ISSUE 246 // APRIL 2026 WWW.INSIDEGOLF.COM.AU WA GOLFERS WINNING AROUND THE WORLD A DECADE ON TOUR WITH AN AUSSIE LEGEND 75 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CALOUNDRA GOLF CLUB AUSTRALIA’S M O S T - R E A D GOLF MAGAZINE NEWS • GEAR • OPINION • TRAVEL • LIFESTYLE • HOLIDAYS • INDUSTRY TRAVEL FIJI VIETNAM THAILAND NEW ZEALAND SPECIAL FEATURE AUSTRALIA’S BEST PUBLIC ACCESS GOLF EQUIPMENT >WE TRIED IT CALLAWAY IRONS BRIDGESTONE BALLS PING JUNIOR CLUBS MOTOCADDY RANGEFINDER COROWA EARNS A REPRIEVE RIP CRANBOURNE HOME GROWN HANNAH THE AUSSIE OPEN CHAMP TWO WINS FOR GREEN TO KICK OFF 2026 IS MIN WOO LEE MAJOR READY? Popular destinations book out early so make sure you don’t miss out! p (02) 9555 5311 | e info@thegolftravelagency.com.au www.thegolftravelagency.com.au NOW is the time to start thinking about next summer’s golf trip! Customised golf holidays at market leading prices One point of contact to organise everything Rates equal to or better than if you booked it yourself Specialists in club and social group travel JACK’S POINT BARNBOUGLE LOST FARM FIND OUT MORE
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April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au THE FIRST TEE 5 Golfers from the west are winning WITH superstars like Minjee Lee, Hannah Green and Min Woo Lee waving the flag internationally and Western Australian players contending nearly every week on the Australasian Tour, it seems golf in our nation’s largest and most remote state has never been stronger. Hannah Green joined her good friend Minjee Lee in the world’s top 10 last month after winning her second HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore and US PGA Tour winner Min Woo Lee is considered Australia’s most likely next major winner. Sandgropers Connor McKinney, Jordan Doull and Haydn Barron are already winners on this season’s Australasian Tour, Brady Watt has been a runner-up, and Curtis Luck has had a string of near misses. Western Australia is represented on the DP World Tour by Jason Scrivener, Ryan Peake and McKinney, Kirsten Rudgeley is contending on the Ladies European Tour, and there is a wealth of amateur talent, including Spencer Harrison and Isabella Leniartek, developing their games in the west. The state could also lay some claim to US PGA Tour champions Aldrich Potgieter and Karl Vilips, who spent their formative years in Western Australia before leaving to seek fame and fortune overseas. And if golfers from our most western state are already punching well above their weight, Golf Western Australia’s High Performance Manager Rick Kulacz suggests that even better things are in store. Golf WA’s new High Performance Program, which identifies, develops and supports the state’s most talented young players, was launched earlier this year and Kulacz, a former touring professional himself, is excited about its potential. The new program starts with talent identification and development and supports junior golfers’ path to state squads. Funding is earned by meeting and maintaining benchmarks over time, and established professionals attend clinics to pass on tips and advice to the young players. Programs are in place across the state for even younger golfers. At Belgravia Leisure-managed courses, for example, a ninehole TeeMates series for junior players was introduced last year and was so popular participation numbers doubled this year But no junior series, or even a world-class high-performance program, could explain the emergence of so many Western Australian champions in recent times. Kulacz says a key reason is the quality of Western Australian coaches, and mentions Ritchie Smith, David Milne and former state coach Craig Bishop. Smith, Australia’s most decorated golf coach, mentors a comparatively small group of elite players which includes the Lee siblings, Peake, Green and Elvis Smiley. PUBLISHER: Sam Arthur | sam@insidegolf.com.au Outdoor Sports Publishing Pty Ltd ACN 113 836 301 ABN 30 043 104 919 PO BOX 437, Miami, QLD 4220 EDITORIAL: Editor: Rob Willis | rob@insidegolf.com.au Editor-At-Large: David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au NSW/ACT Journalist: Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au VIC/TAS Journalist: Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au QLD Journalist: Peter Owen peter.owen@outlook.com.au Design & Layout: Stacey Broomhead CONTRIBUTORS: Larry Canning, Tony Webeck, Michael Cooney, Andrew Crockett www.insidegolf.com.au SALES: National Sales: Sam Arthur P: 1300 4653 00 | M: 0410 575 303 E: sam@insidegolf.com.au Northen NSW/QLD/NT Sales: David Ross | M: 0439 612 458 E: david.ross@insidegolf.com.au NSW/ACT Corp Sales: David Andrews | M: 0404 871 479 E: david.andrews@insidegolf.com.au Sydney/NSW Sales: Michael Hamilton | M: 0423 455 572 E: michael.hamilton@insidegolf.com.au VIC/TAS/SA Sales: Marc Wilson | M: 0419 107 143 E: marc@insidegolf.com.au ACCOUNTS: Sheridan Murphy E: accounts@insidegolf.com.au Distributed to over 450 golf clubs, social golf clubs, driving ranges and retailers Australia wide every month. Combined print and online national monthly readership over 210,000. AUSTRALIA’S MOST-READ GOLF MAGAZINE Cover photo: Hero image, Hannah Green, inset Min Woo Lee. Photos courtesy of Golf Australia. Get in touch If you have an opinion on this or any other topic in the magazine, send your letter to the editor to rob@insidegolf.com.au and you’ll be in the running to win a dozen Bridgestone balls. By Peter Owen Aussie Owned - Aussie Operated He delivers care, patience, knowledge and experience and, in return, demands a strong work ethic, maintaining that talent alone is not enough to guarantee success. Milne, whose philosophy is to help people become the best they can be, coaches McKinney, as well as Kim Felton and Michael Sim. Kulacz says Western Australian players receive a lot of support – not just from organisations like Golf Australia, but from parents, coaches and service providers. He says coaches like Smith assemble expert support teams – including a psychologist, physiotherapist and bio-mechanist – and insist that their charges work with their crews. “They’ve all got great teams around them and they build a lot of trust,” he said. Kulacz also believes Western Australia’s isolation – Perth is the most remote capital city in the world, and the sunniest – plays a role in the success of its golfers. “We’re in a different time zone,” he says. “We’re a long way