Tag: ISPS Handa Australian Open

Jiyai Shin wins ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open for a second time

It’s the 65th professional win for Shin.

Jiyai Shin won the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open on Sunday, her second time winning the event which is played concurrently at two courses on the Australian sand belt in Melbourne. Ryggs Johnston won the men’s event Sunday.

Shin shot a final-round 70 and finished at 17 under to win by two shots over Ashleigh Buhai to claim her second Australia Open title. Shin led by as many as seven on Sunday but Buhai closed with five birdies on her back nine to make things interesting.

It’s the 65th professional win for Shin.

“Now I can breathe,” she said. “I only had one Australian Open trophy so I am really excited for this next one, especially at this golf course at Kingston Heath.”

Hyojin Yang, a 17-year-old amateur, finished third at seven under. Hannah Green finished in a tie for fourth after shooting 79 on Sunday.

The Australian Open tournaments feature alternating tee times on two golf courses – Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club – for the first two days, with Kingston Heath hosting the final round. For the second straight year, the prize money was the same for the men and the women.

Ryggs Johnston won the men’s event Sunday.

ISPS Handa Australian Open 2024 prize money payouts at Kingston Heath

Check out the final leaderboard and prize money.

Ryggs Johnston earned more than $200,000, garnered more playing opportunities and locked up a spot in the 2025 Open Championship on Sunday.

These are the rewards after he won on the DP World Tour in just his second start after making his way through Q school.

Johnston won the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Open by three shots over Curtis Luck. His four-day scores of 65-68-68-68 led the way at Kingston Heath in Australia.

ISPS Handa Australian Open 2024 prize money payouts

Pos. Name Score Earnings
1 Ryggs Johnston -18 $209,000
2 Curtis Luck -15 $135,000
T3 Marc Leishman -14 $69,000
T3 Jasper Stubbs -14 $69,000
T5 Kiradech Aphibarnrat -12 $35,000
T5 Harrison Crowe -12 $35,000
T5 Wenyi Ding -12 $35,000
T5 Lucas Herbert -12 $35,000
T5 Joaquin Niemann -12 $35,000
T5 Elvis Smylie -12 $35,000
T11 Joel Girrbach -11 $20,000
T11 Harry Higgs -11 $20,000
T11 Matthew Millar -11 $20,000
T11 Adrien Saddier -11 $20,000
15 Lukas Nemecz -10 $17,500
T16 Jordan Gumberg -9 $16,000
T16 Oliver Lindell -9 $16,000
T16 Freddy Schott -9 $16,000
19 Nicolai Von Dellingshausen -8 $14,500
T20 Mk Kim -7 $13,500
T20 David Law -7 $13,500
T20 Matthew Southgate -7 $13,500
T23 Angel Ayora -6 $12,500
T23 Jack Buchanan -6 $12,500
T23 Sebastian Garcia -6 $12,500
T23 Daniel Hillier -6 $12,500
T27 Filippo Celli -5 $10,500
T27 Cristobal Del Solar -5 $10,500
T27 Manuel Elvira -5 $10,500
T27 Min Woo Lee -5 $10,500
T27 Jacob Skov Olesen -5 $10,500
T27 Marco Penge -5 $10,500
T27 Brett Rumford -5 $10,500
T34 Ivan Cantero -4 $8,500
T34 Alexander George Frances -4 $8,500
T34 Daniel Gale -4 $8,500
T34 Kazuma Kobori -4 $8,500
T34 Corey Lamb -4 $8,500
T39 Josh Geary -3 $7,000
T39 Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen -3 $7,000
T39 Jake Mcleod -3 $7,000
T39 Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen -3 $7,000
T39 Jamie Rutherford -3 $7,000
T39 Cam Smith -3 $7,000
T39 Darius Van Driel -3 $7,000
T46 Lawry Flynn -2 $5,800
T46 Karl Vilips -2 $5,800
T46 Ashun Wu -2 $5,800
T49 James Gibellini -1 $5,100
T49 Andrew Kelly -1 $5,100
T49 Nick Voke -1 $5,100
52 Jannik De Bruyn E $4,600
53 Cameron John 1 $4,400
T54 Alfredo Garcia-Heredia 2 $4,000
T54 Andrew Martin 2 $4,000
T54 David Micheluzzi 2 $4,000
T54 Ben Schmidt 2 $4,000
T58 Josh Armstrong 3 $3,600
T58 Pierre Pineau 3 $3,600
T60 Jack Munro 4 $3,400
T60 Jordan Zunic 4 $3,400
T62 Nathan Page 5 $3,200
T62 Tapio Pulkkanen 5 $3,200
64 Lachlan Barker 8 $3,000
65 Rintaro Nakano (a) 15 $0

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You can click the headers to sort the table, and it should be rotated for better viewing on mobile screens. Let me know if you need any further adjustments!

Ryggs Johnston wins ISPS Handa Australian Open in second DP World Tour start

Johnston’s win secured a spot in the 2025 Open Championship.

Ryggs Johnston, in just his second start on the DP World Tour, won by three shots to claim the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Open. He also punched his ticket to the 2025 Open Championship.

