Tag: Hannah Green

‘It’s been a long few years’: Australia’s Hannah Green survives three-way playoff to win third LPGA title at JM Eagle LA Championship

Hannah Green couldn’t hold back the emotion after clinching her first LPGA title in nearly four years.

LOS ANGELES – Hannah Green couldn’t hold back the emotion after clinching her first LPGA title in nearly four years. After finishing inside the top three the past two years at Wilshire Country Club, the steady and oft-stoic Aussie won a three-way playoff at the JM Eagle LA Championship.

“It’s been a long few years,” said Green, who parred the first 14 holes on Sunday but birdied the closing par-3 18th to finish at 9-under 275 alongside Aditi Ashok and Xiyu “Janet” Lin.

At one point late in the day, the crowded LA Championship leaderboard featured five players tied at 8 under.

American Cheyenne Knight looked primed to make a run for her second LPGA title until her second shot into the par-5 15th sailed out of bounds, resulting in a double-bogey seven. China’s Ruoning Lin held the outright lead until bogeys on the 17th and 18th derailed her bid.

The three players who found their way into the playoff did so with gutsy birdies on the closing par-3 18th. Lin actually birdied the last two in regulation.

In overtime, India’s Ashok suffered a hard lip-out from 15 feet on the 156-yard 18th, the first playoff hole. Lin then drained a 12-footer for birdie to put the pressure on Green, who hit an 8-iron to 4 feet and then converted to push it to a second hole.

After Lin found the bunker on her tee shot, Green needed only to two-putt from 25 feet to become the seventh Australian in LPGA history to earn at least three titles, joining Katherine Kirk (3), Wendy Doolan (3), Minjee Lee (8), Rachel Hetherington (8), Jan Stephenson (16) and Karrie Webb (41).

Now in her sixth season on the LPGA, Green broke through in 2019 at the KPMG Women’s PGA at Hazeltine and followed it with a second title that year at the Portland Classic. She’s a former Karrie Webb Scholarship winner, like fellow major champion Minjee Lee and recent LPGA winner Grace Kim.

Green earned $450,000 at Wilshire, bringing her career earnings total to $3,983,874.

“I said to my team and my caddie, I feel like once I get over the hurdle of having my third win that that will just open doors because I was really nervous today,” said Green.

“I hadn’t been in that position for quite some time to be especially in a playoff to win a tournament. So when I holed that 4-footer, I felt like I was literally shaking like crazy and you could see it visually. But I don’t really know. Maybe I’ll have a look at the footage.”

After missing the cut last week at the Chevron – Green missed the cut before all three of her victories – she spoke with LPGA sports psychologist Julie Aamto to get a fresh perspective and they talked about her post-shot routine.

Green had come to realize she when she hits a bad shot, she often holds onto that club until she gets to the ball. When she hits a good shot, Green typically gives her caddie the club back right away.

“Golf can be really frustrating,” said Green, “and sometimes showing emotion is a good thing, but just making sure that it doesn’t get too deep and affect your next shot.”

Ashok worked on building swing speed in the offseason and said the added distance helped her reach more par 5s in two this week. A four-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, Ashok began 2023 finishing 1-3-2 in her first three starts on the LET.

“I’ve never played in this position on the LPGA,” said Ashok, “so to be near the lead on the first day, kind of stay there the whole tournament. The competition is just so deep out here. Ten people have a good tournament but only one can win. I’m happy with the way I played.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda played the weekend with sister Jessica’s caddie after her regular looper, Jason McDede, rushed home to Florida Saturday morning after wife Caroline Masson gave birth to their first child, a son.

“It was very unexpected,” said Nelly, “but they’re both doing really well, both healthy, and Jason is back home with the baby. Yeah, I can’t wait to meet him. Auntie Nelly.”

Masson, 33, has competed on the LPGA the past 10 years, winning the 2016 Manulife LPGA Classic. She has represented Europe in the Solheim Cup on four different occasions.

Jessica’s regular caddie, Kyle Morrison, will be on the bag for Nelly at next week’s International Crown team event at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Nelly took a share of sixth at Wilshire.