away from anywhere and there’s a sort of underdog mentality that makes us all strive a little bit harder. “We’re used to travel and we know how to cope,” he says, pointing out that Western Australian golfers are a tight-knit group, who hang out with each other. “When you’re far away from home that makes things a little bit easier,” he said. ED NOTE: And the above coming from Peter who is a Queenslander! However, he does mount a strong argument when it comes to the current success being enjoyed by our golfers from the west. There is no doubt WA is producing plenty of quality players, with the following pages of this edition of Inside Golf, not to mention our April cover emphasising his point. Min Woo Lee has stepped up to become the next ‘big thing’ of Australian golf, and we look forward to what he might be able to produce at Augusta this month, then in golf’s biggest championships that follow. And when it comes to women’s golf, Hannah Green became the first Australian in 12 years to win our national open (see page 7), just two weeks after a victory in Singapore (see page 10), while Min Woo’s big sister Minjee is seemingly a contender in every significant event in which she plays. The young guns, as pointed out, both professional and those still competing at an amateur level are also making their mark both at home and abroad, and in the west they also lay claim to Elvis Smylie these days, a Queenslander being coached by a Western Australian. Whatever it is over there, the courses, the coaches, maybe it’s in the water, it seems to be working. WA golfers are underdogs no more! st/1.3 11.5” st/1.2 10.5” putter Grips 2x major winner bryson dechambeau
April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au 6 INSIDE NEWS INSIDE NEWS IN THIS ISSUE AMATEUR GOLF 20 CLUB NEWS 28 75 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENTS TRAVEL 40 38 46 PRO NEWS 8 INDUSTRY NEWS 21 LETTERS 43 BUNKER-TOBUNKER 42 News, views and observations from around the golfing world With Inside Golf Editor Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au WE TRIED IT 57 NEW GEAR 52 81 80 INSTRUCTION DEMO DAYS PUBLIC ACCESS FEATURE 60 19TH HOLE 82 GOLF DIRECTORY 84 SOUTH African’s have enjoyed their share of success at the US Masters in years past, with Gary Player winning the green jacket on three occasions, before Trevor Immelman in 2008 and then Charl Schwartzel in 2011, would also claim the coveted title. From that trio only Schwartzel will tee it up at Augusta in 2026, however two young guns are in the field and aiming to become the fourth South African Masters champion. Long hitting Aldrich Potgeiter will compete for a second time, this year to be joined by compatriot Casey Jarvis, the 22-year-old booking his trip to Georgia with a win at his recent national Open. During a remarkable run during February and early March, Jarvis was a dominant force on the DP World Tour’s African swing, winning the Kenyan Open, before his triumph in the South African Open. Jarvis then continued his impressive run of form, coming up just one shot shy of eventual winner Dan Bradury in finishing second at the Joburg Open, capping off an amazing three-week run. Jarvis was looking to join Sir Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros as the only players to win three consecutive DP World Tour events. From the town of Boksburg near Johannesburg, Jarvis, who turned pro in 2022, has moved into the top 100 at number 80 on the official world rankings. He was the only amateur in history to win South Africa’s ‘Triple Crown’, the South African Amateur, SA Amateur Stroke play and The African Amateur. A new South African star emerges “TWO more years,” was the cry following the European Ryder Cup team’s first victory under the captaincy of Luke Donald in Rome, then it was repeated in the aftermath of the win in New York last year. Well, the players have been granted their wish, with Donald to lead Team Europe for a third time at Adare Manor, Ireland, in September 2027. “This journey has given me so much focus, so much purpose and it is something I don’t take for granted,” Donald said following the recent confirmation of his appointment. “I didn’t imagine this third time would come. Celebrating on that Sunday night in New York after a pressure-packed week in a tough environment, I thought my job was done. But maybe there is a little more story to tell.” Donald took over as European captain following a heavy 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits, before guiding Europe to consecutive victories. And there have been whispers his captaincy rival could be Tiger Woods, with the American’s yet to confirm their leader. “It’s hard to comment on something that hasn’t happened yet,” said a diplomatic SPEAKING to a packed room of nearly 1,100 people in his first press conference as the leader of the PGA Tour, incoming CEO Brian Rolapp hinted at potential major changes for 2027 and beyond. Without offering great detail or confirming when, if and how the changes would take place, Rolapp did reveal his new six-pronged vision for the future. That vision is predicated on 120-player fields, a 21- to 26-event season, which starts with a “marquee, primetime” event out west (likely at Pebble Beach), and a new playoff format that could include match play. They are changes that still need to be ratified by the Tour’s governing bodies, including a majroty vote from the player’s themselves, however Rolapp is intent on seeing them implemented, not only for the good of the Tour, but more importantly to enhance the fan experience. New CEO Brian Rolapp has hinted there may be some major changes ahead for the PGA Tour. Big changes proposed for the PGA Tour Two more years! the cut in both, but he was realistic enough to know the days of being a consistent contender may have passed him by. “It became pretty apparent there are certain venues, there are certain stretches on the calendar where it’s going to be really difficult for me to win or even put myself in place to have the opportunity to win,” Johnson said. “I remember when I was in my 20s and my 30s, I wanted to be on the PGA Tour until I was 50. There was a time when I thought, I don’t want to go play the Champions tour. Now, I can’t wait.” HE will compete at Augusta as a past champion and while he is long odds of repeating his victory of 2007, following a successful first up performance on the Champions Tour American Zach Johnson will head to