Latest news with #AustralianPGA
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
LIV star set for Australian Open return
LIV star and 2023 Australian Open champ Joaquin Niemann has declared his intent to join Rory McIlroy and play at Royal Melbourne in December. Chilean gun Niemann has won a staggering five times from LIV's 11 events in 2025 and could seal the season-long individual title in Chicago this week. His winning run would arguably have him in the world's top 10 if LIV players were given world ranking points. Amid a renewed request from LIV officials to get points, Niemann said he hoped those in charge of the world rankings, including former Masters champion Trevor Immelman, would do the 'right thing'. He said he tried not to think about where he would sit in the world pecking order and what it could mean for majors qualification, given there were no rankings points on offer just yet. 'It's not something that I think about to tell myself in the mirror, Joaco, you are No.5 …- no, I don't do that,' he said. 'That's not my job. I feel like I'm just here to do my best and try to make as many birdies as possible and to make the crowd enjoy us playing golf around the world. 'I feel like the ranking system is not up to me, it's up to them. I'm expecting that they're going to do the right thing for golf.' Niemann has played in the past two Australian Opens, winning in 2023, using the event, as well as the Australian PGA, to get crucial ranking points. His recent Open and PGA experiences, as well as playing in the LIV event in Adelaide, have made Australia a favourite destination and he's keen to join McIlroy, who will be the headline act when the Open returns to Royal Melbourne. 'We'll see what's going to happen with everything else, but I would love to go back to Australia,' he said. '(Royal Melbourne) is one of my favourite golf courses that I've played. Also, I think Australian golf has probably the best courses in the world, and I feel like more than just the tournament, it's just I really enjoy going there and playing golf in Australia in front of those people. It's a lot of fun.' Australian Open officials hope both the lure of ranking points, and spots in the 2026 British Open for a top three-finish in the event, as well as the Australian PGA, lure a raft of other stars to join McIlroy, Adam Scott, Cam Smith and now likely Niemann in the field.
Perth Now
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
‘Been difficult': Smith reveals confidence crisis
Former world No.2 Cameron Smith has admitted he's lost a 'bit of confidence' in his golf game after missing five-straight major cuts but is adamant he's putting in the work to fix things as he eyes off back-to-back LIV team championship wins. After missing the weekend at the British Open, Smith became the only player in 2025 to miss all four major cuts. He wasn't alone in struggling at Royal Portrush, however, with only one of the nine Australians in the field, Smith's LIV teammate Marc Leishman, getting through. But the result was the continuation of a battling run in 2025 for the 2022 British Open winner who is 16th on the individual LIV standings with a best result of a tie for fifth from 12 events. Other than the majors, Smith hasn't ventured outside LIV to play this year and his world ranking has slipped to 212, the lowest it's been since 2014. It's a far cry form 2024 when Smith enjoyed three team wins with LIV, including the season-ending team championship. As it was confirmed this year's LIV season-ender would be played in Michigan, with some changes to the format, Smith revealed his loss of confidence and what he was doing to work his way back. 'You're constantly trying to figure stuff out, whether you're playing great or whether you're playing bad. Golf is a funny game like that,' he said. 'It's been difficult, I can't quite really put my finger on it. I feel like my technical stuff, particularly with my swing, is as good as it's ever been, and I'm not getting the results from it. It's been difficult in the sense that it feels really good, but I can't go out there and play my best golf. 'Working through it mentally, I feel like I've lost a little bit of confidence in my game. But I'm slowly getting that back, and that's through hard work and hitting the right shots on the golf course. 'It's just a matter of time, I feel like. I don't think it's a technical issue or anything like that. It's just a little bit of a setback, and we'll be right back up there before we know it.' Smith said a short game focus in the wake of his early Open exit could help him fix things. 'Probably more so than anything else is the chipping and putting. I feel like you can learn a lot about your full swing in those little pitch shots,' he said. 'I spend a lot of time around the green, a lot of time putting, and then go out there and play the golf course.' Smith is likely to join Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott at this year's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne but is yet to confirm his full end-of -year schedule. Last year, Smith played six events in Australia, finishing runner-up at the Australian PGA but 48th at the Open after criticising the set-up of Kingston Heath in what was the final year of the dual-gender format.
