By Matt Smith
The Australian contingent for the AIG Women’s Open Championship will be hunting more success in Scotland to emulate 2002 champ Karrie Webb and keep up the Aussie major momentum following Cameron Smith’s recent triumph at the 150th men’s Open Championship at St Andrews.

World No. 2 Minjee Lee leads this week’s Australian hopefuls, and is joined by 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner Hannah Green, 2022 Aramco Team Series – Bangkok team champ Whitney Hillier, 2022 Australian WPGA Championship winner Su Oh and rising star Steph Kyriacou.

Lee claimed her first ever major top 10 in 2015 at this championship, and now has nine to her name including two victories, and will be going for another at Muirfield.

MORE: Muirfield’s long and bumpy road to hosting Women’s Open

The quintet will look to build on Australia’s recent success in Scotland and its history in the Open, which has previously witnessed five Australian champions, including seven-time major champion Webb.

This year’s Women’s US Open champion, Lee, said, “I am really looking forward to closing out the major season at Muirfield for the AIG Women’s Open. I love the challenges presented by links golf and I am really looking forward to playing at Muirfield. It’s been a great few weeks for Australian golf with Cam’s win at The 150th Open and Karrie’s at the Senior LPGA Championship last week, so I will, of course, be trying my best to keep the winning streak running.”

Whitney Hillier

Webb forged the way for young Australians looking to find success in the professional women’s game, leaving a legacy for today’s generations to follow through the famed Karrie Webb Series Scholarship.

Among the recipients of the honour include Lee, Green and Hillier, who will look to build on the tutelage and support from the scholarship, and personal inspiration of Webb, when it comes to round one of the AIG Women’s Open at the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

Webb’s inspiration and legacy in the game was further elevated last weekend as she revisited her infamous duals with fellow legend, Annika Sorenstam, to claim her first Senior LPGA Championship title at Salina Country Club.

Counting down to the final major of the year, Webb said, “As a former winner I am looking forward to watching the AIG Women’s Open next week. The women players are all so incredibly talented that I look forward to seeing how they take on the famed links of Muirfield.”

“Australian golf is so strong at the moment with Cam Smith having just won The 150th Open and Minjee Lee the Women’s US Open in June, I am hoping Australian golf fans will have more to cheer about at the AIG Women’s Open.”

The AIG Women’s Open will take place from August 4-7 at Muirfield.

You may also like:
Muirfield’s long and bumpy road to hosting Women’s Open
The World Rankings points hurdles facing LIV Golf
Tiger turned down $800m from LIV Golf
PGA Tour releases full 2022-23 schedule
Phil Mickelson becomes highest-paid athlete of 2022
WATCH: LIV Golf highlights from Bedminster
Stenson takes debut LIV Golf title at Bedminster
LIV Golf takeaways after third event in New Jersey
Crocker takes the glory at Hero Open
Finau goes back-to-back on PGA Tour
Furue claims Women’s Scottish Open title in style
Henrik Stenson stretches LIV Golf lead
Whirlwind start for Stenson at Bedminster
LIV Golf Bedminster teams revealed
Speaking with Centurion Club’s Scott Evans 
The LIV Golf wrinkle impacting the FedExCup Playoffs
Sergio holds off on quitting DP World Tour
LIV Golf to feature relegation and qualification from 2023
LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
Stenson defends LIV Golf decision
Top agents still calling me: LIV Golf’s Greg Norman
After Henrik’s departure, here are leading candidates for Team Europe Ryder Cup captaincy
Finau keeps cool to claim 3M Open
Darren delivers the Open double at Gleneagles
Richie Ramsay keeps promise to daughter
Dubai’s Chiara Noja to take a well-earned break
Rory returns to BMW PGA at Wentworth
LPGA commissioner willing to talk to LIV Golf
Qatar’s Education City is perfect for golf and footy fans at World Cup
R&A gets greener at The Open
Casey confirmed as LIV Golf Bediminster field revealed
Bryson back to ’97-98 per cent fitness’

The post AIG Women’s Open: Australian army of Lee, Hillier, Green, Su and Kyriacou target more major glory in Scotland appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Paisley
It started with a single signed golf ball. When Hannah Green serendipitously handed Lily Kostner the pearl at the 2019 ANA Inspiration, little did she know the impact she would have on the youngster from Minneapolis — and the bond that would follow.

