What's on This Week - Week 40

DP World Tour

Tournament: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Dates: 1-4 October

Course: St Andrews, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns Golf Links

Purse: USD $5.0M

Ozzies in the field: Jason Scrivener, David Micheluzzi, Ryan Peake, Anthony Quayle, Jack Buchanan, Dan Hillier (NZ), Cam John, Elvis Smylie, James Marchesani, Will Florimo, Jay Mackenzie, Marc Leishman, Austin Bautista, Jack Thompson, Matias Sanchez, Nick Voke (NZ), Declan O’Donovan, Wade Ormsby, Kevin Yuan, Cam Smith, Lucas Herbert, Connor McKinney

There is no shortage of Ozzies playing this week due to the national invites and there are lots of South African players as well. Other notable entries are Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Hatton, Robert Macintyre, Alex Fitzpatrick, David Puig, Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Jose Louis Ballester, Michael La Sasso, and Walker Cup hero Josh Hill who makes his professional debut.

The amateur list is similarly star studded with Gareth Bales, Huey Lewis, Sean Fitzpatrick, Ruud Gullit, Ronan Keating, Michael Pena, Keviin Pietersen, Sir Steve Redgrave and Kelly Slater to name a few.

This is one of the most sought after playing tickets of the year due to playing at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and The Old Course. It is a pro-am format where each team plays once at the three venues and for the final day the top sixty professionals and ties plus the top twenty teams play The Old Course again.

Whilst the event has a novelty side and the prestige of playing these three great courses, for the regular DP World Tour Ozzies it is another week where making a cut is so important.

LPGA

Tournament: Lotte Championship presented by Hoakalei

Dates: 1-4 October

Course: Hoakalei Country Club, Ewa Beach, Oahu, HI

Purse: USD $3.0M

Ozzies in the field: Hannah Green, Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, Gabbi Ruffels, Lydia Ko (NZ)

The LPGA travels to Hawaii this week before heading off to China, Korea, Malaysia and Japan. Don’t expect to see the full contingent of American players in the next month. World No. 1 Nelly Korda's next tournament is the Annika starting November 12th. Her sister is having her second child any day soon so Aunty duties may be taking precedence.

Minjee Lee is sitting another week of LPGA. Her form in the last few tournaments she played was very uncharacteristic so she may have an injury or is just working on her game.

EPSON TOUR

Tournament: Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells

Dates: 1-4 October

Course: Indian Wells Golf Resort

Purse: USD $300,000

Ozzies in the field: Jennifer Elliot, Caitlin Peirce, Su Oh, Fiona Xu (NZ)

This is the finale of the Epson Tour season and will determine which fifteen players earn their LPGA card for 2027. Those who finish in positions 1-10 will get to play most tournaments on the LPGA while those at 11-15 have more limited opportunities. This tournament has extra points available compared to regular season events so there is plenty to play for.

Going into the week Jennifer Elliott is the best placed Ozzie at 21st on the Race for the Card rankings. She is 195 points behind 15th place so needs to finish outright fourth or better to overtake 15th place, assuming that player does not earn any points this week. Caitlin Peirce starts the week in 30th position and Kiwi Fiona Xu is at 35th. Peirce needs a top three finish and Xu probably need a win to get into the top fifteen.

PGA Tour

Tournament: Bank of Utah Championship

Dates:1-4 October

Course: Black Desert Resort, Ivins, UT

Purse: USD $6.0M

Ozzies in the field: Cam Davis

Three players are backing up from the Presidents Cup: Jackson Koivun, Nick Taylor, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

The only Ozzie teeing it up this week is Cam Davis who showed some glimmer of form last week with an opening round of 66 but could not carry that through the week. Hopefully some more good golf for Davis this week.

Korn Ferry Tour

Tournament: Compliance Solutions Championship

Dates:1-4 October

Course: The Patriot Golf Club, Owasso, OK

Purse: USD $1.5M

Ozzies in the field: NIL

Again, there are no Ozzies in the field this week, but this is the penultimate tournament of the year and the race for those elusive twenty PGA cards is getting tense. The top seven are already “TourBound’ as they are mathematically assured of finishing in that top twenty. For the rest, even down to position 30, a win would catapult them into that top 20 and the dream of the PGA Tour card would be alive for another week.

PGA Champions Tour

Tournament: Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic

Dates: 2-4 October

Course: Lehigh County Club, Allentown, PA

Purse: USD $2.3M

Ozzies in the field: Steve Allan, Steve Alker (NZ), Stuart Appleby, David Bansdon (1st alternate), Greg Chalmers, Richard Green, Scott Hend, Mark Hensby, Rod Pampling, Cameron Percy, John Senden, Michael Wright

Zach Johnson must be feeling pity for the rest of the old guys as he is sitting out this week. Perhaps six wins is enough for this time of the season. However, Stewart Cink and Steve Alker are playing and between them they have eight wins this year.

One day an Ozzie is going to win again on this tour, and the stats say that with this many entrants it might be this week.

Hotel Planner Tour

Tournament: Abu Dhabi Challenge

Dates: 30 Sept – 3 October

Course: Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Purse: €350,000

Ozzies in the field: Haydn Barron, Sam Jones (NZ)

The last tournament before the HotelPlanner Tour Final Swing which takes the players to China for two tournaments and then back to Spain for the season Finale. Only the top 45 get to play the Championship. At the conclusion of that tournament the top 15 on the Road to Mallorca rankings earn a DP World Tour card in Category and the rest of the playing categories for next seasons HotelPlanner Tour are finalised.

Haydn Barron currently sits at 88th position so whilst he will get Category 14 but only needs to climb 12 spots to get Category 8 which would make a significant difference to the number of tournaments he could enter. Kiwi Sam Jones is down at no. 115 which would explain his decision to play 1st Stage of Q School which he has navigated successfully. Quinnton Croker (114), Connor McKinney (167), and Daniel Gale (159) will not have much if any playing status next season.

Legends Tour

Tournament: Reignwood Legends Championship

Dates: 2-4 October

Course: Reignwood Pine Valley

Purse:€?

Ozzies in the field: Michael Campbell (NZ), Michael Long (NZ)

Japan Tour

Tournament: Drugstore Cosmos Cup

Dates: 2-4 October

Course: Grand Fields Country Club

Purse: Y150,000,000

Ozzies in the field: Michael Hendry (NZ)

Asian Development Tour

Tournament: Egypt Golf Series 14

Dates: 28 Sept – 1 October

Course: Madinaty Golf Club

Purse: USD $125,000

Ozzies in the field: Darcy Brereton, Deyen Lawson, Todd Sinnott