[PHOTO: Getty Images]

Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland has encouraged golf’s powerbrokers to consider the idea to award the Australian Open winner an exemption into all four majors, saying it would “elevate our event and our tour”.

Australian Golf Digest spoke to Sutherland at the par-5 13th hole at Augusta National during the final round of the 88th Masters and asked him about former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley’s comments about the Australian Open, aired on Wednesday at the Masters on a post-game show previewing the divide between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. McGinley suggested that offering the winner of the Australian, French and Japan Opens a start in the next year’s four majors was a magic bullet to the problem of LIV golfers being frozen out of golf’s biggest championships.

“Joaquin Niemann [won the 2023 Australian Open at The Lakes and The Australian]. Why not make the winner of the Australian Open exempt to all four majors and not the Masters? Pick a tournament in Asia, maybe the Japan Open, and one in Europe. The French Open comes to mind because it is the oldest title in the world. And maybe down in South America. Talk about growing the game? That would take the world’s best players to those places.”

Sutherland said it was a genuinely productive idea.

“It would elevate our open and our tour; we welcome ideas and suggestions like that,” Sutherland told Australian Golf Digest. “If the Australian Open winner got a start in the four majors, it would make the event bigger on every level, and would make a lot of positive noise in golf.”

Sutherland also praised the comments of Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley. In his state-of-the-union press conference on Wednesday, Ridley said LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann was awarded a special invitation to the Masters because of his willingness to search for the world ranking points he needed to break back inside the world’s top 50, points LIV does not offer. “He went to Australia, played very well there, finished fourth in the Australian PGA, won the Australian Open, one of the great, great championships in the world,” Ridley said.

Added Sutherland: “One of the best parts about being at the Masters is hearing golf’s most powerful figures praise our national open, both our events [including the Australian PGA]. The Australian Open [1904] is one of the oldest tournaments in golf. The list of champions includes many of the great players. Fred Ridley knows that, and Paul McGinley knows that because he came down to Australia and played our great championships.”

McGinley’s proposal is a solution to the problem of LIV golf stars losing their access to the four majors, given the majors use the world rankings but LIV does not receive points. LIV player Patrick Reed’s five years’ worth of eligibility to the four majors was based off his world ranking and 2018 Masters win, but they dropped off for this year. This week’s Masters was the only major he is currently in for 2024. Joaquin Niemann had to wait for a special invitation to the Masters and a similar exemption into the PGA Championship.

Recent major winners on LIV, like Australia’s Cam Smith and Brooks Koepka, have years to worry about that problem. But characters such as Bryson DeChambeau (2020 US Open win) will soon fall off a majors cliff unless they compile top-five results and wins in the majors in the near future.

While the move is inconceivable, it would be a win for multiples markets around the golf world, particularly Australia. LIV golfers would no doubt utilise the offer, but plenty of PGA Tour and DP World Tour pros would treat it as a working holiday with a bonus of locking up a start in the majors. The only way to do achieve that safety blanket currently is to be among the top 30 who advance to the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship.

The Australian Open and PGA are co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and do manage to attract quality Australasian and European players. The Australian Open also offers three spots in the British Open for being a stop on the R&A’s International Qualifying Series. Few would complain about the guaranteed starts in the Masters, US Open and PGA as the option would be available to any pro.

The Australian Open has struggled in the past two decades to attract the swath of big names it used to in its glory days of the 1960s, ’70s, 80’s and 90s. Recently, the event has attempted to sign one marquee player each year to headline the event. Rory McIlroy won the 2013 edition at Royal Sydney while Jordan Spieth claimed the 2014 and 2016 Stonehaven Cup titles.

That is in addition to hoping the big-name locals all come home for the summer, such as Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman.

Australia’s quality courses, particularly the Melbourne Sandbelt, already have the adulation of the top pros. Melbourne has been rumoured to host the 2024 Australian Open although nothing has been confirmed by organisers.

As 1991 Open champion Ian Baker-Finch told reporters at Augusta on Wednesday, “Rory McIlroy has said to me, ‘Hey, you make sure you tell me when they’re going to Kingston Heath and I’ll come down.”