Instantly, Green had a new No. 1 fan. The then-seven-year-old third-grader was so taken with the Australian golfer that when she was asked in her poetry class to write about an individual she admired, Kostner chose Green. A few months later, Kostner delivered the poem to Green on the seventh hole during the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National.

Green went on to claim the title, winning wire-to-wire for her first LPGA victory. After the round, she shared the contents of Kostner’s poem and credited the simple words for keeping her grounded en route to victory.

Now three years removed from the touching exchange, as Green attempts to win the title once more at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, the two remain close, having built a unique connection that inspires both.

“I just feel grateful and special that I get to experience and know a pro golfer,” Kostner said, “someone like that is kind and like good at the sport.”

“It’s become a really cool friendship,” Green said.

MORE: Officials double KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to $9 million

Indeed, the two remain close, sharing videos every few months. Lily sends updates from her golf camps or other sports she’s been playing. Green shares where she has put the framed poem in her house and the puzzles she’s solving. “Through COVID she sends me little videos asking how I am and what I’m up to,” Green said. “They’re really cute.”

Like with the poem, Green keeps Lily’s videos accessible on her phone. The biggest challenge for Kostner’s parents, Justin and Jessica, is to keep Lily’s desire to message her idol in check. “She would’ve certainly sent her a video message every day in the early days,” Jessica said, “And we were like, no, you know, we’re not going to do that.”

In April, the Kostners traveled again on their usual trip to Palm Springs for the Chevron Championship (formerly the ANA). Jessica and her family grew up travelling to the Dinah Shore, and it was an important tradition to maintain with Lily and her youngest daughter Claire. Before heading out for their first reunion since Green’s major victory, Lily wrote another poem and brought a Minnesota-shaped necklace to give to her friend.

“She was warming up and we went over there,” Lily said, “and it just felt special because I hadn’t seen her for so long. But it felt like we’d known each other for a while.”

The reunion between Lily and Hannah Green. (Photo courtesy of the Kostner Family).

Moved by the gesture, Green wore the necklace all week and finished T-8. Throughout the championship, Green spent time with the Kostners as they cheered her on. She provided the family tickets for the week, gave Lily high-fives and chatted with her while waiting between holes.

MORE: 5 players to watch at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The Kostners expressed to Green’s caddie, Nate Blasko, that they felt bad for taking up her time. But he reassured them that she loved every minute of it, modeling the behavior of an idol a parent could only dream of.

“She [Green] does have that bit of awe,” Jessica said, “but then to have her come down and be this like very authentic, just real person in interacting with Lilly. I know for a fact she soaks it in, and I think she inspires her beyond just golf, but all of her athletic endeavors and whatever else [she does].”

Green’s relationship with Lily further inspired Claire to search for an LPGA idol of her own. At seven, Claire was the same age Lily was when she had her fateful encounter with Green.

Claire Kostner got her own ball at the 2022 Chevron Championship from Stacy Lewis. (Photo courtesy of the Kostner Family)

On the lookout at the Dinah Shore course, she gave a high-five to Stacy Lewis during the US Solheim Cup captain’s round. Lewis went to her bag, grabbed a ball, and signed it for Claire, hooking the younger Kostner to the Lewis wagon.

Unfortunately for Claire, the exchange didn’t end with a Lewis leap into Poppie’s Pond, as she missed the cut. The newfound passionate fan couldn’t hold back her sadness at the end of the day on Friday. “Claire cried her eyes out at our Airbnb that night,” Jessica said.

Even still, that moment turned Claire into a passionate fan. With the Chevron moving from Palm Springs to Houston next year, the Kostners are trying to figure out another tournament to make an annual trip to so their daughters can see the action in person. Both Lily and Claire passionately pull for their favorites when watching the LPGA on TV, all sparked by a seemingly innocuous moment of handing a young, impressionable fan a signed ball.

“I never really thought anything would’ve come out of it by giving Lily a golf ball,” Green explained, “I think it’s just what we feel is the right thing to do as players is to try and inspire the next generation, but to actually get a close relationship with someone that I have [inspired], it’s really special.”

