Reigning Australian PGA champion Min Woo Lee has locked in the defence of his title at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane from November 21-24.

One of the emerging stars in world golf whose style of play and charisma on and off the course has attracted a vast global fan base, Lee will have his sights on being the first player to defend the Joe Kirkwood Cup since Cam Smith in 2018.

The West Australian scored a memorable three-shot win at Royal Queensland last November, shooting a total of 20-under-par to secure his biggest title on home soil.

Since his PGA success, his fourth victory as a professional, Lee has moved to the United States to play as a full-time member of the PGA Tour, has improved his world ranking to a career-high of No.31 and is a strong contender for selection in Australia’s Olympic Games golf team for Paris.

The 25-year-old’s 2024 campaign has included a tie for second at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

“The Australian PGA Championship was a very special event for me last year, seeing a lot of friends, being in contention and then closing the win out on Sunday,” Lee said.

“The crowds at Royal Queensland are always awesome. It’s a great vibe that just keeps getting bigger. Coming back as the defending champion is going to be a new experience, but I’m already looking forward to it.”

Those behind the championship are pleased to see the defending champion return.

“It’s a huge boost for the 2024 Australian PGA Championship to have our defending champion Min Woo Lee signed on to compete at Royal Queensland in November,” said PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman.

“Min put on an awesome show last year, showing why he is one of world golf’s biggest drawcards. He has that X factor that golf fans here in Australia and overseas love to see and get behind.

“We have already experienced strong early ticket sales for this year’s event and having confirmation from Min that he will be coming back to Royal Queensland should give us another huge boost.”

Added Minister for Tourism and Sport, Michael Healy: “This is terrific news, having one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic players in Min Woo Lee, commit to return and defend his Australian PGA title at the historic Royal Queensland course later this year.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting Australia’s oldest professional golf tournament again in 2024, an event that always assembles world-class fields, attracts massive galleries, and further cements Queensland’s reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events. 

“Last year’s tournament welcomed over 61,000 people to Royal Queensland Golf Club injecting $15 million into the local visitor economy.”

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the return of the 2023 champion and rising star is a huge win for local golf fans.

“We are thrilled to welcome Min Woo Lee for another Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland later this year,” Cr Schrinner said. “This event is a major driver for visitation to Brisbane, with more than 61,000 fans attending to watch Lee claim his first Australian PGA victory last year.

“Brisbane is proud to host the Australian PGA Championship once again, with the event to deliver incredible economic support to local Brisbane businesses with hotels, tourism experiences and restaurants set to experience the economic upswing.”

The post Min Woo Lee signs up for Australian PGA title defence appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

The Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and ISPS Handa Australian Open have rounded off two exciting weeks for Australian golf, with Min Woo Lee’s wizardry driving huge ratings and attendance results.

The final day of both events were TV rating winners with both days significantly up on last year, headlined by a 187 percent increase on free-to-air television for the last day of the Australian Open.

Lee’s Australian PGA Championship victory at Royal Queensland and the drama of the men’s and women’s Australian Opens where Joaquin Niemann and Ashleigh Buhai prevailed at The Australian and The Lakes golf clubs proved a hit with crowds, with more than 110,000 spectators in attendance across the two championships.

Both events were highlighted by the following statistics: 

• At home, TV viewership experienced significant growth across both tournaments, headlined by the dramatic last day of the Australian Open which delivered an average audience of 438,000 across the 9 Network television audience which was more than 187 percent up on last year, and more than 100,000 viewers on Foxtel which was the number one rated STV program for the day.
• Fan experience was again at the forefront of both tournaments, with the Australian PGA Championship party hole elevating itself again in 2023 and continuing to attract new fans resulting in 78 percent growth in hospitality and reserved seats sales.
• The Australian Open total crowds were up 12 percent on last year, with Sunday’s blockbuster alone delivering a 27 percent increase on last year’s final day crowd.

PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said the figures were reflective of the groundswell of interest that golf is experiencing at every level and the thrilling nature of the golf being played at the highest level.

“The enormous galleries we saw fill the fairways at both events created an electric atmosphere that I have no doubt enhanced the viewing experience of those at home,” Kirkman said.

“With our leading players such as Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert bringing their best along with a wonderful mix of international visitors, the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia delivered compelling television. Both men’s fields were very strong and up year on year, something that Min Woo Lee has taken full advantage of after moving all the way up to No.35 in the world after his outstanding two weeks.

“The level of interest in the broadcast and following of the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia in the lead up to the major events helped us set a platform for these two outstanding weeks, and we can’t wait to capitalise on these results for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season, particularly with five co-sanctioned events between the men’s and women’s Tours.

“I don’t think anyone will forget Min Woo’s chip-in on the last day at Royal Queensland and both men’s and women’s Australian Open championships came down to the very last putt on the 72nd hole.

In the second year of a united format that crowns an Australian Open champion for men, women and All Abilities, Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland was ecstatic to see viewership surpass the numbers of 2022.

“We set a high benchmark at Victoria and Kingston Heath last year, but the Sydney fans who flooded into The Australian and The Lakes over the past week were nothing short of exceptional,” Sutherland said.

“Certainly, in conjunction with the PGA of Australia and the DP World Tour, the quality of the fields have improved, 40 per cent better based on world rankings. We’re very grateful to be working with the PGA of Australia via the men’s and women’s tours, and the DP World Tour, who helped us deliver one of the strongest fields in recent memory.

“It’s a fantastic result to see just shy of 58,000 golf fans in attendance over the two courses over the four days and certainly the atmosphere on Sunday when more than 18,000 were in the house was absolutely superb.

“Golf is being enjoyed by more Australians than ever before and the appetite to watch world-class golf either live or on TV continues to grow. That’s shown in the numbers domestically which show unprecedented growth across the whole tournament in a time where TV ratings are declining. It’s quite remarkable to think there were more than 400,000 watching on the Nine Network and more than 100,000 on Foxtel, along with a massive global audience via the DP World Tour’s broadcast partnerships,” Sutherland said.

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[PHOTO: Andy Cheung]

If there’s two guys who know about talking s–t on the internet, it’s Club Pro Guy and Min Woo Lee. The (in)famous golf satire account on Twitter/X has taken aim at everyone and everything in the sport over the past several years while the talented Aussie has become known for his incredible NBA-level hype videos ahead of tournaments. On Sunday, the unstoppable force of CPG finally collided with the immovable object that is Lee when the Three Jack National head pro fired a shot at the DP World Tour pro after Lee’s dramatic Australian PGA Championship victory.

You want a nasty two-way miss? Then be my guest and copy this swing. pic.twitter.com/yPXs3hfoZE

— Club Pro Guy (@ClubProGuy) November 27, 2023

But Lee was not a static target, and quickly fired back with the only taunt in sports that holds any water:

Scoreboard.

Sorry, what was that? I’m too busy winning pic.twitter.com/HSN7ROVmid

— Min Woo Lee (@Minwoo27Lee) November 27, 2023

This is the Carlton–Collingwood of golf internet troll battles and we are extremely here for it. Both CPG and Lee peddle in sarcasm and winking self-parody, so this probably isn’t as feisty as it seems on the surface, but in world with more actual beef than your local butcher, perhaps a fake feud is for the best.

The post Min Woo Lee fires back at Club Pro Guy after Australian PGA Championship win, sparks banter war for the ages appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Bradley Kanaris]

Adam Scott has a lot going for him. The Queenslander is a beautiful man with a beautiful golf swing, which has led him to becoming one of the richest golfers in history. But apparently, he’s not nearly as accurate throwing a golf ball as he is hitting one.

During Friday’s second round at the Australian PGA Championship, the 2013 Masters champion tried to give the fans a souvenir—and couldn’t have failed more if he tried.