Four-time major winner McIlroy has been particularly vocal about the Australian Open. The Northern Irishman first tasted Victorian golf when he came down as an amateur in 2005, before winning the Open over Adam Scott in 2013. He returned the next year for The Australian Golf Club.

“I would certainly like to see more co-sanctioned events,” McIlroy said in November. “Some of the national opens, [we need to] try to revitalise some of those that have some great history in our game and a lot of tradition, like the Australian Open. I look at the the Australian Open trophy, and I see the names on that and that’s, to me, that’s being a professional golfer and being competitive is all about. It’s being able to try to compare yourself to previous generations.”

McIlroy won the Australian Open at Royal Sydney in 2013, defeating Adam Scott.

Sutherland said he would love to see the Northern Irish star Down Under again.

“Rory’s place in the game is immense and everyone listens to what he has to say,” Sutherland said. “He is a top player who appreciates national opens and made the effort to come down to our tournaments, and won the Open. We would love to get him back, see him play the Australian Open. We know he has a deep love for the Melbourne Sandbelt.”

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It doesn’t have a confirmed date, a host city or a venue, but the Australian Open has morphed into a magic bullet that could end golf’s majors dilemma.

Twice at the Masters this week, and recently at the urging of Rory McIlroy, the 10th oldest golf tournament in the world has been anointed as a solution that could bring golf’s best players back together at events around the world.

Former Ryder Cup captain-turned golf TV pundit Paul McGinley on Wednesday night made an extraordinary call for the Australian Open champion to be given a spot into all four majors the following year.

“It’s an amazing tournament and I loved every moment I played in Australia,” the Irishman said on Golf Channel’s Live from the Masters. “[The Aus Open gets] huge crowds, have a huge appetite for it, and what golf courses they have down there.

“Joaquin Niemann [won the 2023 Australian Open at The Lakes and The Australian]. Why not make the winner of the Australian Open exempt to all four majors and not the Masters? Pick a tournament in Asia, maybe the Japan Open, and one in Europe. The French Open comes to mind because it is the oldest title in the world. And maybe down in South America. Talk about growing the game? That would take the world’s best players to those places.”

While the move is inconceivable, it would be a win for multiples markets around the golf world, particularly Australia. LIV golfers, many of whom are shut out from the majors due to the world rankings, would utilise the offer, while plenty of PGA Tour and DP World Tour pros would treat it as a working holiday with a bonus of locking up a start in the majors.

The Australian Open and PGA are co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and do manage to attract quality Australasian and European players. The Australian Open also offers three spots in the British Open for being a stop on the R&A’s International Qualifying Series. Few would complain about the guaranteed starts in the Masters, US Open and PGA as the option would be available to any pro.

McGinley’s comments came only hours after Augusta National chairman, Fred Ridley, revealed that it was LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann’s trip to Australia that impressed the tournament committee for the Masters.

Former two-time PGA Tour winner, Niemann, joined LIV Golf, which does not receive Official World Golf Ranking points, in 2022. His world ranking from a high of No.15 to a current No.93.

He was locked out of the four majors in 2024 until he travelled a whopping 70,000 kilometres between November and February in searching of enough points to re-enter the world’s top 50. His trip to Australia yielded a fourth at the PGA at Royal Queensland before a playoff win at the Australian Open. That got him a start at the 152nd Open this year at Troon.

Niemann was, in February, given a special invitation to the 2024 Masters.

“I mean, a great example is this year Joaquin Niemann was given a special invitation,” Ridley said. “We felt that Joaquin had not only a great record coming up to this year, but after his season, you know, he went to Australia, played very well there, finished fourth in the Australian PGA, won the Australian Open, one of the great, great championships in the world. And we thought he was deserving of a special invitation. Now, historically, and as stated in our qualification criteria, we consider international players for special invitations.”

The Australian Open has struggled over the past two decades to attract the swath of big names it used to in its glory days of the 1960s, ’70s, 80’s and 90s. Recently, the event has attempted to sign one marquee player each year to headline the event. Rory McIlroy won the 2013 edition at Royal Sydney while Jordan Spieth claimed the 2014 and 2016 Stonehaven Cup titles.

That is in addition to hoping the big-name locals all come home for the summer, such as Cam Smith, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Cam Davis, Lucas Herbert and Marc Leishman.