You might also like
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship doubles purse to $9m
Major winners sign up for Women’s Scottish Open
Abu Dhabi-based 12-year-old wins in Scotland
All the latest news from around the UAE and beyond
Bronte Law triumphs in London
WATCH: Highlights from Day 3
Watch action from Day 2 at Aramco
Davis sizzles in London
Highlights from Day 1 of Aramco Team Series — London
Super Swedes lead the way in Aramco Team Series
Bringner and Hall among leaders at Aramco Team Series
Familiar faces as Aramco Team captains make picks
Dubai’s Chiara forced out of Aramco London
Bronte Law calls for level playing field

The post KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2022: Hannah Green inspired a young fan who then became an Inspiration for her appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
The idea of a PGA Tour and LPGA Tour crossover event comes up every season, but while we wait for that to happen there is a men’s and women’s event in the Australia Webex Players Series. The men and women play together, but from different tees. Hannah Green became the first woman to win a co-ed 72-hole event on a major tour when she won by four shots in TPS Murray River at Cobram Barooga Golf Club in Australia.

“It felt pretty good to say I’m the first female to win a TPS event and even around the world. It’s a great feeling and hopefully it’s not the last time a female has a trophy in her hands,” Green said in a post-tournament interview with The Project.

In that same interview, Green said her boyfriend was also in the field and finished 24th.

The 25-year-old shot a five-under 66 in her final round to finish at 20 under. She’s currently ranked 30th in the world and has won twice on the LPGA Tour, including one major, the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The week before the Murray River win, Green captured the Vic Open in Australia by six shots. Next, she’s headed to Singapore for the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s World Championship, which begins March 3.

The post Hannah Green makes history in Australian co-ed tournament by beating the men appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
Let’s begin with a statement we can all agree on: Winning a major championship is harder than winning a regular tour event. Presumably, it requires more experience to win a major since the more experience you have, the more likely you’ll be able to handle the nerves and pressure as you play those final holes coming in. The experience, then, of winning a time or two on tour would not only be helpful, but seemingly necessary to getting that first major title. Right?

But here’s the catch: When you look at the results of the majors for the last five years on the LPGA Tour, suddenly that assumption falls to pieces. Eight times since 2015, a golfer who won a major championship was also winning her first LPGA Tour title of any kind. By comparison, just one male golfer in that same period made a major his first career PGA Tour win, that being Danny Willett at the 2016 Masters (although Willett had won four European Tour titles at that point). It’s only natural then to wonder if it will happen again this week as when the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is held at venerable Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia.

The most recent first-time major/LPGA winner was arguably one of the most surprising, seeing that she wasn’t even a member of the LPGA Tour at the time of her win. In August, Germany’s Sophia Popov showed no nerves in taking the title at the Women’s British Open. With her victory, she joined the list of InGee Chun (2015 U.S. Women’s Open), Danielle Kang (2017 KPMG Women’s PGA), Sung Hyun Park (2017 U.S. Women’s Open), Pernilla Lindberg (2018 ANA Inspiration), Georgia Hall (2018 Women’s British Open), Hinako Shibuno (2019 Women’s British Open) and Hannah Green (2019 KPMG Women’s PGA).

So how can this be happening so often? One explanation for why first-time winners are able to succeed on the major stage could be because though these players haven’t won yet on the LPGA Tour, they’ve still been in high-pressure situations at some point in the competitive golf careers, and thus have gained that needed experience. They’re prepared. Maria Fassi, who’s in her second year on tour and is still looking for her first win, has already had big-tournament experiences, like being in the final pairing at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship. Having played a tournament on one of the most famous golf courses in the world, in front of thousands of fans, she’s able to simplify and compartmentalize the pressures of being at a major in ways young tour pros of the past might not have been capable of.

“It’s definitely different,” Fassi said of playing majors, “but it’s a golf tournament at the end of the day. Whether it’s to win a major or win against your friends back home, it’s just another golf shot. Of course, that’s easier said than done. But I feel like that’s how we have to approach the week.”

Jan Kruger
Sophia Popov poses with the trophy after her surprise victory at the AIG Women’s British Open in August.

Another thought on why first-timers have had success in the LPGA’s big five events is that major weeks can be more stressful for established tour winners.

