Latest news with #JenniferElliott
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Lydia Ko prepares for Erin Hills watching YouTube as rookie Australian prepares for first tour start at US Open
Newly married Jennifer Elliott will play her first LPGA Tour event in this week's US Open as one of six Australians teeing off at the 'big' Erin Hills layout set to demand more of all players in pursuit of the biggest winner's cheque in women's golf. Elliott, from Perth, will tee it up at the 6200m monster that future Hall of Famer Lydia Ko called 'difficult but fun', having just one start on the secondary Epson Tour under her belt after finishing at Sam Houston State University in Texas. She earnt her way into the event through local qualifying in Texas, as did compatriot Grace Kim, who with 2022 US Open winner Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, Gabi Ruffels and Steph Kyriacou rounds out the Australian contingent in pursuit of the $3.6m winner's cheque. Wake up, Wisconsin! ☀ï¸� ðŸ'¸ @uswomensopen — LPGA (@LPGA) May 27, 2025 Elliot is joining the big time at the right time, with purses hitting record levels. There's more than $200m in prizemoney available on the LPGA Tour in 2025, and so far, through the opening 12 events, there's yet to be an Australian winner. Things don't get easier in Wisconsin on the brutish Erin Hills layout that Ko, who could get a step closer to a career major grand slam with a US Open title, learnt by watching YouTube videos. Not videos of Brooks Koepka's win in the men's US Open at the same venue in 2017 but instead a video of the Bryan brothers, Wesley and George, trying to break par. 'It's probably not the preparation that many of the other players did, but it was just a good way for me to kind of see the golf course,' she said. Lee, who made the move to a long putter after a back-nine capitulation while leading in the final round of the US Open last year, enters the tournament ranked 22, the lowest she has been on the rankings since 2015, having spent the bulk of the past decade in the top 20 and top 10. The former world No.2 hasn't won since anywhere since 2023 but is a proven major performer, having only missed the cut seven times in 55 major appearances and only once, in 2015, from 11 US Open appearances. Green, Australia's highest-ranked player, male or female, at No.8, has also made the cut in all six US Open starts, but is yet to record a top-10 finish. US Women's Open Erin Hills, Erin, Wisconsin Past Aussie winners: Jan Stephenson (1983), Karrie Webb (2000, 2001), Minjee Lee (2022) Prize money: $18.6m AUSSIES IN THE FIELD Hannah Green Career LPGA wins: 6 Major wins: 1 Grace Kim Career LPGA wins: 1 Major wins: 0 Stephanie Kyriacou Career LPGA wins: 0 Major wins: 0 Minjee Lee Career LPGA wins: 10 Major wins: 2 Gabriela Ruffels Career LPGA wins: 0 Major wins: 0 Jennifer Elliott Career LPGA wins: 0 Major wins: 0 Previous appearances: 0
Hamilton Spectator
25-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Council endorses plan for Gretzky Parkway extension
City of Brantford Council endorsed a plan to extend Wayne Gretzky Parkway north of Powerline Road during their Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. As the lands north of Powerline Road get developed and the population continues to grow, the City has been looking into various solutions to help mitigate traffic congestion throughout the area. Having looked at different options, staff ultimately presented Council with a plan to extend Wayne Gretzky Parkway north of Powerline Road (sitting parallel to Highway 24/King George Road) where it will curve and meet up with Park Road North. The plan includes replacing the current three-way intersection at Powerline Road and Wayne Gretzky Parkway with a new four-leg roundabout, as well as a new four-leg roundabout where the newly extended Parkway will meet with Highway 24. The report explained that the extension will feature a four-lane configuration with a median in the middle and a multi-use path on the east side of the extension. As well, the roundabouts will be two lanes and designed to accommodate large vehicles, such as transport trucks and farm vehicles. While staff currently estimate that the project will cost around $8.5 million, the price could change as the plan is currently in its preliminary stages. The final cost will be refined through the preliminary design and detailed design phases. According to the report, which was submitted by Jennifer Elliott, the City's Director of Engineering Services, both the city's population and employment are expected to experience significant growth by 2051. 'Brantford's anticipated growth will notably impact local travel demands,' she said. 'By 2051, the city is projected to generate over 89,900 person trips during the A.M. peak period on an average weekday, reflecting a 72 per cent increase from the 52,616 person trips recorded in 2016.' As outlined in the 2020 Transportation Master Plan Update, the traffic conditions of Brantford's existing arterial and collector road network were observed during typical weekday peak hours, and the following key issues were identified: As well, the King George Road overpass over Highway 403 is expected to face high traffic demand, with over 60 per cent of the traffic using the route due to regional travel on Highway 403 or Highway 24. 'Adding an extra lane in each direction on King George Road would result in significant property impacts,' said Elliott. 'To alleviate congestion, diverting long-distance traffic from King George Road to Wayne Gretzky Parkway via a potential future extension north of Powerline Road would ease capacity issues near Highway 403 interchange and along King George Road.' If the plan is passed during an upcoming City Council meeting at the end of May, staff will be directed to issue a notice of completion and will open the 30-day public review period. 'The public will have an opportunity to, during that 30-day review, to provide comments, concerns or issues with the preferred solution,' said Mike Abraham, Brantford's Manager of Infrastructure Planning. 'Staff will then respond to each and one of those comments, and that will be made part of the filing to the MECP [Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks].' During the meeting, Councillor Richard Carpenter said that he hopes that as traffic increases along Wayne Gretzky Parkway, staff will consider putting in some sort of sound barrier to help with the noise. 'When we re-did Lynden Road and widened it to four lanes from two lanes and put in a centre turning lane; we put in a beautiful sound barrier wall for the residents who backed onto Lynden,' he said. 'It's been there for well over 25 years now, and if you look at it, it's easy to maintain. So, I would like us to use that as an example going forward.' Councillor Dan McCreary then thanked staff for their work, saying that the presented plan seemed to make sense. 'Councillor Martin and I were at the public hearings, and this option was well received,' he said. 'It certainly makes a lot of sense, even though there will be some disruption in the immediate neighbourhood once we get underway.' While the item was unanimously carried and Council will still have to give final approval later this month, residents will still have an opportunity to express their thoughts and concerns. Kimberly De Jong's reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at .