Australia’s quality courses, particularly the Melbourne sandbelt, already have the adulation of the top pros. Melbourne has been rumoured to host the 2024 Australian Open although nothing has been confirmed by organisers.

As 1991 British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch told reporters at Augusta on Wednesday, “Rory McIlroy has said to me, ‘Hey, you make sure you tell me when they’re going to Kingston Heath and I’ll come down.”

If McIlroy isn’t being approached and courted by Australian Open organises in a non-Ryder Cup year, it would beggar belief.

Four-time major winner McIlroy has been particularly vocal about the Australian Open. The Northern Irishman first tasted Victorian golf when he came down as an amateur in 2005, before winning the Open over Adam Scott in 2013. He returned the next year for The Australian Golf Club.

In Dubai last year, McIlroy said, “if we can create a perfect golf calendar … I don’t think it would look like it looks right now. I think there would be changes made.”

Those changes would centre around negotiations between the PGA, DP World tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. All three parties are attempting to finalise a framework agreement first struck in June 6, 2023. That agreement aims to partner partner commercially with Saudi PIF, the financier of LIV Golf.

McIlroy said golf’s new world order should elevate the Australian Open back to an era when Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Greg Norman considered the Australian Open as golf’s unofficial fifth major. All four won the Stonehaven Cup.

“I would certainly like to see more co sanctioned events,” McIlroy said. “Some of the national opens, [we need to] try to revitalise some of those that have some great history in our game and a lot of tradition, like the Australian Open. To me, I’ve won quite a few national opens and they’re probably some of my most prized possessions in my trophy case. It’s being able to try to compare yourself to previous generations.”

McIlroy has an affinity for national opens; he was Australian Open, Irish Open, Scottish Open, Canadian Open, as well as the US Open and the Open Championships, in his trophy cabinet.

“I look at the the Australian Open trophy, and I see the names on that and that’s, to me, that’s being a professional golfer and being competitive is all about,” he said. “It’s being able to go and win all over the world and having to test yourself in different conditions on different grasses. I feel like I’ve been doing that for the last 15 years and I think I’m better because of it.”

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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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With two concurrently held ISPS Handa Australian Opens in the books, organisers now have twice the data – and twice as many opinions – to draw from when assessing what our national championship should look like from 2024 onwards. And it should tell them plenty.

Last December’s first-of-its-kind championship endured some logistical issues – and in fairness, many of those (such as how many players made the halfway cut) were out of the hands of the organisers. Despite some misgivings, improvements were made for this year.

The controversial 54-hole cut was rightly dispensed with. No player likes earning weekend action but not playing on Sunday. Moving the All-Abilities Championship to a Thursday-to-Saturday schedule from the previous Friday-to-Sunday timeline was also a smart move.

Other elements remained the same, including the equal prizemoney and the staggered sets of tee-times where a group of men followed a group of women. Chefs don’t fix the parts of a recipe where the ingredients are right.

Which isn’t to say the Australian Open has nailed this particular recipe. The much sought-after voila! moment might still be a few years away.

Either Melbourne or Sydney looks set to host the 2024 championship and in roughly the same week on the calendar, which leads us to peer ahead at how the Australian Open can improve.

An awkward date: It’s hard to imagine the men’s and women’s championships being held separately now that they are resolutely walking down the joint pathway. As a standalone entity, our women’s Open was a financial mess, so there are savings to be made via concurrently held championships. However, timing remains an issue. The current late November/early December date has been in place for the men’s championship for decades. Such a timing still has issues – both the South African Open and Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge exhibition event clashed this year – but will surely remain the model.

Where it becomes tricky is for the women’s championship. The LPGA Tour is finished by this time of year, which is why LPGA co-sanctioning was possible with a February date but not now. A men’s championship in February, however, would dilute that field. And an alternating timeline of November/December one year then February the next would be messy, as there would be long gaps then short gaps between championships. It’s one area where a concession was made and will continue to be made, sadly to the detriment of the strength of the women’s field.

Fix the TV broadcast: Covering golf tournaments adequately in a five-hour broadcast window can be difficult when there is just one championship taking place, but two? Correction: three? That’s why the executive producer(s) of the television feed might have the hardest job of the week.