Johnston tied for 42nd in his DPWT debut last week, this after having to navigate Q school on the European circuit.

“I turned up pretty tired from all the travel and Q-School and everything. Didn’t get a practice round here with the weather. I didn’t really have any expectations, which probably helped me in the end,” he said. “It feels great, just knowing that more playing opportunities and getting into bigger events. It hasn’t quite sunk in yet but it’s an amazing feeling.”

Johnston is from the small town of Libby, Montana, which has about 3,000 residents.

“I’ve got a lot of messages from friends back home saying the whole town is watching,” he added. “It’s just really cool to have that kind of support and the sort of thing you don’t see much other than small towns like I’m from.”

He later played at Arizona State, where he helped the Sun Devils win the 2024 Pac-12 title.

“Arizona State prepared me for this kind of moment. The team around me, the coaches have helped. The coach was one of the reasons I decided to play Q-School for this tour but everyone around me, my family and friends, girlfriend, my girlfriend’s dad caddied for me this week just helping out, they’ve been all so supportive and I’m just so lucky.”

Johnston was tied after 54 holes with LIV Golf’s Lucas Herbert but Johnston made eagle from the fringe on the first hole. He then birdied the third but also posted three bogeys on his front nine. Johnston later birdied the 14th and 15th holes en route to a final-round 68.

Curtis Luck shot a 68 to finish at 15 under, three shots back. Marc Leishman tied for third with Jasper Stubbs at 14 under.

Johnson, Luck and Leishman secured the three Open Championship spots that were up for grabs. Leishman’s higher OWGR ranking was the tie-breaker for the third Open spot over Stubbs.

The 2025 Open will be at Royal Portrush.

The Australian Open tournaments feature alternating tee times on two golf courses – Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club – for the first two days, with Kingston Heath hosting the final round. For the second straight year, the prize money was the same for the men and the women.

Jiyai Shin won the 2024 ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open on Sunday.

Pair of LIV Golf players pick up DP World Tour wins in South Africa, Australia

It was a LIV Golf takeover on the DP World Tour this weekend.

It was a LIV Golf takeover on the DP World Tour this weekend.

Joaquin Niemann made an eagle on the second playoff hole to defeat Rikuya Hoshino and become the first South American winner of the ISPS Handa Australian Open at the Australian Golf Club in Sydney on Sunday. The 25-year-old Chilean had a chance to earn his victory a hole prior with an even shorter eagle putt but missed.

“It was a nice day. These last two playoff holes showed how I have been playing the last few weeks here in Australia,” said Niemann. “My putting hasn’t been the best, but I’ve been working hard on it and it was nice to make that last putt.

Down in South Africa, Dean Burmester went back-to-back with a three-shot win at the Investec South African Open Championship. Burmester won last week’s Joburg Open, also by three shots.

“Back-to-back. I’ve never done that before so that was special,” Burmester said after the round. “It’s obviously one as a South African that I’ve always wanted to win. To be involved in this tournament and to win it, with a bank that used to sponsor me and got me off the ground when I was just a kid, is super special … so to be the SA Open champion is something I’ll never forget.”

Investec South African Open Championship
Dean Burmester celebrates with the trophy after winning during day four of the Investec South African Open Championship at Blair Atholl Golf & Equestrian Estate on December 03, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Burmester finished the season 14th on LIV Golf’s points list for 2023 thanks to five top-10 showings, including a third place finish in Orlando. Niemann was a bit further down in 21st, also with five top-10 finishes.

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Min Woo Lee, leading by 3, is in position to pull off the Australian double

Min Woo Lee is an electric factory.

Min Woo Lee is an electric factory.

The 25-year-old Australian, at a career-high 38th in the Official World Golf Ranking, is in position for the Aussie double, leading the ISPS Handa Australian Open by three shots heading to the weekend. Last week, he won the Australian PGA Championship.

Lee shot 7-under 64 on Friday at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney, including a phenomenal tap-in eagle on his closing hole. Playing from the pine straw, Lee hit a towering draw over water, and it landed on the green and spun toward the hole, leaving him an easy putt to finish his last eight holes in 6 under.

Lee sits at 12 under for the tournament and is three shots ahead of Scotland’s Connor Syme and American Patrick Rodgers.

“It’s always nice to make an eagle whenever, but on the last hole, it’s even nicer,” Lee said. “I didn’t think that we could beat last week’s crowds, but we’ve very nearly done it before the weekend, so it’s unreal. It’s really fun. Most of my golf has been really good because of the crowd and the support, and I’m really happy for that.”

Adam Scott and Cam Smith are in a tie for 27th at 4 under. Last week, Smith missed the cut at the Australian PGA, where he was the defending champion.

In the women’s competition, South Korea’s Jiyai Shin holds a two-shot lead over defending champion Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa following a 4-under 68 at The Australian.

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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Cameron Smith misses cut after being ‘a few too many beers deep’; Adam Scott leads ISPS Handa Australian Open

Cameron Smith was out late on Friday when he found out he had an early tee time on Saturday.

Adam Scott knows how to close a performance with a showstopper.