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Aussies fall short Sunday of men’s, women’s titles at home ISPS Handa Australian Open

The final round wasn’t kind to the Aussies playing in their national open.

The unique ISPS Handa Australian Open – held over two courses with men’s, women’s and all-abilities divisions playing concurrently – featured a trio of great finishes on Sunday, but the final round wasn’t kind to the natives in their national open.

On the men’s side, 54-hole leader Adam Scott struggled to a 2-over 72 thanks to a crucial double-bogey on the par-4 17th. After making eagle at the par-5 18th the previous two rounds at Victoria Golf Club, the 2013 Masters champion instead signed for a par on Sunday to seal his runner-up fate at 9 under. Adrian Meronk, on the other hand, eagled the final hole to sign for a 4-under 66 to extend his winning margin to five shots at 14 under.

Two more Aussies finished in the top five as Aussie Min Woo Lee placed third at 8 under, with Haydn Barron T-4 at 7 under alongside Alejandro Canizares.

“I’m super excited and to finish like that on the 18th hole is just unreal,” said Meronk.

On the women’s side, three Aussies finished Nos. 3-5 while Ashleigh Buhai claimed a one-shot win over Jiyai Shin at 12 under after Shin missed a putt to force a playoff on the final hole. Hannah Green led after 54 holes, but similar to Scott, a 2-over 72 on Sunday saw her fall off the pace to finish two shots back in third at 10 over. Grace Kim was 2 under through 15 holes in the final round but a costly double-bogey on the par-5 18th brought her back to even on the day and fourth at 9 under for the tournament. Minjee Lee shot a 1-under 71 to finish fifth at 8 under.

Kipp Popert won the all-abilities division with ease thanks to the lone round under par on Sunday, a 3-under 69. Currently No. 1 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability, Popert finished the three-round event at 2 under, seven shots clear of runner-up Kurtis Barkley.

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Women’s field reduced to 108 players at historic Australian Open, while men’s field grows to 156

Originally, both the men’s and women’s fields were slated to have 144 players each.

Major champions Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Karrie Webb are back on home soil this week for the ISPS Handa Australian Open, which will be held concurrently with the men’s championship for the first time. But while the history-making events, held in Melbourne on Victoria and Kingston Heath Golf Clubs, will offer equal prize money, they will no longer have the same field size.

Originally, both the men’s and women’s fields were slated to have 144 players each. The women’s field has since been reduced to 108 players and the men’s enlarged to 156. The purse for each will be $1,150,000 ($1.7M AUD).

For years, the Australian Open was co-sanctioned by the LPGA and held early in the year. This time, however, the event falls during the LPGA’s offseason and during the tour’s final stage of qualifying school. The men’s event is on the DP World Tour schedule.

“We are fortunate to have solid depth of talent in our women’s field for the ISPS Handa Australian Open, with field sizes now adjusted to 108 women and a men’s field of 156,” Golf Australia CEO James Sutherland said in a statement to Golf Australia magazine.

“Co-sanctioning the event with the LPGA wasn’t possible this year due to contractual arrangements in the schedule, and numbers have been significantly impacted by the LPGA Tour school, which was delayed by a hurricane. That has resulted in approximately 120 players not being able to enter the event and has led to a reduction in field size so as to avoid compromising the integrity of the national Open.”

Other LPGA players in the field include 2022 major winners Jennifer Kupcho (Chevron) and Ashleigh Buhai (AIG Women’s British Open). Marquee players in the men’s field include British Open champion Cameron Smith, Marc Leishman and New Zealand’s top player Ryan Fox.

It’s a family affair for several of the biggest names as Minjee Lee will be joined by brother Min Woo in the men’s Open field along with Green’s fiancé Jarryd Felton.

There will be two cuts for each field. The first will come after 36 holes to top 60 professionals and ties plus amateurs, and the second after 54 holes to top 30 and ties (both pros and amateurs).