Some improvements seem obvious to the viewer. Coverage ought to start earlier for rounds one and two – it’s silly in 2023 that the entire morning waves of players are finished when the broadcast starts, especially in this era of multiple channels under the same television network. The next tricky part is when the leaders and nearest pursuers in each championship are playing simultaneously on the weekend. Which shots do you show? Which ones do you omit? Too many were left out of the coverage this year, which detracted from the overall broadcast. One solution might be separate channels showing the two broadcasts, allowing viewers to choose and to switch at their discretion. But that goes against the unified nature of the concurrent championship. Perhaps this is just another concession being made for the sake of unity.

One further thought in this space: if a golf commentator was parachuted into an NRL broadcast, there’d be an outcry. Why were some of Australia’s leading and experienced golf broadcasters sitting at home last week?

Get the players onside: There is still grumbling within the player ranks. Whether it be the prizemoney, the incongruous Saturday draw (where players on similar scores had tee-times separated by six hours or longer) or the joint-championship concept as a whole, it doesn’t yet have player buy-in. And while the players shouldn’t necessarily be the tallest measuring stick for success, the galleries come for them, and the Australian Open doesn’t need more Aussie players sitting out in defiance.

The courses: Your columnist made note of this after last year’s Australian Open, but there’s no doubt a single, 36-hole venue would help ease some of the logistical burdens. Please take the championship to Royal Melbourne or Peninsula Kingswood – and soon!

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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He may not have completed the Aussie ‘majors’ double, but Min Woo Lee is still delighted with his work during the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and ISPS Handa Australian Open.

After clinching his first PGA title at Royal Queensland last Sunday and jumping to a career-best No.38 in the world, Lee was in the hunt for a debut Open title at The Australian before finishing third, two shots out of the playoff won by Chile’s Joaquin Niemann.

His last round of eight across the two events, with a huge home crowd right behind him all the way, was the only one where he finished over par, this one a one-over 72.

Along the way his profile grew not only among golf fans, but also the wider sports-loving community in his home country who have been thrilled by his aggressive play and showmanship.

“Yeah, it’s amazing, I can’t thank everyone enough,” Lee said of his experience during the past fortnight. “It was a beautiful scene coming down 18 and all week I had so many people come out and watch. Again, really proud of Australians and proud that I’m Australian. It was unbelievable.”

The West Australian was keeping an eye on his older sister Minjee’s progress in the women’s Open where, late in the day, both siblings were in contention for their first big titles at home. Minjee ended up second, one shot behind South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai.

“Proud of her, too. We’ll get it next time,” he said.

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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[PHOTO: Getty Images]

Joaquin Niemann, Rikuya Hoshino and Adam Scott have qualified for the 152nd Open at Royal Troon through the ISPS Handa Australian Open.

The Australian Open was the second event in the Open Qualifying Series, which offers players opportunities around the world to qualify for golf’s original championship. The co-sanctioned DP World Tour and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia event was played at The Australian and The Lakes.

Former world No.1 Scott will make his 24th successive appearance in The Open since making his debut at the 129th Open at St Andrews in 2000.

Niemann, of Chile, defeated Hoshino, of Japan, in a two-hole sudden death playoff after the pair finished regulation play tied on a 14-under par total of 271. He will feature in The Open for a fifth time with his best finish coming in 2022 at The 150th Open where he finished tied 53rd at St Andrews.

Thanks to his runner-up finish the 27-year-old Hoshino will compete in The Open for a fourth consecutive time after making his debut in 2021.

Min Woo Lee, who is already qualified for The Open in 2024, finished outright third at the Australian Open on 12-under 273.

Finishing a shot further back and tied fourth alongside Grant Forrest and Laurie Canter, Adam Scott, who is ranked 46th in the Official World Golf Rankings, claimed the third and final qualifying spot with a final round 68 to ensure his place in the starting field at Royal Troon.

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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[PHOTO: Getty Images]

South African Ashleigh Buhai defeated a charging Minjee Lee to successfully defend her Australian Open title.

Buhai, the overnight leader by three strokes, was struggling on Sunday at The Australian Golf Club, sending her approach into the water on the 17th. Her lead was reduced to just one over two-time major winner Lee when the duo stood on the 18th tee.