Check it out as Scott launches his ball not only over the fans, but an entire grandstand! Not exactly the touch you’d expect from a guy who’s won a green jacket!

Adam Scott threw his ball to the crowd at the party hole at the Australian PGA and completely missed the stand

pic.twitter.com/ng42Whu853

— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) November 24, 2023

How in the world? Sorry, Adam, but that’s hard to do!

It makes a little more sense now while Scott was happy to watch recently as TGL teammate Rory McIlroy took to the mound at famed Fenway Park in Boston. At least the talented guy (he finished sixth behind winner Min Woo Lee on Sunday) seems to know his limitations.

But seriously, let’s keep this guy away from throwing out any first pitches at baseball games. That could actually be dangerous.

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A historic brother-sister double at this week’s ISPS Handa Australian Open could pave the way for Lee siblings, Minjee and Min Woo, to represent Australia at the 2024 Olympic Games.

On the back of his three-stroke win at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship on Sunday, Min Woo will climb to No.38 in the Official World Golf Ranking. That makes him Australia’s third-highest ranked men’s player behind only Cameron Smith (No.18) and Jason Day (21).

While Smith is desperate to don the green and gold for a second time, Day’s Olympic ambition is less clear. That could open the door for Lee to join Minjee in Paris, big sister a lock given her current Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking of No.5.

Such are Lee’s prospects of an Olympic debut, he and a select group of players will undergo fittings for Olympic uniforms this week in Sydney, bringing a new sense of reality to what just a few years ago was an impossible dream.

“I think we’re going to get a team fitting tomorrow or next week,” said the newest winner of the Joe Kirkwood Cup [pictured above with parents Soonam and Clara].

“You don’t want to get ahead of yourself and get fitted for something that you’re not in, so yeah, there’s a bit of pressure there, and I like pressure.

“I normally tend to play well when I need to make something or I need to do something to get in a tournament, so I’m really excited for that. That would be a true honour, to play for Australia.”

Given that the four Australian golf representatives for Paris won’t be finalised until well into 2024, Lee knows that he needs to extend his current rich vein of form for as long as possible.

He also knows that there is the very real prospect of being upstaged this week by big sister Minjee.

Currently being shadowed by an ABC film crew for a future episode of “Australian Story”, Minjee and Min Woo enter the week as two of the standout favourites for the women’s and men’s Australian Opens to be contested at The Australian Golf Club and The Lakes Golf Club.

Already the first brother-sister pair in golf history to win on major world tours in consecutive weeks, such an accomplishment this week would elevate the Lee siblings into all-time great status well before either turn 30.

The pair have already won the Vic Open two years apart while Minjee has made a habit of stealing back Lee family bragging rights.

When Min Woo won the Scottish Open in 2021, Minjee responded with a breakthrough major victory two weeks later at the Amundi Evian Championship.

And when Min Woo won the SJM Macao Open on October 15, Minjee took just seven days to claim her 10th LPGA Tour win at the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea.

“It’s funny, because every time I win it seems like next week she wins, so if you guys want to put some money on my sister winning next week, you’ll probably win,” Lee joked less than an hour after putting out on the 18th green at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Sunday.

“It’s cool. If I win next week or she doesn’t win, it will be nice to have that for the Christmas and for the New Year’s break, have it for a few weeks, that will be nice.

“I’m obviously trying to be as good as I can and she’s one of a kind. She’s a really great golfer and she’s not slowing down. She knows she slowed down early in the year but she’s found a way to win again. That’s not a secret to anyone.

“She’s always worked hard and hopefully I can follow in her footsteps and keep winning tournaments.”

And perhaps matching Olympic gold medals.

The post A Min Woo/Minjee Lee Olympic double-act is suddenly within reach appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Getty images]

It’s hard to know where Min Woo Lee does his best work. Tournament results this year suggest it’s on golf’s biggest stages. But one could argue it’s on social media. There, the younger brother of LPGA star Minjee does everything from mobilise his 600,000-plus total followers with a catchphrase, “Let him cook,” to obtaining Steph Curry’s phone number through Instagram DMs.