the 2026 Masters with his confidence high. Johnson, who celebrated his 50th birthday on February 24, began his senior tour career in the best possible fashion, scoring a fourshot win at the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida. While he still hopes to play in his favourite PGA Tour events, Johnson will commit to the over 50’s circuit in looking towards the next chapter of a career that has included 12 PGA Tour victories, including the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship. Johnson was also a member of five American Ryder Cup teams and was the non-paying captain in Rome in 2023. Over the past two seasons, Johnson has managed just one top-10 finish – a tie for eighth at the Masters last year. He has made two starts on the PGA Tour in 2026, making Life to begin again at 50 for Zach Johnson PGA SHOW 54 Donald. “Whoever their captain is, it doesn’t really change my role which is to formulate a plan to give our team the best opportunity, and what the US are doing is kind of inconsequential to that.” While history beckons with Donald’s appointment. Walter Hagen and Ben Hogan have skippered the US team to four and three victories, respectively, but neither landed three wins in consecutive matches. The Ryder Cup will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027. Luke Donald will again be in charge in 2027 after two wins from two as the European Ryder Cup captain. With two wins and a second in three weeks, young South African Casey Jarvis has stamped himself as a player to watch. “The sports business is not that hard,” Rolapp said at the press conference conducted the day before the Tour’s flagship event, the Player’s Championship. “Just think like a fan, and nine and a half times out of ten, that’s probably the right answer.” How it might affect Australia and the tournaments conducted during the southern hemisphere summer remains to be seen, however less PGA Tour events leading into Christmas and early in the New Year will free up the schedules of the world’s leading players. Following the Rolapp address, the Player’s Championship was run and won, with Cameron Young outlasting Matt Fitzpatrick to claim the biggest win of his professional career. A first-up win on the Champions Tour has Zach Johnson excited about life after 50.
April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 7 Green joins Aussie greats as an Australian Open champ JUST two weeks after her success in Singapore, Hannah Green became the first home grown winner of the women’s Australian Open since 2014 with a one-shot win at Kooyonga Golf Club. The West Australian returned a 2-under par 70 in the final round to win by one stroke from a fast-finishing Cassie Porter and Frenchwoman Agathe Laisne. Green, who arrived in Adelaide on the back of her seventh LPGA Tour title at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore a fortnight earlier, would depart the South Australian capital with her name engraved on the Patricia Bridges Bowl alongside the likes of Jane Crafter, Jan Stephenson and five-time winner Karrie Webb. “I feel really honoured to have my name on that trophy amongst so many other great players who have gone on to have really amazing careers,” the 29-year-old said Green. “I have said before that winning your home championship is like winning a major and I definitely still feel that way. Being able to have my team around me, having my husband again caddie for me, it’s going to be a really special one to remember.” The main challenge came from Porter, the Queenslander carding a course record-setting 10-under par 62 on Sunday, finishing an hour before Green to set the clubhouse target at 10-under. Laisne, also a winner two weeks ago at the Ford Women’s NSW Open, battled bravely with Green throughout the final round before finishing tied for second. Green came to the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead, found the fairway with her drive, safely hit the green with her approach in setting up two putts for the title and her third win on home soil. “I think I would have perhaps been more nervous if I wasn’t in my position in Singapore because that’s where I really felt nervous,” added Green. “But it was just different playing in front of home. I knew everyone wanted me to have the trophy in their hands at the end of the day. So that was a really nice feeling.” Classic Kelsey win at Magenta Shores YOU could suggest the golf course was the biggest winner at last month’s Australian Women’s Classic at Magenta Shores on the NSW Central Coast. Yet Kelsey Bennett would disagree and later admitted she was ‘stoked’ to wake up on Sunday morning before the final round to learn that conditions were destined to be brutal. The Mollymook professional then went out and had one of the rounds of her life, one of just three rounds under par in the entire field, to secure a four-shot win over English pair Meghan McLaren and Caley McGinty. Bennett finished with rounds of 66-68-7071 for the biggest win of her career which also secured her card on the Ladies European Tour. “I was just stoked to get it done today,” said the South Coast-based 26-year-old. “This is my biggest and best win so far and I couldn’t be happier. “It just means I can go to the [Australian] Open and book flights to Adelaide for my Nan now. “Honestly, I kept saying to my team, I want to get in the Open and the easiest way to do that is to have a win. “This really solidifies it for the year.” Bennett celebrated on site with her nan Patsy as well as her mother Lara while her fellow John Serhan pupil Sarah Kemp, one of Bennett’s idols, was on hand to shower her with champagne on the final green. “I remember first meeting Sarah, I was nervous,” said Bennett. “So, to be able to call her a mate now, is pretty special.” Bennett never stopped smiling in that final round and when conditions became tougher with persistent wind and rain she battled bravely with important birdies when it mattered most on the back nine. “Caley didn’t let up. I knew I had to keep pushing and those two birdies really helped coming in as well. “When I woke up on Sunday morning and saw the conditions were so tough I knew it was going to be anyone’s title.” Hannah Green joined a list of Aussie greats with her victory at Kooyonga. Michael Court michael@insidegolf.com.au Kelsey Bennett handled the difficult conditions best on Sunday at Magenta Shores enroute to the biggest win of her professional career.