“Sometimes the top players put a lot of pressure on themselves, and they’re expected to do well,” said Nelly Korda, 20, the No. 2 ranked female in the world and a three-time LPGA winner seeking her first major. “I’m not sure, but all [who have won majors as first-time winners] have played great golf that week. And that’s what it takes.”

While the top players are saddled with the added pressure of being expected to win, players who haven’t won yet can play free of extra stress and obligations during major weeks. It puts them, potentially, in the right position to play their best golf.

“I think maybe somebody who hasn’t had a win out here walks into a major maybe with less expectation. We’re not the favourites, not the top picks. So maybe that has something to do it,” Fassi says. “I think for first-time winners, they kind of go one shot at a time. They kind of bump into the trophy, if that makes sense. Hopefully I can bump into that big trophy on Sunday.”

Brooke Henderson, whose 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship win was her second win on tour, believes another explanation is that players sometimes just get on a roll during a major before realizing what’s happening. The players get a few breaks, step up their own games and start playing well enough that it doesn’t matter if they’re won anything before.

“I feel like when you get into that spot, you’re just making everything and feeling great,” Henderson said. “That’s definitely what happened for me in 2017. Similar people have broken through like that on the LPGA Tour.”

Maybe, above all else, the players who haven’t won yet on tour are more fearless and more confident than ever. Their lack of winning experience doesn’t deter them from thinking that any week, even the majors, could be theirs.

“I believe in myself more than anybody else out here,” Fassi said. “I haven’t lifted a trophy out here yet, but I know I have what it takes to win.”

The post Will there be another player who makes a major her first win on the LPGA Tour? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Welcome to another edition of The Grind where we almost got killed at the Travelers Championship last week. An American golfer who shall remain nameless nearly drilled me with a drive on No. 15. He shall remain nameless because he was only concerned with his lie as he walked right by me and a few others to get to his ball. Meanwhile, European golfers continue to display better manners in these situations. A week after Henrik Stenson laid down on the ground to pose for a selfie with a fan he plunked, Jordan Smith bought his victim (multiple) drinks at the BMW International Open:

Alles wieder gut! @Jsmithgolf entschuldigt sich ordentlich bei Wolfgang. ???#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/foc1dAFcAt

— SPORT1 (@SPORT1) June 21, 2019

What’s next, dinner and a movie? Seriously, fans might start trying to get hit by these guys. Anyway, kudos to Smith, Stenson, and others who actually care about the well-being of us little people in the galleries—or, at least yell “Fore!” when they hit an errant shot. And it’s good to know karma exists because of the player in question. . . never mind. He had a good week. Karma is officially dead, but The Grind lives on! Let’s dive into everything else happening in golf.

WE’RE BUYING

Chez Reavie: Is this the dawn of the Chez Reavie Era?! Probably not, but no one should be shocked by Reavie’s Travelers Championship triumph after his T-3 performance at Pebble Beach the previous week. I just hope the guy who bet on Chez to win the U.S. Open bet on him this past week.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

And rejoice, short hitters! His average swing speed is only. . . 108! OK, that’s still a lot faster than mine. . . The diminutive Reavie is never going to overpower a golf course like the typical tour winner, but he has always been one of the best iron players in the game. The most puzzling part of his second PGA Tour title is how long he waited for it. First Tiger snaps an 11-year drought in the majors and now Chez ends his 11-year drought in non-majors. What a time to be alive!

Zack Sucher: This was the rare week on the PGA Tour where you could declare two winners. Sure, Sucher blew a five-shot lead on Saturday in stunning fashion, but his rally to finish T-2 was awfully impressive—and important. Consider that in six years as a pro he had earned about $850,000 and had needed “to take out some credit cards” during a seven-month stretch two years ago in which he made no money. Well, he earned $633,600 on Sunday. “It’s life-changing, to be honest,” Sucher said.

Hannah Green: Also life-changing? How about the 114th-ranked player in the world going wire to wire? In a major? Congrats to this Australian for doing just that, instantly becoming one of the more surprising major champs in golf history. What’s even more surprising is how calm she remained throughout.

Pretty cool moment: Hannah Green walks off 8 and a little girl hands her a blue sheet of paper on which she’d written a poem. Hannah reads it, keeps it, gives the girl a hug and heads to 9th tee w 3-shot lead, going after first major.

— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) June 23, 2019

Can you imagine Brooks Koepka doing that? Better yet, how about Tiger Woods in his prime? That is wild. Of course, considering the pace of play issues during the event, Green could have read a novella between holes.

Andrea Pavan: There was some shaky play from both Pavan and Matthew Fitzpatrick during their playoff at the BMW International Open, but the 30-year-old Italian finished in spectacular fashion with a winning birdie. Even better was his celebration (Check out the 27-second mark) with caddie Alejandro Molina.

It's Play-Off victory for @AndreaPavan89! ?#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/pZY39ROLxA

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 23, 2019

So good. Reminiscent of Yogi Berra jumping into Don Larsen’s arms. And this isn’t Molina’s first epic celebration:

Come for the Pavan putt ?

Stay for the caddie celebration ? pic.twitter.com/iQy4XAioO2

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 22, 2019

Also, this dude has some serious soccer skills:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByF9uFsH59K/?utm_source=ig_embed

OK, so we’re buying Molina as much as Pavan. That guy is awesome.

WE’RE SELLING

Brooks Koepka in non-majors: It was good of Koepka to keep his commitment, but seriously, why bother showing up? Koepka couldn’t have looked more disinterested to be playing at the Travelers and you can’t blame him. That has nothing to do with the tournament itself, but to tee it up at TPC River Highlands just four days after nearly winning the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach? And after a long cross-country flight?

Michelle Wie’s career: Sadly, we’re getting to the point of there being no point for Michelle Wie to show up at any tournament—and she knows it. “I’m not entirely sure how much more I have left in me, so even on the bad days, I’m just like trying to take time to enjoy it. But it’s tough,” said an emotional Wie after shooting an opening 84 at the KPMG PGA Championship. To Wie’s credit, she didn’t WD and spoke to the media the following day after an 82. If this is the end of the road (and hopefully, it’s not), Wie has been a pleasure to watch. Well, not during the table-top putting phase, but you get the point.

Matthew Wolff’s pro debut: From the winding down of one phenom’s career to the start of another, I drove up to the Travelers Championship on Thursday specifically to see what was being billed as an important moment in golf history. Apparently, I was the only one. Let’s just say there wasn’t much of a buzz for the pro debut of this DISRUPTOR, but the Wolfpack will certainly grow.

And Wolff will continue to improve, although a T-80 by the 20-year-old doesn’t sound so bad when you consider that a 20-year-old Tiger finished T-60 in his pro debut in 1996. . .

Holey Moley: I hate to pile on Stephen Curry after he had a tough NBA Finals in which his Golden State dynasty crumbled before our very eyes, but. . . wow, was this bad. Not that we should be too surprised considering most thought the show’s announcement was an April Fool’s joke. But. . . I mean. . .

Congrats to @StephenCurry30 and @ABC for somehow managing to make a golf show worse than #Shotmakers. https://t.co/iZxEqtWKTb

— Club Pro Guy (@ClubProGuy) June 25, 2019

Poor Kenny G. I didn’t think his career could dip any lower than appearing in that Valentine’s Day video for Kanye and Kim. I was wrong.

ON TAP

The PGA Tour heads to Detroit for the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic, AKA that event funded by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert that replaced the Quicken Loans National on the schedule. Gilbert founded Quicken Loans AND Rocket Mortgage (among other things). He has a lot more money than you do.

Random tournament fact: The tournament will be played at Detroit Golf Club and Rickie Rocket Mortgage Fowler is in the field. And. . . that’s pretty much all we know at this point.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Back to Andrea and Alejandro:

Let the celebrations begin ?#BMWInternationalOpen pic.twitter.com/S5UeqMpRzl

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 23, 2019

That’s nice to see, especially on a day where Matt Wallace came under fire for berating his caddie during the final round.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Bubba Watson’s son Caleb nearly ended Brandt Snedeker’s season (and ability to have kids) with this line drive:

Yessir! Caleb with line drive at @BrandtSnedeker. Great hit!! @TravelersChamp #TravelersFamilyWiffleball #ProudDad #WiffleballLife pic.twitter.com/0sgnNxj9DA

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) June 21, 2019

Kid’s got some pop.