“I’m in the TGL, and he’s an investor,” Lee said. “I messaged him and said, ‘Get me on your team.’ He hasn’t messaged me back.” [laughs] 

Lee is among professional golf’s post-TikTok generation; joining the paid ranks after the video platform was created in 2016. He’s as comfortable chipping in for eagle during a DP World Tour victory as he is posting a video online. His drives regularly reach 190mph in ball speed. His short game resembles wizardry. On Sunday, the human highlight reel did all of the above during a stunning win at Australian PGA Championship in Brisbane.

Lee, the younger brother of LPGA superstar Minjee Lee, fended off a field of stars from Australia, Europe and Asia to capture first of two tournaments that make up the European circuit’s Down Under swing. Lee began the final day with a three-shot lead and a 68 gave him a 20-under par (264) total. He defeated runner up, Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, (68) by three. Lee will rise to a career-high 38th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Australian Marc Leishman (64) was third at 16-under. Former U.S. Amateur champ Curtis Luck (69) was fourth, while LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann was fifth at 13-under, making an ace at the par-3 fourth. Adam Scott (sixth), Lucas Herbert and Cameron Davis were some of the names in the top 10.

The final scoreboard didn’t reflect how close the scores were early at Royal Queensland. Lee’s overnight lead was gone after two holes when Hoshino started the final day birdie-birdie while Lee made bogey-par. But only moments later, world No.45 Lee showed why he finished T-6 at the Players Championship this year and T-5 at the US Open. Lee nearly aced the par-3 fourth and almost drove the 350-metre par-4 sixth. He birdied the par-5 seventh before setting up the shot of the tournament.

In the rough short of the green at the 545-metre, par-5 ninth, with Hoshino snapping at his heels, the former U.S. Junior champion pitched his ball up and ran 30 feet into the hole for eagle. He let out a primal scream, knowing the back nine was likely going to be a procession.

“I think that was probably the best atmosphere shot I’ve ever hit,” Lee said of the eagle.

After three birdies and a bogey in the middle of the inward nine, Lee walked through the tunnel at the par-3 17th with a four-shot lead. The 17th was styled as a party hole with bleechers full of bars and lubricated fans. Lee missed the green left, but played a deft pitch shot and made the four-foot par putt. Even a bogey at the 72nd hole couldn’t dampen Lee’s triumph.

“It’s unbelievable,” Lee, who is also PGA Tour-bound in 2024 having secured enough non-member points, said. “I’ve always thought I could win, but it took a while to get over the hump. Two wins in the last month or so, I’m really proud of my team and myself. There are no limits. I want to be the No.1 player in the world.”

Watching on television was Lee’s two-time major winner sister, Minjee. The 27-year-old had just arrived in Australia from the U.S. ahead of next week’s Australian Open in Sydney, which is a mixed gender event.

“So proud, congrats to my little bro. Winner,” Minjee posted to social media, with some relevant emojis.

The Lees have become pro golf’s most fascinating siblings. Minjee, who recently secured her 10th LPGA Tour victory and last year the U.S. Women’s Open for her second major. She’s the more quiet, reserved of the two, who hail from Perth. “You could say I’m the opposite,” Minjee told Australian Golf Digest recently. “I think he’s just really comfortable showing his personality. I’m just a little bit more introverted.”

“Minjee’s a one-of-a-kind golfer and I’m slowly becoming a name myself,” Min Woo said. “Every time I win, it seems like next week she wins. So, if you guys want to put some money on my sister next week.”

Min Woo is the showman. His occasionally errant tee shots and thrilling escapes make him more like some of the other names on the Australian PGA trophy: Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman and Gary Player. Or, Joe Kirkwood, the Australian pro and travelling trick-shot artist the tournament’s trophy is named after.

So it was appropriate that on the 72nd green, during an interview, Lee said of his chip-in eagle, “I wanna see [the video] straight away. I would like to see it.”

