Ten Australians will endeavour to end a run of near misses when they line up for the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan.
A tie for 11th at last week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic helped to earn Gold Coast’s Robyn Choi a place alongside the nine Aussies will full status for the 2025 season, further bolstering what is a record Australian presence on the LPGA Tour this year.
Playing the Great Lakes Championship on the Epson Tour this week, Vic Open champion Su Oh had top-five finishes in this tournament in 2017 and 2019 while Grace Kim (pictured) returns having lost in a playoff 12 months ago.
A five-stroke leader at the start of the final round, Kim’s advantage had been erased by the time she reached the fifth tee, ultimately finishing level with Lilia Vu and Lexi Thompson, Vu claiming the title at the third playoff hole.
Three hours to the north, Oh and Jess Whitting will fly the Aussie flag on the Epson Tour while there are 12 Australasian players playing in Europe.
Maddison Hinson-Tolchard enters the Hulencourt Women’s Open in Belgium on the back of her first top-10 finish on the Ladies European Tour while Belinda Ji, fourth last week, is part of the five-strong Aussie influence at the LET Access Series event in the Czech Republic.
Round 1 tee times AEST
LPGA Tour
Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give
Blythefield Country Club, Belmont, Michigan
9:15pm Sarah Kemp
9:15pm* Fiona Xu (NZ)
9:48pm Cassie Porter
9:48pm* Hannah Green
10:10pm Robyn Choi
10:10pm* Minjee Lee
11:05pm* Karis Davidson
11:16pm Grace Kim
3:10am* Stephanie Kyriacou
3:54am* Gabriela Ruffels
4:05am Hira Naveed
Recent champion: Lilia Vu
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US3m
TV times: Live 5am-8am Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 5am-8am Saturday; Live 6:30am-8am Sunday; 9am-11am Monday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Ladies European Tour
Hulencourt Women's Open
Hulencourt, Belgium
4:43pm* Kelsey Bennett
4:54pm* Kirsten Rudgeley
5:16pm* Momoka Kobori (NZ)
5:38pm Amy Walsh
9:17pm Amelia Garvey (NZ)
10:01pm Maddison Hinson-Tolchard
10:23pm* Wenyung Keh (NZ)
Recent champion: Patricia Isabel Schmidt
Past Aussie winners: Karen Lunn (1988, 1990), Corinne Dibnah (1991)
Prize money: €300,000
TV times: Live 11:30pm-2:30am Thursday, Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 9pm-11:30pm Saturday; Live 9:45pm-12am Sunday on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo.
Epson Tour
Great Lakes Championship
The Highlands, The Heather, Harbor Springs, Michigan
Australians in the field: Su Oh, Jess Whitting
Recent champion: Inaugural event
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: $US250,000
LET Access Series
Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge
Panorama Golf Resort, Kacov, Czech Republic
Australians in the field: Stephanie Bunque, Justice Bosio, Belinda Ji, Abbie Teasdale, Kristalle Blum
Recent champion: Helen Briem
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Prize money: €45,000