ARCHIVE VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

How about this compilation of Gary Woodland high school basketball highlights set to the “Rudy” theme song?

https://twitter.com/CoreyRHolloway/status/1140720163211210752

Impressive! Then again, even my high school basketball highlights would seem a lot better accompanied by the “Rudy” theme song.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Caddying for VJ. https://t.co/T8GbfZm4KY

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark (@KipHenley) June 23, 2019

Boom. Roasted. Of course, Vijay has always had the rep as a caddie killer, but Kip added a little more about the experience:

Watching one of the greatest to ever lace em up, prepare and get after it. Most of working for VJ was so cool. He treated me like a son (even though I’m older than him) away from the course. He never let me reach in my pocket one time. I made almost 50gs in 5 weeks. https://t.co/R7Ds5XUiyJ

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark (@KipHenley) June 23, 2019

Regardless of what people think that part didn’t matter. Sure there were a couple times where I was thinking “damn we been here all day” like every single caddie on the PGA Tour but I have never seen hard work not pay off. https://t.co/bnL0JlpZvm

— KIP HENLEY Blue Check Mark (@KipHenley) June 23, 2019

Fair enough.

THIS WEEK IN CELEBRITY GOLFERS

How about Drake hitting the links? We think. . .

https://www.instagram.com/p/By5icbWgioH/?utm_source=ig_embed

Rory McIlroy’s “Two Gloves Aubrey” comment was classic. And then there’s Dylan Windler, the Cleveland Cavaliers first-round pick out of Belmont who also maintains a one-handicap and practices trick shots in his spare time from shooting jump-shots.

Working on some new swings tonight @Topgolf pic.twitter.com/A6NTxc0bQy

— Dylan Windler (@Dylan_Windler23) September 23, 2018

Have a good rookie season, Dylan, and who knows? You could earn a sponsor exemption from Dan Gilbert into next year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.

THIS WEEK IN DUSTIN JOHNSON-PAULINA GRETZKY PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

While Brooks followed up a stressful week at Pebble Beach by playing in another tournament, Dustin and Paulina went to the Bahamas:

Advantage: Dustin.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

Introducing the first “Phireside with Phil”:

First edition of “Phireside with Phil.”

I’ll be sharing some interesting stories that have taken place through the years and will hopefully have some guests in the future too. #PhiresidewithPhil pic.twitter.com/4NDVTPNKmt

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) June 18, 2019

Please let this be a weekly thing.

THIS AND THAT

If you haven’t read Joel Beall’s (latest) great piece on Max Roberts, a high schooler who went from being homeless to state champ, check it out. What a story. . . . Jay Bilas mentioned Louis Oosthuizen multiple times during the NBA Draft. Jay Bilas is officially the world’s biggest Louis O fan. . . . With the British Open heading to Northern Ireland, NBC Sports commissioned a flute version of Yanni’s classic “In Celebration of Man” theme. It’s a nice little touch, but nothing tops the original. Not even the “Rudy” theme song. . . . And finally, we celebrated Father’s Day a week late in my house (Thanks, USGA!) and the highlight was waking up to this delicious bacon-and-egg on a bagel:

Well, other than spending quality time with my wife and daughter, of course. But yeah. . . that breakfast sandwich. . . mmm. . .

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Who is the most difficult tour pro to caddie for?

Should I wear a helmet to the next event I cover?

How much leftover bacon is in the fridge?

The post An epic victory celebration, Michelle Wie’s tearful goodbye(?), and a caddie blasts his former boss appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 22-year-old from Australia had never claimed an LPGA Tour title but went wire to wire at historic Hazeltine National Golf Club to make win No. 1 a major. This outcome seemed particularly unlikely, no disrespect to Green, with two-time major winner Ariya Jutanugarn one shot behind, and three more major champions within six shots with one round to play.

One thing Green had going for her was that she was staying with fellow Aussie Karrie Webb, a seven-time major winner. In 2015, Green had been the recipient of Webb’s scholarship, where the World Golf Hall of Famer brings the top two female amateur players in Australia to the U.S. to watch a major and experience what the tour is like while staying with Webb herself. This week, Green was staying with Webb again along with the current scholarship winners and said the setup helped keep her calm throughout the week.

“As soon as I got home [after the round Saturday] everyone was there and making the food so it was really nice to just have all the Australians there, and there really wasn’t much golf talk at all,” Green said. “That was perfect. That’s what I wanted.”