Well, that’s easy. It’s already on social media.

FULL AUSTRALIAN PGA COVERAGE HERE

The post Min Woo Lee really is cooking after dramatic Australian PGA win appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Getty Images]

Min Woo Lee has won the Australian PGA Championship by three shots at Royal Queensland, his third title on the DP World Tour.

The 25-year-old began the final day in Brisbane with a three-shot lead and posted a 68 to finish at 20-under par and secure the Joe Kirkwood Cup. He defeated Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino (68) at 17-under par.

It was Lee’s third DP World Tour title after the 2020 co-sanctioned Vic Open and 2021 Scottish Open. Lee is projected to rise to a career-high of No.38 on the world ranking.

“Yeah, unbelievable,” Lee said afterwards. “I’ve always thought I could win, but it took a while to get over the hump. But two wins in the past month or so, I’m really proud of my team and myself. Rikuya is a really good player and he just kept knocking on the door, and I made it interesting early on and through the middle, but ended up hanging on, so I’m really proud.”

Lee’s three-shot overnight lead was gone after two holes when Hoshino began birdie-birdie as Lee made bogey-par. But only moments later, a near-ace at the par-3 fourth which was the first of three birdies in four holes. Lee then hit the shot of the tournament, a 50-metre hole-out for eagle at the par-5 ninth to make the back nine a formality.

“I think that was probably the best atmosphere shot I’ve ever hit,” Lee said of the hole-out. “I’ve had a few chip-ins, but at that point [the leaderboard] was getting close and I was in a pretty average position after the tee shot, so to chip that in was amazing. I want to see it straight away. I would like to see it. It was one of the best shots I’ve probably hit.”

After three birdies and a bogey in the middle of the home nine, Lee walked through the tunnel at the par-3 17th, the party hole, with a four-shot lead.

He missed the green left, but played a deft pitch shot and made the four-foot par putt. Lee overcooked his second into the back bunker at the par-4 18th and although he failed to save par, it didn’t dampen the victory.

Victorian Marc Leishman, whose seven-under 64 was the round of the day, birdied his last two holes to finish third with West Australian Curtis Luck in fourth. Luck played the back nine in four-under for a 69 and fourth spot.

LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann was fifth, and that was highlighted by a stunning ace at the par-3 fourth, holing his 8-iron tee shot from 164 metres.

Having won the recent Macau Open, Lee picked up another big cheque in Brisbane, this time for $333,330 for the Australian PGA.

Lee is also bound for the PGA Tour in 2024, having earned Special Temporary Membership in 2023 – courtesy of a T-6 at the Players Championship and a T-5 at the US Open – before securing enough non-member points to lock up status for 2024.

FULL AUSTRALIAN PGA COVERAGE HERE

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Despite now being in their 40s, Marc Leishman [pictured] and Adam Scott continue to leave no stone unturned as they seek to improve and potentially author an unlikely victory at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.

For Scott, it was a short game chat/lesson with Brett Rumford [below], while for Leishman it was the experienced eyes of career-long coach Denis McDade.

“I actually played well all year. My putter was not great early in the year and Denis came over and worked it out in about 10 minutes,” Leishman said.

“My putter wasn’t aiming where I thought it was. From 10 feet, my putter was aiming about two inches left of the hole, which is not conducive to making putts when your good putts are not going where you think they should be.”

The putts were going where they should during a Saturday 67 that took the Victorian into a share of seventh, however that is eight shots behind 54-hole leader Min Woo Lee on 17-under, with Leishman needing some help to finally end his Australian drought.

“You never know what can happen,” Leishman said. “If I can play like I did today and get a hot putter, get off to a good start, you never know what might happen.”

A long-time visitor to Queensland for family holidays, Leishman’s record in the Sunshine State suggests there may be some truth to his joke that the heat helps an ageing body. Making his 14th PGA start, Leishman owns nine top-25s, including a second behind close friend Cam Smith in 2018.