April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 8 Is Min Woo ‘major’ ready? ASSUMING the mantle as Australia’s highest ranked player, can golf fans dare to dream when it comes to the prospects of Min Woo Lee in the major championships in 2026? Lee, 30th on the official world rankings list heading into the Players Championship, has the game, temperament and form on the board in the early season events this year to suggest something big might just be on the horizon. Seven cuts made out of seven tournaments played on the PGA Tour so far this year, highlighted by a second at Pebble Beach at the AT&T Pro-am, before finishing sixth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in another signature event, providing enough encouragement to his legion of supporters, and to Min Woo himself, that he can compete with golf’s best players. WA’s Ritchie Smith, who has an impressive stable of professionals and top line amateurs enjoying success around the world, started coaching Lee when he was just 14. Lee’s ‘Chef’ persona and ‘Let’s Cook’ catch phrase that goes with it, not to mention the go-for-broke attacking style, engenders overwhelming gallery support wherever he plays. “The Min Woo I know is exactly the one that you see on the TV,” Smith, said in an ABC interview back in 2023. “I think he’s really just being authentic to the person that he is. “He’s trying to engage and he’s trying to bring people through the gates and he’s trying to have fun while he’s doing it, and I think it’s working. “I think people really love him.” Lee came into prominence by winning the US Junior Amateur title in 2016, following in the footsteps of sister Minjee who won the female version of the same event in 2012, the only brother-sister pair to do so. He would turn pro three years later. In making an almost immediate impression, Lee finished fourth in the Saudi International in his second DP World Tour appearance, with his first professional triumph coming in the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open. He delivered a second victory that same year in beating Matt Fitzpatrick and Thomas Detry in a playoff at the Scottish Open, before Lee’s memorable win at the SCOTTIE Scheffler will likely tee off as the bookies favourite at the US Masters, however the World No 1 cooled off in the weeks leading into the first major championship of the year after his two-major, six-win 2025, then fast start to 2026. Scheffler began the year with a victory at the American Express Championship in Palm Springs, his 27-under total four strokes better than a group of four players tied for second, one of those being Jason Day. Following the win in the desert, for what was his 20th PGA Tour title, Scheffler finished third in Phoenix, then was fourth at the AT&T Proam at Pebble Beach, his result at Pebble continuing a streak of 18 top10’s in a row dating back to the 2025 Player’s Championship. As of The Players, Scheffer had also made 70 consecutive 36-hole cuts. The run of top 10’s however came to an end at the Genesis in LA, with Scheffler tied 12th, before winding up 24th two weeks later after failing to mount a serious challenge at the Armold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Then at Sawgrass at The Players, Scheffler battled a wayward driver during what was a disappointing week by his own lofty standards. There were three tournaments to be played before the Masters, with Scheffler’s schedule unknown, however the man who is just a victory at the US Open short of achieving the career Grand Slam, was likely searching for answers, and a driver to find a few fairways, before arriving in Georgia during the second week of April. 2023 Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. At the end of the 2023 DP World Tour season Lee graduated to the PGA Tour after finishing inside the top10 on the Race to Dubai standings, that same year earning selection in the two-man Australian team to contest the 2024 Olympic golf tournament, and was a captain’s pick for the International Team at the 2024 Presidents Cup. In 2025 Lee claimed his first PGA Tour title at the Houston Open, holding off world No 1 Scottie Scheffler down the stretch. To date a tie for fifth at the 2023 US Open is Min Woo Lee’s best result in a major championship, but is this the year he rises to the occasion and challenges the game’s elite in one of golf’s big four tournaments? – ROB WILLIS World No 1 Scottie Scheffler was searching to find his best form ahead of the Masters. Scottie struggles heading into Augusta - at least by his own lofty standards Currently Australia’s highest ranked player, can Min Woo Lee contend for a major championship in 2026?