As nice as her housing setup was, Green still had to go out and finish off the major. She did not make it easy on herself.

Though starting with two birdies in the first seven holes, Green made three bogeys in a four-hole span from Nos. 9-12. Until that point, she had made three bogeys in the entire tournament. Nerves had to surface at some point, one would expect. Yet Green made no more bogeys coming in, a remarkable fact given how many fairways she missed. She was playing out of the rough nearly as often as she was the fairway, hitting just 57 per cent of fairways on the week, ranking her T-70 in driving accuracy. Where she made up for it, though, was with greens hit in regulation. Despite how often she played out of the thick, wet rough, Green hit 71 per cent of them. When her driver let her down, her iron game bailed her out. And she had the speed of the greens dialled in all week, allowing her to two-putt from seemingly anywhere.

Darren Carroll/PGA of America

In moments when Green was at her most vulnerable, there were several players who could have mounted an attack. Sung Hyun Park and Nelly Korda got dangerously close, but Korda made bogey at 15 and Green made birdie at 16, maintaining her lead. Jutanugarn had already made too many bogeys to make any sort of charge.

Green had a two-shot lead as she stood waiting on the 18th tee, but it was cut to one as Park, the defending champion playing in the group ahead of Green, rolled in an 18-footer for birdie up on the 18th green.

Need a par to win, Green unusually hit the fairway, but yanked her approach into a left greenside bunker, short-siding herself. Still, she handled her nerves and hit her bunker shot to five feet of the hole. Then she calmly holed the putt for the victory.

Jamie Squire

With a win like this—wholly improbable—there has to be some sort of lesson to be learned. It could be about playing your own game, which Green did throughout. She never let the gravity of the moment force her into hitting shots outside of her comfort zone. She calmly kept her poise throughout all four rounds, no small feat. Playing in the final group at a major can cause regrettable shots from anyone. It’s a battle, attempting to do something you’ve never done before.

Maybe the most important lesson is that before Green got here, she had already learned how to win. In the development of young players, it is a critical, sometimes overlooked, step. Having won three times on the Symetra Tour prepared Green for this week, and helped her keep this win from slipping away.

It is an idea we’ve heard from Brooks Koepka, who played mini tours and experienced winning around the world before he even got to the PGA Tour. It helped prepare him to win at the highest level. Being able to hit great shots is one thing, but actually converting them into victories is an entirely different skill set, one that needs to be experienced so that when you are in a major with the lead on Sunday you’re not lost.

“Winning her first Symetra, that was just as important to her at that time in her life as it was winning today,” said Webb. “She’s had those feelings of leading, trying to win a golf tournament and even though it’s on a different stage it’s still the same thing, you still have to do the same thing to get the ball in the hole at the end of the day.”

The post Hannah Green made the improbable possible, winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By E. Michael Johnson
Hannah Green felt Hazeltine National G.C.’s bite as she bogeys three holes in a four-hole stretch to turn a nice cushion into a precarious one, but parred the final six holes to win the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship by one shot over defending champion Sung Hyun Park.

To say Green is an unlikely champion would be an understatement. Take away two top-10 finishes in her homeland of Australia and she would have none in her other 33 starts on the LPGA tour. She has just one top-10 this year (a T-10 in her second start of the season), and missed the cut in her last event, which might have led to her win at Hazeltine.

“When I missed the cut [last week], on Saturday and Sunday, I really worked hard on my ball-striking, on the range for quite a long time,” she said after the third round.

It showed. Through 62 holes, Green only endured three bogeys on her card, courtesy of a solid tee-to-green game, which included hitting 17 of 18 greens during a third-round 70. For the week she hit 52 of 72 for a 72.22 per cent clip.

Green’s irons are Srixon’s Z 785—a forged cavity-back made from 1020 carbon steel. The set features compact-sized short irons and progressive sole widths along with extra mass behind the hitting area to promote a soft feel. The sole design also changes through the set to match the attack angles of long and short irons. Her sand wedge that she used for the winning up-and-down from the bunker on the 72nd hole is a Cleveland RTX-4.

“I’ve been getting lucky but I guess winners do get lucky,” she said. “You need to take it while you can.” And on Sunday, she did just enough to take the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Unlikely as it might have been.

