Cam Smith is a confirmed starter in three Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia events this summer.
Smith commits to three Aussie tournaments
Cameron Smith has officially confirmed his participation in three events during the upcoming Australian summer of golf, with the Queenslander set to play the NSW Open, Queensland PGA and BMW Australian PGA Championships.
Competing on the LIV Golf Tour and the Captain of Ripper GC, the 31-year-old Smith has enjoyed a stellar career on the international stage, highlighted by his historic win in the Open Championship at St Andrews, three victories in the LIV Golf League and six titles on the PGA TOUR.
He now brings his talents back home after a year in which he finished seventh on the overall standings on the LIV Tour in 2024, starting with the Queensland PGA at Nudgee Golf Club, followed by the $800,000 NSW Open at the highly-rated regional venue of Murray Downs Golf & Country Club.
“It’s fantastic it is being played in a regional area and I can’t wait to see how many fans are at Murray Downs,” Smith said. “The NSW Open is growing into a major event and I’m excited to be able to play in the tournament this year, which will be part of a great summer of Australian golf.”
“I love supporting Australian golf and when the opportunity arises to play, I want to be there. I try to get back home as much as I can.”
Smith recently agreed to play in the Queensland PGA Championship on October 31-November 3, the NSW Open tees off from November 14-17 at the Peter Thomson designed Murray Downs course, before he contests the BMW Australian PGA at Royal Queensland from November 21.
A three-time Australian PGA champion, Smith was looking forward to getting back to Queensland and to where his golfing journey began.
“Coming home to Queensland is a highlight of my year. It’s always special to be back playing in front of my family, friends and all the golf fans and hopefully being up near the lead,” Smith said.
As Inside Golf was going to print, Smith had yet to confirm his participation at the Australian Open at the Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf clubs.
Dates and venues confirmed for prestigious Women’s events
Two of Australia’s most prestigious championships return to the national sporting stage in early 2025 with fresh new dates and venues.
For the first time, the historic Wollongong Golf Club will host the 2025 Women’s NSW Open, while the stunning Coffs Harbour Golf Club on the mid-north coast will be the venue for the Australian Women’s Classic.
The stakes are high with each tournament offering a lucrative $500,000 prize purse, with the events co-sanction by the Women’s Professional Golf Association Tour of Australasia (WPGA) and the Ladies European Tour (LET) in adding even more prestige to the 72-hole championships.
The Australian Women’s Classic, scheduled for March 13-16, kicks off the exciting two weeks of Women’s professional golf, to be followed by the Women’s NSW Open from March 20-23.
Supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW and the Department of Regional NSW, over 130 of the world’s best female golfers from around 40 countries are set to battle it out over the two weeks.
And for those who can’t be there in person, both tournaments will be broadcast live, reaching fans across Australia and Europe.
Mr Stuart Fraser, Golf NSW Chief Executive Officer, said the organisation looked forward to showcasing some of the brightest talent in women’s professional golf.
“Golf NSW, with the support of the NSW Government, is thrilled to be able to bring the Women’s NSW Open to two fabulous venues like Wollongong and Coffs Harbour next year,” Mr Fraser said.
“It will be exciting to watch some of the sport’s best female athletes from around the globe competing in regional NSW for two of Australia’s most prestigious championships.”
Karen Lunn, CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, said the tournaments were an unprecedented opportunity for players to compete against world-class opposition on home soil.
“Competing for over $1 million on some of NSW’s most esteemed regional courses is a game-changer for women’s golf in Australia,” Lunn remarked.
“This level of competition and reward is instrumental in advancing the sport and inspiring the next generation of female golfers.”
Min Woo Lee has a busy schedule ahead before returning for the Australian golfing summer.
Still work to do in the US for Min Woo
He was one of the stars of the last Australian golfing summer and chances are the same will apply later this year when Min Woo Lee returns to defend his title at the BMW Australian PGA Championship, before contesting the ISPS Handa Australian Open in Melbourne.
Lee thrilled the crowds at Royal Queensland in recording his biggest win on Australian soil, in what was his biggest victory on home soil.
The win catapulted Lee to international stardom, such was his style of play and the way he engaged with the large galleries who turned out to support him.
However, while 2024 has produced a number of highlights, as of mid-September and with his participation in the Presidents Cup just a week or so away, Lee still had work to do on the US PGA TOUR.
Playing in the Fall Series events, following a tie for 32nd at the Procure Championship, Lee was 60th on the points list, with players ranked 50-60 to qualify for the first two, lucrative Signature Events in 2025.
While exempt and eligible to compete in all full field events courtesy of his finish on the 2024 FedEx Cup points rankings, a top 60 finish would see him included in the field for the A T & T Pebble Beach and Genesis Invitational.
With the Presidents Cup, then a handful of PGA TOUR events to follow, Lee still has work to do and a busy schedule before returning home for the major Australian tournaments.
The victorious US Solheim Cup team.
American’s claim the Solheim Cup
Team USA have broken a seven-year drought to win back the Solheim Cup at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.
The American’s opened up a 10-6 lead over Team Europe following the foursomes and fourball matches and appeared to be cruising to victory, until some early wins by the European women in the singles on Sunday made for a tense finale.
It was a birdie on the 18th hole from Lilia Vu to halve her match with Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela which would ultimately provide the Cup-clinching point, with the US claiming victory by 15 ½ to 12 ½.
After going 3-0 in her earlier matches, World No 1 Nelly Korda was soundly beaten 6 and 4 by Charley Hull in their singles encounter, with Rose Zhang from the American team the only player to register a perfect 4-0 record over the three days of competition.
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