Buhai, who won last year’s Women’s British Open and Australian Open in the same year, failed to make a birdie during a three-over 75 which left her at nine-under par. The South African needed to make a three-footer for par on the 18th but managed to secure back-to-back Women’s Australian Open titles.

Women’s world No.5 Lee posted a three-under 69 and finished second place at eight under. Jenny Shin and Jiyai Shin finished tied third at four under. Hannah Green and Steph Kyriacou were tied fifth at three under

Buhai said it wasn’t stressful to win another Patricia Bridges Bowl despite Lee coming at her all day.

“To be honest, I wasn’t feeling the pressure,” Buhai said. “I knew Minjee would come at me today, but the conditions were so tough. I just kind of said, ‘hit it to your spaces, play park golf, make them catch you’.”

Lee falling short means the drought of Australians winning the Women’s Open extends another year. Five-time champion Karrie Webb is the last Australian to win in 2014.

Added Lee: “I’m happy, but I’m a little unhappy at the same time. I was seven shots behind starting the day, so I just tried to do the very best that I could and stay in the moment really, and try and focus on every single shot as it was thrown at me. I feel like I still had a solid tournament.”

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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[PHOTO: Getty Images]

LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann became the first South American to win the Australian Open, defeating Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino in a sudden-death playoff.

After both players birdied the first extra hole, the par-5 18th at The Australian Golf Club, Niemann produced the shot of the championship. His second from the fairway finished within six feet and he drained the eagle putt to win. Hoshino made birdie from a greenside bunker but it was only enough to finish second.

“It means a lot,” Niemann said. “I wanted to win so bad for a long time.”

“Not even winning both tournaments would have been enough to get into the top 50 and the majors,” Niemann said of his push to make the end-of-year qualification cut-off. “But it’s such a good tournament, so it was easy to make my decision to come here and play some golf. This means a lot.”

In regulation, Niemann produced a sensational 66 highlighted by six birdies and a lone bogey. At the 72nd hole, the Chilean blocked his drive and had to hit his approach into the par 5 from behind a hospitality tent. But he manufactured a miracle iron shot to 15 feet. Niemann just missed the eagle putt but tapped in for birdie.

Moments later, Hoshino, a six-time Japan Tour winner, had a mid-range putt to win but missed it and ensured he and Niemann another trip down the par-5 18th. Hoshino finished runner up.

Overnight leader Min Woo Lee struggled on the final day with a one-over 72 and was third at 12-under. “Putts didn’t go my way and I didn’t hit it good enough,” Lee, hoping to unite the Stonehaven Cup with last week’s Australian PGA title, said. “It’s not good enough to win a tournament, but I’m pretty proud of the way I finished. It’s been a really good year and the celebrations begin today.”

Scotland’s Grant Forrest (68) finished at 11 under alongside Laurie Canter (68) and Adam Scott in a share of fourth. Lucas Herbert, who was tied for the lead mid-way through the final round before a triple-bogey 7 at the par-4 ninth, finished seventh.

The Australian Open awards three spots in the Open Championship each year courtesy of being part of the R&A’s Open qualifying series. The top three on the leaderboard in Sydney (not already exempt) secured starts at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon next year. They were Niemann, Hoshino and Scott.

The former world No.1 Scott will make his 24th successive appearance in the Open

It was a small consolation for Scott, who had made a furious run at a second career Australian Open title before it crumbled spectacularly. Scott, the 2009 Open winner at New South Wales Golf Club, teed off the 10th hole nearly two hours before the final group. He was leading the tournament having gone six under through 15 holes until an errant tee shot led to a bizarre rules misunderstanding.

Scott pulled his drive on No.7 (his 16th) to the fence line and was told by a rules official it was still in bounds. But the official re-checked the ball’s position and informed Scott his ball was out-of-bounds. The 43-year-old need to play a provisional tee shot he’d hit. Scott walked away with a triple-bogey 7 that crippled his Open hopes. Scott signed for a 68 and left wondering what could have been. He finished tied-fourth.