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Australian Hannah Green caps memorable Vic Open title with a celebratory shoey

The rowdy patrons at the WM Phoenix Open aren’t the only people partying on a golf course this week.

The rowdy patrons on the par-3 16th at the WM Phoenix Open aren’t the only people partying on a golf course this week.

When Hannah Green won the Vic Open on Sunday at Beach Golf Links in Barwon Heads, Australia, the Aussie celebrated the one way she knew how: with a celebratory shoey. Green earned the six-shot victory thanks to a 1-under 71 in the final round aided by three birdies over her final seven holes.

“The Vic Open was my first ever professional event so it definitely has special memories for me coming here; some pretty random memories, but good memories,” said Green. “This is just a steppingstone and will give me some positive vibes.”

“It’s nice to finally have my name on a proper trophy over here,” said Green of her first professional win on home soil.

A two-time LPGA winner, Green’s first victory on tour was a major title at the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She earned her second LPGA win a few months later at the Cambia Portland Classic.

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Hannah Green wins the $1 million Aon Risk Reward Challenge

What defines a great year at work? How about one that includes a $1 million performance bonus! For Hannah Green, the fourth-year LPGA Tour professional, that’s exactly how the 2021 season turned out. Since 2019, Aon, a leading global professional …

What defines a great year at work? How about one that includes a $1 million performance bonus! For Hannah Green, the fourth-year LPGA Tour professional, that’s exactly how the 2021 season turned out.

Since 2019, Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has sponsored the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, a season-long competition that rewards the best decision-makers on both the LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR. At each tournament, the golfer’s two best scores on the pre-determined Challenge hole will count (minimum 40 rounds). The player on each Tour with the lowest average score to par pockets the $1 million prize.

Green, 24, has two LPGA Tour victories in 78 career starts and $2.2 million in lifetime earnings. Which makes the $1 million payout life-altering. “I want to buy a house during the off-season, so this gives me an opportunity to play [each season] comfortably,” said Green. “I could almost pay off my house and not have a mortgage, so it’s setting me up for after I finish playing golf.”

Consider this: Thirteen players on the LPGA Tour earned at least $1 million in prize money in 2021. (Green finished 35th on the money list with $531,507.) By comparison, 124 PGA TOUR pros surpassed the $1 million mark. That list included Matthew Wolff, the PGA Tour’s winner of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, who pocketed more than $2.5 million in prize money (47th on the list). So, yes, the equal-to-the-men, $1 million award is a huge deal for Green and all of women’s golf. “Congratulations to Hannah on her performance throughout the season to win the Aon Risk Reward Challenge,” said Jennifer Bell, Chief Executive Officer, North America at Aon. “At Aon, we’re committed to creating a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, ensuring we deliver more innovative solutions for clients and help them make better decisions. When we created the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, our goal was to create a platform where achievements could be equally celebrated across the men’s and women’s game. We’re so proud of this program and the level of skill and quality of decision making we continue to see week in and week out throughout the challenge on both Tours.”

Green, a native of Perth, Australia, showed the heart of a champion in capturing the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Cambia Portland Classic in 2019. This year, on the designated Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes, she was a shrewd decision maker and clutch shotmaker, particularly in the latter stages of the competition. Following a break for the 2020 Summer Olympics (where she finished T5), Green competed in six of the tournaments that counted toward the contest. She carded 12-under par (eight birdies, two eagles, two pars) on the 12 Challenge holes. For the season, she made birdie or eagle on 80-percent of them.

With four events remaining in the year-long competition, the Aussie took over the top spot at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer in early October. She never relinquished the lead. The Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, No. 18 at Seaview Golf Club (Bay), is a reachable par-5. In Round 1, Green made eagle on the 507-yard hole. She proceeded to back it up with birdie in Round 3. Both days, she drove it in the fairway and made the decision to go for the green on the second shot. The approach in Round 1 finished pin-high and she rolled in the long eagle putt from across the green. At tournament’s end, the closest pursuers were Charley Hull, Lexi Thompson and Lydia Ko in second, third and fourth place, respectively. Previous leader, Hyo Joo Kim, fell to 5th after recording par-bogey and withdrawing prior to Round 3 due to a reported muscle cramp.