“When I first started playing in Queensland, I didn’t enjoy putting on Bermuda and all the different grasses, but now I love it,” he said. “Hopefully I can use my experience tomorrow, make everything and give the boys something to think about.”

Scott will be thinking much the same after an even-par third round when his putter failed to convert the multitude of chances the Queenslander’s iron play continued to present.

“It wasn’t really my day. I couldn’t really get it going and unfortunately, I missed a putt on 12 and then bogeyed 14 and 16 and had a rough run coming in there,” Scott said.

Unlike Leishman, Scott has the benefit of previous triumphs in his homeland’s biggest events to draw on. So too Cam Davis, whose top level experience belies his 28 years of age.

Signing for a 68 on Saturday alongside Leishman, Davis is seeking to follow his own come-from-behind example when he broke on to the scene at the 2017 Australian Open.

“Early on in my professional career I was drawing off that week pretty much every tournament I played in. I know I can do it when the pressure’s on,” Davis said. “I’m trying to get a more recent memory of lifting a trophy over here.”

Although they will have their work cut out for them, the experienced trio will also have next week’s ISPS Handa Australian Open. That event certainly now the focus for Cam Smith. After spending significant time on the practice facilities on Saturday, Smith will also take solace from wise words from Leishman.

“We’ve all missed cuts before and that is very disappointing when you do it, particularly in an event that you love so much and have had success in the past,” Leishman said. “But I think in the long run it’ll be good for him, just to know that it can happen. I know he’ll knuckle down and he’ll be better for it next week.”

FULL AUSTRALIAN PGA COVERAGE HERE

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Min Woo Lee will renew a junior rivalry more than a decade old in his quest to win a maiden Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club on Sunday.

On a day in which enormous galleries flooded the fairways to witness his dream pairing with Adam Scott, the 25-year-old West Australian used an up-and-down for birdie from left of the green at the pivotal par-4 12th hole to come home in three-under 32 for a round of five-under 66.

His 17-under total puts Lee within reach of the 72-hole tournament record of 22-under par and three strokes clear of Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino (64) and fellow West Australian Curtis Luck (66).

Although Luck is two years Lee’s senior, the pair played countless junior events together growing up in Perth.

Even though Luck’s path to the final group on the Sunday of a major Australian championship has been more circuitous, Lee admitted that such a prospect was always part of the plan.

“We obviously didn’t dream about this… we did dream about it, but it came pretty quick,” said Lee, who has three professional wins to his name.

“We played junior stuff every week back in the day. We both have potential to be the best players in the world so I wouldn’t put [playing in the final group together] past us.

“A really, really good friend and hopefully we can both play good.”

Winner of the 2016 WA Open as an amateur – Lee finished tied for 52nd – Luck has recent form on a Sunday to call upon. In September, he shot 66 in the final round to finish second at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship – a tournament he won in 2020.

The 27-year-old will need all that and more to pull back the four-shot head-start he is affording his former junior adversary but, given his bogey-free round on Saturday, will start the final round full of belief.

“I could have shot, I feel like eight or nine [-under] today, so absolutely not,” Luck responded when asked whether he was too far back.

“Man, I hit it close a lot out there. I had a lot of putts seem to go over the edge and it was kind of similar yesterday.

“I feel like I played very, very well today.”

The only player to win the US Amateur and Asia-Pacific Amateur in the same year, Luck’s professional progression has stalled at times. A Sunday showdown with one of the hottest young players in world golf might be just what he needs to turn his fortunes around.

“I think we all knew that he was going to be good. He’s always been a bit of a stud,” Luck said. “I’ve just been dealing with the ebbs and flows of golf. Had a couple of rough years and seems to be coming back up again.

“I’ve definitely played events where everything’s looked great, so I’m just going to obviously back myself off that experience and just try and get out there tomorrow and hopefully get it done.”

