Green Fires Warning Shot at Australian WPGA Championship
West Australian golfer Hannah Green is hitting her stride at the opportune moment, signalling her intent to chase a significant Australian golfing double. The world No. 7 kicked off her campaign at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast’s Sanctuary Cove with a stellar performance, carding a bogey-free six-under 65. She missed only one green throughout her round, demonstrating a remarkable level of control and precision.
This impressive start comes on the back of a triumphant Australian Open victory last Sunday, where she became the first homegrown champion in 12 years. Adding to her recent success, Green also secured a win in Singapore a fortnight prior.
Initially, Green and England’s Charlotte Heath held a share of the clubhouse lead for much of the day. However, Scotland’s Kelsey Macdonald surged home with a remarkable seven-under 64, establishing a one-shot buffer at the top of the leaderboard in what is a truly international field. Macdonald overcame an early bogey on her opening hole with a blistering 29 on the back nine, punctuated by a birdie followed by an eagle on the par-five 18th, propelling her past the leading pair.
The $600,000 Australian WPGA Championship, which has only been contested once before, is a significant prize. Green is eager to have her name etched onto the Karrie Webb Cup before turning her attention to improving her performance in the major championships.
Targeting Major Success
Green, who triumphed at the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship, has expressed a desire to elevate her game in major tournaments in recent years. “I haven’t performed very well in major championships over the last few years,” Green admitted. She opted to skip the LPGA’s lucrative Founders Cup, which boasted a $US3 million prize purse, to compete on the Gold Coast.
She acknowledges the challenges presented by major championship courses. “The course is probably going to be a bit longer when we play major championships. That’s something that you have to work on, is your ball-striking at those events,” she explained. Green believes that accumulating solid statistics early in the season will provide a strong foundation for her upcoming campaign. “Having some solid stats this early in the season will take me really into a good run for the summer.”
Refining Her Game
A key focus for Green this year has been developing greater shot-making versatility. “Just feeling comfortable over hitting the ball right to left and also left to right, which is not really how I’ve always done it,” she stated. Previously, her approach was more direct. “I’ve always tried to hit it kind of straight at targets, versus actually shaping my ball flight. So it’s nice to obviously have some good results over the last couple of weeks, but also know where the ball is going.” This newfound ability to shape her shots adds another potent weapon to her already formidable arsenal.
The Field’s Early Contenders
Defending champion Su Oh, who claimed the inaugural title at Royal Queensland in Brisbane four years ago, faced a challenging day, finishing with an eight-over 79.
Playing partner and fellow LPGA talent Steph Kyriacou, who missed the cut at the Australian Open in Adelaide, also struggled. She carded a two-over 72 in a rain-affected morning group alongside Green.
Switzerland’s Vanessa Knecht, the Czech Republic’s Lucie Vachova, and Indonesia’s Kristina Yoko are positioned a shot behind Green, sitting at five under par.
Among the Australian contingent, amateur Jazy Roberts posted a respectable three-under 68. Hannah Reeves was the next best-placed Australian, sitting at four under. This group also includes India’s Diksha Dagar, Germany’s Leonie Harm, and Italy’s Alessandra Fanali, all of whom are in contention.