For the second straight day at the 2022 ISPS Handa Australian Open, Scott eagled the final hole, which was enough to leapfrog Adrian Meronk for the 54-hole lead of the DP World Tour event in Melbourne, Australia.

Scott played solid and smooth en route to a 67 on Saturday, a day after he scorched his way into the lead with a 63.

According to stats guru Justin Ray, Scott is 9-for-15 in converting over the last 15 years when he has a stake in the lead after 54 holes.

Meronk, who birdied six of his first eight holes, had the best third-round score, posting a 63 to briefly take the lead before Scott’s final-hole heroics.

Meanwhile, Cameron Smith — who won the Australian PGA Championship for a third time last week — admitted after shooting a third-round 69 that he didn’t realize he would be playing on Saturday and spent some of Friday night in a pub.

The event cut to 60 players after Friday’s round — and again to 30 after the third round of play — and he was out late on Friday when he found out he had an early tee time on Saturday,

“I was pretty quick to the pub (after Friday’s round) and, yeah, was probably a few too many beers deep and then I realized we had an early tee time, so I got back on the waters and was a good boy the rest of the night,” Smith said.

He made the turn at 1-over 36, but then came home in 33, good enough for his best round of the week. It wasn’t good enough to make the final cut, however.

“I thought I had it in me today and hit lots of good golf shots, and just couldn’t really capitalize. Just not my week,” Smith said.

On the women’s side, Jiyai Shin used a 67 to grab the lead after three rounds, with Ashleigh Buhai one stroke back and Hannah Green two off the pace.

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Adam Scott surges into lead after second round of ISPS Handa Australian Open

Adam Scott moved up the leaderboard on Friday.

With the DP World Tour’s 2023 season getting underway with two events in Australia in the past two weeks, it was to be expected to see many Aussies playing in their home country.

After the second round at the 2022 ISPS Handa Australian Open, It’s looking as if a native could capture the trophy for the second straight week.

Last week, it was World No. 3 Cameron Smith coming away with the title. Now, Adam Scott is looking for a win Down Under. Scott fired a 7-under 63 at Victoria Golf Club on Friday in Melbourne, capped with an eagle on the closing par-5 18th to move into a share of the lead following the second round.

“It was a good day,” the 42-year-old Scott said. “There’s a lot of trouble out here, and I was aware of it every hole. I managed to stay out of it most of today. Turned things around and in a good spot going into the weekend.”

Scott’s round consisted of five birdies and the eagle. On Thursday, he shot 1 under at Kingston Heath Golf Club, a round that included seven birdies but also four bogeys and a double.

He shares the lead with David Micheluzzi, who matched Scott’s 71 with one of his own on Friday at Kingston Heath. The duo has a three-shot lead over a trio of players tied for third.

Smith shot his second straight round of 1 over on Friday, but he made the cut on the number.

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‘That is as bad as I’ve played in a long time’: Cameron Smith off to ‘rubbish’ start at ISPS Handa Australian Open

The world No. 3 won the Australian PGA Championship for a third time last week.

Looking to become the first Australian to win the British Open and Australian Open in the same year, Cameron Smith got off to a “rubbish” start on Thursday at his national Open, and by his terms that’s putting it lightly.

“That is as bad as I’ve played in a long time. It was pretty (expletive),” said Smith of his 1-over 71 in the opening round at Victoria Golf Club. “I think the course was pretty difficult, the conditions were pretty difficult, but I need to be better than that.”

The world No. 3 won the Australian PGA Championship for a third time last week and properly celebrated the victory with friends and family at a local bar.

“Maybe some delayed tiredness, maybe. I did feel a little bit foggy out there at times,” explained Smith, “but it’s not really an excuse, it’s my job to do all that stuff.”

“It’s not like I don’t know how to play golf, it was just a bit of a bad day.”

The unique event is held over the two courses – Victoria and Kingston Heath golf clubs – and this year is concurrently running both men’s and women’s tournaments, with each offering a $1.15 million purse. This year’s event also includes an all-abilities division which will begin play on Friday.

David Micheluzzi shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday at Victoria to take the early lead on the men’s side, with Grace Kim leading the women after a 7-under 66 at Kingston Heath (the women are playing the course at a par 73) in the first round.

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Adam Scott’s phone went off at his Australian Open press conference and revealed a familiar ring tone

It’s safe to say Adam Scott hasn’t forgotten about his Masters victory.

It’s safe to say Adam Scott hasn’t forgotten about his victory at the Masters in 2013. Look no further than when his phone went off during a pre-tournament press conference Wednesday morning in Australia.

Scott was gathered with members of the media ahead of the 2022 ISPS Handa Australian Open at Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne. He was answering questions about the Australian Open’s unique format, which will use two courses and have men, women and all-abilities golfers competing, and about being in his home country the past two weeks when his phone started ringing. And his ringtone was a familiar one.

It was the Masters theme.

It’s coming up on a decade since Scott captured his green jacket in the rain, but safe to say he fondly remembers that day.

Last week, Scott announced he and caddie Steve Williams were reuniting. Williams was on the bag when Scott won the Masters and rose to World No. 1 in 2014.

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