The next week, at the Cognizant Founders Cup in northern New Jersey, the top five spots remained unchanged. In the penultimate Challenge event, the BMW Ladies Championship in late October, Green and Hull both posted a pair of birdies on the 505-yard par-5 11th hole at LPGA International Busan, to remain in 1st and 2nd position, respectively. Green’s tee shot found the fairway in all four rounds and then she hit the green in two each time. She was able to execute her game plan and the calculated approach paid off. “I knew straightaway what I needed to do,” she said. “My caddie, Nate, and I ran all the scenarios. I had to make two birdies to improve my overall score. I was able to do it so quite a big moment for us.” Kim moved into 3rd by virtue of an eagle and birdie. Thompson held down 4th while Ko dropped to 5th.

Since Hannah Green had built a sizable lead and met the requirement for rounds played, she opted not to participate in the final Aon Risk Reward Challenge tournament, the Pelican Women’s Championship, in Belleair, Florida. It was another shrewd decision that paid off. When those trailing Green didn’t go low enough to catch up, the $1 million prize was hers.

Hannah Green showed plenty of moxie and made better decisions throughout the season. And, when it mattered most, she outdistanced the field with near-flawless execution.

Hannah Green joins Matthew Wolff in winning Aon Risk Reward Challenge; calls $1 million prize ‘life-changing’

“I actually wanted to buy a house during the off-season, so this gives me an opportunity to actually play comfortably.”

Any day that an LPGA player receives a $1 million paycheck is a monumental occurrence. The fact that it will happen twice this week is a headline-grabbing affair.

Hannah Green joins the PGA Tour’s Matthew Wolff as the 2021 Aon Risk Reward Challenge winners. Both received a $1 million prize. In addition, the winner of this week’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship will receive $1.5 million.

“I actually wanted to buy a house during the off-season,” said Green, “so this gives me an opportunity to actually play comfortably. It is quite difficult to buy houses in Australia, especially as a sports person with the not-frequent income, and as well as foreign income.

“So in a way for me, it will be life-changing.”

Green didn’t score worse than par on any of the single qualifying challenge holes throughout the season. She had a go-for-green success rate of 68 percent compared to the tour average of 46 percent. She birdied 72 percent and eagled almost 10 percent of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes that counted  within the 40 minimum rounds necessary to qualify for the challenge.

She credited her increased distance for the season with allowing her to get to spots she previously couldn’t reach before and take on more risk.

Green said she didn’t realize she was leading the Aon race until good friend Alison Whitaker mentioned it on the broadcast of the AIG Women’s Open. At the BMW event in South Korea, she and her caddie ran the scenarios and knew that she needed two birdies to improve her position. Pulling it off, she said, was a big moment.

Her ultimate strategic play, however, came when she skipped last week’s Pelican event to protect her sizable lead.

“Just shows how important it is to us LPGA players for me to, yeah, sacrifice an event,” said Green, “and also make decisions on the golf course.”

One of the goals behind the Aon Risk Reward Challenge was to create a platform where achievements could be equally celebrated across the men’s and women’s game, said Aon North America CEO Jennifer Bell.

Wolff joined Green virtually during a press conference at the CME.

“At the end of the day,” said Wolff, “I’m really happy that Hannah and I are making the same amount, because like I said, it’s the same decisions.”

Green, 24, has won $2,262,361 on the LPGA since joining the tour in 2018. She burst onto the scene in a big way by winning the KPMG Women’s PGA at Hazeltine and followed it with a victory later that year at the Cambia Portland Classic.

“I didn’t feel intimidated,” said Green of her early days on tour, “but I just didn’t feel like I quite belonged when I first started because I didn’t have the results. So backing that up kind of the end of the year made a big difference.

“I probably wouldn’t have thought that I would be in this position four, five years ago when I first turned professional.”

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Hannah Green won’t play in next week’s Pelican LPGA, but odds are strong she’ll still clinch Aon $1 million

The odds are good for Green to take home the money, but two players are in striking distance.