What Hannah Green had in the bag at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Ball: Srixon Z-Star

Driver: Srixon Z 785, 10.5 degrees

3-wood: Srixon Z F85, 15 degrees

Hybrid: Srixon Z H85, 19 degrees

Irons (4-PW): Srixon Z 785

Wedges: Cleveland RTX-4 (50, 54, 58 degrees)

Putter: Ping Sigma G Darby

The post Winner’s Bag: Hannah Green’s clubs at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
On Saturday night, Hannah Green, a relative unknown from Australia, was leading the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, same as the Wikipedia-less LPGA pro had been after the first and second rounds. You might be asking, why didn’t we write a piece explaining who exactly is the 22-year-old days ago? Well, honestly, few necessarily expected her to remain in this position, one stroke ahead of former LPGA player of the year Ariya Jutanugarn and three strokes up on Lizette Salas and Nelly Korda. Players who have never contended in a major championship sometimes pop up into the lead, but they don’t usually stay there.

Hannah Green has proven that she is not such a story.

The way that she has handled herself during the opening three rounds, you’d have thought she’d been here before. She missed just one green on her way to a two-under 70 on Saturday to get to nine under for the championship. Since she hasn’t actually been here—specifically, holding the 54-hole lead of a major—before, and as such has stayed out of the LPGA spotlight, we’ll share a bit of what we know.

Green grew up in Perth, and like every young Australian player, calls Karrie Webb her idol. In 2015, Green attended the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club as a recipient of Webb’s scholarship. Each year, Webb brings the two top amateur players from Australia with her to a tournament to give the young players a look at what the LPGA Tour is like.

“That was my first time seeing Karrie play in-person,” Green said of the 2015 journey. “I had seen her play on TV multiple times. You never see what the shots are like in-person, especially that week there was a lot of long holes, just seeing her, how well—how good she hits it. I think that’s what she was pretty much known for in her career. Just how you see that in-person and for her to be in contention in the U.S. Open, that was even more amazing to see all the crowds and see how she handles herself.”

That experience has come full circle, as Green is staying in a house this week with Webb and the two current scholarship winners.

The methodical, composed manner that Green walks around the course with is the same way she handles herself in the press room. Though she has experience winning on the Symetra Tour (three wins in 2017, earning rookie-of-the-year honours), she’s never won an LPGA event and never led a major (her best finish this season is a T-10 at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open).

Green talks humbly about how she feels like she’s gotten some lucky breaks this week, but exudes steady confidence and self-aware humour. Even when she came into the press room after her third round, her lead down from three, she was the same as she’d been all week.

Reigning LPGA player-of-the-year Aryia Jutanugarn is winless so far in 2019, but just one back. (Streeter Lecka/PGA of America)

As calm as Green appears, there’s no denying that finishing on Sunday as the champion will be a difficult task. Just one off Green’s lead is Jutanugarn, already is a two-time major winner and a 10-time LPGA champion, but she is still seeking her first LPGA title in 2019. The 22-year-old Thai native’s best finish so far is T-3 at the LOTTE Championship.

Green spoke about the intimidation factor of playing with Jutanugarn, one of the longest players on the LPGA Tour. Jutanugarn averaged 291 yards off the tee on Saturday, hitting only 3-wood as she didn’t carry a driver for the round.

Nelly Korda is starting to come into her own in 2019. (Jamie Squire)

Four shots behind Green are Salas and Korda. Salas, 29, has won once on the LPGA Tour, the 2014 Kingsmill Championship. Korda, 20, has won twice on tour, including the 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. Both Americans are T-5 in fairways hit this week, hitting 79 per cent of the fairways in their first three rounds.

Behind them, there are seven players within six shots of the lead, three already having won major championships (Sung Hyun Park, Danielle Kang and Inbee Park). As calm and cool Green is, she knows that she’s on the precipice of something big, but that there are plenty of people around her trying to achieve the same thing.

“I’ve said all week I’ve been getting lucky but I guess winners do get lucky,” Green said. “You need to take it while you can and I know, yes, I have thought about the outcome tomorrow come the 18th hole. I think I just need to keep my cool and just have fun out there and embrace it. If it does come to me winning I want to make sure I remember and have fun. I don’t want to be miserable and sick during the round.”

The post Who is Hannah Green and how is she still leading the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.