“It’s too hard to know exactly what to make of it [all],” Scott said. “Obviously, it doesn’t look very good but it was one bad swing on on one of the hardest holes and it’s cost me a chance. But I had about a 5 per cent chance teeing off today so it’s hard to it’s hard to be really upset at myself.”

“It didn’t feel like the worst swing I’ve ever made, but it certainly was a shocking result. I kind of didn’t have anything to be honest. I didn’t know how I was going to get myself back into a decent spot to make a bogey. It didn’t really matter [in the end].”

The last time Scott won a tournament was three years ago at the 2020 Genesis Invitational at Riviera CC in Los Angeles.

“Everyone who doesn’t win has one swing or might miss that putt,” Scott said. “I knifed a chip on the eighth at The Lakes the other day too, from not far away. [But] I think it’s been nice to be more in the mix.”

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai successfully defended her Women’s Australian Open title, defeating Minjee Lee by one shot. Buhai’s final round of 75 was still enough to finish at niine under par, while two-time major winner Lee (69) was eight under. Jenny Shin (72) and Jiyai Shin (77) were tied third at four under.

“I knew Minjee and Jenny would come at me today,” Buhai, who won the 2022 Women’s British Open and Australian Open in the same year, said after her victory at The Australian Golf Club.

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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[IMAGE: Brett Costello]

Minjee Lee is fighting hard to keep pace with her younger brother at the ISPS Handa Australian Open, but South African Ashleigh Buhai is continuing to play spoiler.

The 27-year-old Australian set a new course record for The Australian today, a five-under par 67, but she will begin Sunday’s final round seven shots back from the lead in the quest for her first national Open title.

That’s because Buhai, the world No.26 and the defending champion from Melbourne last year, has been sublime all week.

The South African who plays on the LPGA Tour birdied the first four holes, including a hole-out from a greenside bunker at the par-4 fourth, and took control of the tournament.

As for Lee, she sensed Buhai “running away with it” but kept pressing with six birdies and a lone bogey, on the 13th when she drove into the fairway bunker.

They are the best brother-sister act in Australian sports and Min Woo has had a brilliant week, despite losing the outright lead today. Both are playing in the final groups of their respective tournaments.

Theoretically they remain a chance to create history by both winning on Sunday, but Minjee in particular needs to go as low or lower than she did in her first major championship win, the Evian Championship in France in 2021, when she started the final round seven shots back, shot 64 and won a playoff.

She needs something outrageous on Sunday but she will be in the final group alongside Buhai and South Korea’s Jiyai Shin, who were winner and runner-up at Victoria in 2022 as well.

“I mean, I didn’t have my best day yesterday but at least I had a little bit better score, but golf is like that sometimes,” Lee said. “But yeah, I’m going to do my very best, like I always do and hopefully we’ve both got the trophy by the end of Sunday, it would be amazing, but I think I have some work to do.”

Buhai equalled the course record later with her 67 and at 12-under overall, she leads by three shots from Shin, who tread water with an even-par 72.

The South African led by five shots at one point and when she made mistakes, her scrambling was brilliant.

“It was pretty much a dream start,” she said. “The first few holes, I would say, were gettable. More gettable than the rest of the course. You’ve got to ride it when it starts to happen. Then the pin placements were tucked away, I played smart golf to the safe side. I putted really good today.”

Buhai said she would not fall into the trap of looking ahead.

“No number, just stay in my little bubble, do what I can control,” she said.

The other Australian vaguely in the mix is Sydney’s Steph Kyriacou, who had a third-round 69 to finish at four-under and eight shots from the lead.

“Any Sunday in a golf tournament there’s lots of pressure and I think being the chaser there’s not as much pressure,” she said today. “ But yeah, you never know what’s going to happen. I’m going to probably play pretty aggressive, not anything silly but I know I need to make birdies if I want to win and yeah, if you’re not first, you’re last.”

A cluster of other Australians – Gabi Ruffels, Hannah Green, Cassie Porter, Grace Kim and amateurs Hannah Reeves, Caitlin Peirce and Justice Bosio are also inside the top 10.

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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[PHOTO: Getty Images]

Describing Min Woo Lee as one of the hottest players in the world, Lucas Herbert says he is the man to beat as the Australian Open looks set to deliver a grandstand finish on Sunday.