April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 9 An unfortunate Masters ‘tradition’ not easily forgotten IN the old machine shed which had been renovated to house the world’s press assembled at Augusta, there was a tale about what might happen if a black man won the Masters. Apparently, a golf writer had posed the question, somewhat mischievously, to a volunteer driving him to the course. “A shot would ring out,” the local said in that unmistakeable deep southern drawl. The response was chilling and came not all that long before Tiger Woods became the first black man to don the green jacket in 1997. Not for one minute are we suggesting Woods’ life was in danger, but under the old oak tree outside the Georgian style clubhouse where sports journalists traditionally still gather to grab a quick quote from players as they come off the course, it felt different. The genial and eminently quotable American, the late Fuzzy Zoeller, an Augusta champion on debut in 1979, was asked what he thought Woods might put on the menu at the traditional Michael Davis michael.davis@insidegolf.com.au Champion’s Dinner he (Woods) would host the next year as reigning champion. It was a throwaway line, literally over his shoulder, as he walked away from a gaggle of pressmen. But his comments would haunt Zoeller for the rest of his life. Woods was on his way to a transformative, record-breaking victory. He would win by 12 strokes from Tom Kite, recovering after shooting 40 on the front nine on the first day. A relaxed, smiling Zoeller, drink in hand, said: “That little boy is driving well and he’s putting well. He should be congratulated.” Then joking, he added that Masters officials should “tell him (Woods) not (to) serve fried chicken next year… or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve.” It was a racist putdown of the highest order. Remember this was just 22 years after Lee Elder had become the first black man to play at Augusta in 1975. Even then, there was plenty of back and forth before Elder’s gilt-edged invitation from Augusta arrived much later than those of other competitors. Augusta had long been regarded by many as a hotbed of racism. It was a golf club where black people performed only menial jobs and the caddies at the course were exclusively black men hired by the club. For many years, you could not bring your own caddy to Augusta, even for the Masters. This is not the case now. Augusta did not admit its first black member until 1994 - three years before Tiger’s win. TV executive Ron Townsend had applied four years earlier – in 1990 - but withdrew after an alleged uproar from some Augusta members. Elder received death threats and hate mail in the lead up to his history making appearance in the 1975 Masters. He even booked two houses in the town to keep the haters guessing on his whereabouts during the week of the tournament. Zoeller came to mind reflecting on great (and not so great) Masters moments in the buildup to Augusta this month. Although Zoeller publicly apologised to Woods on a number of occasions for his (at best) unthinking comments, the remarks dogged him to his grave. History will forever taint him. On his death, part of me felt for Zoeller - a great player, dual major winner and a genuine wit. His win at the at the Masters in a three-man play-off made him one of only four players at the time to win at Augusta on their first attempt. He also won the US Open at Winged Foot in 1984, where he famously waved a white towel in mock surrender to Greg Norman as the Shark chased him down on the final day. It was typical of Zoeller’s sense of fun. He could also play the game. The next day he beat Norman by eight shots in an 18-hole play-off. Tiger Woods, receiving his green jacket from Sir Nick Faldo, following his Masters victory in 1997. Jariah ‘Jerry’ Beard caddied for Masters winner Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. The late Fuzzy Zoeller, a playoff winner at Augusta in 1979, made some unfortunate comments during the 1997 Masters. ALL INFORMATION IS CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINT AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANCE WITHOUT NOTICE, DUE TO MATTERS OUTSIDE OUR CONTROL SUCH AS ADVERSE CURRENCY FLUCTUATIONS, TAXES AND FUEL SURCHARGES. Experience the US Masters like never before with Exclusive World Tours. From private home accommodation just minutes from Augusta National to rounds of golf at top-tier courses and VIP tournament access, this is golf travel elevated to an art form. Enjoy drinks and BBQs with fellow travellers, soak up the atmosphere from exclusive hospitality lounges, and witness golfing history unfold at one of the sport’s most iconic events. 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April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au HSBC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 10 Hannah and hubby join forces to secure Singapore win WITH a record seven Australians competing in the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, the odds were high that the trophy would return to home soil. And with Hannah Green and Minjee Lee in pole position on the final day, the stage was set for an Aussie duel at the Tanjong course. In a fairytale finish, Western Australia’s Hannah Green secured her seventh LPGA victory and making the triumph more significant, it was Green’s first win with her professional-golfer husband, Jarryd Felton, serving as her caddie. “Seven is my lucky number; it’s also one of my favourite clubs in the bag. To do it with Jarryd by my side was extra special. I had a good week last week, but to say that I’m champion so early in the season is kind of strange,” Green said. The partnership wasn’t originally in the books, Green explaining that her usual caddie was navigating US immigration hurdles. “My usual caddie is applying for a green card and couldn’t leave the US, so it wasn’t part of the plan for the season. Luckily, my husband was able to pick up the bag for me.” Green rejoined the winner’s circle with a total of 14-under-par 274, finishing just one stroke ahead of American runner-up Auston Kim. Green set an aggressive pace early with a birdie on the first hole on the final day, though she admitted the pressure was intense. By Raquel Stevens “I feel that if you don’t experience nerves, there’s probably not enough care factor. I kind of just told Jarryd a couple times that I wasn’t feeling comfortable, and he said take a deep breath or just have something to eat or even a sip of water.” Kim, 25, remained a threat throughout the day, highlighted by a spectacular eagle on the eighth hole. Meanwhile, World No. 4 Minjee Lee, who started Sunday as co-leader, struggled to find momentum on Sunday, finishing with an