the Vic Open in January, played the Webex events in Victoria and Murray River, played all four LET co-sanctioned events and is now heading to Wagga Wagga for a Pro-Am. The highest ranked player in the field is Cholcheva Wongras from Thailand who is currently 174 in the Rolex Rankings. Also in the field are Hannah Reeves, Belinda Ji, American Annika Borrelli and Kelsey MacDonald from Scotland. MacDonald set a course record 64 in the first round of last week’s WPGA Championship at Sanctuary Cove.

PGA Tour of Australasia

Tournament: The National

Dates: 26 – 29 March

Course: The National Golf Club, Gunnamatta Course

Purse: AUD $200,000

Ozzies in the field:

The final event of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia. Travis Snyth has locked up the first spot on the OOM so all interest is in who can clinch the second and third places. These players will earn status on the secondary European tour, The HotelPlanner Tour. Two time winner this season, Cam John (772.42) goes into the week in second but is only 64 points ahead of the ever consistent James Marchesani (708.38) who is 63 points ahead of fourth placed Haydn Barron (646). The next best are Will Florimo (641.91), Chris Wood 634.36) and Jay Mackenzie 633.29). With 190 points to the winner, it is set to be an exciting week to see who is off to Europe next year.

PGA Tour

Tournament: Texas Children’s Houston Open

Dates: 26 – 29 March

Course: Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas

Purse: USD $9.9M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Karl Vilips, Ryan Fox (NZ)

Scottie Scheffler has withdrawn due to family reasons which means that NONE of the top nine players in the world are in the field this week and only nineteen of the top fifty are heading to Houston. I suppose this give every other mortal golfer on the PGA a chance. Cam Davis is sitting this one out. He desperately needs to find something soon to get his season underway.

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: Club Car Championship

Dates: 26 – 29 March

Course: The Landings Golf and Athletic Club

Purse: USD $1.0M

Ozzies in the field: Rhein Gibson

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: Hoag Classic

Dates: 27 – 29 March

Course: Newport Beach Country Club

Purse: USD $2.2M

Ozzies in the field: Steve Alker (NZ), Steve Allan, Stuart Appleby, Mark Hensby, Matthew Goggin, Richard Green, Brendan Jones, Michael Wright, Cameron Percy, John Senden

Greg Chalmers withdrew after 2 rounds last week and isn’t in the field this week.

DP World Tour

Tournament: Hero Indian Open

Dates: 26 – 29 March

Course: DLF Golf & Country Club, New Delhi, India

Purse: USD $255M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzie, Ryan Peake, Anthony Quayle, Connor McKinney, Jack Buchanan, Kazuma Kobori (NZ), Elvis Smylie, Cory Crawford, Harrison Crowe, Nick Voke (NZ), Jordan Doull

A larger than usual list of Ozzies this week as the Indian Open has extended additional spots to the Australasian PGA. Akshay Bhatia has also entered on an invitation.

Perhaps the main interest this week is the fabulous DLF course and the revetted faces of the bunkers. There will be plenty of talk about them in the coverage.

JLPGA

Tournament: AXA Ladies Tournament

Dates: 27 – 29 March

Course: UMK Country Club Miyazaki

Purse: 1.0M Yen

Ozzies in the field: Lion Higo

Sunshine Tour

Tournament: Theo Manyama Qualifying School – Final Stage

Dates: 25-29 March

Course: Parys Golf & country Estate and Vaal de Grace golf Estate

Purse: 100,000 Rand

Ozzies in the field: Nil

One hundred and seventy nine players vying for one of the 25 spots on the Sunshine Tour next season. Over a gruelling five rounds with a cut after 72 holes down to top 65 and ties. Everyone who makes the cut gets a card for the BETWAY Big Easy Tour.