Lee and Herbert are the local hopes as several accomplished foreign players – like Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino, England’s Alex Fitzpatrick and PGA Tour regular Patrick Rodgers – made their way up the leaderboard on Saturday at The Australian Golf Club.

Herbert fired a five-under 66 on moving day at The Australian to launch himself into the mix with a 11-under par total. Herbert trails co-leaders, Lee and Japan’s Hoshino, by two shots. Hoshino, second to Lee at last week’s Australian PGA, posted a 65 to finish three rounds at 13-under. Lee joined Hoshino moments later with a birdie on the 18th giving him a 70. Lee said he wasn’t suffering fatigue after a whirlwind year highlighted by a T-5 at the US Open and earning a 2024 PGA Tour card.

“Obviously, it is towards the end of the year and last round of the year is tomorrow, but it’s just another reason to give it my all before I take a break. I’m pretty happy with the game and I feel fine. So yeah, hopefully tomorrow’s good.”

Alex Fitzpatrick, younger brother of 2022 US Open winner Matt, shot 66 on Saturday and he sat at 12-under tied for third with Rodgers (68).

Lee, the overnight leader by three, was chased down on moving day but Herbert maintains he is the player the contenders are chasing. The younger brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee has won two of his past four starts, last week’s Australian PGA and the Macao Open. In the other two, Lee finished T-15 (DP World Tour Championship) and T-6 (PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship). He has risen to world No.38.

Herbert is determined to find the gear to catch Lee in Sunday’s final round.

“It definitely fires you up and he’s a good target to chase at the moment,” Herbert said. “He’s playing as well as anyone in the world, so if you can keep up with him you’re doing pretty well. I think there’s probably two sides of Min Woo; there’s the off-course side [Lee’s “Let him cook” social media antics] and there’s an on-course side. I’m not going to keep up with him in the off course side of things, but on course he’s a good a good yardstick. If he is to win this week, that’ll be three wins in a month. That’s basically as good as anyone is playing worldwide. I think he’s always had that X-factor and you just knew he’d figured it out at some point; he’s always had a bucketload of talent.”

Herbert is chasing his fourth career DP World Tour win but first big title on home soil. The Bendigo native said he was hungry to be in the mix at the pointy end of the back nine on Sunday. He said he’d need to drive it like he did on 18th on Saturday, a 350-metre bomb down the par-5 that set up a closing birdie, and continue to chip and putt well.

“The way my game felt the last couple of holes today. If that game turns up tomorrow, I’ll really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s a tournament I’ve had a few chances to win over the years and haven’t quite gotten there.”

Lee in action on Saturday at The Australian GC. [Photo: Getty Images]

For Sunday’s charge towards a maiden Australian Open crown, Hebert will take inspiration from taking Rory McIlroy to the 18th hole in their clash at the World Golf Championships–Dell Match Play earlier this year. Herbert lost 2 down to the Northern Irishman.

“The best day of golf I had this year was playing Rory in match play because I felt like that was pretty much as good as I could play and I pushed him all the way to the end,” he said. “Rory beat me but I could see from the look in his eye that I pushed him past second and third gear.

“If I’m not far off the lead [on Sunday at The Australian GC] battling it out with Min Woo and he’s playing well, that’s about the most fun you can have in golf.”

Hoshino is searching for a maiden DP World Tour win but said he will lean on his six victories on the Japan Tour for Sunday’s charge at The Australian.

“I’m going to use my experience in winning tournaments in Japan and I’m going try do my best,” he said. “My goal is winning this DP World Tour this year.”

Meanwhile, defending Women’s Australian Open champion Ashleigh Buhai appears to have one hand on the Patricia Bridges Bowl with a commanding lead over former women’s world No.1 Jiyai Shin. Minjee Lee posted a 69 to sit at five under, one shot ahead of Steph Kyriacou and Jenny Shin.

In the ISPS Handa Australian All Abilities Championship, Australia’s Lachlan Wood won his maiden G4D Tour title on home soil with a three-stroke win over Ireland’s Brendan Lawlor. Wood finished at even par with Lawlor at three over and Cameron Pollard a shot further back.

FULL AUSTRALIAN OPEN COVERAGE HERE

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