Sky News AU
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Sky News AU
Open Championship: Australian Ryan Peake paired with Phil Mickelson
The path to seizing the Claret Jug at this year's Open Championship includes navigating a closing three-hole stretch at Royal Portrush that begins with a 215m par three named 'Calamity Corner' and labelled one of the toughest holes anywhere. But it's not an entirely unenviable task for the nine Australians teeing it up on Thursday to tackle and second-timer Elvis Smylie has armed himself with repeat viewings of local lad Shane Lowry's 2019 triumph at the venue to put himself in the best possible position. Smylie won his way to a second Open Championship by holding off a Cameron Smith challenge at last year's Australian PGA, and winning the Order of Merit, which was a different sort of security to having to qualify for his first appearance. Knowing his spot was locked a long way out allowed the left-handed Queenslander to start his preparation early, upping his confidence of making the cut at a minimum, having missed the weekend last year. 'I final qualified, I didn't have much time to think about Troon,' Smylie said before heading to Northern Ireland where he played a practice round with Smith. 'But the fact I had cemented my position in the field once I won the Order or Merit, I feel like I've given myself a bit more time to have a look at the official film from 2019, see a bit of the course, and it's made me feel happy knowing I have cemented the position earlier than last year.' There's a band of usual suspects flying the Australian flag, including 2022 champ Cameron Smith and fellow major champs Adam Scott and resurgent Jason Day, the highest ranked of his compatriots. But also among the throng is hot and cold Min Woo Lee, journeyman Curtis Luck, LIV guns Marc Leishman and Lucas Herbert as well as former prisoner and bikie Ryan Peake, who earnt his spot with victory in the New Zealand Open. Being thrown into the best field in world golf, including a grouping with major champ Phil Mickelson for the opening two rounds, could be daunting. But Peake revealed his chequered past, and his incarceration, proved the catalyst for finding the inspiration to achieve something in his life. 'Basically going from not having any real aspirations in life to then trying to basically tell yourself, while still in prison, that you are going to become a professional golfer. You know there's a bit of mental work to get there,' he said. 'Your team can only push you so far and tell you so much, and the rest of it, you have to start to believe in it yourself. It did take me some time, but I got there in the end!' Open Championship Australian tee times/groupings (Australian times) 3.57pm - Cameron Smith, Marco Penge, Justin Hastings (a) 4.08pm - Jason Day, Taylor Pendrith, Jacob Skov Olesen 4.19pm - Phil Mickelson, Daniel Van Tonder, Ryan Peake 4.52pm - Darren Clarke, Davis Riley, Lucas Herbert 8.26pm - Stewart Cink, Matteo Manassero, Marc Leishman 9.09pm - Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Ethan Fang (a) 9.20pm - Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie, Sergio Garcia 11.37pm - Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee 1.05am (Friday) - Daniel Young, Curtis Luck, Curtis Knipes Originally published as Former bikie Ryan Peake paired with Phil Mickelson for Open Championship debut
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Elvis Smylie will defend his Australian PGA Championship title with record prizemoney up for grabs
Elvis Smylie has had a tough time in his first season in Europe but has locked in a return to the place where he enjoyed the biggest moment of his fledgling career. The defending Australian PGA champion will be returning to fight for record prizemoney at Royal Queensland in November having outlasted Cameron Smith to secure the title in 2024. Smylie also overcame a pace-of-play warning from officials as he and Smith, playing together in the final pairing, walked onto the 17th tee. A two-shot victory earnt the 23-year-old left-hander, who is the son of Australian tennis great Liz Smylie, his DP World Tour card and a spot in this month's Open Championship at Royal Port Rush. Smylie has recorded two top-20 finishes in Europe this year but missed the cut at his past two events, and while there's 'a lot to play out' in 2025, he's already excited about coming home to defend his title. 'Winning the Joe Kirkwood Cup for the first time was a huge honour and definitely the highlight of my career so far,' Smylie said. 'I have some great memories of that final Sunday. It meant so much to win at home in front of my family and friends in one of Australia's most important championships. 'Although there's still a lot of this year to play out, I can't wait to get back to RQ and try to do it all again.' Last week, the PGA of Australia announced a $500,000 bump in prizemoney to $2.5m, more than the prizemoney on offer at the Australian Open the following week where Rory McIlroy will be the headline act at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The boost in the prize pool, as well as continued co-sanctioning with the DP World Tour, could help boost the quality of the field this year, with headliners likely to again include Smith and Min Woo Lee as well as Adam Scott, who skipped the two Australian events last summer.
News.com.au
23-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Rrecord prize pool for Australian PGA in Brisbane in November
Rory McIlroy will play for less prizemoney in his Australian Open return than those at the Australian PGA the week before, but both tournaments have had cash bumps across a huge summer of events with up to $7mn available. Just hours after Australian star Minjee Lee took out her third major championship, and collected $2.8m for winning the Women's PGA, Australian golf officials confirmed the record amount on offer for the home season, which will begin in August. The Australian PGA, won last year by Elvis Smylie and in 2023 by Lee's younger brother Min Woo, has been given the biggest prizemoney bump, up $500,000 to surpass the national Open for total prizemoney. The PGA prize pool is the biggest in the tournament's 121-year history. McIlroy, the world No.2, is set to earn more in appearance money after signing a two-year deal to play in the Australian Open, beginning with this year's event at Royal Melbourne, than should he win the Stonehaven Cup for a second time. With more than $160m in career earnings on the PGA Tour, however, money is not driving McIlroy, who spoke about his desire to explore new golfing horizons after his Masters triumph, and that includes returning to Australia for the first time since 2014. 'I've always loved the Australian Open,' he said last week. 'I've won there before. I played there as an amateur in the Australian Open, qualified for it, went through a qualifier in 2005, got through like a nine-man playoff to get in, so I've always had a huge affinity for that part of the world. The opening 10 events of the PGA Tour of Australasia were confirmed on Monday, beginning with the PNG Open at Royal Port Moresby Golf Club. The Australian PGA at Royal Queensland Golf Club, in the last week of November, and then the Australian Open at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in the first week of December remain the flagship events. Both will be co-sanctioned with the DP World Tour and offer exemptions on top of prizemoney. 'The Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia season is all about 'the chase' and we're delighted our professionals will be chasing record prizemoney across the first half of the season,' PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said. 'They'll also be chasing titles, exemptions and opportunities to compete internationally. 'There is so much on the line for our players as they try to follow the pathway that has been created all the way to the PGA Tour 'We saw what was possible with Elvis Smylie winning twice on our Tour last year and going on to win the Order of Merit, earn his DP World Tour card and starts in two majors. 'Careers can be changed in just a few months.'