There’s only one event left for the season in the LPGA’s Aon Risk Reward Challenge, and it will take something heroic to knock Australia’s Hannah Green out of the top spot.

Green has withdrawn from next week’s Pelican Women’s Championship, which means that she can’t move from her current average of -0.938. Players take their two best scores from each Aon Risk Reward Challenge hole, with the winner having the best average score at the end of the season.

The winner of the award receives $1 million. For perspective, so far, 13 players on the LPGA have crossed $1 million in earnings this season. The total purse for the Pelican is $1,750,000.

Charley Hull, who is currently in second place, is playing next week in the Aramco team Series Jeddah event in Saudi Arabia, taking her out of the running.

The next two players on the list who are in the Pelican field are Lexi Thompson and Lydia Ko. Thompson would have to play the par-5 14th hole in 5 under (an eagle and a double eagle) to overtake Green at -0.941. Ko would have to play the hole (over two rounds) in 6 under (two double eagles) to move her to -0.944.

Hannah Green reacts to a putt on the 18th hole during the second round of the 2019 LPGA Cambia Portland Classic. Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Green, 24, is currently ranked 25th in the world and is 35th on the money list with $531,507. She has $2,262,361 in career earnings.

Earlier this year, Matthew Wolff clinched the 2020-2021 Aon Risk Reward Challenge trophy and the $1 million prize on the PGA Tour.

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Mel Reid rides perfect day to two-shot Cambia Portland Classic lead

Mel Reid strung together seven birdies for a 7-under 65 on Saturday that moved her into the lead with one round to go in Portland.

Mel Reid’s card from the second round of the Cambia Portland Classic doesn’t reveal a single mistake. Reid strung together seven birdies – four of which came consecutively mid-round – for a 7-under 65 on Saturday that moved her into the lead with one round to go at Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

Reid, an Englishwoman and three-time Solheim Cupper, is at 12 under after opening with 67. Interestingly, she has the defending champion on her heels. Hannah Green dropped three shots to Reid on Saturday, falling into second place on the leaderboard. She trails by two shots with her 10-under total.

“I got off to such a great start, so always hard to back up a low round,” Green said. “Really happy with my last putt. Holed a long bomb there, so gives me another positive momentum for tomorrow.”

Green obviously has good memories at Columbia Edgewater, and has worked to keep it positive this week.

“ I can remember when I made great putts and made birdies,” she said of this familiar territory.

The leaderboard is crowded with notably talent. Amy Yang and Amy Olson are tied for third at 9 under.

The four-woman tie for fifth another shot back includes Gaby Lopez, already a winner this season at Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, and 2019 Women’s British Open winner Georgia Hall.

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Top 10 LPGA moments in 2019: Storied career ends and a real-life Cinderella emerges

The LPGA is full of fairy-tale moments. Some are on the grandest stages involving the game’s biggest stars and some come out of nowhere.

There’s never a shortage of fairy tale moments on the LPGA. Some of them happen on the grandest of stages from the game’s biggest stars. Others come hurtling out of nowhere.

Breaking a record held by 15-time major champion Tiger Woods usually fast-tracks a player to this type of year-end list. There were grab-a-tissue moments and “are you kidding me?!” putts. A real-life Cinderella who just couldn’t stop smiling and a one-time villain who flipped the script on how she’ll be remembered in this game with one sensational Sunday.

So here they are, the top 10 moments on the LPGA in 2019:

Related: 10 best LPGA players of the decade

10. Dream team

Teammates Cydney Clanton (right) and Jasmine Suwannapura celebrate on the 18th green after winning the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. (Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

A caddie brought Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura together for the inaugural Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, but Clanton believes it was more of a divine plan. One year ago, Clanton missed out on her full card by $8. After a closing 59, the Auburn grad had a two-year exemption and a spot in the Evian Championship and AIG Women’s British Open. Suwannapura’s invitation proved life-changing for her partner, who’d spent most of the year on the Symetra Tour.

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