With established stars such as Adam Scott (71), Marc Leishman (67) and Cam Davis (68) all at least six strokes behind, the greatest threat to a West Australian win looms in the form of Japan’s Hoshino.

Ranked 138th in the world, Hoshino has won five times on the Japan Golf Tour since 2018 but had not seen anything like the par-3 17th party hole at Royal Queensland.

“It was the most exciting moment of my life,” said Hoshino, who had six birdies in a back nine of six-under 29 today.

“It is my first time to visit Australia and the atmosphere at 17 is great.”

Hoshino’s seven-under 64 was the equal-best round of the day, matched by Scotland’s Connor Syme and Kiwi Michael Hendry, who made a four-foot putt for par on Friday to squeeze inside the cut line and will now start the final round in a tie for 14th.

FULL AUSTRALIAN PGA COVERAGE HERE

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[PHOTO: Getty Images]

A devastated Cameron Smith has choked back tears after enduring his “worst day as a professional” golfer having missed the cut as the defending champion at the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.

Smith was teary speaking to media after a seven-over par 78 in what was a wild second round on Friday. Smith missed the cut by a whopping nine shots while Curtis Luck made a hole-in-one at the party hole 17th, but at 9am and in front of only a handful of fans. Min Woo Lee (66) leads at 12-under par, one shot ahead of two-time Australian PGA champion Adam Scott (11-under).

Smith, when asked if he could remember a worse day in his career, said “No”.

“No words. It was s–t,” he said. “I’ve performed under pressure before. It’s not acceptable. It’s very upsetting, actually. I know what I’m doing, it’s just going out there and committing to something is another thing.”

Smith, who captured last year’s PGA at Royal Queensland to cap off his Open Championship-winning year, finished this year’s edition with rounds of 73-78 for a nine-over par 151. He was 21 shots off Lee’s lead. However, it is not Smith’s worst scores as a pro. He has shot 82 on several occasions, including the 2016 Masters and FedEx St Jude events, as well as at the 2017 PGA Championship.

Smith was asked whether he needed a break, or more practice, and said: “Probably all of the above.

“[I’m] definitely getting a bit tired towards the end of the year. That’s golf. That’s not really an excuse. Australia has been so good to me, even when I have been tired. There’s no reason to perform that way. I hope I can get it together for next week and put up at least a better showing than this week.”

Smith told this publication in an interview last month that the Australian Open was the domestic trophy he craved the most, having not won it yet although he lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth in 2016. But as the defending champion at the PGA, in his backyard of Brisbane, he wanted to put on a good show this week. Smith said he’d regroup before next week’s Australian Open.

“I hope I can get it together for next week and put on a better show than that,” he said.

Impressively, Smith still spent 15 minutes signing autographs and posing for photos with fans.

Meanwhile, NSW’s John Lyras finished round two at 10-under and in third place. Luck’s ace came during a (67) which helped him to eight-under in a tie for fourth with Lucas Herbert (68) and overnight leader Joel Moscatel Naschshon (71).

Scott’s 65 was highlighted by a near ace at the short par-4 12th, which rattled the flagstick.

The former world No.1 will play in the final group with world No.45. Lee.

“I don’t really care who I play with,” Scott said. “I’m playing in the final group and I’m happy about that.

“It’s nice to see me hitting good shots. Good shots get rewarded, maybe not be a hole-out, you need a bit of luck for that. But to get close to the hole, that’s good shots and I’m seeing a few more of them.”

Former US Amateur champion Luck was all smiles after an ace, even if it was well before the crowds arrived for the afternoon marquee groups of Scott, Lee, Smith and co.

Curtis Luck with the ball he made an ace with on Royal Queensland’s par-3 17th. [Photo: PGA of Australia]

“It was a pretty good number for what we were trying to do,” Luck said of his ace. “I mean, on that hole, the only thing you’re thinking is obviously don’t go long. Once I saw it land, I was pretty confident that it was going to stick pretty close… pretty electric stuff.”

FULL AUSTRALIAN PGA COVERAGE HERE

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