What's on This Week - Week 45

WEEK 45 – WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK

LPGA

Tournament: TOTO Japan Classic

Dates: 6 November – 9 November

Course: Seta Course, Otsu-Shiga

Purse: USD $2.1M

Ozzies in the field: Min Jee Lee, Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson

Robyn Choi will be looking to continue her late season form and try to keep moving up the Race to the CME Globe OOM. Currently sitting at 62nd Choi needs a good week here and next to get into the season finale CME Championship. Karis Davidson has a different challenge ahead for the next 2 weeks. Going into this tournament at 81st Davidson would love a couple of good weeks to get back into the top 80 which secures full playing rights for next season.

Quite a few of the Ozzies skipping this tournament after a long swing in Asia. No doubt they are refreshing the batteries for the final two tournaments back in USA.

LET

Tournament: Aramco China Championship

Dates: 6 November – 8 November

Course: Mission Hills China – World Cup Course

Purse: USD $2.0M

Ozzies in the field: Kirsten Rudgeley, Kelsey Bennett, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Momoka Kobori (NZ), Amelia Garvey (NZ).

The final Aramco event of the season which again combines a two-day teams event with the three-day individual tournament. Bennett (25), Rudgeley (29) and Hinson-Tolchard (31) are all comfortably in the top 70 and guaranteed full status next season.

What we don’t have on the LET this season is an individual win from the Ozzies. (Sarah Kemp won the Aramco London teams event). Rudgeley hasn’t had quite as good a season as last and whilst Bennett has had a solid year and will be happy to be in the top 30 in the OOM we haven’t really seen the best of her game. Hinson-Tolchard has had a great 2nd half of the season and sits 8th in the Rookie of the Year.

Whilst all 3 will be somewhat content about the season results it would be great to see one of our Ozzie women go low and threaten the top of the leaderboard.

And if they can’t do it dividually then maybe Rudgeley and Bennett can have success in the teams as they form half of Team Rudgeley with Teresa Lu from Taiwan and Marta Sanz Barrio from Spain.

Pick for the week in the individual event however is Ronni Yin who is the class competitor in this field. Ranked 7th in the world and a major champion Yin will have a lot of home support and it will be no surprise to see her at the to of the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.

PGA Tour

Tournament: World Wide Technology Championship

Dates: 6-9 November

Course: El Cardonal at Diamante

Purse: USD $6.0M

Ozzies in the field: NIL

Not much to say about another FedExCup Fall event. However for those on the bubble of the top 100 there is plenty to play for. With only three tournaments left players like Beau Hossler, David Lipsky, Sam Valimake and Isaiah Salinda all need to play well to retain full status next season. As we edge nearer to the close of the PGA Tour season the real interest is going to be who keeps their card and who misses out.

DP World Tour

Tournament: Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Dates: 6 -9 November

Course: Yas Links GC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Purse: USD $9.0M

Ozzies in the field: Elvis Smylie, Daniel Hillier (NZ), Kazuma Kobori (NZ),

The first of the two season ending playoffs kicks off on Thursday in Abu Dhabi at the Yas Links in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately only the solitary Ozzie but no shortage big guns teeing it up this week. Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Marco Penge, Ludivg Aberg, Patrick Reed and Robert Macintyre all start this week. Lowry and Aberg did not qualify through the Race To Dubai OOM but rather courtesy of their Ryder Cup status. Th rest of the filed is the top 70 from the Race To Dubai Order of Merit rankings. After this week that will be reduced to the top 50 for the season finale DP World Tour Championship.

No doubt all the attention will be on those big guns mentioned above but for Ozzies we will be watching Elvis and seeing if he can advance up the rankings to secure one of the PGA cards on offer for the top 20 (not already exempt) on the Race To Dubai. He is currently 3 spots away and must climb over the likes of Martin Couvra, Joakim Lagergren, and Jordan Smith who currently holds on to the last spot. Kiwi Dan Hillier sits another 3 spots back from Smylie so he is also looking to improve his position. With double points on offer for the playoffs there’s plenty to play for in addition to simply winning.

Tournament: Final Stage Q School

Dates: 7 November – 12 November

Course: Infinitum Golf, Tarragona Spain (Lakes and Hills Courses)

Ozzies in the field: Jack Buchanan, Curtis Luck, Harrison Crowe, Tyler Wood, Jack Thompson, Connor McKinney, Sam Jones (NZ).

Plenty of Ozzie representation in this brutal contest to see who can claim a DP World Tour card. From the 156 starters the top 20 and ties will earn a DP World Tour card in category 18.

Everyone will play two rounds at each of the Lakes and Hills courses. After 72 holes there is a cut to the leading 60 and ties who then play the final two rounds. A total of 108 holes over 6 grueling days. Good luck to all our Ozzie and Kiwi players. We need more Ozzies and Kiwis on the DP World Tour next season.

Other players of note – Eddie Pepperell (2 x DP wins and Podcast host), Yannik Paul (1 x DP win), David Horsey (4 x DP wins), Oliver Wilson (2 x DP wins).

Legends Tour

Tournament: Champions UK plc European Senior Masters

Dates: 7 November – 9 November

Course: La Manga Club, Murcia

Purse:€

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

With four tournaments left in the season Ozzie Scott Hend looks to already have the OOM sealed up and is not playing this week. He is entered for the final three events as the Legends Tour ventures into Asia with tournaments in Cambodia, Vietnam and Mauritius.

Asian Tour

Tournament: Moutai Singapore Open

Dates: 6 November – 9 November

Course: The Singapore Island Country Club

Purse: USD $2.0M

Ozzies in the field: Marcus Fraser, Brett Coletta, Ryan Peake, Wade Ormsby, Travis Smyth, Maverick Antcliff, Scot Hend, Aaron Wilkin, Kevin Yuan, Jed Morgan, Jack Thompson, Brett Rankin, John Lyras, Todd Sinnott, Lawry Flynn, Harry Takis (a), Nick Voke (NZ), Denzel Ieremia (NZ), Ben Campbell (NZ)

Plenty of LIV players lining up again on the Asian Tour this week in another International Series event. Taylor Gooch and Paul Casey are probably the headliners this week along with the usual Asian Tour stars like Jazz Janewattananond and Scott Vincent. Wade Ormsby will be looking to continue his good form following his win last month in Jakarta.

AUS PGA Legends Tour

Tournament: Sharp EIT Solutions Australian PGA Seniors Championship

Dates: 7 November – 9 November

Course: Richmond Golf Club

Purse: AUD $160,000

Golf fans over the age of 30 will recognise the names of the top contenders at this weeks Australian Seniors Championship. Peter Lonard, Brendon Joes, Peter O’Malley and Peter senior all tee it up at Richmond GC. Also look out for David McKenzie, David Bransdon and Jason Norris who are all capable of winning the title this week.