even-par 72, placing her in a tie for third at 11-under alongside Angel Yin and France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard. Lee’s chances faded on the 16th, the same hole where a plaque commemorates Green’s the famous 2024 birdie she made before claiming victory. Despite the frustration, Lee remained optimistic. “I think I’m proud of myself for sticking in there and still posting a score when I had to. Yeah, I feel like this sets up for a nice start to the year. I feel like I can take away a lot more positives than negatives from this whole week,” Lee said. The closing holes at Tanjong are notoriously punishing. Even with a four-shot lead at one point, Green made three birdies and three bogeys in navigating a turbulent back nine. “It’s a beast of a course, and you had to be switched on the entire time,” Green remarked. Husband Jarryd noted the shift in momentum as the lead tightened. “You can kind of get a little bit comfortable when you’ve got a four-shot lead. And then Auston made birdie, and we made bogey to go back to two, and I think that really kind of spurred her (Hannah) on the next hole to get a good shot there and make the birdie.” While Green admitted a “bogey-bogey” finish wasn’t ideal, her lead held. As is tradition, fellow Aussies Grace Kim, Steph Kyriacou, and Karis Davidson stormed the 18th green to shower the champion with champagne. Back in 2024, the prize money at this event was $US1.8 million. It was then upped to $US2.4 million last year as Lydia Ko scooped the first place cheque for $US360,000. In 2026, reflecting the growing prestige of the event. the overall prize money for the HSBC Women’s World Championship was an impressive $US3 million, with $US450,000 going to Green as the winner. Runner up, Auston Kim, pocketed just under $US280,000, while each of the top six collected a six-figure payout. Because the tournament does not feature a cut, the player who finishes last after completing all four rounds took home just under $US6,000 as well as Rolex Ranking and Race to CME Globe points. Other notable finishes this year included World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul (T31) and defending champion Lydia Ko (T28). While the spotlight was on Green and Lee, other Australians showed grit in the intense heat. Cassie Porter (74,70,71,68) was 18th in recording her first Top 25 finish, while Davidson (73,69,70,77), Kim (73, 74,73,68) Robyn Choi (73,72,76,73) and Kyriacou (74, 78,77,82) finished near the tail of the 72-strong field. For Green, the victory was the ultimate validation of the makeshift partnership between her and hubby Jarryd, while the now two-time HSBC Women’s World champion (Green won in 2024) also said it was encouraging to see so many Aussies on tour. “It can be a tough lifestyle being away from home. I think we had seven or eight Aussies playing this week, which is the most we’ve ever had. So hopefully we’ll see more Aussie flags on the leaderboard.” NOTE: Inside Golf was a media partner for the HSBC Women’s World Championship, one of the early season highlight events on the LPGA Tour. With husband Jarryd Felton by her side, Hannah Green captured a seventh LPGA Tour title with a victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Hannah Green with a second victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. Joint leader heading into the final round, Minjee Lee had her moments in Singapore, before eventually finishing in a tie for third.
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April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 12 Inside the ropes: Gary Parker’s decade on tour with Peter Senior BEFORE he found what he jokingly calls “job security” as Peter Senior’s full-time caddie, Gary Parker served a long apprenticeship in the unforgiving school of tournament golf. In the mid-to-late 1990s the former banker caddied for leading Queensland amateur Wayne Perske, even travelling at his own expense to Interstate Series events simply for the chance to learn. His first professional bag was for Don Fardon Jr and over time he worked with a number of Australian tour players including David Bransdon, Matt Millar, Scott Strange et al. He also caddied for international competitors at the Australian Ladies’ Masters. Parker says those years were his education until the breakthrough in an airport lounge. Parker had crossed paths with Peter Senior during events in 1998 and 1999, then again in 2000 both in Australia and briefly on the European Tour while caddying for American Robin Byrd. Late one night the conversation turned to the following season. “Are you going back to Europe next year?” Senior asked. “I told him I would if I could find somebody decent to work for,” Parker recalls. Senior didn’t hesitate. “I’m going back midyear, so why not come with me?” And just like that Parker stepped into the top tier of world golf alongside one of Australia’s best and most respected professionals. Parker told Inside Golf he had stepped into a different world. The first weeks at the elite level were less about strategy and more about survival. “To be honest, the first few years I caddied at the top level I was really just a bag-carrier who was trying to learn what my player required,” he said. “But there was never any doubt this was several worlds apart from club golf.” The differences were immediate and stark. Course set-ups were brutal. “The rough is long and the pin positions are always in difficult positions on superfast greens,” Parker said. “There is so much preparation and practice players and caddies have to do before each tournament.” Yardage books are studied meticulously and wind shifts are analysed, not guessed. “At that level every detail matters,” Parker says, “you can’t just turn up and play.” Of course, a caddie’s role evolves with trust. In the early days, Parker’s task was straightforward: provide distances, note pin positions, offer assurance and assess the wind, “which Peter claims I never got right,” Parker laughs. After all, Senior had been a professional for decades and he knew his swing and his temperament intimately. Parker understood that his value lay not in overriding instinct, but in sharpening it. “As a caddie you spend a lot of time with your player on and off the course, so an easy rapport is essential,” Parker says. “Peter is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and with our similar sense of humour we became comfortable very quickly.” And if disagreement arose it required tact. David Newbery david@insidegolf.com.au “You can’t just say, ‘I think you need an easy six-iron’,” Parker explains. “That introduces uncertainty. Instead, I’d say the seven-iron he’d chosen should get there if he hit a ‘good, solid shot’. It makes him pause and reconsider without challenging him directly.” At The Belfry, that diplomacy was tested. Faced with a bunker shot over water to a green, Senior selected a seven-iron. Parker gently suggested the club would work provided it was struck perfectly. “The determined bugger came right out of his shoes to hit his chosen seven-iron hard enough to get there,” he laughed. One of Parker’s most vivid memories came at the final hole of the 2009 US Champions Tour Qualifying School. Senior stood on the brink of securing status on the lucrative over50s circuit. A par would be enough. The tee shot was placed safely short of a fairway bunker, leaving a full four-iron to a left-hand pin bordered by water at the front, left and rear. “The margin for error was thin,” Parker recalls. He had people in the crowd relaying leaderboard updates. Together, he and Senior agreed on the plan: aim 25 feet right of the flag, take the safe two-putt par and book their ticket. “With great calm, we planned it out,” Parker says. Senior stood over the ball. And fired straight at the hole. It pitched and released to 10 feet, setting up a birdie opportunity, which he holed. “Instead of scraping through, he won Q-School,” Parker says. “I immediately said, ‘What happened to our plan’?” Senior’s reply: “I felt so calm standing over it, I just thought, why not?” Parker smiles at the memory. “I’m taking that as a win.” Over a decade on tour, Parker observed dozens of elite players at close quarters. The practice range, he says, can be deceptive theatre. “You’d watch guys flush shot after shot, then go out and shoot 74 or 75.” When he asked Senior about it, the answer was blunt: “It’s what you’ve got when the bell rings that matters.” The very best players have trained both body and mind to score. “When playing well, they make it look effortless,” Parker said. “When struggling, they grind, limiting damage and salvaging rounds that others would surrender. “Under pressure, they sharpen rather than shrink.” Parker and Senior were fortunate enough to play alongside Tiger Woods at times. “You could almost feel his intensity,” Parker says. Later, they played with Tom Watson, an equally fierce competitor but with a different personality. “With Tom, it was a quiet, intense resolve,” Parker says. “Very different energy, but the same underlying steel.” Tour life is often described as relentless, but Parker’s experience with Senior allowed for balance. Their schedule typically involved two European stints of four to six weeks each year, interspersed with Australian events. “I was having the time of my life,” Parker says. “Caddying for a good bloke at great events, seeing the world and visiting places I never dreamed I’d get to see.” He travelled with a close-knit group of European Tour caddies who welcomed him into their routines. Airports, hire cars and hotel lobbies became familiar terrain. As for scrutiny, Parker shrugs it off. “Peter is a well-rounded family and business man who has a good reputation amongst players, caddies and the public. In my experience, there was no scrutiny on such people.” The job was demanding, but it was also an adventure. Looking back, Parker identifies two important lessons from his decade inside the ropes. “The first is about shot selection,” he says. “Successful players only attempt shots in competition that they know they can execute. The great ones are constantly expanding that knowledge by working with coaches to add new reliable options.” For Marker, the second lesson is humbler and more personal. “My own golf constantly reminds me that it’s a lot easier to pick a club than it is to hit a club,” he says. For all the yardage calculations and strategic debates, execution remains paramount. The broader life lesson is equally clear: when opportunity knocks, answer. “When you’re presented with an opportunity, seize it,” Parker advises. “Work honestly and diligently to make the most of it and enjoy the ride while it lasts.” For Gary Parker, that ride included major tournaments, global travel, brushes with legends and countless fairways walked beside one of Australia’s most enduring professionals. Yes, the trophies and paydays belong to the player but the memories, good times, good people, interesting places and a truckload of mostly true stories belong equally to the man carrying the bag. And those, he says, will stay with him for the rest of his life. Gary Parker shows off some of the memorabilia he collected while caddying for Peter Senior. Still competing on the PGA Legends Tour, Peter Senior has enjoyed a long and successful professional career.
April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au 13 HSBC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP can be my big brother, and at times my father. I am so very grateful to have him on my bag.” Behind the scenes, Thitikul is as generous as she is competitive. In the past two years she has quietly funnelled over $US600,000 into building educational infrastructure in rural Thailand. Her manager, Jack Nitiwanakui, said that while Jeeno is reluctant to discuss her charity, her heart is set on making a difference. “This is where she grew up, the community is very grateful, they have very little. Jeeno has a very big heart, and she wants to give back and change lives.” With eight career wins and over $17.7 million in earnings, Thitikul has conquered almost every peak in the sport. However, when asked if there was one elusive milestone that remains on her list, she smiled, “There is something, a hole in one might be nice.” Jeeno by the Numbers (following the HSBC World Championship in Singapore) World Ranking No 1 Career Wins 8 Career Earnings $17.7 Million Scoring Average 68.00 Jeeno Thitikul: What it takes to be No. 1 FOR World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, staying at the pinnacle of golf requires much more than collecting titles. Recently at the HSBC Women’s World Championships in Singapore, the 23-year-old Thai sensation reflected on the psychological evolution that allowed her to reclaim the top spot, and specifically how she changed the way she speaks to herself on the course. “When I hit World no 1 the first time, I was only 19. I think I was so young, and I put a lot of pressure on myself. People had eyes on me, and at that time things got more serious. Even if I missed one shot, I felt that was bad. I’ve matured, and now when I take a bad shot, I say to myself, it’s ok, you have another one.” Handling the suffocating pressure of professional golf is a constant battle. Thitikul’s secret lies in equanimity and a refusal to let the weight of expectation strip away her passion for the game. “I think I always stay grounded. The nerves are always going to be there, but you have to beat the nerves. But I like to tell myself, this is the time that you need to enjoy it. You need joy with the nervous moments. That’s why I kind of try to dance in the rain.” This mindset is echoed by 13-year veteran, Lydia Ko. Having reached World No. 1 at just 17, the now 29-year-old understands the grit required to maintain a seat at the table. When discussing the unique ingredient required to be on top, Ko said, “you look at the Rory’s of the world. You have to be a little bit different, a little bit special.” This philosophy paid dividends for Thitikul recently at the Honda LPGA Thailand when she became just the third Thai player to win the event—a victory she values as “sometimes By Raquel Stevens more than a major” because it happened in front of her home fans and, for the first time in her LPGA career, her entire family. “I finally won the tournament in front of you, honestly, I have to say it feels beyond a dream, because everyone is here. My mum, my dad, grandma and grandpa. It makes me feel incredibly special.” Thitikul’s dominance in 2025 was historic. She secured the Vare Trophy for the LPGA Tour’s lowest-ever scoring average, eclipsing a record held by the legendary Annika Sorenstam since 2002. She also successfully defended her Tour Championship title in Naples, Florida, taking home a $4 million winner’s check, the largest in women’s golf history. Despite the accolades, Thitikul remains focused on her role as an ambassador for the sport. “It definitely means a lot. Back then, when I was six years old, I was a really young kid that had no idea what LPGA was, what a world No.1 looked like. But as I’m stepping here on the LPGA Tour, I know our part is playing golf but also inspiring the next generation is part of our job as well.” Central to her success is her long-term partnership with caddie Banpot Bunpisansaree, who was named the 2025 Caddie of the Year. Their bond transcends the typical professional relationship. “I often compare the caddy – player relationship to a couple. You definitely can argue, because you don’t always think the same way for the whole round, and for the entire year. Banpot and I have been working together for almost 10 years. He can be my caddy, he Thai sensation Jeeno Thitikul, the women’s World No 1. More Than a Golf Trip — An Experience. Tailor-made golf holidays across South East Asia. By golfers, for golfers. Contact us to start building your next golf holiday. P: +66 (0) 84-244-1112 | www.asiagolfexperiences.com Jeeno Thitikul.
April 2026 www.insidegolf.com.au PRO NEWS 14 Scheduling issues lie ahead for Sydney’s Smyth With a successful three weeks in New Zealand, which included a win at the ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship, Travis Smyth was in the number one spot on the Australasian Tour Order or Merit. Rob Willis rob@insidegolf.com.au The win in New Zealand came after the 31-year-old Smyth had recorded top-fives at both the Quinovic NZ PGA Championship and NZ Open presented by Millbrook Resort. Smyth already enjoys playing privileges in Asia, where he was 19th on the moneylist in 2025, with the victory at the Japan-Australasia Championship offering the opportunity to play the rest of 2026 and the next two seasons on the Japan Golf Tour due to the co-sanctioning. Therefore, his success in Auckland has meant Symth could potentially be splitting his time between the Asian, including the lucrative International Series events, Japanese, and if he finishes as No 1 on the Australasian OOM, the DP World Tour over the next few years. And that’s when he’s not playing at home in Australia and New Zealand. Smyth, who plays out of the St Michaels Golf Club in Sydney, was looking forward to the potential career opportunities that lie ahead. “Japan’s like one of my favourite countries to visit and play golf in,” Smyth said. “I’ll definitely play whatever tournaments I can. I’m very much looking forward to that.” Symth birdied the final two holes at the Royal Auckland & Grange Golf Club course for a 67, tying Thompson on 15-under par. South Australian Thompson had started the final round tied for 19th and six shots from the lead, before rocketing into contention by playing his last seven holes in 6-under-par and posting an equal course record score of 8-under-par 64. Four trips to the 18th hole and one to the short par four third failed to separate the pair, before the title was decided with a short birdie putt from Smyth at the sixth extra hole. Thompson’s runner-up finish was his second in as many years in New Zealand, coming just 12 months after missing out on a playoff by a shot at the 2025 New Zealand Open. However, it was Smyth the one left celebrating a hard earned victory. “I’m just so happy and over the moon that all the hard work, all the consistency, it’s finally paid off,” Smyth said. “I’ve had so many top-fives and top-10s over the last four or five years and I’m watching guys win tournaments and not play as consistent as I am. And I’m just thinking ‘when’s my time going to come?’ It was this week. I’m so happy.” With the 760 Order of Merit points earned, Smyth had tallied 965.4 points across the threeleg New Zealand swing – his first Australasian events of the season to lead Cameron John by 204 points, with each win in the final two tournaments – the Heritage Classic and The National Tournament – carrying 190 points. “It’s a good feeling. (But) the job’s not done,” Smyth said. STOP PRESS: The Heritage Classic, the second to last tournament of the 2025/2026 Australasian Tour season was run and won, with lefty Will Florimo winning his first tour title. Florimo shot a 14-under par total, two shots clear of runner up Haydn Barron. The Queenslander had been close on three previous occasions this season in finishing runnerup at the PNG Open, third at the WA PGA Championship, while coming up short in a three-way playoff at the Ford NSW Open. Smyth, despite finishing 47th at the Heritage Classic built an unassailable lead on top of the Australasian Tour Order of Merit with just one tournament, The National, remaining. Will Florimo claimed a maiden Australasian Tour title with a win in the Heritage Classic. Nestled amongst natural wonders, this little piece of paradise is our backyard. Based in Cairns, our Fairways of Travel operation showcases the most beautiful, natural and unique locations throughout the tropical paradise we call home Far North Queensland. A region known for it’s bucket list locations, Far North Queensland has an abundance of beauty on offer. From costal delights to lush hinterland views, surrounded by the world’s oldest rainforest and neighbouring the famous Great Barrier Reef, it’s more than a holiday destination, it’s home to your next once in a lifetime experience. 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